DON'T GET CAUGHT

DON'T GET CAUGHT EPISODE FOUR

He turned and looked at me briefly before looking back to the rest.

Boss: when you have a chance to kill someone, make sure they are dead. Do not leave them alive because when they get back on their feet they will kill you instead. In this field, it's not about your emotions. Feelings get people killed. Use your mind and be smart while at it.

Someone take care of his wounds. Two guys picked kwesi up and took him to a different room.

Boss: Finch and beast come with me.

I put the gun on the table then followed them to another room. it was an office and I guess this is where he spent most of his time when he was not at the car wash.

Boss: have a sit both of you.

We did facing each other with him on the other end of the table.

I looked at my boss and saw a totally different person from the person I had met three weeks ago. This one was fierce and very authoritative the other one was charming and very gentle then I realized I didn't know him at all.

Boss: beast when you are asked to kill someone you need to do it without thinking twice. Such mistakes out there can get you killed not only risking your life but the lives of the people that are depending on you.

Me: did you really want me to kill him?

Boss: I knew you wouldn't and I saw the way you handled a gun before. That was meant to be a lesson.

You have a caring heart and that will be your downfall if you are not careful.

Boss: Finch status update.

Finch: the sales have gone down. I hear there's someone else out there giving us competition.

Boss: You hear, I don't pay you to hear I pay you to look into threats and dissolve them. Does the someone else have an identity?

Finch: we are working on it.

Boss: we?

Finch: I sent out a team of three yesterday to look into it, pose as customers and get information. I should have something concrete in our next meeting.

Boss: there is no next meeting, make it by the end of tomorrow and put a clock on it Finch: yes sir!

Boss: they will never see how serious this is unless you light fire on their asses.

This conversation was making me more nervous as a matter of fact I was having a headache. I hadn't slept well the previous night and now all this talk was getting on my nerves

Finch: I heard about the attack at the car wash. How is your hand?

Boss: not bad. The car wash will remain closed for now no more recruits. I need you to hunt down Luke and James, I have a feeling they were part of this.

Finch: what do I do with them after finding them?

Boss: bring them to me. Our work here is done. Beast and I will take our leave.

Boss: Finch,

Finch: sir,

Boss: you are here because I fully trust in you. If am pushing you hard it's because I feel like you are a bit relaxed.

Finch: is that why you gave him a position I deserve? I have worked for you for years then he comes from nowhere and takes over?

The boss laughed. It wasn't funny but I was already a threat I felt like I won't last here. You see in this world, when people feel threatened by someone else they simply eliminate them. I saw that happening to me soon.

Boss: I saw this coming. Am not saying you are not good enough and am not saying he is better than you. All I want is for you to watch each other's back and keep this businesses up and running. Let me make one thing clear, if I can't work with both of you then I will have to eliminate one of you. It’s your call. Find me in the car Beast.

He walked out on us. This was going to be a tough ride so I had to buckle up my seat belt if you know what I mean.

Me: what exactly is your problem?

Finch: I don't like you.

Me: I don't do teenage drama. for the record I don't like you either but you need to get over your little insecurity because from the talk you just had with the boss, we both know who will go down should there be an elimination.

Finch: you are pretty confident in yourself huh!

Me: confidence gets things done. I’m not a threat to you. Get your head in the game and redeem yourself from the boss because from the look of things, you are sleeping on your job.

I left him standing there with his arms crossed on his chest staring at me in shock. I really hope he makes the right call because I wasn't going to let him get on my way of success with his jealous act.

I got to the car and when the boss saw me, he put out his cigarette and got in the car.

Me: where is our next stop?

Boss: we are going back home. I need to rest as the pain in this hand is becoming quite unbearable.

I felt a relief when I heard we were going back home. I needed to see kevo; I hadn't been able to talk to him since he got me the job. I knew by then he must have heard about the attack at the carwash.

The boss was asleep throughout the ride and I woke him up when I parked in his compound. He looked around then unbuckled his seat belt.

Boss: what are your plans for the afternoon?

Me: I need to check on a friend before I come back and get some good sleep.

He reached into his pocket and took out a bunch of cash tied in rubber band, he divided it into half then handed one half to me.

Him: use that to get new clothes and buy a line for your phone and use the rest on whatever you want. You have to look sharp all the time. People tend to associate thugs with shady dressing.

I nodded as I put the money in my pocket. This is very good I thought to myself.

Boss: so, what did the two of you decide back there?

Me: we will definitely work together.

Boss: that better be true. I meant what I said about eliminating one of you.

I didn't know how to respond to that so I remained silent.

We got out of the car and I went to my room first to take painkillers for my headache as I rested a bit before going to see kevin.

Later that evening I shopped for clothes as my boss had instructed and got my line before I passed by the food kiosk. I needed to eat something before going to kevin's and so far that lady's food is the only food i could trust besides wanting to promote her. Last time we spoke she told me her name was Sabela but i also heard people call her mama Musa. In Africa, it was more respectful to call someone by their children's names other than their own names. I had missed her food and besides I had not eaten anything the whole day. When she saw me, she was excited as usual and when i got inside the kiosk I sat at my usual spot then she came and joined me. I didn’t have my mask on, that was only meant for the new world I had stumbled in overnight otherwise away from work, i was just steve.

Sabina: hello my son, why didn't you come to eat today?

Sabina calling me her son reminded me of my mother. Sabina was motherly, she was concerned and what drew me even closer to her was her good heart the fact that she was kind enough to accommodate everyone and not look down on people or even chase away the ones who had less money. When she was done for the day, she would give the remaining food to the street kids that were roaming around asking just anyone who cared enough to buy them food.

Me: I'm sorry, earlier today I had to run a few errands for my boss but am here now. How are you?.

Sabina: I'm well my son. Just a little tired..

Sabina could indeed be tired from all the walking around and serving everyone. I had been observant of her the previous day and i was just impressed how even with her weight, she seemed to be on toes. That woman was hard working and it still reminded me how much my mother would do just to make sure there was food on the table. Maybe she was doing the same for her children.

She brought my food and since there were no customers she sat opposite me to keep me company as I had my meal.

Sabina: enjoy your food my son, You know every time I look at you I see my son musa.

She said then her bright face turned dull in a flash and i knew things were not okay with her son musa but i was all ears.

Me: you have a son, you know I can also be your son but where is this musa?

I asked digging into my food and enjoying my usual chapati and bean stew. She stared at me, it must have been how fast I was eating I mean i had eaten nothing the entire day and i was just so hungry.

Sabina: Musa was killed, they only brought me his body here as people claimed my son was a thug and they also said he was selling drugs to the young boys around the neighborhood but I didn't want to believe them.

She was sad and on hearing what happened to her son i stopped eating for a moment. This was one diary session I wasn't prepared for I mean why was she telling me this? The thought that crossed my mind was that she was lonely after her son died so she had no one to talk to and maybe she saw a version of him in me.

Does she fore see the future, because where her son had been is exactly where I was headed.

Me: am very sorry about Musa's death. Don't you have other children?

Sabina: there's is a girl even though we are not as close as I was with musa. We don't talk much and she barely comes here because she's ashamed of this job I'm doing.

I was done eating so i took the glass of water she had offered me.

I couldn't sit here and listen to this anymore as It was getting me a little emotional. I picked a thousand shillings note and handed it to her. She got up to go and look for change in her bag that was hanging on the the partitioned area of the kiosk and I took that time to disappear without her noticing me walk out....

I got to kevin's place at around seven pm. he had just got home from work. He asked me to come in but I wasn't comfortable with his girlfriend around so I opted for a stroll. He took his jacket and off we went.

kevo took me to a nearby club. One of the best in the area. When I got to the entrance I hesitated to go in and he turned around to check on me.

Kevin: what's up?

Me: I don't do clubs

that must have been the most stupid excuse I had given in a long time.

Kevin: we will just sit and talk.

I followed him inside and we sat at a corner. He signaled one of the ladies at the bar and when she came he asked for the usual. She nodded then looked at me.

Me: I’m good thanks.

She left to get kevo his drink.

Kevin: I heard about what had happened yesterday at the car wash. We’re you hurt?

Me: no I was not but it was a narrow escape.

Kevin: I have been hearing rumors about your boss being a drug peddler. Anything fishy you have seen or noticed about him, i know you have been there a few days but just tell me if you've seen something usual.

Me: not at all. We barely talk, all I saw for the past few days was him come in the morning and leave a few minutes later.

The question Kevin asked made me very alert. This was not a friendly chat it was an interrogation atleast that's what it sounded like and i wasn't going to blurb thongs to him even if I had noticed anything.

Kevin: be careful, keep watch and should you see anything unusual you can talk to me.

Me: sure but is there something i should be worried about?..

Kevin: not really.. just be careful, the hood isn't so safe.

I didn't know what kevo was getting at but about the hood not being safe, i had witnessed for myself

A few minutes after his drink was served two men walked in and sat by the bar. He excused himself and walked up to them.

From where I was seated I could spot like three other faces that weren't ordinary drunks, infact, they were not drinking at all. They were watching kevo and the two men. One of the two men passed him an envelope and he tucked it into his pocket. He walked back to me as the two men walked out and so did one of the other three.

I didn't want to ask about what had just happened since I realized kevin wasn't who I thought he was either. I played it cool and as we continued our discussion i gave him alot of crap about how difficult it is to make ends meet here with the coins I earned at the car wash.

He bought it; in fact he must have really thought I was stupid. What he didn't know was that I had decided to make it my personal mission to figure him out.

An hour later we left the club and I decided to go home and rest since it had been a crazy day.

When I got to my room I decided to call my mum and check on her. She was doing okay even though my dad was very sick. She requested that I go see him as soon as I was able to and I promised to send her some money the following day then maybe travel over the weekend to see them. I could tell that she was happy to hear from me.