A Dread in the Spine - Episode 20

 

 The next morning didn't have to meet her on the boat because by 5 am she had received a distress call from Segun that they've just found the body of one of the missing fake visionaries.
'Where?'
'This time, this person is so desperate, she blasted her head off'.
'Oh, God! Where?'
'The fallen statue'.
She inhaled loudly and rushed out of her bed. The person had just shown that the fake people were fallen . He had dropped the dead woman in the fallen image of a past bad leader. The image used to stand erect, but a whirlwind fell it. Regardless of the fact that she was suspended, she called people from the Police force and within a few minutes, she watched them carry her body away. After the place was cleared, Segun drove up to her.
'My head is banging', Segun complained.
'Why?'
'I'm yet to sleep'.
'What were you doing?'
'I'm after something for Rachael. We are' He said and stopped talking. He opened his mouth, inhaled, exhaled and shook his head. 'It's a secret work we've all being doing'.
'And I'm exempted?'
'No. You're part of the plan

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

. Why do you think Rachael told you to find a way to be suspended?'
'She is dreaming'.
'Be careful'.
'She won't kill me'.
'No. But she is right, always right'.
'I'm even supposed to be in the police to know some top secrets'.
'This work has a chance to backfire. I'm sure she has her reason'.
'Reasons be damned. I shouldn't be exempted from anything'.
Segun shrugged and looked away. Whatever they were doing must be top secret, and he wasn't even supposed to hint her, but since he had done, she would find out what it was. In fact, she would make sure she solved the women issues herself and get the glory. Then, Racheal would know how good she was.
The only person that could help her track down the whereabouts of the missing Joana in a few minutes was Moriah, who still had a little misgiving about her. She would employ every means possible to get to the end of the situation before the Commissioner of Police killed off every one they paid to boost their pride and that of his useless church. She wouldn't want anything to happen to her own baby because of the evil her hands had been forced to work.
The journey to Moriah's place felt like an eternity. When she entered the useless street Moriah lived, Shayla felt like slapping Moriah for using that place as a base. Her house was one of the very few that looked presentable in the area. Even at that, she couldn't believe that she could remain sane in such a place. The street was laden with beggars, many of whom were having guns hidden under their wrappers. And preachers, who kept shouting things that no one was ready to listen to. Even the few that did try to listen were doing so with the hope they would be given things to sustain them for a long time.
She closed her nose as she walked from her car to Moriah's gate.
 'House of the most wanted person. What the hell is wrong with this girl?' She mumbled.
People like that ought to be in hiding, not living in plain sight. However, when she stared at the beggars and noticed that their eyes followed her, she knew Moriah had men guarding her.
She pressed the bell continually but got no response. That wasn't what she planned. Yet, she couldn't leave without getting what she wanted. So, the only option available was to call her on the phone.
'Moriah', Shayla said calmly as she clamped the phone to her ear. She hated what she wanted to do, but if it meant losing her most precious jewel, she would. In fact, losing it would make Nosa closer to her.
'I'm not opening this door', Moriah shouted from the other side of the gate. She didn't know she was there all the while.
'Since when have you stopped opening doors for me?'
'Since we got Nosa involved. Since he came here to talk about how reckless you were to let him on the details of how I was involved with you'.
'I can handle Nosa. Open this thing. We're all in deeper trouble than you're seeing'.
She fiddled with her bag. The news about Leech's death still had a toll on her. She couldn't talk much, and the only way she could let Moriah see her pain was if she herself felt that pain. She gritted and raised a pocket knife into the view of the camera.
'Can you see the knife?'
'You can't do anything', Moriah shouted with a stiff tone. Some of the beggars were beginning to sit up.
'Open the door now or you would have the blood of this baby on your hand'.
'Nothing must happen to Nosa's baby or you would face the consequences'.
'No. Don't tell me hogwash. You know a baby's worth. If you really care for the baby, open the door'.
The last time they were together she had threatened to stab herself in the stomach, killing Nosa's baby. She knew Nosa was Moriah's weakness and she would exploit it to the last drop of his blood. She awaited Moriah's response.
'You're not talking and that's okay by me and for me', Shayla said as she shifted back.
She took the knife and pressed its edge into her stomach. Passers-by began to miss steps as they glanced and stared and stopped to watch her. Yet, she wasn't perturbed. The only things she needed at that time was to have what she needed. She cringed as the pain increased.
'That's your baby'.
'Open the door', she yelled as the knife began to pierce her skin, and blood began to drip out. 
'NoOuch...Stop. That's Nosa's baby'.
'You this slut. I won't have to tell you any other thing'.
 'Stop That's Nosa's baby'.
'Then, Open the damn thing'.
Moriah flung the door and Shayla sighed as she covered her cloth. Immediately she locked the gate behind her, Moriah ran into the house and returned with a first aid box. Shayla tried to ward her off, but she was already crying as she continually slapped Shayla's hands away to treat her.
'You're a wretched witch', Moriah said as she applied spirit to the wound. 'I hate you and God would definitely punish you'.
'What do you know about God, you wretched slut?' Shayla groaned and winced.
Moriah hissed and closed the first aid box. By this time, something beeped. Moriah glanced at it and stared for a while and shook her head. Shayla turned comically to look at what she was staring at. The lights on the small machine placed on the door kept changing color from green to yellow. She hissed and turned to Moriah.
'People have been calling me witch lately, and I don't think a slut like you have the right to call me one'.
'What do you want?'
'Aside that you stop screwing my man, I need to track down a woman'.
'Firstly, I'm not a slut. Secondly, he loved me first before you or Chloe or whoever in this world. He loves me'.
'Calm down'.
'Thirdly, if you don't stop referring to me as a harlot or slut or its equivalents, I don't see how I will help you. Fourthly, I'm not a slut again and why should I help you?'
Shayla rolled her eyes and pointed the knife at her stomach. 'Because you know what's at stake here and you're not stupid dear'.
Suddenly, the thing that was beeping began to beep sporadically. Moriah ran past her towards the machine and stared at it in fear. The light changed from yellow to orange and to pink. Suddenly, a sporadic shootout began outside the house. People screamed. Moriah peeped and yelled. Shayla didn't need to know what was happening outside before she brought out her gun, and gripped it with all her mind, for her baby's safety. The shooting in its loudness began to move towards the house, and an alarm began to blare. Immediately, an alarm within the house too began to blare.
'Oh, God! I think I've been burned', Moriah shouted and ran for the house. 'Come on'.
Knowing that she preferred to be in custody of the slut than to be near the unknown shooter or shooters, she ran after Moriah. 
'How...?' She yelled as she gripped her bag to make sure it didn't prevent her movement. Within few seconds, she was neck to neck with Moriah, whose short tight skirt was deterrent to her fast movement.
'I don't know why, but some people are coming for me', Moriah said as they rushed into the house. She slammed the door behind them while the people outside kept shooting. Then, someone must have been free from others because, despite the numerous shooting and the unstoppable shrieks from women, someone began to shoot at her gate.

Read " The Thorny Path to Europe " by the same author ( Akíntayo Akinjide )

. Before the door was locked, Shayla saw dusts raised into the air by the people around the house.
Moriah bolted the door and pressed another button that raised a glass wall. Moriah felt like screaming at her that to what end was the door there for, but she held her peace. In that instance, her mind felt partially ready to die. Probably, she might end up in the same place as Bennett Adeoti or as Lila or even her own parents. If those people that had been screaming about hell were right, she should probably say her last prayer.
'Stay put', Moriah shouted and began to type into her laptop. Within a few minutes, her wardrobe began to spin, and soon they were faced with an armory. Adrenaline shots pulsed through Shayla's body as she watched the numerous guns face her. She felt like caressing each of the guns, and that made her moan.
'Rubbish', Moriah said and hissed as she pushed past her. 'Pick one already or as many as you want'.
Shayla stared at the gun hungrily. She quickly pressed the speed dial for emergency meant to call F.A.L.T, whenever one of them was in danger. She was lucky she had asked for back-up before, even if these people weren't the Gragus team, Rachael would have told Chioma, their schedule officer, and Chief Suberu's P.A, to dispatch help to GreenCity for help.