Hit and Run VII

Chika had woken up with an awkward feeling. The Saturday was going by pretty fast but the feeling kept creeping into everything she did. Easter was tomorrow, she should be happy, instead, she was restless. All she could think of was her cousin, Daberechi. She tried calling her all day but couldn’t reach her, Daby wasn’t one to be unavailable. “Chika, if you are going to buy that chicken for tomorrow, jee gote anu ahu kita, it’s getting late”, her mother called from the kitchen. “Yes ma, I’m on it”, she replied. She said a little prayer for her cousin before leaving the house. She hoped to eat the chicken in peace.
                                                ***
Daby couldn’t stop feeling chills moving up and down her spine as she continued cutting the rope with the broken piece of ceramic. It felt like she had been cutting for eternity, her entire hand was sore and bleeding. She quickly finished and went to work on the rope binding her legs. She stood up abruptly and swayed a little, if not for the wall behind, she would have hit the ground hard. She closed her eyes for a moment and regained an iota strength to look and scout her surroundings. For the first time since she was inside the room, she noticed a curtain, probably hiding a window. Adrenaline pushed her to the curtain and she pulled it aside. Relief washed through her as she saw a window, she hoped it would accommodate her entire body. She tried pushing the window outside but it didn’t budge. She looked for a latch to raise the window but couldn’t find one. Terror gripped her like a grown man gripping a little girl. If she had a panic attack now, she wouldn’t be able to think well. “Stay calm, Daby, be cool”, she took deep breaths and tried to reassure herself. She looked outside the window and saw it was already dark, she saw the latch outside the window but it was hooked from behind. She wanted to hit the window when she caught a silhouette movement close to the window. She looked closely and recognized who it was. Not the scary man, thank God! But someone she thought she’d never see again. If she got out of here alive, she would do something she had never done before. She rapped gently at the window but loud enough for the person to notice her.
Kaycee had been going round the building, looking for another entrance rather than the front door, he was almost losing hope when he heard something like a knock. He looked at the direction of the knock and his heart skipped a bit. Even in her worst state, she still looked beautiful. He looked into her eyes and saw fear, but also enough courage to get through this mess. He quickly went towards the window and noticed the latch. He twisted it and tried lifting it up for a few minutes before the window moved from its position and was raised. Daby exhaled deeply and smiled at him as he touched her cheek. “Do you think you can make a jump for it, Vixen?” he asked her. Daby simply nodded and began to lift herself up. Kaycee helped the way he could and gently pulled her through the window. They landed on the sandy ground with Daby on top of him. They both stared at each other briefly before Kaycee helped her to her feet. “Let’s get out of here before anything else”, he said to her. She couldn’t move so quickly so he helped her. God, she was wounded and bleeding, if he saw that guy, he’ll break his neck. They were almost rounding the house when the front door flew open.
“Leaving so soon?” Jake asked them as he stepped out of the building, holding a gun. Kaycee put himself between Daby and the man who came out of the building. “Why couldn’t you just be obedient bitch”, Jake said, “I haven’t had my pleasure yet, guess I’ll just kill you now and get it done and over with. I’m going to enjoy killing your little boyfriend here too”, he said, sizing Kaycee with his eyes. Rage coursed through Kaycee’s blood as the man vomited gibberish. “What do you want from her?” Kaycee asked, “if it’s money, I’ll give you, just let her go.” Jake laughed, “I have all the money I need”, he pointed the gun in their direction. Kaycee shoved Daby aside and brought out his own gun as Jake fired the first shot. Daby hid behind a wooden table and tried to look for something to defend herself. Kaycee was behind a tree now, firing also. Daby found a huge stone and threw it at Jake. He was distracted a little and Kaycee used that opportunity to disarm him.
They fought for a while, Jake throwing punches at Kaycee and Kaycee doing same. Finally, Kaycee’s gun was also knocked out of his arm as the two men fought. Daby got out of her hiding place and saw Jake’s gun. She looked at them rolling on the ground, getting close to the Lagoon. Jake was on top of Kaycee now, trying to strangle him when he heard something behind him and felt something heavy move through his back. He looked down and saw blood flowing freely from his chest. He didn’t have time to wonder who shot him before his entire world went black.
Kaycee quickly shoved the man almost falling on him aside and got up to see Daby holding a gun in her hand. He was dumbfounded. This girl wasn’t someone to mess with, she wasn’t just a rich kid, she was a tough woman. He went to her and gently lowered the gun in her hand and collected it courteously. Daby was in shock, did she just kill a man? She went into Kaycee’s arms and fully accepted the comfort he was giving her. Kaycee looked down at the man’s body, he knew this man won’t resurrect like Jesus would the next day, he just wished he had been the one to finish off the man who hurt Daby. Just then, sirens where heard from a distance. Typical Nigerian police to come when all the action was over.
                                                 ***
Police had come and were taking necessary precautions and asking questions. Daby answered them, from who she might think wanted to hurt her, to whom she might have hurt in the past. She had no idea if she hurt anyone but told the police her suspects. Kaycee told the police Daby had shot Jake because he was trying to kill him, which wasn’t completely a lie. They had bagged Jake’s body and forensics where looking for anything inside the building that would give a clue to help find who he was working for. As medics attended to Daby’s wounds, Kaycee walked up to them. “Hassan is going to be okay, I thought you should know”, he said to her. He was about leaving when she stopped him. “Thanks for coming to rescue me”, she managed a smile, “I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t come.” Kaycee smiled sheepishly, “you were doing well yourself before I came, and”, he quickly added, “you finished up good.” She laughed lightly then. She had killed a man. Was it a sin, even if she wanted to protect herself and mostly protect the man who had risked everything to save her. She didn’t want to think about that now. “There’s something else you need to know”, Kaycee was saying as Daby rose from the chair she was sitting on. “There’s something I need to do before you say anything”, she said, she stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips lightly against Kaycee’s. He received it in shock before he relaxed and accepted the kiss, bringing her closer to himself. He smiled at her, “one of my short term goals have been accomplished”, he said. “Don’t get faster than your shadow”, she said and moved away from him and the medics to talk to the police. Kaycee wasn’t letting her out of his sight from now on. If there is anyone out there still wanting to hurt her, he would find whoever it was and bring him to justice.