DON'T GET CAUGHT

DON'T GET CAUGHT EPISODE SIXTEEN

After the gun shots the call got disconnected and I panicked. Candy kept asking what was happening but I couldn't give her an answer as I had no idea what was happening. I dialed Finch's number again and it rang but this time it was off. I knew something was wrong and I couldn't stay in the house when Finch was in trouble. I put on my jacket and wore my boots

Candy: what is it please talk to me.

Me: I think my friend is in trouble. I heard gun shots and I cannot reach him. I have to go. Will you stay or take a cab home?

Candy: I will stay and wait for you. Please be safe.

I took my car keys and rushed out of the house. I got in the car and took off. On my way to the office I kept thinking of who could have started the fire and I couldn't think of anyone but the gang members who had gone missing after the attack. They were about three of four. They are the only ones who knew the office well and besides that we didn't have any more threats.

I got to the site, a few police men and a fire fighting track was already there trying to put out the fire. The place wasn't accessible because of the police.

I tried finding Finch in the crowd that was there but I couldn't see him. I kept calling his number but the phone was not going through. I pushed my way into the crowd only to get by a see a body lying there with the police standing near it.

That was Finch. He was lying there in a pool of blood. I felt tears drop and a sharp pain Pierce my stomach. I made my way past the crowd again and went to my car. I sat there and cried. The pain that came with that was unbearable. Finch was dead!

I drove back home and knocked on the door Candy asked who I was and when I said it was me she opened. When she saw the look in my face she hugged me and I broke down in tears again. This was too painful to handle. Finch had been like that little brother I never had. The bond that we had was amazing and all over sudden he was gone. Candy rubbed my back not knowing what to say or do. The only time I felt the way I’m feeling now was when my dad died. I never saw this coming because had I known, I would have shot all of them dead before they got to Finch.

I broke free from Candy's arm and sat on the bed. I buried my face in my hands and tried to pull myself together. I had always talked about long nights but this was one of its kind. Finch and I had plans to start a car dealers business and forget about the drugs since we had lost our entire member's. We wanted to start a new life not only us but we wanted to convince our boss that this job was better. We wanted him to retire with dignity because we all know he couldn't come back to life just to risk it again. We wanted this to be a complete turnaround with no killings and lying and being two people at the same time. We wanted a stress free life.

This is the week that the boss is coming back. Everything has gone so wrong with the only friend I had left gone. Candy has been here all through. She took a short leave to be with me and help me with the plans to burry Finch since he had no family members or friends at all.

Two days later I went to the airport to pick my boss and his wife. The Boss was walking again though with a stick and seeing him in his good state made me emotional I tried so hard to hold the tears inside because Finch's death had done a lot of damage in me.

The boss hugged me with a lot of excitement but then noticed the sad look on my face.

I avoided talking much. We got into the car and I drove off.

We reached a point I couldn't hold back the emotions so I pulled over by the side of the road and got out of the car. I couldn't breathe, I kept looking at my side expecting Finch to be there but he wasn't.

The boss got out of the car and came to where I was standing and held my shoulder

Boss: son, what is troubling you?

Me: it's Finch. He is dead.

Boss: how did that happen?

I started narrating everything that had taken place when he was away. He was shocked on how so much had happened and the way things had turned out. He let go of his stick and held my shoulders with his two hands.

Boss: look at me

I did raise my face and look at him.

Boss: whatever happened is not your fault and you can't beat up yourself like that. I have seen how you protect the people you care about and am standing here right now because of you.

Me: Finch always had my back and I just feel bad I couldn't do the same for him.

Boss: I know if you could have been in position to save him you would have. Everything that happened doesn't make me feel any less of you.

He pulled me closer and gave me a hug.

I picked his walking stick and we walked back to the car. His wife gave me a hug and told me everything was going to be okay. I didn’t tell her what was troubling me but her motherly instincts made her feel that all was not well. I drove them home and when we got there, I had one more mission before Finch's burial the following day.

I went in took my gun, put bullets in it and drove off. You remember that day I told Finch I knew where everyone stayed; I have to pay the ones who went rogue a visit and make them pay with their lives. I was doing this for finch, it’s because of them that finch got killed and I was going to stop at nothing until I put down all of them. I got to that area at around 2pm. I put on my mask then sat in the car to do my calculations. The area was not busy during the day as most drug peddler's do their jobs in the evening.

I got out of the car and went knocking on one of the doors. The door was opened by a lady whom I pushed inside and found my way in. This was indeed a good day. All the fools were in one place smoking bhang and chewing khat.

When they saw me one attempted to reach for a gun and I shot him dead.

Me: I told you if you went missing I would come looking for you. So, who between the three of you shot Finch?

One of them pointed to the other in fear of getting shot.

Me: I told you there is no telling on a brother no matter how threatening the circumstances were

I shot him dead too.

Me: why did you shoot Finch?

There was response and as usual I don't ask questions twice so I shot both of them. The lady was so scared that she couldn't even scream. I wasn't going to leave her alive for obvious reasons so I shot her too.

I walked out and found a small group of 5 or 6 who had gathered after hearing the gun shots, some were ready with their phones to take photos so I shot all of them dead to leave no witnesses and I drove off.

The boss, his wife, Candy and I went to the cemetery to burry Finch with no pastor and no crowd, just us and the grave diggers. I took my mask and placed it on top of his coffin. That was the only assurance I could give him that even though he was gone, we would still be team bad ass in another life. Finch was buried and we left the grave site. I was shattered.

One month later, adjusting to life after Finch's death had not been easy. The boss had agreed with the plan to start a car dealing business and I think the main reason was guilt of all the lives that were lost. We started off by selling my car and finch’s car as I got a new one. I thought of starting a fresh since money was no longer an issue and so I decided to enroll to a school and finish my degree then get a decent job and live my life as a normal citizen.

That day being a Saturday I decided to go and visit Finch's grave. Candy offered to come with me as that had been the routine for the past 2weeks.

We got to the cemetery and stood before his grave. Candy said a prayer as I had even forgotten how to do so. I felt like am the last person God wanted to hear from.

We were done at the cemetery at around 6pm in the evening. By this time a lot of people who came to visit or bury their dead had already left. We saw a car drive and park next to ours and when the door opened I saw Apolos I couldn't forget that face because of the knocked out teeth.

Before I could think of anything someone else had a gun to my head. Apolos was pointing his gun at Candy and he commanded her to step away from me and she did. By this time she was scared out of her mind because she has never been in such a situation before.

Apolos: so we meet again buddy.

Me: Am not your buddy.

Apolos: we will be because soon we will have something in common. A dead loved one.

He shifted to Candy and slid his gun from her head and placed it on her chest where the heart was beating from. Candy was so scared that she had tears rolling down her cheeks. My guess was that she had no idea what she had signed up for until today. Death was here to strike and the truth is, people were going to die, maybe she was even going to be one of those people.

Apolos: how about I kill your beautiful girlfriend here then we become even?

Me: even over what?

Apolos: you killed my brother.

Me: I have killed a lot of people’s brothers so you will have to be a little specific.

Apolos: you killed Luke. The guy who worked in the car wash.

Me: okay, yes I did that one I can't forget.so what do you want?

Apolos: am here to seek revenge for him. I want to kill you.

Me: you have me, let her go.

Apolos: No, the more the merrier.

Me: you let her go or I will kill you and everyone who is somehow attached to you.

He walked towards me and raised my face so that I could look him in the eyes.

Apolos: you have the nerves to make threats

Me: No, this is the nicest I have been to someone.

He started laughing and scratching his head walking around me and when he came to the front, I kicked him in between the legs and hit the other guys stomach with my elbow then twisted his arm letting go of the gun. I shot him three times and by then Candy had already found her way to the car I shot the other guy and he dropped his gun.

As I was running back to the car to join Candy someone shot me and I fell a few steps from the door. Candy took my gun from the seat got out and shot him severally I counted 5 bullets before the gun dropped.

Candy dragged me and pulled me into the car as I was heavy for her to lift. She struggled to get me inside since I was heavy but she finally managed to.

The grave diggers must have heard gun shots and alerted the police because when we got to the main road we met a police car driving into the cemetery and we were not stopped probably because it's Candy who was driving.

we got to the hospital and I was rushed to the emergency room. am not sure of what really happened to me but I have been lying in this bed for three months now, not able to speak or move but one thing I know for sure is that am not dead!. The boss and his wife visits every day while Candy personally takes care of me hoping that one day I will get better and walk her down the aisle like a gentleman would do.

Candy still manages to send my mum money time and again and she also facilitated her starting her own wholesale and retail shop, intact her shop is the biggest in the village and candy showed me a few photos too. Whenever mum asks candy where I am, she tells her I have a tight work schedule that cannot allow me to get in touch but I send her to check on her instead. Candy is such an angel and I don't know what I would have done without her.

In all that I learnt that money, rivalry, fame and power lead people to an early grave. I was lying there almost dead and i came to attest the phrase that said all who live by the sword die by the sword. Only that in my case it was a gun.