She plans to kill me

Legal battle

Jezebel turned the door knob, pushed  the door and walked into the room. Her thin red eyes traveled to the bed and frowned. The bed sheet was  to clean for her liking. But she had come to press her hears to the door and heard the shaking sound and her cries at night.

She did this twice and was sure Denny was doing a good job. She could not travel out as a virgo intacta, she needed to be ready for the heavy task ahead. This business needed  skills, endurance and thrills and she hoped Denny could lead her through the learning processes.

She also noticed  slight change in the way she walked that morning. A little limping. Hmm…Denny must be a bad soul.

Soon, she would be looking for it herself. Hmmm…taste of forbidden  fruit was sweet. She remembered her first time, she cried and regretted. And for days she ran away from the guy but after a second one, and a third, the feeling of remorse vanished.

But the sight of the clean bed sheet broke her heart. She wanted to see it crumpled and insalubrious.

She looked round the room, moved to the closet then pulled the door. She saw a bed sheet folded and hidden. She brought it out and unfolded it then smiled.

Blood stain!

Very good!

The girl has been baptized. Now, what is left is for Denny is to give her more experience. Okay, she did not know how skilful Denny was. Should she try him?

No! He seemed to be stubborn. She would save that for his twin brother when the time came. Time? Yes, time to kill his fiancée and her entire family members.

A better idea. She would give him porn movies to improve on his skills. She wanted the little girl to be real dirty. The business was dirty so the participants must be dirty.

She left the room then went into her room. There was a man waiting for her.

At that time, Denny was treating his lacerated hand. He made sure the cut was where would not be conspicuous. Besides, it was just a small cut.

Last night ,as they entered the room, he locked the door and he saw fear on the girls face. She was crying bitterly. He told her to hush and listen. Jezebel needed a doze of her game. Then he set the plan.

It was simple. He cut his hand and produced a blood stained bed sheet. And he kept bouncing on the bed and told the girl to pretend to be crying in pain. Then he taught her how to limp slightly.

“ When you wake up, avoid everybody’s eye. Pretend to be ashamed because everyone knows what happened. Cry when alone but knowing someone will come and see you then pretend to wipe your tears like you did not want to be seen crying.

They would be watching you and if you fail and she finds out that nothing happened, I guess you saw how Jib was looking at you. And this may keep happening but I would not need to cut my hand again.

Denny and Mina continued this guile for a while, giving the impression that they were dating. Jezebel loved this because she could imagine the pain Denny would feel when he woke up one day to find her gone out of the country.

Then the day came when they would go to Shere hills. Unknown to Denny, she had planned to get him initiated into the cult which they claimed was a secret vigilante group.

Shere hills were a range of undulating hills and rock formations on the Jos plateau, in Jos city. The highest peak reached 6,001 feet above sea level.

The arrangements were made and twenty members were to attend the initiation ceremony. Denny was not aware of the plans.

He was told that they were going for a vigilante meeting. And there was information that seven Ake boys were having a ritual somewhere before going on the yearly m******e galore. It was a sanguinary act perpetuated by cultist where they went on shooting spree, killing innocent citizens and causing terror.

That information was true and when Denny was told to climb a hill which he did, he peeked and saw seven of them sitting round a black stone, smoking and probably planning the ritual. It was at the top of the hill he received a call.

“ It is Tessy. Please don’t break the call.”

“What is wrong?”

“I am sorry I lied to you. But I swear I developed feelings for you…”

“We have been over this, Tessy. I am not angry with you.”

“Listen. I never told you the truth. I am under Jib’s protection and I know he killed Teks.”

“ I know  he killed Teks but never knew you had something with him.’

“That is why you must listen to me. I was set up to lure you in. You are at Shere hill right?”

“ Yes.”

“Two things are going on there. Seven chosen Ake boys will be going on a shooting spree so the are preparing. They would kill not less than a hundred innocent souls. Then you are to be initiated and you know you would be beating severely during initiation. Jib plans to kill you then. He would make it look like you engaged in a battle with the Ake boys because Smalls and Murphy are there.

He beefs you. He said you took something of his. You stopped him from having it and Queen gave it to you. You must find a way and escape. I guess they sent you up the hill to peek. And they know Smalls and Murphy are part of the group. They know you are after them. They would kill them, kill you and frame you up. Then Jib would tell Jezebel it was your fault. They got a photograph of you going up.”

“ Why are you telling me this?”

“I said I fell in love with you …before giving my life to Christ. I am sick of this life. I am born again and the spirit burns in me now. I need to go.”

The line went dead. Denny  knew about the shooting spree and also knew it was a cult activity. He imagined the innocent people they were going to kill moving around without  the slightest idea of what awaited them.

Denny peeked again and saw the seven all lined up in a strange ritual. He saw a heavy rock close to the edge of the cliff. There was no way he could push it. Then he checked carefully. It was not attached to the rock beneath. The ground was parallel.

He checked and saw stones in front of the rock. He needed a slope, create an inclined angle. Then he began to remove the stones, making sure the ground sloped. This done, he peeked again. Yes, the direction was perfect.

He went behind the rock and tried to push it. It was too heavy. He looked at the rock, added a  few stones underneath, thought of the people about to be killed then  pushed, his biceps, triceps all rippled, veins bulged and a low roar escaped his mouth as he rolled the rock, the small stones  which reduced friction and helped by the inclined angle.

The rock left the cliff, down it went and the first person it crushed was Murphy before it rolled on the rest as the lined up performing their strange rituals.

He quickly began to remove the stones he used to make the inclined angle and threw them down. Making sure the ground was leveled, he took another way and  went down the hill. As he got down, knowing Jib and his group would be waiting for him, he walked deeper down the hills while the only thought on his mind was how to get Mina away from that house. Unknown to him, Mina was already out of the house. She was just running, further away from the house without a slight idea of where to run to. She had no one to run to, or anywhere to go but leaving the house was better than anything.

She did not know that Denny was going to risk his life trying to find her.

2008

The courtroom was set, the judge was seated and the jury all in position. This was the last shot. Maryam prayed before she took her seat. She turned round and realized that Jezebel was not in the courtroom.

Did she change her mind?

The battle began and Okorie seemed to be having an upper hand. He even called for the striking out of the appeal case due to lack of evidence.

Then Maryam took the final stage. The moment she had been waiting for. The reason for her trip to Kano, Kebbi and Ibadan.

He was called to the witness box. He was the last person Danny expected to see. He got into the witness box, and stood.

“ Can we know who you are, sir?”

Maryam asked.

“ My name is……….”

.