A Dread in the Spine - Episode 10

 

After the police left, Joana was still in shock when she received a call from Raphael. At first she tried to pick the call but the battery went off. She was surprised. She charged it the other time. Checking it, she discovered that she was using the worse one. As if she was on fire, she removed it and inserted the better one. Then, she called Raphael's phone again.

'Joany, your life is in danger'.
'Yes . Someone just broke into my house'.
'Someone broke into your house? Are they mad? Who are these people monitoring your life? As in The one here is also monitoring your life. After what happened, I tapped to my boss' phone call and had been monitoring his calls'.
Joana, who laid on the sofa and had promised herself a good sleep, sat up.  'So?'
'I don't understand what they mean, but someone wants you dead or so. They are searching everywhere for you'.
Joana fingers danced on the sofa, and was sure she would soon cry out in frustration.
'What do you mean? I know the devil has started working or is it God?'
'What are you saying?'
'God wants me to tell the world about my encounter but I haven't done so'.
'But God will not do bad things for us like that'.
'But he is God, he is the ruler of the Universe and would get his demands, if he so pleases'.
There was a short pause from Raphael. 'That's what I hate about all these S.U

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-dread-in-the-spine

. You make others hate God. But will God send someone to kill you?'
'Yes.'
'You didn't make me say what I want to say. I don't even know if the person is even trying to kidnap you like the others'.
'Oh God', she shouted.
'Trouble!' Raphael also shouted. 'Bottle of urine'.
'I know. I'm in serious trouble'.
'NoNo. It's not you. Do you have television there? Switch it on. Hear the news. Listen to what they say to what they are saying'.
'Where?' Joana scrambled out of the sofa and ran for the remote control. Then, she hurriedly began to change the TV stations.
'Ah! Idiot! Go to FcTv'.
She hurriedly turned the station to Fortunecity TV and heard the news. So far, the twenty-four people who saw the vision about hell had gone missing.
'Ah! I'm dead. Raphael, I have to tell the world tomorrow. God will be angry at me'.
'You're mad. You want to die, right? You will just die. Someone is kidnapping people and you want to talk. No. Go out and paste it on yourself from tonight that "people, I want to be kidnapped'.
She watched the news blankly. There was no way Raphael could convince her otherwise. 'See, Raphael, I must share my testimony o. And I must let people come back to God'.
'You're deceiving yourself. OkayIf you will do it, let me hide you'.
Would she want Raphael to hide her? He was a sinner. But what bad would it do if a sinner began to help her, a believer? The bible said if you find favor in God's eyes even the heathen would scramble to help you. All she needed was a place to write from and publish. Then, maybe she can do videos too.
'Okay'.
'In other words, you have to move immediately'.
'No. I've not taken anything'.
'Ah! Joany, who made you as foolish this? Don't you understand, people are after you? They want you dead or to kidnap you. They would smash your body, and crunch it'.
'I understand'.
'Where's your place?'
'Johnson Avenue. Sophia Close. The last house'.
'Not far. Not far. This is 9:27. Meet me at Samuel Junction in 40 minutes. If I don't see you there then, I'll call the police'.
'Okay'.
'Thank you'.
'Thank me when you're safe'.
Raphael had always doted on her when she was still a prostitute. He never allowed any other person service him. Most of the time they spent together met him showering her with love. He would continually request for her hand in marriage; a request she graciously refused. He promised to do anything for her, even become one of her puppets, but she adamantly refused.
Those days, he was more of a Christian than she. So, she believed he would try to make her a church-goer because he believed in the spirit of discernment, which he wrongly called the spirit of the prophets. She packed her clothes and left home; yet, sad that the word of God would make her leave home. 
                     ***

Nosa had woken immediately he felt Shayla removing the handcuffs. She said she wanted to try something else on him that night. She called it s*x with handcuff or whatever. But she was naughty and calculative. She knew he might have reasons to run away again before the morning came, and God was his witness, if the cuffs weren't there, he would have used the fly boat to the land to meet Joana.
He rose from the bed, packed the load of CDs on the visions and stealthily entered the sitting room with his laptop. Then, he entered the kitchen, took and opened a drink and returned to the sitting room.
 There, he watched the videos, skipped all the frivolous introductions, and began to note names of Pastors. The most consistent names were the general overseers of two big churches in Green City, Bringer of Life Ministry and In Christ's Might Church'.
Tomorrow, he would visit them. And his whole investigation would begin or should he say continue there. He should comfort Chloe, and wish her a merry Christmas. He picked his phone and chatted up Chloe on WhatsApp. The message was sent, but not delivered, that suggested one thing. Chloe's phone was off. Chloe rarely switched off her phone. She loved to be abreast of news and new information.
'Maybe she hasn't updated the WhatsApp still', he mumbled as he inserted one of the CDs to watch. Then, he returned to his seat, where he was vigorously jotting down information. He would have loved to ask people questions, but the problem was becoming rampant. It was high time he became the knight in shining armor for these ladies. They might really be killed off, and he wouldn't want their death to be pinned on his heart for long. 
'Baby, what are you doing?' Shayla's voice reverberated behind him. He jumped slightly and smiled. She was good at catching him unaware.
'You see', she said and laughed. 'I'm your boss, I will always make you fall'.
He chuckled. 'I was dozing off'.
He was known for never being caught off guard. The only person that had ever caught him off guard was Shayla. 
'Over and over again', she said as she bounced towards him, and dropped beside him on the chair.
'Never and never again. You've hit your mark for the last time. I'll always be ready'.
'Like the last time'.
'But I said that flippantly'.
'Like you said the last time...Just admit it now. Admit I'm your boss, and I'll never do anything to win you again', she said as she cuddled him. He dropped his head on hers.
'You're not my boss. I'll always be steps ahead'.
'Why?'
'I'm a P.I, by the way, Merry Christmas'.
'I'm with the Federals. Merry Christmas'.
'You're not with the federals, you're with the locals'.
'The locals are with the federal and that means?' She said as watched him for an answer. He knew the answer but he loved to make her wait for it.
'Just say and let's watch this rubbish. It means what?'
'Information'.
'Yeah...So admit I'm your boss'.
'No. I'm the boss'.
'If you don't agree with me, at least the person kidnapping is a step ahead of you'.
'No... The person has kidnapped 24 people. I'll catch her'.
'That means I really knock you out', she said beaming. 'I told you about another kidnapped person while you were asleep'.
'Jesus...' Nosa shouted and jumped out of the chair. 'What's her name?'
'One Joana or something?'
'Oh, God! She cried that people were after her'.
'Was she the one that called yesterday?'
'Yes. But she hasn't publicized the revelation. Are you sure you got the name right?'
 Shayla shrugged. 'Maybe I was knocked out too. Maybe it was the name you said while receiving that call that stuck to my brain'.
 He rose and went to pick his phone. Joana complained of not sleeping well because of fear. She might still be awake. He dialed her number, but it was switched off.
'She had been kidnapped?'
'But who could be kidnapping these people. This person is good and slippery', Shayla commented and was lost in her thought. He glanced at her just in time to see her holding out 6 fingers to herself. 
'I'm going after her', he announced and began to tidy the table.
'No. You're not going anywhere till the morning comes'.
'I'm on this case'.
She stomped her feet. 'No, baby.

Read " Don't! Look Closer " by the same author ( Akíntayo Akinjide )

. My people would be on it. I'll give you information'.
'You don't understand; she needs me'.
 She rose as he turned after he picked his keys. She cocked her gun. He heard it well.
'What? What's wrong with you?' He asked as he hoped she was joking by pointing it at him.
'Nothing? You said I have the right to do this immediately you become heady'.
'I don't mean this way'.
'I'm not concerned o. Move to your corner of the bedroom'.
He sighed and moved to the bedroom. The last time he disbelieved her, she shot the gun to brush his skin, but not to give him a deeper wound. That was what happened when you fall in love with a woman obsessed with you.
'I'll give you all information you need. But this morning, till 10, you are for me'.
She made him cuff himself to the bed, then she dropped the gun on her side of the bed and climbed him. 'You're going nowhere, not now'.
 Even if he tried to hurt her now, she was at a vantage position. And there was no need to go violent since it wasn't a matter of life and death. He slumped into the wood as she continually kissed and caressed him.