Nineteen

“How long will he be in the coma?” Kate asked the doctor.

“It depends on his progress and the nature of the injury. In your husband’s case, there is a swelling in his brain. If the swelling recedes, we will try to lighten up the coma to see if he can come back and see what his level of function is,” the doctor responded.

“But according to your experience doc, how long can this take?”

“It can be a day, a week or months. Let’s just have faith.”

Kate despaired.

“Don’t worry too much. We are doing our best,” the doctor said and excused himself.

Kate went to where Ludo and her parents had sat. She told them everything the doctor had told her. Joe was optimistic that Kent would wake up in no time. Ludo was quiet and lost in her thoughts.

“Young lady escort me outside,” Zamiwe told Ludo after carefully observing her.

“Me?” Ludo looked at her mother.

“Of course, let’s go.”

Ludo and her mother walked outside. It was still night and only a few people could be spotted. They went to sit on a bench.

“What’s happening with you?” Zamiwe asked.

“Nothing mum,” Ludo answered.

“Don’t play with me. I have noticed that lately you have become so mysterious, its scaring me.”

“You are just paranoid mom,” Ludo chuckled.

Zamiwe looked at Ludo suspiciously.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Mom!” Ludo yelled.

“I’m just asking. With that friend of yours, you can be influenced.”

“You hate Melanie that much?”

Zamiwe nodded.

“Don’t worry, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Then what was the fuss all about?”

“What?”

“The way you came into the house running.”

“Oh that!”

“Yeah.”

“I was running from a dog,” she laughed. “It came out from nowhere. Someone must have left the gate open for it to have entered.”

“Zamiwe!” Joe called her.

“Let’s go back inside,” Zamiwe told Ludo.

“I’ll join you,” Ludo remained.

She watched her mother walk to her father as she contemplated on how they would react if they find out what was happening. Had it not been for Mr. Visashi being in the hospital, she would have told them, but she couldn’t anymore. She checked her hand which was in bad shape. The pain reminded her of Evan and wondered what had happened to him. She bowed her head in thought.

“Don’t scream,” Hunter said standing in front of Ludo.

Ludo looked up quickly and held her mouth.

“I’m not here to harm you but to talk,” he sat down beside her.

Ludo shifted nervously on the bench.

“How did you know where to find me?” Ludo asked looking around.

“I followed you.”

“What did you do to Evan?”

“Nothing yet. I need your help.”

“Me?”

“Yes, young girl.”

Hunter looked around and saw two security guards looking at them while smoking. He didn’t feel comfortable talking with Ludo on the bench.

“Let’s go to the car,” he suggested.

“Hell no, I’m not going anywhere with you,” Ludo refused.

Hunter didn’t know what to do but sit and talk from the bench.

“Okay so I have his car parked outside with him in it. I can’t do anything to him yet. I need him alive and back at his place.”

“He’s still alive?” Ludo asked.

“Yes. That’s where you come in now.”

Ludo was confused.

“You need to take him back. I have given him something that will make him wake up in the morning and when he does, he needs to find you by his side.”

“Wait … Wait …. Wait… Why am I even listening to you right now? I don’t even know you. I don’t know what you want from me. You killed a man in front of my eyes. What makes you think I can help you?” Ludo kept asking all the questions at once.

“You have something I want and you need my protection from this people.”

“I can protect myself.”

“You couldn’t when I came to your aid. Whatever he was about to do to you, he could have done it if it wasn’t for me.”

Ludo got quiet.

“You see? You need me.”

“I have given them the last copy of the manuscript I had,” Ludo said. “What’s your deal with the Hamuumbus'?”

“None of your business.”

“How am I supposed to help you if you don’t tell me?”

“You need to take him home otherwise it will be on you if he doesn’t return. You left with him and if anything happens to him, they will come at you with everything they have.

Ludo felt a chill down her spine.

“Here are the keys. Take him home,” Hunter threw the car keys in Ludo’s hands.

Hunter started walking away from Ludo.

“Hey wait…!” She stopped him.

He stood without looking back.

“What should I call you?”

“Hunter.” He replied, and left as quickly as he had came.

Ludo went back to her parents and told them she had to leave.

“There is a cab outside waiting for me,” she said.

“You cannot go alone, it’s still dark and dangerous,” Joe said.

“I can take care of myself dad,” Ludo smiled.

“Let’s go together,” Zamiwe said.

“No mom. You stay. Mrs. V needs you.”

“Joe, take her,” Zamiwe added.

“No I will go on my own. You will find me home. I’m tired, I need to sleep. I’ll call you once I get home.”

Ludo said goodbye to Kate and went to Evans car. Like Hunter had said, Evan was knocked out cold, snoring. Ludo drove the car to Evans house and parked it outside. She didn’t want to alarm anyone. She just closed the doors and windows of the car and closed her eyes waiting for sun rise.

Hunter was confused with what Ludo told him about giving the Hamuumbu’s the last copy of the manuscript. For a moment, he felt the way he felt when Hilary stabbed him in the back. He was so close but she had to fall in love with Evan and jeopardised the plan. Having Evan in his grip was everything he ever needed but he couldn’t kill him yet. He was aware that, that would have put Ludo in harm's way.

“My business is with the old man and since what I thought I could use is no more, its high time I make my move,” Hunter thought to himself as he drove his car into his compound.

Parking the car, he noticed something was not right. The living room light was on and he always left it off. Who could have entered his house fearlessly? He wondered. He walked to the door and found it unlocked. Whoever it was, had the guts to enter the lion's den. Hunter got in and found Naveen seated on the sofa.

“I have been waiting for you for two hours now,” Naveen said getting up.

“What are you doing here?” Hunter asked.

“Don’t you greet old friends, Hunter?” Naveen answered. “I know the last job we did together was a mess and I take responsibility. That’s the reason I had to leave the country. Things had to cool down. Where is Hilary, by the way?”

“She’s dead.”

Naveen’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Yea. I killed her. That’s what I do to people who betray me.”

“I never betrayed you, man. Things just took a twist of turn and I couldn’t handle being on the spotlight.”

“We had a deal, Naveen.”

“Yea I know, Hunter.”

“A simple deal. We were both using Hilary for our good. I needed to get to the old man and you wanted to find out their business loopholes. As simple as that but when things went south, you couldn’t hesitate to run.”

“Don’t make it sound like that man,” Naveen said sweating.

Hunter’s face was like that of a hungry lion.

“Let’s finish it now. As it is now, I have secured two important people from Triple E group of companies; Mr. Jackson from Bank of Zambia and Mpundu from Mpundu Estates. I have made them weak and they are probably fighting and confused about it. It’s the right time to attack.” Naveen said, pride reflecting in his voice.

“Why should I trust you now?” Hunter asked.

“Because I have all the necessary weapons to take them down.”

“I don’t want to take anyone down I just want a faceoff with the old man.”

“You will never get to the old man. What’s your obsession with him anyway?” Naveen questioned.

Hunter looked at the photo of a girl on the table.

“This time we are doing things my way,” Hunter looked at Naveen.

“Well there is one thing.”

“What is it?”

“I know you have been looking for a manuscript.”

Hunter's eyes glowed.

“Yes,” he said.

“I have it.”

“What?”

“Yes and I can give it to you.” Naveen affirmed

“That doesn’t sound like all.”

“Yes. I will give you on one condition.”

“What is that?”

“You have to kill the girl who wrote it.”

“Ludo?” Hunter asked surprised.

“Yes.”

Evan opened his eyes to the sun rays while stretching himself and yawning. He felt his neck hurt and whined. He looked at where he was; The backseat of his car. He sat upright and saw that his car was parked outside his house. Surprised, he checked for his phone in his breast pocket and found it. He couldn’t remember what happened. All he remembered was taking Ludo to her place. His memory was blurred.

“Morning,” Ludo said from the front seat.

Evan was startled.

“What are you doing here?” Evan asked.

“I was waiting for you to wake up,” Ludo answered.

“How did I get here?”

“I brought you home.”

"You can drive?" Evan asked.

Ludo just smiled but didn't reply.

Evan was surprised. He tried to remember anything from the previous night but his memory failed him.

“You were too drunk to drive; I had to drive you back here,” Ludo said. “Let’s get inside I have to get what’s left of my laptop,” Ludo started the car.

Evan was in shock and felt embarrassed. Nothing like that had ever happened to him.

Ludo drove into the yard where they found Elise and Erica about to leave the house.

“Why is she driving your car?” Erica asked Evan.

“I brought him back. He was very drunk last night,” Ludo answered looking at Elise.

“Is that true?” Elise asked Evan.

Evan didn’t answer.

“Mom she doesn’t have to be here,” Erica said.

“I come in peace, Jezebel,” Ludo rolled her eyes.

It was like Erica’s opportunity to get her hands on Ludo was presented. She jumped on Ludo and grabbed her by the hair like a mantis and threw her on the ground. Evan quickly grabbed Erica and separated her from Ludo.

“I have had enough of this,” Ludo yelled getting on her feet. “I came for my laptop but I’m leaving now. If you want, you can stop me or better still, kill me,” Ludo left the compound while Elise, Erica and Evan watched her.

Also watching her was Ethan from the window. He watched the whole scene with Erica and nodded his head.

“Girl got some guts,” He turned around and faced his father on the wheelchair.

Ludo reached home and went directly to her bedroom. She reached for the drawers and got the first laptop she had before the one her father bought her. She turned it on and scrolled to her documents. She found the other copy of her manuscript she had backed up. She was fed up with how she was being treated.

“If they wanted to kill me, they would have killed me by now. Mr. Bearded man, where can I find you?” She said thoughtful.