** 01.12.2030 **

Tarasha inhaled a huge quant.i.ty of the the

moisture filled air as she parked her bike close

to the bush, she removed her helmet and hung it

on the bike. She gently brushed back part of the

long hair which covered her left eye with her

hand. She looked right and saw another bike

approaching, ignoring it she began to walk slowly

towards the narrow path of the bush which

probably led to a village.

After riding the expressway for about two hours

she decided to take a break, walking around the

bush a little. She surged forward through the

narrow path, playing with the leaves as she

moved.

She suddenly stopped midway on hearing the

sounds of some movement behind her, she

looked behind her, n.o.body was there. She took

another two steps and paused, she bent to pick a

stone. She turned backward and aimed

something at the left side of the bush.

'Yaaay!' Someone moaned and came out from

the bush, using his hand to ma.s.sage the part of

his forehead where the stone hit him. Tarasha

ignored and kept walking forward.

'That was cruel' he shouted at her.

'What was cruel?' She stopped and asked,

without turning back. 'Why have you been

following me?'

'Huh? Did you look now I was following you?' He

trotted closer , still rubbing his forehead.

She turned back and proceeded out of the bush

path without looking at him. He paused and

stared at her before following.

'Your bike started following me from the Solid

Quarry junction' Tarasha stated, heading for her

bike. His bike was parked just behind hers.

'Huh? You knew? Why didn't you stop then?' He

was perplexed, his shoulders dropped as he

stood still after getting out of the bush part. He

wondered why Tarasha did not take a look at

him, he walked further closer to her.

'What?' Tarasha growled, offended as his hand

was on hers resisting her from putting on the

helmet.

'Why are you shy? You can't even look at my

face' he mocked.

'Shy?' She took his hand away and wore the

helmet.

'If you aren't shy, then why are you hiding your

pretty face? You don't want me to see it clearly?'

He taunted.

She ignored him and sat on the bike, after

wearing her gloves well she started the engine.

She attempted to ride off but he stopped her,

standing at the front with the front tyre in

between his legs.

'Come on, I won't hurt you. I just want to have a

little chat. Let's get to know each other'

She raised her head and stared into his face

through the helmet transparent cover. She spoke

in a harsh voice, 'Your name is Henry and you're

a rider, I have no time for your a.s.sociation'

She pushed him with her right hand gently, but

powerfully enough to make him stagger

backwards. She reversed the bike and drove off,

narrowly missing him as he jumped away

quickly.

He stood still watching as she raced off,

wondering what type of girl she was. Her

declaration of his name affirmed to him that she

was the same girl he had met on the same

expressway some few weeks ago.

Since that day, he had been riding through that

location every Sunday evening, hoping to meet

her again. Now that he had the opportunity, she

didn't give even listen to him, rather she put up a

wild behavior.

Maybe she was scared that he was dangerous or

that he might harm her. But he was just a rider

who wanted to make friends with a female rider

who he viewed to be very skillful. He wished she

could see that his intention was pure.

He heaved a sigh and headed for his bike, he

bent to dodge a nylon of sachet water thrown at

his direction as an inter-state pa.s.senger's bus

sped past.

He tried to picture Tarasha's face in his mind as

he sat on the bike, putting on the helmet. He

didn't get a very clear view but he could

conclude with the little he got that she was

pretty and had a light skinned complexion.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

'Officer James' James stood up from the cell's

cold rigid floor as he heard his name. He saw a

uniformed warder with the approaching with

Officer Segun.

He moved closer to the room bars, the warder

opened the door and motioned him outside.

Segun saluted him,trying fruitlessly to hide the

look of pity in his face.

'You're free to go, officer James' the warder

said, handing over his clothes in a nylon bag to

him.

**few minutes later**

Segun drove in the black Camry, with neatly

dressed James at the front seat with him. He

glanced occasionally at his boss, trying to figure

out the right way to begin a conversation.

'You said Oga is waiting for me?' James began,

using Oga to refer to his immediate superior.

'Yes, he says he wants to speak with you as

soon as you're out' Segun answered.

James heaved a sigh and paused for a moment

before talking again.

'What about Emeka?' He asked of the stout

officer who drove with him in the jeep that

picked the Ghanaian minister.

'He should also be released today' Segun replied.

'So he was put in detention too?' James posed a

rhetorical question. 'What about Officer Tunde

and the others?'

'Officer Tunde is dead o' Segun voice was full of

pity. 'He was found dead in the car, the others

were found drugged in the mechanic workshop

beside our office'

'So there's no way to find out if Tunde was a

party to the a.s.sa.s.sination?' He questioned

without expecting an answer, he rubbed his palm

on his forehead and on his face.

Silence reigned for the rest of the journey to the

station. James immediate boss was standing in

the compound with his hands at his back, facing

the station building. James' eyes met with his

when the man looked back as they drove in. The

man turned well to face their direction and

watched as they drove the car to a halt and

stepped out.

'Good afternoon sir' James and Segun saluted,

waking towards the man.

'How are you James?' The man responded and

extended his hand to James. 'Well done Segun'

'Fine sir' James replied, taking the man's feeble

hand in his.

They began walking slowly into the station as

they talked.

'James, the truth is I'm really disappointed in

you' the man continued with a note of regret in

his voice. 'I didn't believe something like that

could happen when you're in charge'

James bowed his head in shame, avoiding the

look on the various officers' faces as they

walked through the opened offices to the man's

office.

'What were you thinking when an escort car

suddenly disappeared and then reappeared? Why

didn't you stop to check?' The man reprimanded

loudly as they moved away from earshot. 'This

shouldn't have happened to a officer of so much

experience and training like you'

'I'm s…sorry sir' James replied almost in

whispers, trying to find his voice. 'I was only

trying not to disturb the minister's comfort'

The man punched in the pa.s.s code to the office

door and metal door slid gently open. He took off

his suit jacket and hung it before taking his seat.

'Sit down' he said to James who still remained

standing, waiting for the order.

'Thank you sir'

'There's more work now, the killers have to be

found before the end of next month, that's the

deadlinegiven to us by the commissioner' the

man explained. 'That means that there's no rest

for you, you have to get to work immediately and

you must not fail'

'I will not fail sir' James replied, swearing under

his breath to do everything possible to nab the

killers within the given time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

'D--n! Slash his head dude' Cole exclaimed

excitedly, punching the b.u.t.tons on his joystick as

his avatar stood over Benny's after taking it

down with a uppercut, it stood over the opponent

drew out a sword. Cole sat on the rug close to

the TV, in order to have a close view and enjoy

the game. Benny was sitting on a stool not far

from Cole at the other side, eyes glued to the TV

screen with the other game pad in his hand.

'Never' Benny retaliated; his avatar sent a heavy

kick to Cole's, making it stagger far behind. He

smiled as his avatar stood up and charged

towards Cole's avatar in rage but Cole was

faster, he dogged Benny's attack, returning it

with a heavy kick.

'Hey guys' Tarasha walked into the sitting room,

dividing their attention.

'Welcome Boss' Cole replied, he paused the

game and stood up.

'Good afternoon Boss' Benny greeted, also

getting up to his feet. 'We've been expecting

you'

'Been trying to get something done' she replied

and took a seat. 'We're leaving for Rivers this

week'

'Rivers?' They asked simultaneously, surprised.

'Yes Rivers, we have a job to do there' Tarasha

continued. 'Which of you knows the city very

well?'

Both stared at each other for a moment before

Benny spoke, 'I've only been there once'

'That means we have more work to do' she

crossed her leg and leaned on the chair arm.

'Cole would get some geographical and street

maps of the city for us to study'

'Okay, but what job is it? Who's the target now?'

Cole curiosity pushed him to ask.

'I'll keep that to myself for now' Tarasha denied

him the answer. 'Let's focus on getting there

first'

'Why don't you want to tell us?' Benny

interrupted. 'It would help us in guiding, you

know we are used to the country more than you

are. Or are you scared that we're going to sell

you out?'

Tarasha narrowed her look at the guys and gave

a long wicked laugh. She suddenly stopped and

asked, 'where's Aisha?'

'Humm' Aisha answered with a shaky voice

before any of the two guys could respond. She

appeared with a bottle of wine and three gla.s.s

cups from the corridor leading to the other

rooms

From the way she appeared swiftly, one could

easily conclude that she had been listening

silently to their conversation and was shocked to

hear Tarasha ask about her.

'Good afternoon' Aisha curtsied.

'Hi, where have you been? And where did you go

on Friday night?' Tarasha asked with a frown.

'I went to my boyfriend's place' she gave an

already prepared answer, ignoring the first

question.

Tarasha smiled and turning back to face the two

guys, she took a sip from the wine Aisha served

her. 'We'll leave on Thursday with two vehicles'

'Huh?' The surprised trio exchanged glances and

returned their focus on Tarasha

'Why land transport? Port Harcourt is a long

distance from here' Benny questioned.

'How many hours journey is it?' Tarasha inquired.

'I'm not sure, but it shouldn't be less than seven

hours' Benny replied.

'Which of you can fly a jet?' She paused, staring

at their faces to get an answer. She continued

when she got none, 'I can fly a jet but we won't

be able to use it for to travel for this operation

because there's no personal landing s.p.a.ce for us

to use'

'We could get one to use, if you talk to Chief

Gab, he can provide one for us' Cole suggested

'No' Tarasha objected, ' that would announce our

presence, it would make us exposed to the

authorities'

'True' Benny whispered, aligning his thoughts

with hers.

'We'll go in two vehicles, a truck which would

carry some cartons of books with our

instruments hidden in them' Tarasha elaborated

on the plan. 'I and Benny would drive in the truck

while Cole and Aisha would follow in a car. We'll

buy another car when we get there'

'Have you gotten a place for us to stay when we

get there?'

'Yes, there's a building prepared for our use in

Oro…ro…gboom' She struggled to p.r.o.nounce the

town's name, she brought out a tablet device

and scrolled through. 'Lat.i.tude 4.79071, longitude

7.01174'

Cole got up from his seat and proceeded to

where Tarasha was seated, he placed a knee on

the floor and bent to have a study the map on

Tarasha's device. She handed the device to him.

'Orogb.u.m' He p.r.o.nounced correctly, staring at

his Boss' face. 'It is very close to Port Harcourt'

'Its Okay, does anyone of you have questions to

ask?' She got up from her seat, collecting the

device from Cole.

'For how long would the operation last?' Cole

asked.

'I don't know yet, it depends on how fast we are

able to come up with ideas' she gave a quick

reply. 'Any other question?'

They trio exchanged gazes in silence, not having

any question.

'I'm sure that you guys are trained enough to

keep all we've said here to yourselves' she

admonished with a serious look on her face.

Turning to Aisha, she added with a contorted

look on her face 'no one else should hear about

this, including your boyfriend'