Must Read: Elvis - Season 1 - Episode 31

7 years ago

Must Read: Elvis - Season 1 - Episode 31

Elvis and his entourage had gotten into Ellie’s car which she parked at a safe distance from the mansion, a rendezvous she had pre-arranged. Elvis was dazed when he saw Ellie’s car, a 2014 Toyota corolla, he hadn’t thought she had a car at all due to her perkiness and impertinence; he was awed by the social status and quality of the car. She saw the dazed look on his face and she smiled at the thoughts she felt is going through his head.
“Surprised?” she said pressing the unlock button from her remote.
“Maybe, you have a car?” he stuttered
“Of course, I guess you’ve met my father” she retorted compounding his already clouded and confused mind.

He opened the door and slumped into the front sit, the maid entered the back sit while Ellie took the wheel.
“We have to hurry, the president will take the podium by noon” She said as she kicked start the car which hummed softly in response.
“Where’s the campaign taking place?” Elvis asked.
“Precinct square” She replied putting the car into gear, the car sizzled gently on the tarred road; the sun’s heating capability gaining momentum.

Time checked: 10:50AM.

“That’s about one hour journey, if there’s no traffic.” Elvis said
“We’ll be too late by then, the president will ascend the podium by noon to address the crowd” Ellie lamented pressing the accelerator without remorse and running a red light, narrowly missing running into a car crossing the lane.

“Give me your phone” Elvis said, he hadn’t set his ocular organs on his for several hours which he had earlier learnt to be 6days, “You have Timi’s contact number don’t you?”
Ellie handed him her phone, her eyes trained on the road, speed nerve-wrecking as she meandered her way through the seas of cars plying the major road joining Ikeja to the mainland, a kilometer ahead, the longest traffic jam ever is increasing momentarily.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
“No answer sir” the young man who had dialed the number said.

MSN held his cup midway through its journey to his lips, thought for some seconds before dropping his hands, hips lips quivered in disappointment.
“Call Erinyes then” he said before satisfying his lips lust with the wine.
“No answer sir” the man said again.

Now he dropped the cup and sat up, concern evident on his face.

“Keep on trying it…..” he said softly trying to hide the concerned countenance sitting gently on his face. “Bring me the phone” he added, the already shaking guy handed him the phone before disappearing; he surely don’t want to be around at the time of wrath.

He’s face had a split glint of relief when the phone was picked, but it darkened when it wasn’t answered by his expected person and voice.

“Who is this?” he said
“Where’s Stringer…what…what of Erinyes…..dead….the two of them dead?” he went still for some moment, the phone glued to his ear, his mind had drifted afar, he regained himself.

“What of that detective……what……gone?” he flared up in fury, his agbada flurrying through the air in a dignified and proud manner contradicting the storm fierceness of its wearer. He threw the phone angrily out the window unto the hard road, the phone tearing apart as it bounced selflessly.
“F--k, f--k….f--k…….f--k” he shouted angrily punching the soft cushion of the limousine, he wanted to rise up in anger but hit his head against the roof of the car, he sat down fuming and rubbing his head roughly.

The man who had brought the phone rushed inside on hearing the frustrating and angry gibberish his boss is uttering, on seeing the blood shot eyes of his boss, he made to retreat but wasn’t that lucky.
“Get me another phone” MSN barked at the retreating figure.

The young man brought another phone, the reluctance on his face shows it must have been his, it truly is; it was the phone he bought with an amount equal his three month salary, he prayed in his heart for the phone not to suffer the same fate as the previous one. He’s however skeptical about this, his boss will get him another phone if ‘things’ get better, what of if it doesn’t?
“You have to do the job immediately, there is no time, the nosy detective has escaped, get it done it immediately he gets on the podium.” MSN barked into the phone before ending the call abruptly.

He sat down, tapping his foot on the rug of the car, waiting patiently for the president to climb the podium. He checked his wrist watch, 11:00AM.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
“Timi, where are you?” Elvis said immediately Timi answered the call.
“I’m at home…..who is th…..sir? is that you?” Timi said excitedly into the phone.
“Yes I’m the one, I need your help” Elvis replied
“Sir, how did you get out….and wait…this is Ellie’s number” Timi said gasping.
“It’s a long story, where are the others? What of Dauda?” Elvis added quickly.
“Dauda is still in the hospital, pretty bad but the doctor said he’ll pull through, he just got out of coma, Ben’s been working himself up looking for clue on how to get your location, I’ve been racking the net looking for anything unusual…..” Timi explained.
“So you are with a system?” Elvis asked.
“I sleep on it…oh yes one’s with me” Timi joked still excited he is speaking to his boss.
“Can you trace this call?”
“Yes I can”
“Do it, get my location and get me a clear and quick route to the Precinct Square”
“Okay sir, right on it….wait Precinct Square, is there not where the campaign is been held?” Timi asked as his hands stopped working on the keyboard.
“That’s it”
“Is anything up? You sound tensed” Timi enquired
“I must get there before the President climbs the podium to give he’s speech, he’s about to be assassinated.” Elvis briefed.

Now Ellie has joined the increasing record breaking traffic jam, she hits the steering in frustration.
“Climb the side walk and follow it, I’ll lead you” Timi said, his hands punching on the keyboard audible over the phone. Ellie obeyed swerving dangerously over the sidewalk getting angry retorts in response from other drivers and sellers with mobile shops (hawkers and road side sellers).

“I’ll send you the map of the route you’ll take; it seems the car you are in has a navigation panel?” Timi asked.

“Expensive technology” Ellie replied smiling and winking at him.
“She’s there?” Timi asked.

“Long story” Elvis replied “Trust me” he said looking at Ellie, she smiled reassuringly, her smiling face releasing arrays of colourful butterflies.

“I’m sending it to you in 3….2….1…done” Timi counted and the car navigational system came to life immediately showing the map of the city, a blue line depicting the route they are to take and a thick blue dot showing the location of the car.

“Thanks Timi” Elvis said softly.
“Wait, what of the traffic lights?” Ellie asked concerned.
“I’m with you all the way, I’ll have hacked and held it up for you, just run all traffic lights you see” Timi said confidently.
“Wow, you are a genius” Ellie said, pressing the accelerator hard as the car sped away, bumping and galloping through the rugged terrain of the ghetto the map led them.

Timi was silent.

“Thanks Timi, is there any way you can make the president’s ascension of the podium tarry?” Elvis asked.
“Let me see what I can do, but not promising yet.” Timi said.
“Thanks bro” Elvis said.
“Maybe you should call Ben he is there looking for any bit of lead that could be used in locating you.”
“Really?, I’ll do that right away, thanks bro” Elvis thanked again with Timi blushing on the other side, his round cute face looks flushed.

Elvis put a call across to Ben and he was able to brief him the situation on ground, Ben was very elated to hear from Elvis and was gleeful all through the briefing. He agreed, he had a plan already, today he had been giving the permission and effrontery he needed to display his troublesomely and naughty self, he was so glad. He looked around and was however at loss of what to do.

Time checked: 11: 30
…………………………………………………………………………………………..

25 minutes later.

The sniper is lying on the table, he had dragged the table to the window, his eyes are on the focusing lens, he could see an announcer on the podium speaking into the microphone he’s holding, the crowd cheering in response.

He waited patiently as the announcer started clapping and the crowd follow suit, now is the time for the president to address the audience.

The president was all smiles as he moved towards the dais; he waved at the people cheering him acknowledging the risen members of the high table in obeisance to him.

He was really a man of the people.

The focusing lens followed the moving president, his finger on the trigger looking for a clean shot something he’ll get when the president get to the dais. He waited patiently for the president to get to the dais.

The president got to it and rested his hands on it, the crowd still cheering, the president waited for it to die down.

He had gotten a clean shot and he’s about to take it, he saw the crowd getting unsettled as people started running, the president looked dazed and he cowered in fear of the unknown, people could be seen rushing. He knows he had to take the shot now, he did and someone fell.

At the extreme corner, Elvis and Ellie are seen running out of a badly injure motorcar, the car is now a body parts is so disjointed just like a pile of metals glued awkwardly together with an running engine dumped rudely in it.

They ran into the square towards the podium.