'Hello?' Det. Deoye answered, immediately recognizing the voice on the end of the line. Immediatedly beads sprouted as the voice spoke.
'Is everything in place?' The grim voice asked calmly.
Stroking off streams of sweat from his forehead, he answered disconcertingly. 'Yes. Everything's in place.'
'Good. Larry will call you soon. Do as you're told, remember we have eyes.' The voice warned.
'You know what honey; I'll call you once we're done here. You know police business. See ya' in the morning. Love you.' He ended the call abruptly upon sighting Det. Michael and Chuks with Jules striding judiciously behind them.
'Who was that?' Det. Michael queried.
Deoye looked deadpanned for a second, then stuttered…'No-thin’.... 'It was my wife. Wife problems and all.'
'You better forget about home. We've been struck real hard. Just got a message from Lance Corporation Ama.'
'What happened?' Deoye asked surprised, wiping sweat off his head with his arm staining his immaculate long-sleeve shirt.
'The precinct has been hit.' Chuks answered flatly.
There was a suffocating silence between them. Michael, Chuks and Jules all gloomy and Deoye obviously shaken by the voice he’d just heard few minutes ago.
‘We have to head to the precinct and take them down!’ Chuks thundered, with Jules stroking him tenderly.
‘I tried establishing contact with the precinct but it didn’t pull through.’ Michael scoffed… ‘I have to inform everyone. Things just hit a notch. We’re not safe, we need to cover every loophole.’
Michael cleared his throat, breathed and then like an angered priest addressing his sin laden pew he fired…'Hello. Everyone!' He boomed like a detonated canon, gesturing everyone to a halt... 'Now that I've got your attention. I would love to pass a message. We've been hit! We're at war people! The precinct has been besieged by the tyrant King Larry.' His voice rocked the warehouse.
Det. Michael had been in a Major in the army before being retired into the Nigerian Police Department. He was stringent, impervious and known for his Martin Luther speeches... 'Tonight! Fifteen of our own have been gunned down, they've been butchered by citizens we swore to protect. Does that mean we'll retaliate? No! It means we'll search through the barn, and fetch out the black sheep that did this.
Like a needle in a haystack, even if it means stomping our foot through in hopes to get pricked by the needle, we will do whatever it takes to find these miscreants and honor the fallen!' He paused for minute, staring at everyone deep in the eye, occasionally clumping his fingers and then like a broken dam he burst out...'Our image has been tarnished. You. You. You. You.' He said poking every officer on the chest within his reach... 'We will defend our honor and let the good citizens of Lagos know we have their backs and that the streets is still safe. So people, we are gonna take back our streets and not allow some thrift punk ass self-famed King rule us!' There was a tinge of spite as he blurted out the last word.
The officers jeered. The momentary effect of the speech had shot some dose of adrenaline into the officers, who had started darting here-and-there in search for evidence.
'Det. Deoye, Chuks and Jules prep up we're heading for the precinct get everyone ready. Call up the RRS team. We're at war.' He signaled.
'RRS?' Jules asked surprised.
The Rapid Response Squad was a close knit dare devil crack team of the finest policemen in Lagos Metropolis.
'You heard the Man, Jules.' Deoye answered for the Chief who was already barking orders on the telephone. Chuks thought aloud. Fifteen Policemen! His own colleagues. This was a bad way to start a new day. He wondered if Lance-Corporal Ama made it out safely.
‘As soon as possible. Thank you sergeant Wentworth.’ Michael heaved, hanging up. The atmosphere was charged. Footfalls slapping against the concrete pavement. ‘RSS en route. Get every operational officer on site geared up. We are hitting the precinct in full force.’
‘Sir, what if--’
‘There are no if's Det. Chuks. It's do-me-I-do-you and those son's of bitches have done us, and it’s our turn to do them. Meaning, we drill them till they’re crippled. They can't cut through our impervious strong hold and that buys us time. Go get the officers prepped up. We are saving our home.’
...........................
'Det. Deoye, where are you headed?' Constable Kennedy asked. He had seen Deoye moving away from the warehouse… ‘we’re ready for mobilization’
Deoye flinched, quickly masking the phone. He quickly fired a question at the suspecting officer, ‘are the officers ready?'
‘Yes.’ The officer answered with a puzzled face.
Deoye smirked and lip read ‘my wife’ pointing to his phone. The officer nodded and made an ‘oh’ and gave a thumbs up… 'Hello! Boss,We have problems.' He said quickly.
‘Get Larry on the line now! Nothin’ comes between me and my plans.’
‘Yes boss.’ Deoye quickly hung up and dialed a toll-free number, it began ringing.
'Good cop gone bad.' Larry teased.
'Michael knows of your attack on the station, he knows that the station was hit.'
'So? I know already. I took care of the punk who alerted him' Larry replied, rather too relaxed.
'Are you in possession of the----' Deoye heard shouts over the phone and heard 'It's locked!'
'Deoye, we have a problem. All the windows and the doors have
automatically shut.' Larry voice becoming jittery. Deoye remembered, it was a standard security procedure. He wondered who had turned on the lockdown procedure.
'Deoye answer me!' Larry boomed.
Deoye shook himself from his thoughts. 'Answer?'
'How do I get out of here before the 'olokpas' arrive?'
'Password! Do you see a monitor beside the coffee Percolator?' he heard steps.
'Ehen, I've seen it.' 'You will have to punch in the password on the keyboard fastened to it.'
'What's the Password?' Larry asked carefully. Deoye hesitated. Suddenly an idea sprang up in his head. Why not disconnect the call and leave Larry to be busted, he’ll cover his tracks and seal every trace that would lead to him.
'Deoye, don't even think of abandoning me. All I need is one phone call and your wife will be bashed in the head. Plus for an extra treat, I'll feed your daughters to the pigs!'
Deoye winced. Larry was the devil! What other way would he know his thoughts? ... 'Okay Boss. Password is R-E-D-A-R-R-O-W. I repeat redarrow.'
'I heard you the first time Deoye.'
'We'll be there in the next twenty-five minutes.' Deoye warned.
'Pfft... Relax; we'll out of here before you say Jack. You did well for your family today. Stay in touch.' Larry sneered hanging up.
………………………….
Chief Michael grinned with delight as he watched tyres of Four Hilux vans screech before him. 'They're here! Let's move people.' He shouted.
……………………………….
'Access Granted.' The computer prompted, as the doors and windows automatically opened. 'Finally! Okay People, we have less than twenty five minutes to offload our goods and leave here before the police arrive.' Larry snapped. Hymar relished in the gush of fresh air that rushed in through the windows. He held a large bag of the shipment and pushed his way past a stream of bodies to the main door.
'Careful Joe! Those goods are very fragile' Larry barked at Joe, a member of the group.
King Larry's face beamed with smiles as he watched his men move the shipment to their large truck. He gazed at a body and smiled. The intestines were out and it stared at him. He suppressed a laugh and checked the name tag. It bore 'Sharon Odogu.’
'Boss that's the last of it.' Hymar said as he walked to him draining of sweat from his forehead with his hands.
'Great! Let's go.'
His phone buzzed him. He swore. 'Deoye, I have already---'
'Keep quiet. It's Innocence, how's the shipment?'
'Oh! It's coming out fine. We're packed and set and go.'
'What about the nukes? Do you still have them?'
'Yes. I do. They're lying nice and still just ready to rip bodies when you're ready to light them up.'
'Good. We'll wire the money straight to your offshore account. No hitches.'
'Sixty million naira?'
'Yes. Keep this line open.' An under hum followed and Larry hung up. 'Hey careful with those things!' Larry barked at Joe who'd been sloppy throughout the movement... 'A whole lot of money lies within those babies.'