CHAPTER EIGHT: THE WORD "FEAR"

Uche 

He was clearly having a head ache and had just recovered from a state of unconsciousness which was kicked off by the several heavy blows he’d received on his face.  

His body ached. They’d been tied up on separate chairs for some questioning, Maggie and himself. 

“we are the princes, others are bastards” he heard one of them say. 

“Don’t touch her please, I’ll give you whatever you want” he pleaded with a coarse voice. He could taste his blood in his mouth.

“Really? “ another voice  asked as another heavy blow landed on his jaws and he suddenly saw heavenly stars.

The chair was metal and strong, and his hands taped together along with his whole body, glued to the chair. 

He couldn’t move. He could not help himself let alone, Maggie. It weakened his mind as it slowly recovered from the death blow he’d just received. 

Slowly his vision cleared up and he saw those heavyweight guns those muscular men were wielding. It scared him, after all, he’s only human. 

He had tried his best to stay hidden with his business. Maggie had promised him invincibility with the program they had created. 

It was almost impossible to discover them so this is definitely not about his business. It’s about something else. 

He’d been in a similar situation before - seven years ago, but that was a bit different. Someone had saved them that day, someone God sent. 

They’d run into one of the offices and shut the door behind them out of fear. The electricity was gone in that part of the building, courtesy of the event that had been building up. 

He could hear his heart pound, his breathing was fast. He still was in shock of what had just Happened. MD had been shot!  

It was suddenly clear to him that life is real, not a movie. Hadn’t it always seemed like a movie where he was the main character? But now, it seemed to be dawning on him that this shit called death, was so real.

He could feel himself looking around uneasily, and confused. The shock was still in his system. But, somehow, Chad seemed to be the only one who was still collected.

The office was dark, Only the Rays of white light that peeped through the space in between the curtains illuminated the room faintly enough that one could easily pick out figures, the yellow color of the wall, and the red rug beneath their feet. An office table took center stage in the office, with an adjustable chair following closely behind it. 

Uche watched as Chad paced around the office looking for something. He wasn’t sure what it was. 

“here, there’s a wardrobe, come on, get in.” he heard Chad's instruct in a harsh whisper devoid of fear. 

He couldn’t even move. It was Chad who dragged him into the wooden wardrobe and closed the door of the wardrobe. 

It was just Chad and himself that had run into that office. The rest - Chinny, Courtney , and Kim were no where to be found. They’d probably run into some other place to hide.  

One thing was clear though; 'the vampire’s ' men were looking for them! And they wouldn’t stop till they’ve found them. 

The wardrobe was dark and smelled of the freshly ironed clothing that was hanging in there. It was quiet as a graveyard. You could only hear the faint sound of sirens from somewhere out there in the real world. 

Then, there was a throbbing at the door knob, the sound of it sending electric jolts of fear down Uche's spinal cord.

He could hear the sound of the door opening slowly, with the light from a powerful flashlight illuminating the room. 

They heard trained footsteps walking into the office like he was timing each step he made on the floor, and they could perceive the light from the flashlight searching, because the light peeped into the wardrobe too through some openings on the rough wooden door as well as the small vertical space between the two doors. 

"Check the wardrobe” they heard a voice say.

  Uche could clearly recount that at that moment, it was as if his heart would burst out of his body through his mouth. 

The feeling of fear so consumed him when the wardrobe came open and bright lights from the flashlight blinded them!

It was already like he was watching himself from a distance, somewhere within and all he heard himself mutter was; 

"please, please….please… don’t kill me…” as the strong arm dragged him out and placed him on his knees. 

“Place your hands on your head!” commanded a voice with strong British accent! 

He gently obeyed. The same was done to Chad but he was surprisingly soundless. It surprised Uche because, he was whimpering ,like a helpless puppy. 

With guns pointed at their heads and lights blinding their eyes, only one thing remained - the last breath, a short prayer, and a quick death.

He began to mutter a short prayer in his heart before he heard it!

Ssmmeeww! 

smeeeeeew ! 

And then two bodies dropped on the red rug. 

Uche didn’t care, his eyes were still shut.. trying to focus on saying the words.

'dear God, I’ve been an evil soul, but please don’t reject me in heaven"

He was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder, it was Chad! 

“Dude, you lived!” said Chad, in a whisper. 

Then he opened his eyes and lo, there stood a man, average height, his facial and body features were not clear but you could tell he looked Chinese.  

He was all dressed in black with a bullet proof vase and a black pistol that had a silencer on it’s mouth.

He could hear the sound of the radio stuttering: “pointus Alpha 47 come in, over” 

before the man said; "pointus alpha 47 positive, target confirmed as Medusa, awaiting confirmation to proceed, over.” 

“pointus alpha 47, cleared to proceed, over” 

The man swiftly made to leave before he stopped abruptly on his steps and turned to them.

“stay safe boys, away from seen eyes.” he said and left the office.

Pointus alpha saved their lives then, but who’d save them now? He wondered.  

It wasn’t himself he was worried about, it was Maggie who bothered him. She surprisingly wasn’t tense or making a sound.  

'that smart woman, what could she be up to again?' he thought. 

She was just like Chinny- ‘you want to be with them when you’re in trouble' he smiled in his heart, amidst the pains he was feeling.  

He was glad at least that they weren’t hitting Maggie. At least, not yet. He’d rather be dead before they do. 

“…what do you want..” he let out weakly, his eyes trying to focus on the one who looked like the boss. 

“What do I want? “ He heard the guy ask and then he laughed shortly and wickedly. 

“…mmm… let’s see.” the man’s cranky deep voice sounded, pacing around the center of the room pompously, like he owned the place and had all the time in the world to torture them. 

“I’m sure you know who we’re, so, I’ll skip the introductions. Hahaha” he laughed awkwardly, and then all the other guys started laughing with him. 

'what sort of awkward laughter is this? Is it funny, what he said?' – Uche wondered. 

Then the laughter stopped abruptly as the man walked up close to where Uche and Maggie were tied up on the metal chairs.

"Your Senator Chris stole something from us, the Medusa, we want it back. Our Intel tells us you have it.” 

“Have what?"

“The flash drive” 

“what flash drive?” Uche asked perplexed 

“ I can see you need a little motivation” he said as he slowly walked over to Maggie.

Uche's eyes trailing his motion. He grabbed her chin roughly as his other hand searched his sides and came up with a silver dagger.

Uche's heart skipped a beat!

“wait wait wait! please wait!”  Uche cried as the man laughed wickedly again, clearly enjoying his manipulations. 

“Just stop, I’ll tell you everything” 

“Of course you would!” the man thundered angrily and took off his mask! 

“Jesus Christ!” Uche nearly screamed as his heart nearly burst upwards into his  oesophagus.

He felt a strange heat travel up his body and so fierce terror invade him.  

He’d seen that face before! It was the face that tortured him in his dreams for years! It was the face of 'the vampire'! 

“Blood of Jesus! Blood of Jesus!” he heard himself muttering under his breath. His bones within him suddenly started quavering.  

This had always been his terror, his fear! It was the face that tortured his mind in for seven years!

It was 'the vampire’ himself!

His head was bald and the fair skin upon it tattooed with a 3D image of a viper with a tail which ran with branches straight into his eyes . 

 His eyes were red. One could visibly see red clumps of blood in it , and red arteries forming a chain from his faint blue Iris to the extremes of his eyes. 

His lashes were full and scattered. Dark as black.  

The sides of his face were tattooed with a dreadful image of a human skull with a single red rose flower in it’s mouth... the stalk of the rose flower running straight into his pinna.

He wore diamond earrings - they lined up at the edges of his pinna (outer ear). His teeth was surprisingly pure white and well arranged.

With two golden incisors clearly visible. 

He looked like the word 'fear' in capital letters. Then he was as huge as the devil himself. 

“Hahaha” he laughed as he recognized the terror that suddenly appeared in Uches eyes.

Uche was very scared, scared that the vampire might remember him. 

Then, and only then, did he hear Maggie’s voice.

“You bastard!!” she burst out with so much grief in the sound of her voice. 

“You bastard!!!” She yelled at  him again as she spat on him and burst into a loud wail.

Tears were running off her face like a river. 

He abruptly let go of her rather shocked at  her impulse and traced his footsteps, two steps backwards.  

Uche was shocked to his bones! Flagger basted!

what just happened?