Set me free - Episode 29

 

William;

"Good night Will! Don't be late tomorrow." Mr Oregon hollers to my back as I exit his diner where I've also been working part time, watching the dishes after my shift at serena's breakfast kitchen.
  Cold air blast me as I walk into the dark New York night. Even after four days here, I've still not gotten used to the cold nights. It could have been better if I had a jacket or something to protect me from the cold, but a jacket is so not on my budget right now 
       



 . I'd packed one from Nigeria but I lost all my belongings including my phone on that nightmare of a trip to this country. I still get chills down my back whenever my mind takes me back to how I almost lost my life then my freedom.
  Fiery brown eyes comes to mind and I have to shake my head against the memory of her touch. Crazy how a strange woman's touch could hunt me till now.
"Watch where you are going!" I suddenly stop short at the angry bark.
"I'm sorry." I apologize quickly
"whatever!" The angry man walks pass me while cursing under his breath. Everyone always seem to be in a hurry in this country.
 A sudden bright light momentarily blind me and I have to shield my eyes from the light. The sight of the sleek black car which I can swear has been following me for the past four days make my heart rate peak.
 The headlights of the car goes off and without waiting, I turn around and start walking fast
All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/set-me-free
. I don't care if I'm being paranoid right now. I bend into an alleyway, my hurried steps turning into a strut once I hear footfalls behind me.
"Don't look back. Don't look back. Don't look back." I chant but I just can't. I look across my shoulder. There's no one. I stop short to try and steady my breath. It's an impossible feat. I'm more than freaked out right now. I can swear I was being followed a moment ago.
"We finally get you alone." My eyes bulge out at the edgy words too close to my ear.
"What the--" My words are cut off by calloused hands grabbing my neck. Air is cut off from my lungs and I grapple for it desperately kicking.
"You thought you can run and hide huh?" The voice sneers, the grip getting tighter.
"I don't know wh-a- what you are ta-lking about." I manage to get out. I was losing breath fast and could feel myself losing consciousness. Was this how I was going to die? In an alleyway. My body won't even be sent to my family. Aurora. You know what they say about your life flashing before your mind's eye when you are faced with death, it's so true. I can clearly see Aurora's crying face, begging me not to go with her mother.
 I let loose a deep growl as I snap out of my unconscious daze and start clawing on my attacker's arm. Twisting and struggling against his hold. My flailing hands goes up to his face and I scratch his eye. A deep bellow escape the throat of my attacker, his hold loose enough for me to slam my fist against his throat. A retching sound falls out of his mouth and this time, he falls to his knees, clutching his throat. I don't wait for him to recover  I turn around to grab his head and slam his head against the concrete ground several times. Adrenaline beat in my ears as I let his head lie limp on the ground. I have to kick his hand lightly to make sure I didn't kill him. The small groan tells me he's barely conscious and I turn around to run for my dear life.

"Stop!" I freeze in my steps at the deafening sound of a gunshot. Sh*t!
"Turn around, motherfucker!" I hesitate for too long and another gunshot is fired. I shakily turn around. His bloody hands clutch a pistol which is currently aimed at me. I can't fight a gun! I should have searched him for a weapon before running damn it!
"Please--Don't shoot man. I'll do anything." I plead.
"I want to be looking into your eyes while I put several holes in you, son of a b*tch." He sneers.
"Please I--"
"Shut up!" he snaps.
"I--"
"That's enough." Another voice says quietly from the darkness. I don't know who owns the voice but I am grateful when the gun pointed at me is lowered.
"boss." I have to strain my eyes to see a shadowy figure.
"Excellent skill you learnt from prison, Mr William." The voice speaks again.
"How do you know my name! Who the hell are you?!"
"Let's just say I'm your saviour and I'm willing to offer you a job." my brows furrow at this.
"You gave the order to kill me, didn't you? Why would I work for you?" I spit. A middle aged man steps out of the darkness at this time.
"It's either that or you die young man." he says as he fires two shots into the man who was pointing a gun at me moments ago. My heartbeat speeds up again at the look of pure evil on the old man's face.
"It'll be a shame to kill you because I need you."
"Why the hell do you need me? I don't do shady!" I snap quite stupidly considering how dangerous he is.
"I need you as a bodyguard for someone I don't want getting involved without any of my people. I have a feeling my baby girl is hiding something and you'll be the one to find that out for me. Because she'll trust you. You'll make her trust you."
"I--"
"and before you think about refusing, answer this one question for me. What would the police think when they find this man dead with a gun that has your finger prints all over it?" My eyes bulge at these words.
"I didn't. You--"
"A little cash and you'll be locked up. Coupled with this video of you beating the shit out of him." he throws a phone at me and I watch with wide eyes.
"Christ!" I exclaim.
"Your illegal entry into the country would just be another nail in your coffin. It's game over for you." he says casually and I begin to sweat even with the cold wind blowing in my face.
"You can't do this! I'll expose you, we'll go down together." I snap and he has the guts to laugh in my face.
"firstly, no one would believe a murderer like you. And most importantly, you wouldn't do that. My source tells me you have a daughter and mother in Nigeria.

Read " Star-crossed " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. You'll want to go back to them right?" my head bows in resignation and he smirks.
"you come with me and all these goes away. I'll make you a rich man as an added bonus. $1000 every week." he says as he stretches his hand to me. God, what I can do with such money.

 I stare at his hand for long seconds. Thinking over my choices. Are there really choices here? One thing is for sure, I'm never going back to prison again. I can't let my daughter suffer either.
"Are you in?" my eyes snap up to study the man in front of me and deep seethed anger boils inside me. I'm going to bring you down, old man. Right after I get the rest of the incriminating video from him.
"one question, why would this person I have to guard trust me?" I ask as I place my hand on his outstretched one.
"because you both went to the same high school." he says as he shakes my hand firmly. I nod slowly as i think on this. Who could this person be?