UNTAMED

Part Twenty-two

   
{You line up fresh witnesses against me. You compound your anger and pile on the grief and pain.}

      “How is my cover blown?” he asked.
“Somebody has identified you to Ojogolo arms dealers. That was about three hours ago” Jason answered.
“But how does that affect my moving out.”
“Because they now know where you live” Jason said.
“Then let them come” he said.
“That’s the problem” Wild said.
“I don’t understand, Tamed can quickly end this if they come after him” Fast said.
“Chief is not planning to use illegal means, he is going to use the law, the police to be exact” Wild said.
“The man who exposed you did not just tell them where you live, he also gave details about you and also, he was able to convince then not to attack your den” Jason said.
“That means the person is from Asaba and he knows your escapade there” Ghost said.
“I still don’t understand how Chief is planning to use the police” he said.
“He is going to report Halima missing and list you as a suspect with some few witnesses who saw you at Ologbo day before yesterday” Jason said.
“Jason please give us the full details” Wild said.
“Chief was there when the man came but I don’t think the man was aware. I did not even hear his voice until the man left. Based on what the man said about you, he wants to implicate you by stating you are a corrupt army officer working for his political opponent. He is going to report Halima missing by stating that the lady he had employed to be cleaning his place had not returned, he got to know after the land lady raised an alarm and he already has someone as her landlady” Jason explained.
“I’m beginning to think there is something more to Halima” Doc said.
“Ghost’s prediction is happening. We are dealing with a man smart enough to hide himself as a criminal for years and was able to become a House of Assembly member and now a House of Reps member. Chief is smart and if he is ready to bring Halima to the open, he knows what he is doing.  And now the situation has been worsened by Halima’s escape attempt. If he had any doubt of his intentions, it has be strengthened by what just happened. First, we have to understand the game he is playing, then we have to find a way to counter it” Major sad.
“Legally, I believe he is going to use the fact that Halima would choose him and declare you as her captor if he uses the police to rescue her from you” Ghost said.
“That’s exactly why Tamed must leave now” Jason said.
“You can delay them by asking for a search warrant but it’s better they don’t find you there, then we can plan what to do with the other issue” Wild said.
“So I’m now supposed to move to the underground house?” he let out his frustration.
“No. Come to my place in Benin” Jason said.
“Was that Jason?” Fast asked.
“Unbelievable. Jason you want Tamed to come over?” Mark asked.
“No I don’t think that’s a good idea” he said.
“Tamed we are surprised Jason wants you to come over but the part where it is not a good idea is not true. You were not around for the wedding, so you’ve not been to Jason’s compound. That place is a hotel” Doc said.
“With state of the arts facility. Tamed your place is a den but Jason’s place is a fortress” Fast said.
“You will not be staying with me, there is another house in the compound which you can use for now” Jason said.
“Jason why the sudden offer?” Major asked.
“Cindy wants her to stay where she will not be locked up in a room but where the full house is available for her to explore, just that she will not be able to leave the house. She said our method is barbaric. She wants to help because she believes Halima needs to meet real and normal humans” Jason said.
His last word provoked a laughter. Jason was still Jason, always straightforward, said it exactly the way she said it.
“On behalf of the Circle, tell Cindy that we are sorry and we will try to be real humans” Major said laughing.
“I understand if she sees Tamed, Sabrina maybe Wild as aliens. Imagine what Tamed did to Andrew in her presence, she had seen Doc fighting with heels then Wild, well just seeing him is enough. But how did I fall into her category?” Ghost asked.
“Include me please. I was trying my best to defuse that bomb during the Civil war mission” Mark said.
“We all agreed to her supposed barbaric method and she has heard so much about you” Jason answered.
“I don’t understand this robot Jason has turned to” Fast said.
“Get married Fast and find out” Jason replied.
“Nah, women scare me. I’m happy being me, myself and I” Fast said.
“I believe that’s the best option right now. Halima has to recover fast. There is no way Chief will let it go if the police don’t find her in your house especially now that he is very sure she is with you” Wild said.
“The difficult puzzle here is Chief’s next line of action” Mark said.
“Major is there any way you can intervene?” Fast asked.
“No” Major and Wild chorused.
“This is serious. The evidence you were there the day of the incidence and the fact that someone has described you is a big issue.  Halima’s escape attempt has made it worse. Telling the D.P.O or IG to intervene will worsen your situation. We are dealing with a lawmaker here. The only thing we can do is to wait and see what Chief will do next” Major said.
“Jason look for a way to install visual around Ojogolo and John, we need evidence as fast as possible” Wild said.
“But there is sound transmission already, there should be enough evidence by now.” he said.
“Jason just started this mission four days ago that’s if we are to count this morning as another day” Wild said.
“There is the issue of the van” he said.
“Tow the van. I will open your pickup computer and connect it to the van so your towing will go smoothly” Jason said.
“Okay” he said.
“You need to start moving now Tamed. It will take you more than an hour to get to Benin because of the van. The police will be arriving as early as 6:AM” Jason said.
“I can make it in twenty….”
“We know” Ghost, Doc and Mark said interrupting Fast.
He went back to the master bedroom. She was back at the wardrobe door. She jerked up and ran towards the window as he entered the room.
“I’m sorry, please don’t kill me” she stammered.
There must be something in her voice that always resurrected the rage to kill. The generator was still on and she had not switched off the light in the room. The luggage was opened, she had placed some of the clothes on the floor but had not arranged them in the wardrobe.
“Pack the clothes back into that bag and zip it before I come back” he said.
“Tamed calm down, your voice is too harsh. From the way Jason is talking Cindy is listening” Ghost said.
“No she is resting on her favorite place” Jason said.
“Which is?” Ghost asked.
“Never mind” Jason said.
He left the room and made sure he closed the door. He quickly went to his room and packed some of his clothes into his military bag. He carried all his important weapons and gadgets and then went back to the master bedroom. He moved closer to her to carry the bag but she was shaking badly.
“Tamed she may go into shock, her body may not be able to handle that dread I’m seeing” Wild said.
“You remember the injection you gave her last time? Inject her with 1mg. It will put her to sleep and also calm her nerve at least till you get to Benin” Doc said.
He carried the bag and left the room. He went straight to the pickup and prepared 1mg of Midazolam injection. He went back to the room. She was still standing where he had left her. He moved very close, their bodies were almost touching.
“Please, please” she stuttered.
He forced himself to ignore her and also ignored the raging emotion he was feeling. He pulled her close and injected the drug on her left arm. It took just seconds and she went limp. He carried her to the passenger seat of the pickup and belted her. He carried all their luggage to the back seat of the van. He went back and switched off the generator. After carrying it inside, he closed the door and went to the back of his pickup where he brought out a towing chain which he hooked to the front of the van.  He had to put fuel in the pickup. He always made sure there was a gallon of fuel with him. They were on their way seconds later. They had been talking but he had tuned them off.
“Jason is it possible to listen to what the man said to Ojogolo and crew?” he asked few seconds after he had driven into the main road. He had connected his hearing tools back.
“Yes, but I don’t think it’s advisable in your state. You may retaliate” Jason said.
“I need to understand what the man must have said to them, enough to convince Chief not to send his men” he said.
“Wild?” Jason said.
“Do it. I want to know too” Wild responded.
“Okay, wait for some seconds please” Jason said.
“Igboh is now…I won’t come…..you..” he heard a man’s voice.
It looked like Jason was trying to forward the recording. As the man voice came and stopped, he felt rage. He knew that voice. The palm wine joint close to Mama Sunday’s store was owned by his family. It had been there for long. His name was Ibe and he was also popular as a storyteller. He even made money from it. At that moment, he wished he never asked to know.
“Got it” Jason said.
Next came the voice of Ibe.
“I know I’m not supposed to ask why you are looking for him but I will tell you about the man you are looking for if you add to the money.”
“Just drop his location and go, that’s all we need to know” an unknown voice said.
Ibe replied with laughter.
“I’m eighty percent sure that is John” Jason said.
“What is funny?” John according to Jason asked.
“I can assure you that’s not all you need to know. But if you just want the location, take it and give me my money. Let’s hope you don’t become the next Lord Nero” Ibe said.
“Wait. Is he really the one? Hunter?” another voice said.
“That should be Ojogolo” Wild said.
“You can’t face an enemy you don’t know. If you want to know about him, pay.”
“We don’t…”
“John let’s hear him out” Ojogolo said.
“Speak” Ojogolo said after a pause.
“His name is Obinna. He is a descendant of the great Obuenhi and people in Asaba call them hunters.”
“Guys gather at the fire, this is going to be interesting” Fast said.
“Though I did not meet him, my grandfather did. Before he died, he told me stories of Obuenhi, Okemili and Obuefi. I am a witness to Obinna’s exploits.”
“Go straight to the point Mr Ibe” John said.
“Exactly what I’m doing. I can’t see your faces but you seem to be impatient, just wait and listen, your lives depend on it” Ibe said.
“I don’t want to listen to this. We have his location. We should strike now.”
“John sit down, no knowledge should be overlooked. Continue” Ojogolo said.
“The man you are looking for is a legend in Asaba, even now grandparents still tell their grandchildren about him and his forefathers. Many see him as the reincarnation of Ogbuenhi, a man who killed twenty elephants and lots of bulls. He was known for his hot temper. There are so many stories about him but I won’t say more than I’m being paid for. My grandpa had said before Ogbuenhi were also hunters and they always gave birth to males. All hunted animals from what he was told and they had all died at a ripe age.  But his grandfather known as Okemili was known for hunting sea animals. He would travel for a long time and come back with a large fish, or unique sea animal. One time, the fish he brought back had fed the whole village but there was a time he was brought back home in a big caterpillar by strangers. He was badly injured. People did not need to ask what happened because along with him was a giant fish bigger than the fish he had always brought. Later, they were told it was the great white whale whose baby’s heart is the size of a caterpillar engine. He had killed the whale after a long battle but he had died later from the injuries he sustained, then Obinna’s father Ogbuefi was very young. There was another son though not the same mother. He had brought back a woman and a baby years after he had lost his wife to childbirth. Their grandmother had taken care of Ogbuefi, the second son and his widowed wife but years later, she had left Asaba with her son. I was young but I witnessed the exploits of Ogbuefi. He killed so many wild bulls that people stopped counting. In one of his hunts, he had gone with some group of hunters and they had gone too far and had encountered a Tiger.”
That got him. His mum had said it was a bull.
“The cat had targeted one of the hunters from the back but Ogbuefi had intervened. While the other three hunters ran with their tails on their head, Ogbuefi had fought the tiger with his arrows. He had killed the tiger after a long battle but his back was torn. I saw a tiger for the first time in my life thanks to Ogbuefi. Obinna was very tender, should be four when the incident happened. His wife had stubbornly refused to let him go in peace. She had borrowed countless amount of money forgetting Ogbuefi was yet to fully pay for the modern house he had built. Ogbuefi died two years later leaving his young window in debt. The worst part was the people who had hunted with him and even the Asagba had all turned their backs on the poor widow. Later, she had married Ikenna, Ogbuefi’s close friend who was even the one he had saved. This man started frequenting our palm wine joint and soon joined the family of drunkards. Obinna was ten when he began his escapade and to my best understanding, Obinna is a different case entirely. Although some people believe he is the reincarnation of Ogbuenhi, there are few victims like us who believe he has the strong gene of all of them combined together. That man is a beast in all ramification. I am talking to you as one of his victim.”
There was a pause. He did not know what had caused the pause but he tried dissecting the history he had just listened to. His mother never said it like this man.
“Jason why the pause?” Mark asked
“No way, you can’t stop here” Doc said.
Somehow he hoped that was the end of the recording.
“Just wait” Jason said.
“Why did you stop?” John asked.
“Aha, now you want to know” Ibe said excitedly.
“Continue” Ojogolo commanded this time.
“I will but just know I can only tell you my money’s worth” Ibe said.
“Obinna’s first victim that I know of was his stepfather and he was just ten” Ibe continued.