Tarasha - Chapter 88

‘Emm…I was just thinking as a cinematographer,’ she

said with a forced smile. ‘I was thinking of what it would

be like making films centered on the lives of people like

you, it’ll really be inspiring to a lot of young people.’

‘Hmm,’ Nasiru swallowed the lie. ‘There might really be

some horror part, you know.’ He said with a shrug, ‘some

of us have gone through and done some funny things

too. Well, I was saying that for Nigeria to be the country

we all want it to be, then every Nigerian has to think and

act in a positive way. The Ata’s foundation was a

brainchild of my late father, blessed be his memory.

He was so passionate about the children on the streets

and under the bridges that every of his weekends were

always spent visiting orphanages and motherless babies

homes, some he used to visit kids in the slums and give

foodstuffs to their families. But he didn’t have enough

wealth or influence to come up with something like the

Ata’s foundation then. I didn’t have the same passion like

he had, the truth is…’ Nasiru stopped and turned to look

at the faces of his listeners.

‘I never thought I would do something like this if not for

my mother who insisted that I fulfill my father’s last wish.

Now I have no regrets doing it, all my life. I’ve never been

happier than I am now, seeing children and families

given hope and life.’ He took a handkerchief and wiped

his teary eyes. The visitors were surprised as they

couldn’t figure out the reason for the tears.

‘I lived my younger days as a selfish person, I wasn’t

really concerned with anybody else except gathering

enough money and getting comfort for myself and my

family.’ He began to confess. ‘I’ve hurt a lot of people in

the past, a lot of families, a lot of children and even the

whole nation. I wish I could erase everything but no

matter how hard I try, I still…’ The remaining words were

unheard as the tears covered them. The man wiped his

face with the handkerchief again and cleaned his mouth.

The visitors stared at his face in awe except for Tarasha

who was indifferent about his emotional state. All she

had in mind was how the man’s death was going to be

executed and how the book was going to leave the shelf.

‘That’s why I am happy to see people like you,’ the man

continued what seemed to Tarasha an epistle, ‘especially

the younger ones.’ Nasiru paused and looked away from

Mr Alfred to the three younger representatives. ‘I want to

encourage you to keep doing what you’re doing, that’s

the way to go.’ He said and handed a handshake to

everyone except Mr Alfred who he gave a pat on the

back. ‘I’ll edit and release this book for public readership

soon, I believe it’ll inspire a lot of young folks like you.’

He said tapping the book which contained the Ata’s

foundation history.

He moved away from that section and his visitors moved

with him, only Tarasha still had her mind on the section

as they moved to the next.

A knock on the door distracted all of them. ‘Who’s it?’

Nasiru spoke aloud.

‘May I come in sir? You do have a phone call.’ A gruff

voice sounded.

‘Okay, come in’ Nasiru replied the gruff voice which he

knew to be his personal guard’s.

‘Here,’ the muscular man hurried forward and handed

over the phone to Nasiru.

Nasiru stared at the phone’s screen for a while, looking

undecided as to whether or not to return the call

immediately. He was still trying to decide when it began

to ring again.

‘Sir,’ he answered the call and excused himself from his

guests with an hand gesture. He began to walk with the

bodyguard towards the door.

‘Was that Don Dan I saw on the news today?’ Nasiru

asked in a shocked voice while still walking out of the

study.

The Don Dan mentioned caught the attention of the rest

of the team except for Tarasha. They looked at each

other’s faces and made eye gestures, then Tarasha

understood that the man must have said something with

which they can relate. She took a quick glance around

the top corners of the study to see if there was a camera

in it, she found none.

‘Go and listen to him,’ she said to Benny who was

disguised as Mr Alfred. ‘Carefully,’ she added with a

warning look at him. Benny walked gently closer to the

entrance where he could hear the man’s voice faintly. He

folded his arm and began to stare at the pictures on the

wall.

Tarasha took the opportunity to return to the previous

section, she picked up the hardcover book which caught

her attention. She noticed it was a very old book and it

wasn’t complete, more than half of the pages had been

detached from it. She flipped it open and the first thing

she saw was ‘Arms Deal with Elvis Richards’. Before she

could continue, she already saw Benny returning to the

former position gently, she returned the book and also

joined the rest at the new section.

‘I’m sorry ladies and gentlemen, I just had to attend to

that. It was from the vice president.’ Nasiru explained as

he walked back into the study. ‘Now this section, like I

believe you’ve noticed already, is where I can find

everything thing concerning the house of Reps and law in

Nigeria. It’s my work and that’s why it’s the largest

section. From the beginning to the end of the rack, you’ll

find books that’ll educate you more about the

Constitution of the nation. You may not understand

some since you’re aren’t a…’ The man continued to rattle

on.

Tarasha was getting uncomfortable with the man’s

unnecessary talks, she took out her phone secretly and

began to set up some commands. After some few

seconds, she dialed Nasiru’s number to distract him.

Soon enough the guard came back with the phone and

Nasiru excused himself again.

‘It’s time to split guys,’ Tarasha said to the team

immediately the man went out of earshot. “We have to

locate an escape route now. Do you have your

communication devices with you?’

They all nodded in positive to her question. ‘Then remain

connected alw…’ She stopped as Nasiru returned back

into the place hurriedly.

‘I’m sorry guys, I thought the vice President was trying to

get back to me but it was a wrong dial.’ Nasiru apologized

again. ‘My phone is here now,’ he showed them his

phone and then dipped it into his pocket.

‘Sir,’ Evelyn called in a faint voice.

‘Yes, Evelyn.’ The man answered.

‘Ermm… I’ll like to use the restroom sir’ she announced,

receiving planned awkward stares from the rest of the

team.

‘Okay,’ Nasiru replied and took out his phone again. He

dialed a first number but the call wasn’t answered, he

dialed another. ‘Hello Joe, get to Fatima for me and tell

her I need her in the study right now. Get back to me

immediately you relay my message.’ He said into the

phone and nodded in response to the call receiver’s

reply. He cut the call and glanced at Evelyn. ‘Fatima

would be here to attend to you in the next one minute,’

he said to her.

‘Thank you sir,’ she curtsied. They all waited patiently for

the arrival of Fatima and true to the man’s word, Fatima

arrived in a minute time.

Evelyn was excused to go with Fatima while the rest

remained in the study.

~~

‘Let’s go this way,’ Fatima said on seeing Tarasha facing

the opposite direction as they got outside the study.

‘Please, I need to get something in my bag first.’ Tarasha

replied.

‘What do you want to take there? I may have it in the

house.’ Fatima said to her.

‘It’s a medicine I need.’

‘Ehen… Are you sure you can go there yourself or do I

send a maid to get it for you?’ Fatima suggested,

sounding concerned.

‘Let me get it myself please,’ Tarasha replied and kept

moving in the same direction. Fatima followed her.

~~

‘Like I was saying before the interruption, everything

concerning the laws, Constitution and work in the Senate

are contained here.’ Nasiru continued his talk. Not long

after, Cole clutched his hands to his stomach and began

to let out air from his mouth through silent burps.

‘What’s wrong?’ Nasiru asked in a very serious tone and

with a serious look on his face.

‘I’m feeling a little bit uneasy,’ Cole managed to say. ‘I

think I too have to use the restroom.’

‘Restroom?’ Mr Alfred turned to the Senate President and

stared at him in a kind of accusing manner.

‘Ermm… It’s just a little issue, maybe you took something

earlier today that’s your system is reacting to.’ Nasiru

said, looking visibly disturbed. ‘Come with me,’ he said

with a hand gesture to Cole and began to proceed out of

the place.

~~

**5 minutes later**

Immediately Tarasha entered into the toilet, she turned

on the communication device whose receiver was at her

back and fixed the earpiece in her left ear. Then she

rolled up her flowing gown and removed some metal

devices from some attached pockets to her thighs. She

dropped them in the sink and climbed on the water

closet to see through the window. After taking some

minutes to observe, she stepped down and walked back

to the sink. Her device beeped.

‘Boss,’ Cole’s voice came through.

‘Cole, have you separated yourself from the rest?’

‘Yes, I’m in the restroom now.’

‘Any clear route seen from there?’ She asked as she took

out a bug and a sharp blade-like metal from the devices

placed in the sink.

‘There’s only a small farmyard at this place, it’s the

boundary between this house and Cole’s car.’

‘Are you in the upper floor?’

‘Yes.’

‘What side of the house are you in?’

‘I don’t know where.’

‘Don’t you have a compass with you?’ Tarasha asked.

‘I have.’

‘Then use it to determine the position in relation to

where our car was parked outside.’

‘Okay, I’ll get back to you boss.’ Cole said and the

connection was cut.

Tarasha climbed back on the water closet and tore off

the net with the blade like metal. She clipped the bug to

the wall behind the window.

Her device beeped again. ‘Cole’

‘I’m at the left side of the upper floor.’

‘Okay, who showed you to the toilet?’

‘Mr Nasiru asked his personal guard to bring me here.’

‘Okay, there’s a pin among your tools there, it’ll induce

temporary tranquilization when stuck into the man’s

neck. Use it to…’

~~

‘Hey! Hope all is well,’ Cole could hear the bodyguard

shout from outside.

‘Hummp!’ Cole owled like someone struggling to let out

faeces. He was sure the man heard him and was going to

think he was having a hard time defecating.

‘What’s that?’ He could hear the Boss ask from the other

side.

‘Nothing Boss, I’ll do as you instructed.’ He said in the

usual low voice he had been using and cut the

connection.

He got up from the water closet and dipped his hand into

the inner pocket of his jacket. He was able to take out the

pin Tarasha talked about in a nylon. He unsealed it and

placed it between his fingers. Then he pressed the flush

button on the Water closet.

He waited for another minute before he opened the door

and stepped out.

‘Hope you’re feeling better now?’ The muscular guy

asked.

‘Yes,’ Cole answered with a slight groan, still adjusting his

trousers.

‘Okay, Alhaji Nasiru and the rest of your colleagues are

waiting for you in the living room.’

‘Okay…’ Cole moved closer to the guy, half limping and

half walking. He thought he could stick the pin into the

man’s throat easily as he was sure the man wasn’t ready

to defend any attack but he was wrong. The bodyguard

grabbed him by the fist before the pin could get to his

neck.

The fury on the guards eyes was bloody as if he had been

waiting for a prey to pounce on.

~~

‘Where are you now?’ Tarasha typed into the chat box.

‘We are in the living room, waiting for your orders.’

Benny replied in less than twenty seconds.

‘Have your heard from Cole?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Okay, the next order would be from him. Now, where is

the target? Is he close to you?’

‘Not too far, he’s some centimetres away, talking silently

with his wife and some of his maids.’

‘Cole would call you soon, we won’t use a gun on the

man but would silence him quietly with the poison. We’ll

likely escape through the main gate also with his

daughter as an hostage. Just wait for the next orders

from Cole.’

‘Okay Boss,’ Benny typed in.

‘And, what did you hear the man discuss with the vice

president on the phone?’

‘I think he and the vice president are involved in some

shady deals, it’s like one of their boys sent on an errand

had been caught earlier today.’

‘And who is Don Dan? You, Cole and Aisha seemed to

have heard the name before.’

The reply this time took more than the usual time but

Benny finally typed it. ‘He’s our former boss, I think it’s

one of his other men that was caught in the errand they

sent him.’

‘Okay, then.’

Tarasha turned off the phone’s screen and dipped into

her inner pocket. She got up from the water closet,

thinking. It was surely Don that she met ealier that day.

That was why he could mention her name. But why and

what does the Vice and Senate President have to do in

Henry’s apartment? She asked herself.

She began to return the tools she put in the sink. A knock

sounded on the door.

‘Evelyn,’ she heard Fatima call outside.

‘I’m coming,’ she answered in a singing tone.

‘Please, take your time. I just wanted to find out if you’re

okay.’