ONE NIGHT FOR NEMESIS
The face of the past is ugly, terrible, and darkly manipulative.?
Read this short story here???
1: Slow illusions.
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10:45 PM
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Something was prowling around this night.
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Mitchell rubbed off the chill in her fingers before picking the garbage on the porch. For a few seconds, her eyes scanned the darkness ahead. Above her, the sky was pitch black, a sharp contrast to the bright stars sprinkled on its surface. They shone in a scattered pattern, gracing the cold evening in the moon’s absence. New Moon, she absently observed, though she preferred thinking of the moon as being on sabbatical.??
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With her free hand, she flicked on her torch and was rewarded with its waning light. At this time of the day when activities were almost absent, with many retired to the confines of their homes, every sound carried easily in the air. She could hear the fierce barking of a dog at a far distance, the scavenging work of an animal outside the gate and, she noted with some amusement, the wild bickering of the Nelson’s couple two houses away. Walking carefully down the steps with the burden in her hand, she headed towards the black wraps neatly arranged beside the driveway tarmac. For some reason, she was anxious. She couldn’t be calm in her head no matter how she tried.
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Mitchell knew she should hurriedly complete the task and head back into the security of her house. There was something strange in the atmosphere. She could feel it. Quickly, she transferred the waste and did exactly that.
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Back in the house, she firmly snapped the locks of its three doors into their places.
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As she stretched on a couch in the living room, her mind remained consumed with worry. Luke was not back. Yes, he usually returned late from work, sometimes as late as midnight. But they already agreed he was not indulging in that habit for a while. Till there was peace. The days of Mitchell not minding the late arrivals were over. Probably over forever.
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After the dreadful murders that began two months ago, she couldn’t control her distress. Four men and two women were gone, all by the hand of a maniac killer still on the loose. One of those women ended up in the KOU estate.
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Mitchell hated that something as bad and big, big enough to make national news, came so close to her home. The murder was all the neighbors in her hood could talk about; they always wanted updates about the recent news. Everyone in the estate lived under the gloomy air of unease. Everyone. Except Luke, of course.
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She dialed him again for what appeared to be the hundredth time. Nothing. Just like him. He knew her well enough and would deliberately keep the phone off to avoid pestering.
Luke was a cab driver, maybe a greedy cab driver. Mitchell was yet to meet anyone who loved the bustle of Accra as he did. He especially enjoyed the money he easily gathered from the busy streets, which was a fortune compared to the peanuts he earned from driving locals in his small village. Sometimes he reminded Mitchell of a little kid with a big candy gift. He always held the same glint of pure bliss in his eyes whenever he described his work: the different passengers, their behaviors –the nasty ones, the nice ones, the rich ones that generously tipped him. He loved the ones that generously tipped him. His wide face would bloom with affection whenever he described their kindness. She knew he exaggerated their good characters and his retelling was prejudiced by their tips. But she didn’t mind, she understood. With Luke, money was a priority.
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Unlike him, Mitchell grew up in the big city, and for as long as she could remember, nothing about it excited her. If she had her way, she would have both of them relocate to a more subdued corner of Ghana.
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The only concession Luke made to her desire for quiet was his renting of this apartment a year ago in the KOU estate. They lived in the outskirt of Accra, a serene suburb with white-collar professionals that had more work to do than creating fracas on the streets.
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These days she wished she didn’t force their relocation so much. It was terrible what was happening. There was that killer, and then there was the attention from the whole country. She hated the cameras that roamed the street since death paid a visit to their estate eleven days ago. Thrice she caught the large brass gate of their house in a video coverage playing on TV and wanted to weep each time.
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Mitchell cracked the bones of her toes, listened to their popping sound. There was something else that was biting her stomach with concern, an incident that took place almost a week ago.
One fateful morning, her Luke went mad for about an hour.
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He had taken ill, and it was bad enough to keep him from work. That morning they were sharing breakfast, and Mitchell was happy they could do so together after such a long while. Luke was laughing over one of his old jokes that still held some merriment for both of them when, without warning, his eyes went round like glassy saucers. At first, she thought he was still joking around. Then he started making gurgling sounds and then animal sounds. Soon he was pointing to invisible people.
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She believed he had honestly seen the things he spoke of, like a lion sitting on their couch. The images his brain conjured up were obscenely eerie, but he described them all with surprising calm. Remembering that day still sent chills through Mitchell’s nerves. At some point, he stopped seeing her. He looked through her like she wasn’t there, and when he finally acknowledged her, she was Missy, his old and dead cat.
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Mitchell’s phone beeped, she jumped. Maybe Luke finally got her messages. Wrong, just another advert. She deleted the text and immediately dialed again. Nothing. He shouldn’t be so selfish. Surely he knew by now any complaint she made was justified.
It was almost a week since Luke’s hallucination episode. Two days after, they were ready to put it all behind –the episode and the unwanted attention it earned them.?
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That fateful morning, after persistently shaking Luke and realizing it was impossible to snap him out of whatever consumed his head, Mitchell took to the street. People responded to her call for help, but unfortunately, so did the news. Among the people that poured into her room that day was the prestigious Jonah Roland of Channel 1. He had been roaming the streets, hoping to catch something on the serial killings. That’s what they were calling the murders, serial killings. Roland was among the first to find her racing randomly and jumping erratically in front of their brass gate, raising her voice in panic. Eagerly than the others, he ran in to offer ‘assistance’.
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Once Luke returned to his senses, he sent out the about thirty strangers lingering in his living room, including a doctor who persisted he visited the closest hospital.?The same doctor had tried evaluating what happened, mentioned something about psychosis. He said Luke was experiencing hallucinations. The doctor also asked if he had any history with hard drugs.
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The second thing Luke did once the house was empty was to weep in Mitchell’s arms. In the years they’ve been together, it was the first time she saw him that sad. They silently agreed not to talk about it by not bringing the incident up at all.
Till the next day, to their astonishment, they read one of the side headlines on the morning newspaper: “Man speaks like animals in KOU Estate, area of last serial killer’s victim: Could this be another handiwork of Nemesis?”
The supervisors of Channel 1 must not have found Luke’s story newsworthy. Roland then gave the gist to a colleague since he couldn’t use it. That’s how it played down, Mitchell was sure.
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The news caption was wrong; the journalist presented it as if the dead woman lived in the estate before her death –she was only abandoned in KOU after it. Sadly, living up to the faulty headline, the written report was also grossly incorrect. She could hardly read half of it before dispensing it into the trash. Luke didn’t read it at all.
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It was almost a week. Mitchell turned on the couch. Almost a week. She refused to discuss the matter with their few friends. She also couldn’t call any of their parents either –she had never met Luke’s, and hers had disowned her. Which parent would praise a daughter living with a man she was yet to marry? Mitchell understood their anger. Her parents wanted nothing to do with a rebellious daughter bent on spoiling their precious name.
She tried Luke’s number again. Switched off.
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10:45 PM
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The image metamorphosed from a dog to a hyena growling with sharp canines at the pub’s doorway. Its jaws were stretched wide open, eyes angry at the sight of an intruder. Somewhere in a suppressed corner of his mind, Luke knew the animal was unreal. The image could only be a figment painted by his messed-up brain.
But the wild carnivore looked real, enough to cause the quadrupling of his heartbeat. He shouted when he saw the rippling muscles running forward with rapid movements, so fast it was a blur. Between the time the hyena leaped and dipped, just right before it pounced down on Luke, it vanished into thin air. As if it became dust, the pub filled up with floating gold flecks.
Luke grinned.
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Everywhere was a blur. The blue and red lights were forming ponies. There was no wild creature anymore. His sloppy grin widened when Missy appeared among the ponies. She settled on a gathering of gold flecks before him. He caressed her blue head, happy to see the animal he once loved. Dear poor Missy, she had suffered a heart attack. Now she was back for her friend.
The barman, Jason, shook off the drunk man’s finger rubbing his own. He hated staying this late into the night. From experience, he understood mostly weird patrons came in after the grand old clock dinged on its black ten and twelve numbers. He silently cursed the new worker who caused trouble with the police. The ruffle had taken most of the evening to quiet.
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The man smiling into his empty glass was one of the weirdest patrons Jason had seen so far; hardly one bottle of alcohol and he already lost sanity.
“Can’t hold your drink down, man? First time?”
The only response he got was a wider grin. The guy surely misplaced some mental screws. ?
He decided on what he would do. If he returned from rounding up the accounts in the back office and still found the dude, he would throw him out. At 5' 8'' and 350 lbs, he was bigger than most patrons and could handle any hassle. Even if this drunk man was sober, dispensing him wouldn't be a tough job.
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When Jason returned 15 minutes later, the loco man was still there. But strangely, he was coherent and more composed.?
“How much am I paying you?” Luke dug deep into his pockets, trying to stop the trembling of his fingers. It had happened again. He had been cut from reality and sucked into a world of obscenities. He couldn’t tell what was going on. Maybe he would take that doctor’s advice after all. Judging from the way the barman eyed him, Luke was sure he had been tagged a freak. Or worse, a thief trying to play tricks. Most likely the second if the deep frown on the man’s face was a revelation into his mind.
“300 for the bottle”. Jason answered with enough bite, posture threatening.
Nodding, Luke dropped the exact change and hurried out of the pub. If this problem continued, he would have to let go of booze too. He always thought it was an achievement that alcohol was his only indulgence, considering the other things he was addicted to before rehab.
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So yes, that doctor was right. But he couldn’t let Mitchell know. In her eyes, he was perfect. If only she knew. He reached for his phone and started cursing. Now he had gone and irked Mitchell by leaving the phone off.
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With a lopsided gait, he hurried for his car. He took care of the old Mercedes so much that people sometimes called it?Luke’s wife. From seat to floor, all was always spic span. He liked lavender, so he kept an air freshener of that type behind the steering wheel. If there was one lesson he at least learned from his father in the past years, it was the virtue of cleanliness.??
Thinking of his father, Luke shook his head. He lied to people that the old man was dead. Technically, he didn’t consider it a lie –his father might be alive, but he was dead to his son.
He thought of Mitchell again and hoped she wasn’t worrying too much. Soon, he will be home.?
Luke had driven for a while when he was flagged down. His first thought was to ignore it; then he remembered that such night trips paid almost triple. Making extra money was not a bad idea, especially with Mitchell pregnant and a new baby coming. He needed lots of money so he could take good care of them.
He slowed the car in front of the to-be passenger. He could tell it was a lady. Now Mitchell wouldn’t want him driving off, leaving a lady in distress, would she? He quietly chuckled at his smartness.
The woman wore a long jacket that surely made her shoulders look broader. Luke couldn’t tell if the color was grey or black under the poor lighting. But he concluded it was one badass clothing that would suit a villain in any movie. With the flaps hitting her knee-high boots and collar covering most of her chin, he was sure she couldn’t feel most of the cold that was even now filling the car once he rolled down the side window. Her hands remained in the jacket’s pocket as she described her destination.
He considered it strange that she was wearing a sunglass so late into the night. But then, different people had different quirks –he saw it almost every day.
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Once his passenger was comfortably seated, Luke turned the ignition key. He knew her place very well because, hallelujah, the location was close to his house.
Be home soon, Mitchell. I’ll be home soon. He thought of how he would defend his case. If he explained what happened in the pub, she would easily understand that it wasn’t his fault. But again, he wasn’t sure he wanted her to know about that. She would only worry and insist they go to a hospital.?
Luke was still deliberating between telling Mitchell or not when his eyes strayed to the rear-view mirror. His heart skipped from shock. The lady’s glasses were off. He found her eyes on him and could swear they were the same as the hyena’s he saw not so long ago. He coughed, looked away. He was wrong, must be. The crazy things in his head were affecting his sight again. He refused to confirm the mistake though, rather he kept a fixed gaze on the road ahead. Even when he heard the passenger’s slight cough. Was she imitating him? “You are losing it, guy”. His low self-reprimand was for his ears alone.
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Usually, he tried talking with the fellows he drove. But tonight, he wasn’t going to get chatty. Mostly to dispel the uncomfortable silence in the car than any desire to hear songs, he pressed down the power of the radio.
Reluctantly, finally, Luke’s eyes skirted past the mirror. To his dismay, the lady’s eyes still had the same focus on him. Thankfully, this time they looked human. He coughed again. “You know me from somewhere ma’am?” he asked, keeping his voice friendly.
“The lanes of the past are ahead of you; you can’t run from them, you can’t avoid them. You drew them, they live in you.”
Okay, so maybe the lady was a little crazy. No, big crazy. Crazier than Luke definitely. Crazies were supposed to understand each other but nothing Luke just heard made sense. “Are you on a call?”
“Fill my flood of wrath in a keg, save that red mist for the wicked”.
The eyes were still on him, but she surely wasn’t speaking to him. Her ears were without ear pods, but there were many mad inventions these days.
His conclusion? She was wired and speaking to someone through the tiny device. Damn, what a strange conversation they were having.
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The night was graduating from being mildly cold to freezing. Traffic was easy -he could see only four tail lamps of two cars ahead. During tight hours, there would have been many of those lights around him; many drivers rushing to different destinations but stuck in slow traffic.
The clock beneath the dashboard read 11:29. What was he thinking while picking the odd lady? He must not have been thinking straight. And why was he suddenly interested in his environment? Could it be that he was nervous? He looked at the mirror again and admitted he was.
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“You will find my tears on my old grandmother’s grave. Her spirit lives in me, but this thirst for blood is mine.”
He will just let her rave on -in less than ten minutes he will be rid of her.
He thought of Mitch and felt calmer. Soon, he would be home. He would share this with her and then they will laugh like crazy. Okay, he wouldn’t use the word crazy again. The word was popping up too much for comfort.
“Hello, Luke Mayday,”
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It was a reflex action when he pushed the brake pedal hard and brought the car to a sudden halt. The force propelled him forward on his seat even as the tires screeched. He didn’t wait to bounce back before turning in the leather.
“You have forgotten this old friend.”
The Mercedes suddenly felt too small. The crazy lady knew his name, was calling him a friend. He stared at her bland face, racked his brain for any memory of her. Nothing came to mind.
“Don’t worry,” the tilt in her lip could not be a smile, “you will remember soon.”
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11:37 P.M.
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Deputy Superintendent, Rachael Brown, stood with folded arms in her library. “I think I just got diabetes from watching the amount of sugar you poisoned that coffee with.” Her tone revealed a skeptical wonder.
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Yomi laughed at the disapproving look looming above him. He was sitting on the worktable. “Sweet or nothing, babe. I can’t take it otherwise.”
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Rachel shook her head. She walked around him to settle on one of the ergonomic chairs scattered in the well-equipped room –their sane closet, as they both referred to it. “By next month, we are both hitting forty-five. If you keep pumping in sugar like that, we will spend our last days shuffling hospital schedules.”
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“At least, you will be by my side.” he raised the mug in a mock toast before taking another big gulp.
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She chuckled, unable to keep her straight face. “I hope we remember I warned you.” Ignoring her husband and his sugar-saturated coffee, Rachael let the rollers of the chair slide to a small board nailed to the wall. With a biro in between her teeth, she ran her eyes over the pinned papers. There were clippings from newspapers and reports from the Central Police Office. Her opinions were also scattered around, written in neat cursive strokes.
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She was unable to sleep, returned down from her room after one hour of leaving this same post. If the pattern was right, another killing was going down tonight. Rachael felt the frustration of having no clue about where or who the next victim was. Nemesis would be busy till morning and the DS was blank of clues. Despite two months of investigations.?
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Yomi watched her. He could feel her restlessness. “This might be the last.” He started.?
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She welcomed the interruption; the old –but still recent –guilt was roaring up. The public looked up to her –her team, her force – for answers. Yet, she was as clueless as a civilian this night.?
It was proving hard to catch this killer because not only was she erratic, she was also unpredictable. Six people in different locations, at different times, in hardly two months.?
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“Why do you say so?” Rachael asked even though she understood his logic.?
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“Killer AKA Nemesis has been carving letters on chests, right? N on the first victim, E on the second, till the I on the last. If tonight is for S,” he shook his head, “then that’s the final.”
At first, they simply referred to the killer as Killer. But after the M, it was easy to gauge circumstances and conclude on the word Nemesis. “What if it’s not?” she asked. What if what this killer intends to spell is ‘Nemesis is back’ –or something crazier?”
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“Pray to God that’s not it.” Yomi shook his head again as he sipped, “The drama is wild enough already.”
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When Rachael noticed his mug was already drained out, she rolled her chair, tipped the jug of coffee for him. Now he will drink this plain as it was. As silently predicted, he was soon sipping the plain coffee.?
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Between the both of them, she wasn’t the better health advocate. Yomi was. All that talk about diabetes must have gotten to him. Smiling, she rolled back to her board.
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Two months ago, no one could have imagined the tragedies happening. The series of homicides were good storylines for a book or movie. Not real life. Death was roaming free, claiming lives. It appeared surreal but was real. And Rachael’s duty was to stop it.
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She remembered the first murder like it happened yesterday. Without closing her eyes, she could still see the blood as it dripped down, could still hear the?tic tic?sound it made on the concrete deck. The man that hung from the roof had been stark naked and very dead: his body viciously mutilated, his legs slashed in an identical pattern with his face, zigzags. The hair of his head, shaved off, had been scattered on the bloodied floor. The skin that should have been in its place around the skull was torn to absentia.?
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The upper torso of the dead man had been the only portion without the edgy stripes –the reason was easy to see. After the work it took to draw the bold N on the victim’s chest, the Killer wanted clarity.
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Behind him, in red, what was later confirmed to be the victim’s blood, the Killer wrote: “…BUT THIS THIRST FOR BLOOD IS MINE.”
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Rachael still couldn’t fit those words into any real context. But she already concluded they were part of a complete statement. Always though, it was all Nemesis wrote.
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Because they had never seen anything like it, two young officers with her that day reproduced a mashed version of their morning meal. Racheal had stood still, too shocked to move. Around her, the air smelled of dried and fresh blood. She could tell the man received torture before the long cut around his neck finally ended him.
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It was obvious from the first kill that Nemesis wasn’t losing much thought to keeping things neat. Her modus operandi was rough and inconsistent. Her work lacked any sophistication, only spoke of brutal anger. It always appeared as if she danced around the floor and walls with blood on her shoes. Every time, crimson color defaced all corners of the room.
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The pattern of her sole was the first clue in the N scene, as they were calling it, regarding her sex. They thought Nemesis should be a woman. The prints were too curved and small, even almost like a child’s, to be a man’s.?
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Her handwriting was the next gender proof. The graphologist they consulted analyzed the bloody scrawl, and the personality traits it exuded were mostly feminine. The word choice, the lettering –the percentage possibility of an F sex was rated high.
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But hardly half of the morning passed before they started doubting the Female Killer?conclusion.
First: the equipment used to make the holes that formed the letter N was no ordinary one.?
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To Rachael, a power drilling tool was an odd choice for a lady. If Rachael wanted to kill a man, she would prefer a gun. That way she could kill him from a good range without concerns of getting overpowered. But that was her. She and the killer definitely weren’t thinking alike.
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Second: it would require lots of muscles to handle a man like this victim. He was burly. Like in an I-worked-this-out-in-the-gym sense. Nemesis couldn’t have taken him down on her own.
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Except, Rachael had pointed out to her team, it was a drug-facilitated crime.?
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Post mortem investigation report that later arrived showed his blood was clean. But Rachael had expected nothing less. In fact, she anticipated it.
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One of the recent popular drugs abused on the street was Gamma Hydroxybutyrate, GHB, also known as Liquid X or Fantasy –a depressant with anesthetic and euphoria effects. Drug users loved it –insulted it –making it very available in their community.
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Rachael could place her month’s salary on a bet that Victim-N suffered from GHB toxicity before his death, especially after seeing the report.
The problem with concluding with DHB as the means used to weaken the victim was caused by two facts. First, GHB serves also as an endogenous product, especially as a metabolite of serotonin synthesis in the brain. Second, after death, its production naturally increases for everyone. Hence, the report couldn’t be conclusive, even when Victim N’s blood showed an excessive concentration of it –which happened to be somewhere within the range of GHB post mortem production.
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But Rachael knew.
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To hit the nail on the head, upon examining Victim-N’s skin, various track marks from his consistent use of drugs intravenously were discovered.
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So it was possible, very possible, that Victim N, a drug user, was lured and killed by someone he considered a friend. A peddler.
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Their early presence in the first crime scene had been purely accidental. Some teens from a party carried drugs on them and were running from the police. Till they crashed into the wall of the empty warehouse where the body was. Rachael and her team were on the scene less than ten minutes after the accident.?
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After the conclusion of drug use, the teens were the first place to start the investigation. For this reason, for the past months, the drug community was getting prodded, shaken, and dismembered by the police.?
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Though those teens shared all the nasty inside info they knew after her bargaining with them, nothing the police checked out led to Nemesis. Just more drug users. Unfortunately, yet fortunately.
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If Victim-N had worn any cloth before he got killed, it was nowhere to be found: It was gone along with any means of identification he might have carried with him. Again, they couldn’t snap a picture of his face after cleaning due to the many lacerations.?
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It took days of sending out alerts –holding agonizing meetings with families of missing persons –before a timid man stepped forward. He confirmed himself as Victim-N’s friend.??
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The information he provided hardly added anything to the scanty knowledge the police had. He gave the name of the first dead man as Richie, insisting repeatedly that it was all he could tell them. They were only drinking buddies, that’s all, he’d said.?
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Certain to her bones he was hiding a lot of things, Rachael almost detained him. But because he wasn’t a suspect, only a friend of the victim, she couldn’t keep him.?
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She regretted that decision with time.
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Two days later, Victim-E turned up, and it was Victim-N’s evasive friend. Same method, similar crime scene, a different word, E.
This time the body was discovered in a residential house. The owners returned from a vacation to find the horrifying sight. Most of the blood was congealed before Rachael got to the scene.
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The family that stumbled on Victim-E’s body moved away afterward. She couldn’t blame them –the E-scene was bloodier than the last. Three of the victim’s fingers were chopped off.??
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Sadly, someone in the Force kept leaking details to the press. It wasn’t helping their investigation. The news of Victim-E death, D.K or Cross as he had introduced himself, became common public knowledge a day after his demise.
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Rachael believed this was the reason no one showed up for either of the next four victims: Victim-E's death discouraged friends or relations from stepping forward. It became even hard to get the missing person’s family to confirm Nemesis’ victims. Most were already sure it couldn’t be.??
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No one wanted to enter Nemesis' radar.
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Everywhere Rachael hit was a dead end. Two months of running and hitting bricks in different corners were grating. The last body was found at KOU estate, a few minutes' ride from Rachael’s place. She considered it insulting.
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“You should rest,” Yomi interrupted again. “The patrol will call you if they get anything.”
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“What if she chooses another location different from the six areas? She is an unpredictable one, Nemesis.”??
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12:10 AM
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He was living in another of his illusions. This time he was bound by an invisible spring that wouldn’t break off no matter how he struggled. His hands were immobilized, so were his legs. Even his lips were glued in place. Unlike the previous episodes he had experienced, where he lived in worlds vivid with life, he only saw deep blackness here. The darkness riddled his mind with terror. He struggled so he could quickly break off and see light. He sensed this illusion was wickedly different, could tell its dungeon would take his life.
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“Luke, stay still. Or you will get yourself killed faster than I intend.”
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The irritated voice brought the memories back, they flooded in like a river. The pub, its barman. The passenger. Her words. She had called him by his real name. The needle. The beating. His fading to numbness. Luke’s agitation increased. It occurred to him that everything he had been feeling was real. This pitch-black room was no figment of his imagination.
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Immediately the black cloth over his head came off, a slap hit him.
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“I said still.”?
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Though the foil tape around his mouth helped reduce the sting, his face still felt on fire from the punch. He relented in his struggles. ??
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“Good.” She stepped back from him, turned a switch on the wall, and folded her arms. She had discarded the jacket and dress and was wearing black leggings and a tank top. “Now look at me again. Let’s see if bright light assists your memory.”
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Above them, six bulbs shone brightly. Looking at them for a few seconds constricted Luke’s pupil, it took a while for the dimming to fade off when he returned his attention to the looming figure.
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This woman was Nemesis. The passenger. Why else would she have him tied, even threatening to kill him ‘earlier than intended’?” He recalled scraps of the news he had heard around him and knew it was over for him. Today was death day.
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More than once, she asked him to remember her, insinuating they shared something in the past. The prodding was useless because Luke didn’t know her. Maybe he could tell her that again, convince her he was saying the truth this time. If she removed the tape on his mouth, he would prove to her that she picked the wrong person. That he had never seen her before, and this was the first time they were crossing paths. He would even promise to lie to the police about seeing her face.
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He tried airing these pleas, but they could only come out as a mumbled humming.
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Dread was messing with his ability to think straight. There was a tight constriction in his chest and he could feel himself growing breathless, from fear or whatever got shot in him, he didn’t know. He kept speaking into the tape, shaking his head.
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“Your father is Professor Mayday, a renowned scientist and investor.” Nemesis started with a bored sigh. “Mother is Janet Mayday, head nurse and coordinator of Maximo Hospital. You have three adopted siblings, two biological. Ten years back, you cut all ties from home and relocated to a village deep in the Northern region of Ghana. In this local community, you created bonds built on lies.”
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The last sentence was uttered with strong disdain. Luke was still rolling in shock when she continued.
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“After eight years of hiding, you met Mitchell William. She indeed believes you grew up in this village because you have acted your lie so well she has no reason to think otherwise. She also believes your love for her brought you to the South.
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Truth is, you came back here only after you convinced yourself it was safe to return. Then you relocated a year ago when you discovered, to your dismay, your father buying another industry close to your hideout.
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“Poor Mitch, she is unaware that you are nothing but a selfish pansy. She boasts of your love, follows you around, and even denies her Christian faith for your affection. She is presently the girlfriend you are living with.”
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Nemesis sucked in her breath, looked up as if thinking. “I guess that’s it for now. So no, I don’t have the wrong person. Stop trying to tell me otherwise, Luke Mayday." She drew out the name, bitterness dripped from each word. "I am with the right man. And I have kept you as the last criminal because you are my favorite. Tonight, your justice will be served.
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He was quivering now, involuntarily. He tried getting the tremors into control as he observed her. She just stated facts he considered secrets.
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Her dyed brown hair was in a tight ponytail. Her sharp features were edgy. Full eyebrows, slim nose, small lips, dark, angry eyes. Those eyes. If he survived the night they would hunt him for life.
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“Should I tell you the truth,” she asked when he continued to stare. “Your father still cries over your loss. The poor old man is still waiting for you to come home.” She tsked. “Do you deserve that kind of love, Luke?”
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Nemesis dragged off the tape after assuring him evil could only come upon him if he shouted. No one would answer, she said. In this part of the estate, where the house helps retired after working morning to night, everyone minded their business. Then she walked away from him, to the farthest opposite end of the room. For the first time, he noticed the other two chairs present. She sat on one. And went eerily quiet.
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Luke didn’t know what did it; the scowl on her face or the scar on her chin. Once he caught a full side view of her, he gaped. Cold water on his head couldn’t have produced a better effect; the chill waves rocked him again and again. Was there no end to the shock of the night?
God, no. it couldn’t be.
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“Your atrocities are so many that it has taken you such a long time to remember me.” She had been observing him too. “Even if the rest forgot, how could you?”
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“Ire.” He shook his “Moriire.”
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“You remember what my Nigerian granny called me.” Her laughter was without mirth. “Good for you.”
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12:30 AM
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Mitchell startled and rushed up from the couch to check her beeping phone. The power was out because something went wrong with the wiring a day ago. The reflection from her phone was all she could use to navigate her way to where it was plugged into a rechargeable battery. She couldn’t remember when she fell asleep, the time told her it was only about twenty minutes ago.
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Once midnight passed, she had grown certain something bad already happened to Luke. Before sleep took over, she had prayed for the first time in months.
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Luke, where are you?
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She picked up her phone. Twelve alerts, all missed calls. She scanned quickly to see if any was from him. It took a while before it registered in her mind that the missed calls were from the same unknown number. Then it did, and her heart skipped. He was trying to reach her!
Quickly she returned the call.
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“Mitchell.”
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It was her mother. She closed her eyes in disappointment for a few seconds. She wished it was
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Luke.?
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“Please don’t cut the call, Mitch. Please.”
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“What do you want now?” She knew she sounded unnecessarily rude but couldn’t help it. “Or better, what have I done this time?”?
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“Whatever we’ve done dear, we are sorry. Please, just come home. Please.”
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Did her mum realize how odd she sounded? 4 pleases in just two sentences. “His dad alright?”
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“Where are you?”
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“I am living with my boyfriend, remember?”
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“Where is he now?”
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There, they were at it again. Almost always talking in questions. Mitchell was too stressed out for this. “See mum, my night has been horrible enough. Call me back another day.” Without waiting for a response, she cut the call. And almost screamed when her phone rang again.
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“Mitchell listen. Please don’t cut it. This is about Luke.”
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That was enough to keep her on the phone. They’ve heard from him? She sat straighter as she asked.
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“Heard from him?” Her mum sounded confused. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on there. But you have got to hear this. Have you heard of Professor Mayday?” She paused for an answer, continued when Mitchell remained quiet. “He’s Luke’s father.”
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“Should it mean something big?” She intentionally sounded bored.
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“We hired a detective to check out Luke -your father and I. And before you get loyally and royally pissed about it, keep listening. The detective discovered Luke Akorede is actually Luke Mayday. That kid that made big news some years back. Mitch, he killed his own family! Are you listening? Luke is nothing but a murderer.” Then her mum broke down crying. “He is a murderer.”
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“Mum, what new trick is this?” She snapped, but her breathing was growing heavy.
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“Unblock my contacts, let me send you his old pictures. Or better, go on the net. The stories and pictures are all still there.” Her mum was composed again. “Do you know he was into hard drugs? Some concentrated stuff. Sniffed them like air. He almost wrecked his family, that nasty kid. You have got to escape, Mitch. You have got to come home.”
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“Wh..hat did you just say?”
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“You have got to come home, Mitchell.”
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“No before that. About the drug.”
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“He was into hard drugs. It made him go mad obviously because he killed his brother. Blood brother, can you imagine that. He suffered from serious psychological issues too. Whatever he is pretending to be right now is all a sham.”
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Her mother lost her after ‘drug’. Mitchell was remembering the wiry doctor, his question: Do you have a history with hard drugs, Mister?
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“See, your dad and I already forgive you for everything. In fact, he is right next to me praying for you. We hope you forgive us too. We just need you to come home.”
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There was a background exchange on the line. Then she heard the masculine voice of her father.
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“Hey, Mitch. It’s Papa.”
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She couldn’t believe his introduction pulled a smile from her. How could she smile after what she just heard? “Hello, Dad.”
“How are you?”
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“Sincerely, I am not sure anymore.”
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“You heard your mother. If you want both of us over there right now, we will hit the road immediately. Your wish is our command, M'lady.”
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Mitchell had missed this jovial part of her father. She couldn’t cry yet, wouldn’t.
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“Where do you stay? Where do you both live now?” He asked.
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“KOU estate, 12TH.” She swallowed. “Dad, can I call you back please?”
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“Sure. Your mother and I will be waiting. Take care dear.”
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Then the call ended.
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Calm than ever, Mitchell opened the browser in her phone, typed, ‘Mayday is brother murder’.
It wasn’t correct grammar. But In less than five minutes, she confirmed her parents were right. And her life was over.?
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12:30 AM
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Prints. Nemesis left them everywhere. She either was planning on giving up herself after her bloody spree or was unaware the police could lift prints. Rachael doubted it was either of the two, though she lacked a better explanation for the recklessness.
If Nemesis ever killed before the six deaths, the GPS held no record of it. Whatever she had done earlier was executed quietly.
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After Victim-E’s death, they could see the motive was revenge. Most likely, revenge for rape. It was a common motive, after all.?
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Men killed and died for many things. Mostly money, love, and power. In between, there were other ugly reasons. In this case, Rachael deliberated day and night on what motive exactly ruled.
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After Victim M’s death, revenge had still sounded plausible, but the rape hypothesis grew shaky. This was because Victim M turned out to be a woman. It was this death that caused the first national outcry.
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Various events could ignite such harmonious protesting in any country; the discovery of a dead woman with a torn body was one of them. People grew angry: enough was enough, what were the police actually doing?
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“If she escapes tonight, we might never find her.” Rachael whispered to herself. Yomi already left to rest, he had a domestic violence case to defend at the court by morning.
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12:30 AM
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“Why did you do it? You were supposed to be our friend? Son. Wasn’t that what she called you?”
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?“I am sorry, Ire.” Luke sounded lame even to himself.??
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“Don’t call me that.” The voice was angry. Everything about her looked angry. “Don’t call me Ire. Do I look like anyone’s goodness to you?”
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“Pardon me.” His vision distorted, broke objects disproportionately. Then aligned again. He squeezed his eyes to focus. No episode drama now, he couldn’t afford it. If he went mental on Nemesis, his death would arrive faster. “I am sorry” He repeated, “I didn’t know she will be home that fateful day.”
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“Still lying?” She scoffed as her head bounced. “You seem to be ignorant of what I did to the other six criminals. Been skipping news, uhn?” After picking up her chair and crashing it noisily close to his knees, she continued. “They didn’t recognize me too. Your friends. Just like you. I isolated them, offered a little free Fantasy. Once they were on top, which is actually under, I had my way with them. Wanna know what I did to them, Luke?“
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He just stared on, confused about who and who she spoke of.?
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“Good, just listen. That’s all I need from you. For now.
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“I injected more Fantasy into their bodies, knowing just the exact dose that would kill each of them. We both know the line between amazing and poison is very thin, right?” Her face brightened. “Then I gave them smaller doses of that muscle relaxant you received earlier. Lethal combination. Fantasy and nervous system depressants. They would have died even if I left them breathing for the police to find.”
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“These six,” Luke started. “who are they?” Mitchell was the one who updated him about the killings, he never paid attention. She was the one who collected newspapers and devoured them like academic papers. For the first time since he woke up in the scary room, he realized he might know who those six people were on the news. No, heaven, no.??
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“You have not been checking up on your buddies from the village, have you? That’s just so typical of you.”
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“Do you mean Gen, Cross, Gina, Ken, Moses, and Richie?
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“Well, you remember their names. That’s really commendable.”?
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Sarcasm, he heard it.?
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“And yes, I do mean those.”?
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Her affirmation froze him.
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“I see we are finally getting somewhere.”
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“Why?” He shook his head. “I was the one who led that operation. I was the one who misled them. You should have come straight for me.” His eyes turned clear, sparkling with fury.”??
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“Ah, see who is pissed. Luke with a conscience. Finally, this miracle has happened.”
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Tears filled his eyes. The gravity of what she said finally settled in his mind. His six friends were dead. Many felt only two friends could form a tight bond, three was too high a number. But they had been seven in that village that tightly bonded.
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After Luke got in trouble for murdering his brother out of jealousy –over their father’s preference –he escaped into a small village in the country, far from home. A friend told him once that a healer lived there, a woman who could take all the drug cravings away.
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Luke had hated himself after what he did to his family, but not enough to want to spend the rest of his life in prison. So he ran. In that little village, he found six others like himself. Six others who wanted freedom.
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“She gave you people salvation.” Nemesis was saying, “Her motto was everyone deserved a second chance. But what did you and your friends do! What did you do?!”
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Luke’s brief anger was replaced with fear. Nemesis’ fury was escalating, impossibly increasing the room’s temperature.
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“You and your friends killed her! That was her reward. And instead of running, you still had the guts to stay five more years. Do you know Luke, that you killed my sister too? The fire you and your pillock buddies started filled her lungs with too much smoke that stole just too much breathe.
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You ask me why bastard, why I killed your friends, like you freaking kiddin’ me! You took more from me that day than you can imagine. All of you. Do you know what it takes for a fourteen-year-old kid to fight for survival in this harsh world alone? I left that village with only the clothes I had on my back. I begged from house to house. I lost myself and identity the day you took my family from me.
“And many times I wondered, I wondered why I alone remained alive. I was the most belligerent in the house, the hard head. Yet, with my many offenses, fate spared me. Why? Why should I have lived through it? Then one day the answer came to me. Justice! Justice for my family. This Luke is my thirst for blood. This is the way I pay the wicked for their sins. And Lord have mercy, how much you have sinned.” She took deep breaths before saying, “Don’t dare ask me why. I gave them what they deserved. And soon you will join their reunion in hell.”
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The silence that followed was as loud as her words. Luke coughed, breaking it. “Can I explain what happened that day?” He was threading on fine ice but hoped she would listen. “Sincerely Nemesis, things spiraled out of control. We were not planning to kill anybody. Least of all your granny or sister.” When she didn’t interrupt him, he continued. “We just wanted to raid around for some cash. We were all low on the money we brought to the village. Our needs were mounting and we thought we could...”
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“Steal. Rob. Commit thievery. Common Luke, just say it. What the heck is ‘raid’?”
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“Okay yes. We wanted to steal. But not kill, we didn’t plan on killing at all. Believe me.”
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“Rant on.” She scoffed. “I am listening.”
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Hope soared in his chest a little. If she listened that was good right? He thought fast. “We already took all the money when Dr. Janet, your granny, arrived. But we had no idea she was back because we were gathered in the backyard of the house. Whatever it was that got into Cross, I don’t know till today. He ignited a cigarette close to the gen house, it fell. Someone must have kicked the fuel keg earlier, its liquid was spilled on the ground. It flowed straight into the kitchen. That’s how it happened, I swear.”
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Her body had become as still as a brick while he spoke. “Have you never heard Luke, thou shalt not swear.”
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Something had changed in her. The growing hope in Luke fizzled out.
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“How dare you still lie? You are pathetic. Did you listen to the trash you just poured out? You are forgetting one thing Mayday Jnr. I was in the compound that day. I saw it all.”
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He couldn’t remember. In truth, he hardly remembered the events of that evening. There were clumped-up details here and there, but that was all.
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“Lying and swearing. That’s like you. But I saw it all. I saw how you stabbed my granny when she caught you ‘raiding’. I came back with her that day, dummy. Rita grabbed me and tied me to the generator in that generator house you mentioned. You locked my sick sister in the storage room, and then by yourself set up the fire. And it wasn’t fuel you used, it was diesel. Ours was a diesel generator.”
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As she stated the real facts, the truth played in his mind, aligned to form the picture. It had been a diesel generator. Truly. He remembered now, he helped Dr. Janet with it several times.?
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“Admit it, Luke, you guys broke the laws she thought you. You guys were?using?before coming to the house that day. You were all high.”
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He remembered that too. They all slipped up.
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“You know you will be helping your plea right now if you change your confession. This way you can blame it on the drugs, rather than a flowing fuel.” When she continued, she spoke slower.
“Let me give you a diagnosis no one has ever given you. Want to hear it?”
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He nodded numbly.
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“You are innately wicked. Your heart is stony and grave, filled with only wickedness. Think about it. You left home after killing your blood brother. This is after you have given your family a hard time with your addictions and hard lifestyle for years. Then you came to our small peaceful village, and all you could do was kill the woman who saved you. She loved you almost as much as she loved me, her family.”
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“I am sorry, Ire.”
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“Don’t call me that!”
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“Sorry.” Luke muttered.
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“I will start with your fingers.” She said it casually, in the same tone she would have used while talking about her next meal. “And maybe for the first time I will cut a tongue –you lie too much. Then I will drill on your chest letter S. I will do all these while you are sane. Though the pain might make you grow unconscious.?
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“Unlike some of your friends, you would be very alive when I slice you with this.” She rolled a petite knife in her hands, flipped it with some expertise twice before slapping it firmly back into her grip. “I will start with your legs, then move to your head. How do you like that? Or would you prefer the head first before the leg?”
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The moistness Luke thought he had seen in her eyes while she spoke of her granny was gone. In their place was the glassy angry gaze again.
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“This time I will leave the knife stuck in your throat. Exactly where yours cut Dr. Janet. I will let the police find you that way. Then I will let them take me too. They won’t be doing anything really, I already died seven years ago.”
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Luke swallowed. Pleading to her was useless, so he tried a better tactic. “Do you think you are better than me, Nemesis? That this killing is true justice? You quoted the scriptures, surely you remember the verse that also says ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ Who made you God? You say I am wicked, but so are you. You are just like me at the end of the day.”
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She smiled. It was a real smile.?
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Luke was taken aback by it.?
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“Yes, I agree. I am wicked. After the fourth killing, I saw myself for what I was, what I had become. No, I am not God. And I am not claiming to be. But do you know what Luke, what makes us different?” Without waiting for a reply she continued. “I don’t deny what I am. I accept it. I don’t pretend and blame it on drugs and people. Like you. I don’t lie and put on an act, changing birth names and running from one location to the other. Like you. You say I quote scriptures, yes I do. Surely you also remember the verse that says there shall be no peace for the wicked, and another that says he flees when no man pursueth. That’s your life, Luke.”
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A device in her pocket beeped. It was her cell phone. “I have two hours to round up here,” she grinned, “but I won’t start till our guest arrives. Wanna know who?”
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Her beaming face could only mean more evil. Not Mitchell. No, she couldn’t kill Mitchell too. “Please.” He started.
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She remained suspiciously happy as she took steps back. “After ten years, I am going to reunite you with your father.”
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“What?”
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“Shh.” She placed a finger on her lips as she picked the call. “Listen.”
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“Hello.”
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Luke bolted from the chair but was brought back down by the bounding ropes. He heard the voice on the line.??
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“Hello, Professor Mayday.” Nemesis spoke.
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“I came as you said. I promise I didn’t call the police.” His words were fast.
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“I trust you, you are nothing like your son.” She was looking at Luke when she asked, “do you want to speak with him?”
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“Yes please.”
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She took her time walking back to Luke. Behind him, she placed the speaker on his ears.
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“Are you there Luke?”
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?He almost couldn’t believe his ears. “Dad? Is that you?”
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“Oh, Luke.” He sounded like he was crying when he continued. “Hold on, Son. I promise nothing will happen to you. I will save you, I won’t let anything happen. You hear son, just hold on.”
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Before he could reply, Nemesis walked away. “Now you know I have him. I give you fifteen minutes more. If you are not here before then, I will kill him.”??
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“What are you doing?” Luke asked when she dropped the call. “You can’t touch my father!”
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“Watch me. I can and I will. When I am done with him, I will start fully with you.” She hardly finished her statement when they heard footsteps outside the room. Then a voice. “It’s me, Professor Mayday.”
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“Wow, Luke. I ask this question again, do you deserve this kind of love? I called your father while you were knocked out, and already he is here. He is urgent for your sake.”
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She walked briskly to the door. Once she confirmed through its peephole that it truly was the professor, she opened up. “Welcome to the party.”
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The Professor hardly looked her way. He moved slowly, his focus on Luke. “It’s truly you.” And then he was by Luke’s side, trying to hug him despite the restrictions. “You will be fine. Just wait and see.”
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It was a shock to see his father after such a long time. Hearing his voice brought a flood of memories, some good, many sore. Mostly sore because of Luke. Yet he was here?
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It occurred to Luke that his father must have a plan. Yes, he was a very smart one. Surely he had a plan.
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Professor Mayday was speaking with Nemesis. “As you told me, I know you are doing this because he destroyed your family. I know how much you want to revenge. He killed your grandmother, right? Then kill me his father instead. Let Luke be and take me in his place. I haven’t called the police as I promised, I told you that already. I came to you unharmed like I also promised. I expect you to keep to your words as I have kept to mine.”
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Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was this his father’s plan? To die in his place? His head pounded from stress and hopelessness together. Things just took the worst turn.
Once the Professor was seated on the last available furniture, Nemesis began wrapping the ropes around him. She remained quiet as he spoke.
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Luke already understood her silence meant she was thinking of the best way to present her case. She confirmed his thinking with her next statements.??
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“Do you know how many weeks it took me to plan these deaths?” She didn’t wait for a reply, again, as she was prone to do. “56 weeks, thirteen months. Do you know how many weeks it took me to work up the nerve to begin? 13 weeks, 3 months. What makes you think I will change my course now? No, I will kill you. Then I will kill your son too.” She was done with securing the Professor where she wanted him. When she stepped back to look at him, her face didn’t show the remorse of her next words, “Sorry, I lied.”
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“Let my father go you crazy witch!”
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“It’s okay, Luke,” Professor Mayday said even as he and Nemesis kept watching each other.
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“Just follow my lead and nothing will harm you.”
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“No Luke,” She countered. “This will be where it all ends.”
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**
Speedy revelations
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1:30 AM
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Rachael’s phone rang. She was startled by the caller, it was Mitchell, a girl she met recently. Her heart raced as she picked the call. Nothing.
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“Hello?”
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The call ended.
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She dialed the number. It was off.
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Mitchell. Why would she call at this time of the night?
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Rachael’s mind was working fast as she rolled her chair to the far end of the board, and plucked off the last clip.
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At first, it appeared like another false report –there were many of those if Nemesis was the subject.?At times like this, Rachael hated the African’s love for turning everything into a joke. There were wrong presentations of who Nemesis was, some flippant –turning her to a hateful schoolgirl –some exaggerated –turning her to a witch that flew at night.
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Rachael collected the paper from the board. “Man speaks like animal in KOU Estate, area of last serial killer victim: Could this be another handiwork of Nemesis?” The headline was faulty and reduced the credence of the news. Truly, the police assumed Nemesis left her kills close to where they lived. They had found D.K by scouring the area of the first victim. But it wasn’t true that the last victim lived at the KOU estate as the headline hinted. Presently, that wasn’t Rachael's major concern. She read through what she knew was an exaggerated tale for the hundredth and one time, hoping to catch something she missed. She knew the incident happened, she herself had driven to the area to ask about the details and gotten the right report. The man’s name was Luke Akorede; he lived with his pregnant girlfriend in a two-bedroom apartment.
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After three days of keeping surveillance on him, her superiors had commanded her to let him be. She had agreed they were right and the watch was useless. Luke Akorede was just another man who probably took too much of a drug that got him out of commission for an hour.
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It was nothing more, nothing less.
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But now she pulled out his picture from her drawer. For a few days, it had been on the board till she pulled it down. Something about Luke Akorede notched her senses. The first time she saw him in person by boarding his cab, she had wondered if they met before. In plain clothes, as she interacted with him, he struck her as a man content with his cab driving, and life in general.
Had she been wrong to discard him? Especially considering drugs had a key role in this case.
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She had met Mitchell when she paid a visit to Luke’s residence. She had visited in Luke’s absence and in her capacity as an officer. She also dropped her personal call line, assuring Mitchell she could call her directly in case of any emergency.
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Now, Mitchell just did that. On the night Nemesis was expected to attack again. Coincidence? Rachael didn’t think so.
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She stood up from the chair, pacing the room. What harm will happen if she took an early stop at his house? For hours she had been sitting here, unable to rest. Frustrated to the bone. She jumped when Yomi entered. He was looking at the key in her hands. “God, you startled me.
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“Where are you going?” He looked at the time. “It’s just around two a.m.” “
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“You are supposed to be sleeping,” Rachael grumbled under her breath.
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“You say?”
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She braced for the argument. “I am going to KOU estate. I have a feeling we were too hasty in our conclusion, that we got a break and discarded it. I need to check it out. Plus, there is this strange call I got from his girlfriend. Just now. She called me Yomi.”
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“Okay. Let’s go.” He was picking his key from where he usually hung it. “But we will take my own car.”
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“What? You don’t have to go with me.”
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“It’s either that or nothing, babe.”
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**
1:30 A.M.
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“What?!” Mitchell opened the locks rapidly, cell glued to her ear. “You are what?”
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Her phone had gone dead for a while and she had powered it up a little using the rechargeable torch.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
“We are at the front of your house, Mitchell. You told your father you live at KOU estate, 12TH, right? We are standing in front of a brass gate. It’s where you really live, right?”
Mitch ran out of the house, ran to the gate, and snapped open the cut that revealed whatever or whoever was on the other side. First, she saw the familiar Buick SUV, then she saw her parents standing near its headlights. They really came!
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They both had moved at the sound of the metal flap. They walked closer to the gate. “Mitch?” Her father asked.
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Quickly, she opened the gate, still a little unbelieving. Then she was in her mother’s arms, tears outpouring. Her parents were really here. They had left their place this night to come for her. The tears wouldn’t stop.
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**
2:30 AM
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“No, it’s the next junction before the right, before the red banner over the restaurant.” Rachael was speaking into a black walkie-talkie to the constable that followed behind. She held on to the service radio as she looked around the street from the front passenger seat. She felt an urgency she couldn’t explain, and she mentioned it to Yomi.
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“Then we should speed up.”
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Ten minutes later, they were knocking on the Akorede’s gate. Yomi had refused to remain in the car, he stood behind Rachael and the Constable. “This car is warm”
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“What?” She turned to him.
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“The car. Like it was turned off some moments ago. Feel it.”
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It was. Rachael's heart skipped from excitement. They were in the right place. She was sure.
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Things were happening here this early and that was sign enough. She commanded the constable to bang harder.
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A bit surprised when three people finally showed up at the gate, she inched closer. Then was satisfied when she recognized one of them as Mitchell.
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“Police,” she flapped her ID. “Can we come in?”
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Mitchell’s hand came to her mouth. “You are here.” She had assumed her call to the police woman didn’t go though. A thought crossed Mitchell’s mind. “Oh no, Oh no. Oh, Luke. Have you found him?”
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Yomi and Rachael exchanged glances. “No?” Rachael asked. “You mean your boyfriend is not here?”
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The elderly man spoke up. “Luke is missing. We arrived some minutes ago when our daughter informed us of his missing status. She hasn’t seen him since he left yesterday afternoon” He stretched his hand. “I am Mr. William. Mitch’s father.”
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Rachael let her gaze stray to the mother once they dropped their shake. She stood beside her husband, looking restless. The woman had something to say. “Yes?” She gave her full attention.
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“Nemesis. Our daughter says it’s Nemesis.”
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“I am not sure mum.” Her voice was sad.
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“See,” the woman continued, after looking at Mr. William for encouragement. “I think my daughter is right about that. I believe so because of what we recently found out. Luke Akorede is not who he says he is. His real name is Luke Mayday, son of Professor Mayday.”
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Yomi startled beside Rachael. She wasn’t so shocked really, was she? Somehow she had known, had suspected Luke’s familiarity was key to solving the case. Talking to the constable, she said.
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“Send out units all over the area. Call the Office, tell them we have substantial proof and we need every available personnel scouring this place right now! If anyone queries you, tell them to challenge me later. Also, get paramedics of the closest hospital down here.” She directed her conversation to the parents. “How did you get this information? Can we step in, I want to hear everything.”
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**
2:30 A.M?
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Professor Mayday’s shirt was bloodied from the cuts on his arms and legs. He kept his left eye shut to keep blood from straying into it. Two streams of tears ran down his face, mixing with sweat.
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Luke’s own tears were pouring openly as he observed his father. He couldn’t understand why the old man came? Couldn’t he see it was wrong? Nemesis would kill him and then Luke. Did he really believe he was giving his life for Luke?
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“Son, when you find life, keep it.” He began.
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Yes, he did, Luke concluded. He thinks he is giving his life to save mine. Luke felt more tears well up in his throat. He couldn’t swallow the heaviness no matter how hard he tried to gulp. His eyes strayed to Nemesis, she was sitting on her chair at the end, looking strangely uncomfortable.?
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At first, she had wanted to round up fast. Had done a frenzied work on the Professor’s body. Then something about her had grown uncertain, the Professor’s blood and words were exposing her in the light of who she really was. He kept telling her she could also receive forgiveness if she wanted it. That she could repent and find forgiveness.?
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Luke wanted to tell his father that Nemesis was too far gone to hear logic. She wanted blood and that was all.
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He looked in her direction and said sadly. “You are no better than me anymore. Now, you are killing an innocent man. There are few men like my father, yet here you are tearing his flesh apart. We are both equal the moment you kill him.”
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Her face turned away. “Shut up, Luke,” she answered after a while.. “Just shut the hell up.”
**
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2:45 A.M
Within the fifteen minutes of listening to the parents and what their P. I dug up, Rachael received loads of assessable details of the Mayday family. Her legs were restless as she walked the tiled floor of the sitting room.
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Her heavy strides would put a hole into poor Mitchell’s floor, Yomi had said. Rachael wanted to tell him it wasn’t Mitchell’s floor anymore considering her boyfriend just turned out to be a liar. But it would have been an insensitive statement –the three William's members were staring at her curiously.
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“We will get something.” Rachael assured them, “Wherever Nemesis is hiding out cannot go unnoticed with the full participation here this night. More than half of our zonal quarters are scouring the streets.” She paused. “Tell me, Mitch,” Rachael adopted her father’s shortening of her mane. “Which area do you think is the quietest, no, most isolated, in this estate?”
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“The last houses before the express road.” She bit her lips, her eyes thoughtful. “The houses are the cheapest in the vicinity, and are purchased by the employers for the workers.”?
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“Do you and Luke keep anyone there?”
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“No.” She was shaking her head when Rachael’s cell phone rang.
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“I found something in this rundown corner of the estate.”
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If the Constable was calling through her line, then it was important. She was already walking to the door. “Go on.”
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“There is a car, a Bugatti, looking out of place here.”
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Gotcha. “That’s the professor’s.” She signaled Yomi over, rushing out. “Alert other units in. I will be there before fifteen.”
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“What? The Professors’?” Yomi said as he started their own car. “That doesn’t make sense.”
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She nodded. It made no sense. “At all.” She agreed. “But it will soon.”?
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**
3:10 A.M
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“To everyone out there, Luke Mayday is dead, hoped to be dead. No one sees through him like I do, or sees any hope as I do. Only I love him still.”
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“And that’s why you are doing this?”
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Nemesis was furious with the Professor. Luke was surprised she still allowed the conversation, was engaging in it.
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“I came so he could see the Truth.”
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“He can’t. Your son is nothing but a wicked wretched soul.”
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“That’s why he needs saving.”
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She didn’t have a comeback for that.
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“You lured me to this locality a day ago, posing as an Investor.” The Professor continued. “When you called me earlier this night, and finally showed yourself for who you really are, I felt more joy than I would have if you really were a businesswoman with great offers. Do you know how many years I have been waiting for Luke to return home? He didn’t, but God brought me to him. God didn’t bring me here so I could lose him again. You won’t kill him.”
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His voice was fainting, his open eye dull from the pain he must be feeling. Luke wondered how much blood he already lost, and hoped he could hold on longer. Nemesis appeared hesitant to go further with him. Maybe she would let him go.
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A scream pierced through the air suddenly, so sudden Luke felt the hair on his skin stand. The horror of the shriek, not falling in pitch, kept resounding. It took some seconds before he reconciled the sound with its source. He realized two things at once: Nemesis was pouring out all the demons in her into their ears and, while at it, she was running to his father with her blade angled towards his chest.
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**
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“Do you hear that?”
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They were running towards the three-storey building even as the Constable asked his question. About twenty-six feet hit the steps simultaneously as they headed for the highest floor where the sound was coming from.
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By the time they reached the ground, it appeared as if a duet was ongoing. There were now two people screaming.
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One of Rachael’s men kicked on the door of the room they found, but the wood remained firm. Another kicked it and its hinges came off. Uniformed men barged in, almost at once.
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Rachael took it all in with a single glance. Two men, tied. One of them was the famous and very wealthy Professor Mayday. The other was his son, Luke, the cab driver she spoke with some days ago. Then there was the lithe figure in tight leggings and sleeveless top, frozen upon their entrance.
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The son was screaming because there was an object in his father’s chest. A knife. The despair in his voice cut through Rachael’s heart.?
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“Freeze, Police.”
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This was Nemesis, Rachael thought, the lady that left a trail of dead bodies behind her. Her back was still turned their way, but she was no doubt who they were looking for.
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Nemesis let the other materials in her hand clutter to the floor as she faced them. Arms stretched wide, she walked towards them, as if surrendering.
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Anticipating the next move, Rachael edged slowly towards Luke. When Nemesis lounged at him with a speed that seemed impossible, Rachael threw her body between them. Recovering faster from their collision, she used her left arm to smack Nemesis down, kept her on the floor with the long arm of Rachael’s gun pressed hard on her face. More than four policemen joined Rachael to keep Nemesis in the subdued position.
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Luke stared wide-eyed. From somewhere in her cloth Nemesis had brought another shiny object that would have surely ended his life had she gotten to him. He looked at the woman who prevented it, her arms were seriously bleeding from a cut. She seemed to be unaware of this as she shot out commands. In a few minutes, the room was busy with activity. He tried to get a view of his father who was getting transferred to a stretcher by paramedics. The attempt was futile, men were everywhere. Then they were around him, cutting off his ropes, freeing him, transferring him to another stretcher.
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It was over.
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Epilogue.
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They said he was on death row, but he didn’t feel anything like it. They said he was a man waiting to be executed, but he felt like a man waiting to be entertained. At the pearly gates of heaven, his father had preached.
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Luke was mostly cut away from the outside world. It was three months since Nemesis tied him up. For four evil hours, his ugly and terrifying past had stared at him in the face.
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Thank God after the dreadful tunnel, he found light and forgiveness.
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Hours after dawn broke that night, Luke’s father was declared out of the danger zone. His internal organs were unharmed. Then after one day, he visited.
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After the pleasantries, Luke asked the question that plagued his mind the most for the two days. Why? Why did the professor act the way he did?
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“He didn’t bring you back so I could lose you again.” The answer was with a smile.
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Luke remembered hearing something of that before from the Professor. “Who?’ he asked.
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“God.”
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God was his assurance? Luke's face revealed his incredulity…
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“Yes. God made me come unharmed as I did. I came without a plan. Did he fail? You are alive, son, are you not?”
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He thought about it. His father was right, Luke was alive. “But the police…”
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“I couldn’t risk it. More importantly, I had a message to give you.”
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For this message, his father almost died. “It must be important,” he said, waiting for it.
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“It’s the message of life.”
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And Luke found that life. Probably for the first time, Luke understood the magnitude of the gift Jesus offered by dying. Jesus had truly died. It was only pure love that could make a man of such power reach out to save. Despite Luke’s many sins, his father said divine love was reaching out to him too. The professor told Luke how if he died as the sinner he was, the tragic ending would make that love vain, and the sacrifice of Christ a waste. Professor Mayday couldn’t let that happen to his son.
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Now Luke sat behind bars, locked but free.
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For the first time in his life, he was living free from guilt. He had apologized to Mitchell and their unborn baby. He was happy to see she reconciled with her parents and her God. He had also apologized to his parents, the Maydays family, for making them lose two sons at the end.
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His father and Mitchell visited him mostly. Twice the DS that saved his life at the last minute dropped by too. My name is Rachael, she had said on the first visit. Her smile had been free from the condemnation he saw in many eyes. Then she had preached to him and learned he was saved. Then she prayed with him, and read the scriptures. The second time she visited, she came with her husband.
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He closed his eyes and listened to the noise around. Somewhere in the same prison, Nemesis waited for death too. But she wasn’t his past anymore, wouldn’t be forever. ?
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He could be called tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next week. Whatever the time, Luke was ready to go home.
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Redeemed Notes:
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My aim here is not to write a lengthy analysis. I might do that someday soon. Here, I simply want to say many of us are like Luke in the story. We run away from God, unaware of the love he has for us. We suffer like Luke, excluded from the riches and forgiveness of our Father.
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It is time you stopped running. I believe in Christ's power to save everyone, including you. His arms are wide open to receive.
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He has come, like Luke's father; died, unlike him. He's still offering peace and forgiveness to as many as will accept Him.
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We love him because he first loved us.
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The opening verse of this story describes with little words the work of redemption, the actions of Christ that brought us closer. He loved us even while we were sinners, offering himself to die for us.
Luke had many sins on his head, and he appeared worthy of condemnation. But when he saw the offering of his father, it cut deep into his heart the magnitude of love he was receiving. And he accepted it.
He loved because he was first loved. We all can do the same.