– 8am-

Cole quietly compiled and arranged his tools and

devices into the small bag. He looked around

the floor to check if there was anything left,

there was a microphone with the desert

reporters' badge on it. He picked it up, standing

from his squatting position; he dropped it

carefully into the opened bag.

Tarasha walked briskly into the room in her

'Gloria disguised form', she took a glance at

Cole. 'Hope you've got everything ready?'

'Yes Boss, I'm ready' Cole answered, pinning the

Desert Reporters' chest tag to his front pocket.

'You take Aisha along when you're leaving the

place'

'Okay, is Benny coming to meet us?' he

fastened the bag to his back.

'No, Benny is taking care of the other pilot, he'll

return on his own ' she answered. She hung the

ID card tag on her neck and adjusted her short

skirt. 'Don't forget the instructions, your job as a

journalist ends once you stick the needle to

John Obiano's collar'

'Yes' he affirmed, 'and I'll go to wait for you at

Onne' he said shaking his head funnily.

'What?' Tarasha asked, responding to his funny

stare.

'It's just that I don't know these places, what if

you don't drop at the place we speculated?' he

answered.

Tarasha frowned, 'isn't that why I have a tracker

on me? It's your business to find me if I get

lost'

She shook her head degradingly and walked out

of the room, Cole followed after her feeling

embarra.s.sed, blaming himself for talking like an

amateur.

+++++++

9am

Benny sat in a red Benz quietly, waiting for his

target to come out of the house. He was

properly disguised with a beard and his face

was lighter than his normal skin, there was also

a dark scar on his forehead to make himself

look uglier.

He had lodged into a hotel close to the target's

house the day before, he booked two rooms on

two different floors , at different times and as

different persons. First as the young light

skinned man with the dark scar, he took a room

at the third floor and the second time as an old

man with his normal chocolate skin, he took

another room on the third floor.

His target, Lovina was the second final year

student that was selected to copilot the plane

with Jude. She had rich and influential parents,

their connection plus her intelligence earned her

the privilege of flying the plane though she was

not the most qualified student. She lived off

campus with her parents in their house located

in the Port Harcourt GRA.

Benny glanced at his wrist.w.a.tch from time to

time, getting impatient already. The police might

get attracted to him very soon if he wasted too

much time parking his car illegally. His plan was

to send in a bullet into the girl's arm or leg if

possible and flee back immediately to his hotel

to escape the ever working policemen in the

area.

The gate was opened at exactly fifteen minutes

past eight; Benny started his car engine and got

prepared to move. A black jeep was seen driving

slowly outside, a guy who he presumed to be

the driver was at the wheels and two girls at

the back seat. He recognized the girl on the

side visible to him to be Lovina.

He drove slowly after them in order not to raise

suspicion; it was after they had gone far enough

from the house he began to level up with them.

He smiled at the driver who replied him with a

casual look. Still flas.h.i.+ng his teeth, he brought

out his revolver. He let their car move forward a

little so he could be on the same line with the

girls seated at the back.

Ignoring the cars horning behind him, he raised

up the revolver and pointed it at the girls . They

let out a scream in horror but he missed his

shot, he was taken aback by what he saw at

the back seat.

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

'Hey Gloria' Jude called, approaching her with

two of his friends.

'Hi' she smiled happily at him.

'I'm so glad you came' he smiled back, his

friends left him with her after waving in greeting

to Gloria.

'I wouldn't dear miss it!' she exclaimed.

'Thanks, how are you doing this morning?' He

asked, extending his hand to her.

'I'm fine, what about you?' she replied,

accepting his handshake.

'I'm great' he answered. He took a look at his

wrist.w.a.tch and touched his forehead with a

handkerchief. 'Hope you'll be here for long?'

'Yes, why?'

'The Governor and Minister would be here

anytime from now, the plane would fly by thirty

minutes past ten'

'Oh! I'll still be here'

'Good' he chuckled. They both turned and faced

the transparent gla.s.s wall which showed the

plane on the runway.

'Don't you think this is marvelous?' Jude

commented.

'Yes, it is' she answered, full of smiles once

more.

Their attention was drawn to somewhere else,

journalists were gathering round someone

walking by.

John Obiano had arrived the airdrome, several

new medias rallied round him, pressing further

even though they were resisted by guards.

Gloria smiled as she spotted two Desert

reporters' journalist, she signalled to Cole to

carry out the Job quickly before he would get

noticed.

'John Obiano the genius' Jude hailed loudly,

John Obiano noticed him and stopped to greet.

'Hey Jude, hope you're ready?' He asked

cheerfully.

'Yes Boss' Jude replied in a friendly tone.

'Good one' John replied, taking a long stare at

the girl beside him.

'This is my friend Gloria' Jude quickly

introduced.

Gloria smiled, she stared at his collar in search

for the pin but it wasn't there. She later found a

thin line in his suit pocket, Cole had done a

better job.

'Okay, she's the other pilot?' John

misinterpreted, unable to hear properly due to

the noise around.

'No, she's just a friend' Jude tried to clarify, but

John had moved on already after being

pressured by the guards to continue walking

before the journalists number increased.

'Do I really look like a pilot already?' Gloria

asked excitedly, both watching John as he

moved on.

'Yes, you do' He answered with laughter, he

glanced at his wrist.w.a.tch again. 'I have to go

now, I need to meet Lovina'

'Okay then' Gloria waved reluctantly as she

watched him go.