UNTAMED

Part Forty Seven

“Show off” Wild said.
“Big show off” Sabrina said.
Cindy held her chest smiling, she too was happy. Fast was safe but what of Mark?
The screen changed to the river. Mark was nowhere to be found but suddenly, the big boat was separating. She could hear some people screaming and some firing at the water. What was going on? Maybe a shark was attacking them. But it was not a shark because the boat separated and one part was tumbled making those inside to fall inside the water, the other side was also tumbled and she was just seeing blood, it’s like they stopped the voice because she could not hear anything. Like a minute later, nobody was moving, it was just blood. But suddenly Mark was back on his boat. He saluted.
“Mark” She shouted excitedly standing up.
Even those on the TV stood up clapping. Mark was alive.
“Another show off” Sabrina said.
She sounded jealous. The screen changed again but fear gripped her. There were gunshots everywhere. Someone was holding a long gun, he was about to shoot somebody but got shot from nowhere. She gasped standing up. It was Beast and Ghost the man was about to shoot. They were not even looking at him. They were backing each other and shooting as they turned, it was as if they were glued together. People with gun were falling anyhow, either from Ghost or Beast or from the sky. Beast and Ghost were too fast in their spinning and they were shooting as they turned. People were running out with guns but they were not even allowed to shoot it. Ghost stopped shooting for some seconds and they stopped spinning. He was replacing something in his gun but Beast was still shooting, people about to fire at Ghost fell on the ground. Something was hitting them from the sky. It was just few seconds like she was blinking her eyes and they were spinning and shooting and moving forward. They stopped again and it was Beast that changed something in his gun but he was faster than Ghost. They were now very close to the house they were moving to. Everywhere was silent, no one came out.
“Halima don’t forget to breathe” Wild said.
She inhaled in some air.
“That’s is my Obinna” a man on TV shouted standing up.
But their faces were covered, how did the man know it was Beast?
“Politics” Wild said.
Someone came out of the house, his hands were raised up but he was laughing.
“Hunter, Obgbuenhi, the beast, I finally get to meet you. I see you came with your friend” he said laughing.
“I can see that is Ojogolo but why is he laughing?” the president asked standing up.
“Because there is a bomb that will detonate in a minute and there is no escape by land” Major said.
She did not know what he meant but people’s reaction said it all. They were going to die. She started crying.
“I am not Lord Nero, I know when I’ve lost. I’ve always known I will die one day but I know I will take down my killer. You killed my son, my men, you destroy my empire and you think I will let you go. Go on shoot me. Whether you shoot me or not we are all going to die.”
“Forty seconds more” Major said.
But then the she heard the sound of the helicopter before she saw it. It was Fast. Beast and Ghost ran towards the center of the compound same time a rope was dropped. They were always too fast with everything. They were already on the rope and Fast started flying the helicopter away even as they were pulling themselves to the helicopter. Fast flew high and was out of the compound exact time there was a large noise and fire and the whole building was exploding. She could not even see the person they had called Ojogolo. The smoke was even preventing her from seeing them.
“Situation report, over” Major said.
“Mission accomplished, replied fire for fire” Beast answered after some seconds.
“I hate smoke” Ghost said coughing and making everyone laugh same time clapping their hands and screaming and shouting Nigeria.
“Copied. Over and out” Major said pressing his phone.
The screen turned white, but people were still clapping. She ran to Cindy and hugged her. She had even forgotten about Chief.
“We need a doctor” somebody shouted from the TV making her turn. It was Chief, he was vibrating seriously.
“Get doctors from the clinic” the president told someone.
Nobody moved towards Chief, they just watched him shake. A doctor ran over to him same time Chief stopped shaking.
He checked him with something he pulled out from his neck and shook his head.
“He is gone” the doctor said.
People started talking and shouting.
“Did you hear that Halima. Doc what does the doctor mean by that?” Wild asked.
“It means Chief is dead” Sabrina said.
Was she supposed to be sad? Why was she happy, why was she shedding tears of joy. Was she that bad?
“Halima there is nothing wrong with what you are feeling now” Wild said.
“I’m free, I’m free” She cried falling on the ground.
Cindy started rubbing her back.
“Congratulations Halima. You can’t see him again, he can’t flog you again. You know why?” Wild asked raising her up.
She nodded.
“Tell me” Wild said.
“Chief is dead”
“Very good”
“Wild, the president” Sabrina said.
She looked at the TV same time Sabrina increased the volume. Chief was being carried away on a flat stuff and Umaru was being chained. His hand was pulled back and something was used to chain it by a female soldier, she looked manly.
“This is a clear warning to corrupt politicians that are giving Nigeria, a great country with gallant soldiers a bad name on international front. We will no longer tolerate it and Nigeria is no longer a safe ground for criminals whether internally or externally, especially foreign dealers who see Nigeria as a country for their business. Nigerian army has improved greatly and we have the Special Force and their best team with first class graduates, scoring more than ninety percent in every training and the army as a whole will continue to defend our motherland from those who would threaten her citizens and security. We appreciate the naval officer, the air force officer and the soldiers…”
His voice was swallowed by round of applause with people screaming Nigeria. Sabrina went to switch off the TV.
“What’s now your problem?” Wild asked.
“The president is overrating those idiots” Sabrina said.
She liked saying that.
“When will they come back?” She asked Wild.
“They are on their way but do you want to wait or you want us to go now?” Wild asked.
“I don’t understand” she said.
He made her sit down and squatted in front of her.
“Halima listen to me very well. Beast’s work is over. He is supposed to keep you until Chief is arrested. It’s now over and you need to come with me to the Circle house for rehab. That’s were Doc can do a proper checkup” Wild said.
“No” she and Cindy said at the same time.
“I am not going. I want to stay with Beast” she said.
“You can’t Halima. Beast has to return to his house and his life. You need to get rehabilitated into the society” Wild said.
“No” she said shaking her head.
She ran to her room and closed the door. She started crying. Beast could not do that to her. She was not ready to face the world, in fact, she did not want to. She did not know how long she sat by the wardrobe but she heard a knock on the door after the person could not open it.
“Halima is me Obinna” Beast said.
She rushed to the door and threw herself on him crying. He took her inside the room and made her sit down on one of the chairs. He sat opposite her. He was still in his uniform but had removed the thing on his head and face.
“Halima…”
“Don’t tell me to go. Don’t push me away. My heart wants to stay with you forever. I am following you to wherever you are going to” she said.
“But that is not possible Halima. We have to go our separate way.”
“But I love you” she cried.
“And my heart still belong to Abigail. Even though she is dead, she still holds my heart Halima. Don’t worry, I promise you one thing, this your feelings will soon fade, just give it sometime. You are the first victim they want to keep at the circle house, you have Sabrina and others.”
“What of you?”
He did not answer for some time. Somehow she knew what he was thinking. Fear gripped her.
“Beast please don’t, please. Okay let’s make a deal.”
“What deal?”
“I promise to leave with Wild and listen and do everything they tell me to, only if you promise not to kill yourself.”
“Who told you that?” He looked surprised.
“Cindy. If you don’t take it no deal and don’t think about forcing me because I will hold on to you and even after you’ve left I will never eat again, I will starve to death.”
He looked at her for a long time.
“You are serious!” he exclaimed.
“You promise to get rehabilitated into society, learn a work and make friends and to never have nightmares or traumas again?”
“Only if you will stay alive” she answered.
He did not say anything for a long time. It looked like he was thinking hard.
“It’s gonna be hard but I will try keep myself busy and stay alive.”
She hugged him and cried herself out.
  As she entered what Cindy called a jeep after she had given Cindy a tearful goodbye hug and after Beast had helped put her bag inside the booth, she saw Beast standing by the door of their house. Cindy was being held close by Jason, she waved at her as she cried. She waved back at Cindy and allowed the tears to fall from her eyes. As the jeep left the compound, she felt a hole in her heart, she held her heart. It hurt so much to leave Beast but she knew she had made the right choice. It did not matter how much her heart hurt, she could bear it as long as Beast stayed alive.