UNTAMED

Part Three

{Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.}
         It did not take long before he saw the effect of his threat. He had just left Ologbo and was about entering Benin when he saw the Hilux with the same registration number he had seen when he had forcefully entered the compound. They must had called Chief and had gotten the go ahead, now it was very clear something was definitely wrong. In another few minutes, he allowed the Hilux to close up the gap, and from the review mirror, he saw one of them cocking his gun, he ignored him and waited for them to fire the first shot. He had not prepared any weapon because he had no idea looking for the boy would put his life in danger. But a soldier must be always ready to defend himself anytime. That was one rule of The Circle. Even though he had left The Circle more than a year ago, he was already used to all their habits. His white pickup van had been same pickup his mum had hired to load the palm fruits she had always purchased. He had bought it from the owner few years after his mum’s death. Everything was okay with it except what he called the shell. He left the outside to still look same way it was when his mother had used it but also, it was a form of deception. Most people only gave a glance to his pickup van but what they didn’t know was he had done a lot of work on it and with the help of George, he was able to build and install some weapons in the pickup van. It was not difficult because he had studied mechanical engineering. George was one of The Circle fallen soldiers, he was killed by a defector who was one of their own during the fight to stop another civil war. Jason had helped install upgraded computers and software he could use to operate his hidden weapons. He was not planning to fight the people tailing him. He had hunted men soldiers dreaded fighting and these men were a complete joke. Although he would have really welcomed a fight because it gave him more excitement, there was no time to waste. He was going to make do with just killing them. He needed to get to Asaba as fast as possible. The first shot he had been waiting for hit the windscreen of the back of his pickup van and fell off. It had already been replaced with a bullet proof windscreen. 
   He opened up the weapons hidden under the trunk of the pickup using the small computer installed where the radio was supposed to be. As more bullets were released on him, he opened up his mini tracking point and with the system, he released loads of bullets at the driver of the Hilux. ‘Cut off the head and the body is useless’ was his favorite quote. The Hilux crashed into a ditch few seconds later.  Other vehicles started reversing to Benin. He bent down and brought out two Ruger pistols from under the driver’s seat. Then one by one, he shot those struggling to come out after surviving the crash. He was not counting, he just shot at anything still breathing firing with both hands. As he was about to shoot the last one, he stopped. That was the Hausa man who gave him ultimatum, he could actually get something from him. He opened the back door of the passenger’s seat and dragged him out. He raised his head to observe his environment. There were no vehicles, none was going towards Ologbo and none was going towards Benin.
“Please nor kill me, I beg” the man pleaded.
He had a tear at his right arm and he was losing blood. He did not have to kill him because he was going to die except he got help.
“Let’s make a deal, I will let you live if you answer my questions.”
“Ask anything, I swear I go answer.”
He was hysterical and was not aware he wouldn’t be the death of him but his bleeding arm, but his fear had clouded the pain he was supposed to be feeling.
“Deal. Is there a man being held captive by Chief?”
The man nodded.
“Do you know why?”
“No”
“What about rumors?”
“Wetin I mean?”
“What do you think is the reason the man is being held captive?”
“I swear I nor know.”
“What have you heard people say?”
The man opened his mouth but closed it. There was definitely something. He pushed his personalized Ruger pistol on the man’s forehead.
“Okay I go tell you. Some people say I fit be Chief son but I nor well and Chief dey hide am make people nor know say I get mad son.”
His pidgin was quite different from the normal Nigerian pidgin. He could understand him because he had carried out a mission with Ghost, a Circle member who was Hausa and who most times was paired with another Circle member whenever a mission concerned Hausas and Fulanis. The interior region had many villagers who could not utter any English word and when they met some who could speak Pidgin English, they had always addressed anyone they were talking about as themselves and Ghost had helped him out. This one was easier to understand because he did not personalize every word. He was speaking out of fear.
“And?” he asked knowing the second opinion would be the information he needed.
“Some say Chief na man wen dey sleep with man. Them say Chief capture am keep for there.”
“What!”
“I swear nor be me talk am na hear I hear. Na somebody when work for there, when hand over him job to me na him tell me say I  fit be dey sleep with am because of the way Chief dey behave anytime I enter go see am and anytime I come out, I  too don see the way I dey behave, I nor resemble who go see him son” the man said in a rush.