......... when the vehicle screeched to an abrupt stop as log of wood flew across the air. They were barely out of Benin City. Passengers vaulted forward falling on each other. They raised their heads in time to see masked menacing looking men rushed out of the nearby bushes with all manners of fearful weapons. The words of protest at the drive’s abrupt stop came out as gasps.
Drivers of upcoming
stepped hard on their brakes to avoid accident.
Efe’s hand
flew to her mouth to cut off the whimper of fear that was about to escape from
her lips. This sure can’t be happening she winced at the scene about to unfold.
Dennis saw
the flash of fear and her struggle to stay calm. Feeling the need to surround
her with safety despite the reality of their situation, he quietly took her
hand resting close to his and squeezed it gently. “We will get out of this
alive.” He assured her silently.
She searched
his gaze and whatever she found there made the fear diminish. She nodded,
seemed about to say something when the sneering order was issued.
“Everybody
get out of the car with all your monies and valuables and get down on the floor
seat by seat. I am sure you don’t want me to give you the details or explain
myself. ” One of the masked men ordered.
The
grouchiness of the man’s voice sent ripples of fear around, that immediately
got everyone scrambling to get out at once. “ Wetin be this? Didn’t you hear
when I said seat by seat? A bi person won die?” The man questioned with a
look of pure venom on his face using vile and incorrect English commonly understood by most people.
They
quivered with obvious terror as they settle back on their seat.
Efe began to
shake as the realisation she was about to be robbed for the first time hit her.
Dennis squeezed her hand again in an attempt to re-assure her they will be fine.
“Hey Crazy
we’ve got ten minutes for this, tell them to hurry up.” It was obvious who the
boss is as the same man kept ordering the others around. The buses been robbed
were probably upto five if one dares to count as the other drivers quickly revised after noticing the scenario
ahead.
Dennis hand
moved to Efe shoulder to steady her as she won’t stop whimpering but quickly
dropped it when, he heard the scream coming from one of the bus and the curse
that followed. “You want to protect abi? Bruce Lee in the Monkey shadow.”
"When I break
that hand you want to use to support sha you go still dey form actor?” One of
the robbers smashed his gun on a passenger’s head who attempted to steady an
elderly passenger.
“Crazy
ten minutes I said and no killings.”
“Yes Boss.”
the gang member was distracted from subjecting his victim to further agony and ran
from one bus to another to pass the information.
Gradually,
rather too quickly everyone gave what they had one after the other as they got
down from the bus to lie on the floor. But the gang leader was disappointed
with how little he got from their bus. They seem to have forgotten people
barely travel with huge amount of monies these days. They prefer to make
withdrawal when they get to their destination.
But there were
quite some valuable electronic gadgets which they collected from everyone probably to be
sold below price.
Efe could
hear the shocked wince as many fought hard to hide their fears. Definitely,
they’d be praying there will be no casualty because these men aren’t here to play.
They definitely won’t delay to shot if provoked.
The first
thing the boss noticed when they got to their seat was the absence of a third
party “The third person don varnish?”
They stared
at him, too scared to answer.
“Oh, no body
want to answer me right, Okay I will have to make you two varnish,” he said
cocking his gun.
“We were
just two” Dennis replied with a steady voice and his eyes daring despite being
held at gun point. Efe turned to speak to him with her eyes not to make any
rash move.
“Five
minutes left” he yelled to his gang members.
“Okay bring
what you have and join your counterparts on the floor”.
With shaking
hands she gave him the two thousand she
had on and her simple Nokia phone.
The gang
leader scowled became darker than the mid-night darkness. “You think I am
joking right?”
“Noooooooo oooo” She stammered “that’s all I.......”
A resounding
slap cut across her mouth before she could finish the sentence. The second one was
about making an impact but Dennis wedged it.
“Please
don’t hurt her, I have got money. I will give you everything. Let’s start with
my phones and pads,” he stretched them towards him.
The boss
just stared at him as if he has grown two horns on his head. Then slowly he
asked “You challenged me...?”
“Crazy” He
yelled for his obvious right hand man.
“Yes boss,
we are done. We beat the time. “
“Let them
hold for 3 minutes I have a score to settle.”
“But Boss
you know everyyyyy, 10 minutes is all we’ve got”
“Crazy........
you’re wasting my time.”
Turning to
them, he ordered them to get out of the bus.
Efe legs
could barely hold her as she stepped down. A thousand and one thought kept
rolling through her head. Is he going to shot her or Dennis or both of them?
Her big eyes welled up with tears as she silently prayed for help.
Ten minutes
and yet no security operative anywhere close to rescuing them. And where's God in this? She tried not to ask.
“Take of
your ........ To continued next week.
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