The Filters 4

Somewhere in Cameroon, Emeka Amezi was sitting on a veranda, blowing grey smoke into the blue sky, his brethren as he liked to call them sat silently by his side, and together, they took in the moment. To them it was just another kill, one exempt from the usual ravishing, but still, a life had exited the world and they had seen it to the door,it gave them a meta physical rush that  no drug, past or to come could ever match.They all banded together, rebels, survivors of abuse, poverty and insanity, under the roof of their eccentric benefactor Emeka, who wasn't quite cut from the same cloth, but still, he was a necessary evil so to speak. They needed him, he had money, money that to their knowledge was dwindling fast akin to the prodigal sons fortune, and just like the prodigal son he assured them he had a father somewhere, dead but willing to take him back with open arms in the form of a will, Emeka just had to get past some obstacles, and with their help, he had. Now they were waiting for the dust to settle. Emeka was no child, he knew as soon as he got his hands on his father's estate his docile band of criminals would turn on him faster than referees in a fixed game. He already had a contingency plan for that, heck he had a contingency plan for his contingency plan.There was nothing to worry about.

 "People will die!!" Hakim screamed, as he slammed his palm against the desk. Seun had already phoned ahead to give The Filters a heads up, so neither Mr Stanley nor his son were around to face this madness, the poor attendant that was, tugged at his collar nervously and tried to reason with Hakim.

"Sir, Mr. Stanley has asked me to assure you that He had nothing to do with your girlfriends demise, in fact the news troubled him so much he had to leave the office, he asks me to extend his condolences and promises to help in whatever way possible."

 The attendants words were really touching, Seun almost wanted to give him a pat on the back for a job well done, no doubt his excuse for Mr Stanley's absence was extemporaneous, and the nonsense about promising to help, the only help the The Filters could possibly offer Hakim was eternal rest and peace. It was pretty, obvious the Filters didn't want the nascent conflict to come to a head, which was good, all Seun hoped for now, was that the Attendants kind words would pacify Hakim. To Hakim however, the attendants words were like trying to douse fire with a bouquet of flowers.

"Shut Up!, you think I'm a fool? Sure Mr Stanley may not have had anything to do with it, but that son of his?that belligerent bastard!? I will have his head on a stake!mark my words, he is a dead man!".

 Seun and The Attendant spent the next hour and a half attempting to dissuade Hakim from vengeance. Poems were read, scriptures were quoted, Seun got on his knees and begged, he even broke out the "This isn't what she would've wanted" speech, but like mother nature, on a cold, stormy and windy day,  Hakim would not be turned from wrath. So they did the next logical thing.

They let him die.

" I am not happy about this."

"What other option do we have?"

Father, son and bodyguard stood behind closed door. Decisions had to be made, details had to be explained, and most of all, fall outs had to be avoided.

"What about that friend of his, the one you like, what's his name, Shegun?" Mr Stanley inquired as he got up from behind his desk and slowly paced the 12 feet length of his office.

"Seun? Seun's the one who called, he said his tried everything in his power to convince him it wasn't us, the guy is far beyond convincing. If you ask me the whole things a set up, someone somewhere is paying him, they wanna make it look like it's  a crime of passion, so that no one would suspect foul play, I bet it's one of our competitors even!"

Mr stanley was sure something was amiss, he hadn't ordered the hit on the boys girlfriend, and his son denies being involved, so what was the missing piece?

"But, Seun's an insider, he knows enough to hurt us, wouldn't that have been easier than all this?". He asked, knowing he wouldn't get a satisfactory answer.

"Da..Mr. Stanley, I'm telling you its a set up! He knows we'd kill him before anyone has us in hand cuffs, this is the smartest way, cut off the heads of the double headed snake." Jesse said, and put his  hands into the comfort of his pocket.

With an eyebrow raised and lips bemused Mr Stanley asked ."Double headed?"

It seemed that all the oxygen in the room had eloped with the ventilation and sworn never to return because suddenly, both Jude and Jesses hearts began to beat faster and their foreheads broke out in beads of sweat. Jude hadn't meant to be so brazen, he knew his father recognized his essence to the business, but equal standing was a claim he could not yet assert, so just like all boys when asked if they are ready to leave the shadows of their fathers, Jude bowed his head and left the question rhetoric.

  As he walked down the street to the club by Judes side, Seun was perturbed, he didn't like the fact that he'd been called upon to do to his friend what he'd done countless times before for The Filters enemies, Spy.He found himself on his knees a lot the past few days, he felt like the  vest between a chest and a bullet and he didn't like it, but a friend in need, he still relentlessly begged for absolution for Hakim.

"Seriously man, do me a solid here."

"Can't, your boys been given enough rope ,now it's time to pay the piper."

"Yeah look, just give him a Second Chance ok?"

"The Filters give no second chance."

"Then why is Bode Lawanson still alive?"

Jude halted and placed his palm around Seuns neck, he held him as one would hold a bottle of beer, tight enough to be meaningful, and loose enough to show care.

"You've been with us for many years Seun, I'd hate to see all that History go to waist. Your friend Hakim has always been a loose canon, I told you as much when you first brought him to me. I know you two are childhood friends, I know you feel loyal to him, but you must understand he seeks not only to destroy us, but you as well, and I've asked you to be the one to case his joint because, I trust you'll do a fine job at it, is my trust misplaced?"

"No..no it isn't. But do you really have to kill him."

"That depends on what you find."

"I really do like your place here Hakim, it's quite sophisticated, not that spacious but that's ok, my friends don't mind sleeping on the couch."

"Listen...sir...I still don't know what it is you want from me, if it's money..."

"Oh hush now, you sound so clueless, but then again I was counting on it,my poor sister always had a thing for half wits. "

"Whuh...Sarah?what do you know about..?" a fist ran past his lips and once again his nose began to throb as if in protest of the brutality. He could tell death was coming , he just didn't understand why it was taking its sweet time.

 Emeka bent his head to level with Hakims, his eyebrows furrowed in concern and he placed a friendly hand upon Hakims weary shoulder.

"You must know this isn't about you, it pains me so, when I think of the many lives I've had to take because of a Woman's scorn, but I'm a survivor , and in that I have no remorse."

"But..but..why me..."

"Ssssh now, save your energy I need you alive for a day or two.Francis!"

"Yes boss?"

"I'm going out, do ensure that our host doesn't die, ok?."

"Sure."

"And remember, no one, not a single one of you leaves this house till I get back, understood?."

His henchmen agreed with  grunts and grumbles, and he waved them all goodbye.

Outside, the afternoon sun was at its hottest, immediately making Emeka wish he'd brought a hat with him. He improvised using his hands for shade, and waited at the curb for a Taxi.As he did so,sweat welled up beneath his three piece suit, and he loosened his tie. It seemed an eternity to him that he waited, and as the mind often does in those slow paced moments of idleness, Emeka became conscious of a lot of things, the first being that he really ought not to be standing out on the curb, alone and exposed, the second being that Taxis were not allowed into the estate. Infact the Taxis that brought him and his brethren had to stop at the gate and they strolled the rest of the way to Hakims house. Lastly and by all means the most important was that he was being watched.He had to still his face from bearing a smile, and continued to look about as if oblivious. The spy was in a red car across the street, behind Tinted windows no less, but Emeka knew he was there, he could sense him clearer than the heat biting his skin.Despite knowing he would see no taxi, Emeka kept up appearances and stood there for an extra 15 minutes , then he slapped his head as if he'd hand an A-ha moment, and began his way to the Estate gate.

Seun sat in his car , four hours longer, watching keenly, waiting for his opportunity. It came in the form of a pizza delivery.The car pulled up in front of the house and a stoutly young man clad in all white came out of it. Seun rushed over just as the boy was pulling out the Pizzas from the back seat.

"Hey let me help you with that."

The boy looked at him puzzled, and as is inherently Nigerian, with great suspicion. Why was help being offered, un-requested help for that matter. With reluctance the boy handed the marginally older man the four boxes of pizza. Then stepped out and locked the vehicle.

"Can I help you?" He asked, not masking his abating suspicions.

"Yes, I'd like to have your number, see I leave just down the street, and I'm mostly too lazy to leave the house, and I love your pizza, so I'll need your number."

"Its written on the side of the car."

"Oh, oh my bad."

Seun took the number and parted ways with the pizza delivery boy. He had to pick someone up, after which he would report to Mr Stanley and Jude, a job well done.

 Naomi Davidson stood with legs crossed on the passenger sit of Seun's car, she was waiting, and tapping furiously the keypad of her phone, looking as archetypal as possible. The car was parked by the gate of Club Desire, and every 8 minutes she would take a quick glance to see if Seun was making his way back to her. She'd seen him thrice, and from what she knew, that was quite a record, it had been an herculean task to get him to see her after the first night, what with his Lothario ways and aversion for commitment. It hadn't been easy at all, but somehow she pulled it off, because Naomi Davidson was a persuasive girl that almost always got what she wanted, and eventually.Standing at a long legged 5"9 , with fair flawless skin and Bambi like eyes, Naomi Davidson was a Fox, but Naomi Davidson was not her real name.