Twenty Four

Evan turned his head whilst on the floor and saw Hunter and Ludo. On the far left was Ludo’s mother tied up in a chair.

“What are you doing here?” Evan aggressively stood up.

Hunter stopped him. “I didn’t come here for you,” He said.

“You killed my brother,” Evan said angrily.

“Oh I see you have been told,” Hunter looked down on Ludo. “Unfortunate how lies spread.”

“It’s not a lie, you are the only person I know capable of doing that, you killed Hilary too,” Evan yelled.

“Her doing, not mine,” Hunter said.

Evan stepped forward.

“Don’t you dare,” Hunter furiously looked at him.

Evan clenched his fists.

Hunter noticed and said, “Constrain yourself otherwise you will get killed.”

“Hunter, what do you want?” Ludo asked.

“Remember our deal?” Hunter asked back.

“Deal?” Evan looked at Ludo.

“Yes Evan,” Hunter answered. “Just like Hilary, Ludo played you too.”

Evan’s shoulders slumped.

“It’s not what you think, Evan,” Ludo said.

“These women still end up disappointing me,” Hunter nodded his head. “They fall for you.”

Evan didn’t answer but only looked at Ludo. He couldn’t believe that she was working with Hunter.

“So you also killed my brother?” Evan stared at Ludo.

Hunter laughed.

“This is getting interesting,” he said.

“No!” Ludo yelled. “None of us killed your brother.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Evan asked. “Not too long ago, you told me this man killed my brother.”

“I did, yes, but I lied,” Ludo said. “It wasn’t either of us.”

Ludo wanted to tell Evan about his father’s secret but she thought he probably knew too.

“Do you think I can believe anything you say at this moment? You conspired with this man to bring my family down and made me fall for you,” Evan nodded his head.

Ludo felt weak in her knees.

“We didn’t kill your brother,” she cried.

“That’s nonsense,” Evan said getting his phone from the pocket. “You’re both going to jail.”

Hunter threw Ludo on the floor and maneuvered his way to Evan and grabbed the phone from him. Evan was standing face to face with Hunter. He had never seen him up close before. His heart beat could be heard. Seeing Hunter that close scared the hell out of Evan. He had only heard of how hideous Hunter was and in that moment, he believed every word he had been told.

“Give me back my phone,” Evan said, trying to muster his courage as much as he could.

“Or what?” Hunter growled. “I came for the girl. I didn’t even want to hurt her but you showed up.”

“I said give me back my phone,” Evan said shakily.

“Do you hear how nervous your voice is?” Hunter smiled. “You are not cut out for this. You are a book man.”

Evan thought about the chances he had fighting with Hunter. He had zero chances and that made him furious and when he became furious, he made stupid decisions. He decided to take the risk.

Hunter could almost read Evan’s mind and he was prepared for whatever move he would make. Out of stupidity, Evan threw a punch which landed on Hunter's cheek but didn’t have any effect.

“You call that a punch?” Hunter touched his cheek.

Evan’s eyes were widely opened with shock. He threw another one which Hunter blocked.

“I don’t want to hurt you in front of your girlfriend,” Hunter said.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Evan said angrily.

Evan tried to kick Hunter but nothing worked.

“This is enough!” Hunter shouted carrying Evan in the air and threw him against the wall.

Ludo screamed.

Evan got up and staggered his way back to Hunter. He threw another weak punch. Hunter grabbed his hand and twisted it.

Evan screamed in pain.

“Stop it you’re hurting him!” Ludo shouted.

Looking at Ludo while still holding Evans arm, Hunter kicked Evan on the face.

Ludo screamed even more.

Evan was on the ground. Hunter knelt before him.

“You have made me exhaust all the hatred I have for your family in you,” Hunter grabbed Evan's head.

He punched his face, “This is for my daughter.”

He punched him again, “This is for all the pain your father put me through.”

He kept punching him till his face was covered in blood.

Ludo couldn’t believe her eyes. There was blood all over the floor. She jumped on Hunter's back and ran her nails over Hunter’s face. Hunter stood up in pain, while shaking her off his back. She stuck on it like glue. Hunter managed and she was in the air and hit her head on the floor. He went back to Evan.

Ludo got up feeling dizzy. She looked at her mother who was crying. While standing up, she noticed the piece of paper Mr. Hamuumbu had given her on the floor. She wanted to ignore it but knelt and picked it up while looking at Hunter standing before Evan. She opened it and it read;

‘Ask your mother about the manuscript. She knows everything. She made you write it.’

Ludo looked at her mother dropping the piece of paper. She felt scared and had racing thoughts. She felt even more dizzy and lightheaded. She felt a rising feeling from her stomach to her throat. Her whole body became numb and tingly. She looked at her mother one more time and turned her head in Hunter and Evan's direction. Ludo lost awareness and sounds became strange. She could feel a smell like that of a burning rubber. Her vision became blurry. She fell to the floor with her face hitting it so hard that she bit her lower lip and blood oozed out of her mouth.

Her body became rigid then her hands started twitching and then spread to all the body parts. Her whole body was jerking and eyes were repeatedly blinking while moving to one side and looking upward.

Hunter just stood there watching her. He looked at her mother who had cried her lungs out.

“Help her,” Evan said breathing heavily.

Hunter didn’t know what to do.

“The Lioness has been secluded from its cubs. The den is now weak, more especially with the death of a successor. The wounded lion cannot do anything. The other two cubs are weak to do anything,” Naveen laughed talking with Mr. Jackson from Bank of Zambia while at Radisson Blu Hotel.

“So, is she coming?” Mr. Jackson asked sipping on his whiskey and gulped. “It’s getting late you know.”

“She’s coming, just wait a moment. I proposed a good deal to her, she has curled,” Naveen said confidently. “Even though she was crying the whole time on the phone. It’s such a cruel world; she lost her brother.”

Mr. Jackson laughed, “Women. Weak vessels.”

“There she is,” Naveen stood up.

Erica walked to them and was pointed to a chair. She sat without greeting them and got her bag. She removed some papers from it and handed it over to Naveen. Naveen looked at the papers nodding his head.

“Is that enough?” Erica asked impatiently looking around.

Naveen smiled and handed the papers to Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson got a paper from his bag and gave Erica. He later gave her a pen and told her to sign. Erica didn’t hesitate.

“Those are all my shares,” she paused. “Including Ethan’s.”

“It was good doing business with you,” Naveen extended his hand.

Erica just looked at it, and then at him, disgustingly.

“Where is Evan?” Mr. Jackson asked.

“With his girlfriend,” Erica stood up.

“That sick girl?” Naveen looked at Erica. “Hunter couldn’t get rid of that girl,” Naveen shook his head.

Mr. Jackson looked at Naveen surprised.

“Anyway, I don’t have time for Hunter and that same girl. They are just low lives in this big game.”

Erica was still staring at Naveen.

“Oh,” Naveen got his phone. “Done.”

Erica checked her phone, obviously confirming their deal, and off she went.

“Triple E group of companies is ours!!” Naveen said raising a glass of wine.

“Indeed,” Mr. Jackson smiled.

“Here is to victory,” They toasted to their victory.

Jean sat in the car waiting for Erica. She had told him about her brother’s demise and as soon as he got to the house, he found her waiting for him with some bags packed. He didn’t ask her anything. She directed him where to drive her and they got to Radisson Blu Hotel. She told him to wait for her in the car and like always, he did as told. She came back. She sat in the car and didn’t say a word.

“Everything fine?” He asked.

She looked at him and answered, “Let’s leave the country.”

Jeans eyes widened. Even though that was what he had always wanted, he wasn’t expecting it.

“To where?” He asked.

“Anywhere,” she answered.

“I’ll go with you anywhere,” he leaned over and kissed her. “What about your family?”

“I don’t care. Everyone will sort their business. I’m sick and tired of this.”

“Alright.”

“You came packed, right?” She asked him.

“Yea.”

“Ok, drive to the airport.”

Jean started the car and drove into the darkness.

Hunter sprinted his way to Ludo. Not knowing what to do, he looked at her mother who gave him a stare as if signalling him that only her knew what to do with her. He walked to her and untied her. She went to where Ludo was and held her in her arms.

Hunter couldn’t stay any more, he left the house leaving Evan on the floor struggling to get up. Hunter was determined to make Mr. Hamuumbu pay for his crimes.

After some minutes, Ludo woke up confused. She found herself in her mother’s arms.

“What happened?” She asked.

“You had a seizure,” her mother answered.

Ludo got up. She touched her head and felt exhausted. She asked for water from her mother. When her mother went to the kitchen, Ludo saw Evan on the floor. She gathered some strength and crawled to him. Evan looked at her and smiled. She then remembered what happened and got scared.

“Where is Hunter?” She looked around.

“Gone!” Her mother answered coming towards her.

Upon seeing her mother, Ludo remembered what she had read.

“Mother!” She cried.

“What is it? It’s all over,” her mother knelt before her.

“Get away from me,” Ludo yelled.

Zamiwe was confused.

“You put me through this. You’re the reason all of this is happening.”

“What do you mean?”

“The manuscript.”

Zamiwe touched her mouth in shock.

“How? Why?” Ludo cried.

Zamiwe looked at Evan and stood up.

“Yes mother, this is Brains.”

Zamiwe stepped backwards.

“Mother, what did you do to me?” Ludo asked.

Zamiwe knelt down and tears streamed down her face.

“Mother talk please!” Ludo shouted.

“A long time ago a man approached me and told me he had a good story about his family, only that the story was not fiction. I asked him why he wanted his family’s lives to be made public and he told me that he was sick and tired of what they had become. He wanted everyone to be exposed.”

“That’s my father,” Evan cut in.

“I never asked questions. I don’t even know him. He offered a large sum of money and we were having financial difficulties with your father. I didn’t tell your father and I couldn’t deny the money. I wrote the story myself and kept it.”

“I don’t understand,” Ludo said.

“After you had showed interest in writing. An idea struck me, I started taking hypnosis classes from a good friend of mine at the hospital.”

“Hypnosis?”

“Yes and that’s how I fed you the whole idea but trust me, it wouldn’t have worked if your mind was against it. You accepted it, made it your own and wanted it to be written.”

“All those nights we sat together. That’s what was happening. The soft music and all?” Ludo’s hand were on her head.

“What a mother!” Evan found his strength and stood up.

“I’m sorry Ludo,” Zamiwe cried.

Ludo got up too and helped Evan. They all went outside while Zamiwe followed. Ludo led Evan to his car. After putting him in the car, she called her father.

“Dad where are you?” She asked.

“Please Ludo, I didn’t know that all this would happen to you,” Zamiwe said.

“It did mother. You just don’t how much I have suffered in the hands of the man you took money from. You sold your only daughter,” Ludo looked at her mother.

Her mother couldn’t say a word.

Ludo got in the driver’s seat and drove Evan's car leaving her mother behind. After reaching an intersection, Ludo stopped and looked at Evan who was now breathing fine. She unstrapped her belt and got off the car.

“Drive yourself now!” She left him.

Evan called Ludo but she didn’t look back. She walked in the dark road all alone.