THE MONEY OR YOUR LIFE
CHAPTER 5
I raced downstairs and headed straight to the receptionist. I told them about the incident that just happened and asked if I could get Olivia’s number. I was however, told that Olivia was not a maid at that hotel. She didn’t work there. Now, I realized that Olivia had been a setup all the while. I hated myself to have let myself fall into such a cheap trap. I had risked my life, abandoned my wife and my job just for that money. Now, it was gone because I fell for a woman’s looks.
I went back to my room and sat on the bed, mourning my loss. I didn’t know what to do. I was fast running out of money. I had just a few hundred thousand left in my Mobile Money account. That would soon be exhausted and I would be needing money. I had lost my job, my wife was pregnant, I was on the run. I needed money to stay afloat. What was I going to do? I was lost as to what to do, and felt like shedding tears. Then I remembered that I had put a tracker in the bag containing the money. I wondered if its batteries were still strong enough for it to be working properly.
I got my phone, went to the tracker app and realized that it was still on. I linked the app to Google Earth and was able to locate where Olivia was. She was on the main road, not far from the hotel, but she was moving. That meant she was in a car. It also occurred to me that, if she wasn’t too far from the hotel, it could only mean that it hadn’t been long since she left. I thanked God for the dream. It was thanks to the frightful end of the dream that I was able to wake up on time. All hope was not lost yet.
I got my gun, loaded it, got extra ammunition and headed out of the room. I raced downstairs and asked the receptionist if the hotel offered car rental services. She said they did. I quickly negotiated for a rented car. This time around, my ID card was needed. I had no choice but to make it available. I told her that the bill should be added to my hotel bill, and I would settle everything before I checked out.
I was now in the rented car, driving at breakneck speed. The tracker indicated I was close to Olivia. However, I wasn’t able to pinpoint the particular car she was using. However, I kept driving, hoping I would locate her. The traffic became congested and I had to slow down. Then, I had to finally stop because it had gotten to the stage of our cars being bumper to bumper. I checked my tracker and it showed I was closer to Olivia than ever. However, there were too many cars so, I couldn’t know which car was hers. Suddenly, I saw a lady got out of her car and shouted at the car in front of her to move. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Olivia.
“Olivia!!!” I shouted.
She turned around and saw me. With fright and urgency on her face, she got back into her car. Just then the traffic cleared a little and she swerved to the right, overtaking the cars in front of hers and spen off. I gave chase, and she went into a one-lane neighbourhood and continued speeding. I followed without hesitation. It looked like she was hurrying to meet someone. I pulled my gun and was about to fire, but I realized we were in a street; in the open. The sound of all gunshot would attract the police.
She got into a narrow lane that connected a street at the opposite end. I tried to follow her but a huge truck had come in front of me, blocking my way and my view. I honked my horns like a mad man, but by the time the truck moved, I could no longer see Olivia’s car. Vexed, I checked my tracker and realized she was nearby but she wasn’t moving. Using Google Map, I zoomed in on the location, and realized she was in a building. I figured she couldn’t be alone and it was dangerous to go get her alone. I called for help.
“Hello Chris” I was calling the friend of mine who had sold me the gun.
“Hello Phil”
“Bro, I am in a tight situation. Can you send me two of your guys?” I asked.
“What’s the matter?”
“I will explain later, bro. Please, it’s urgent.”
“What’s your location?” Chris asked.
“I am at Rond Point, Bro, just beside Boulangerie Menos.”
“Alright, I am sending three of my guys. Just give me a minute.”
“Thanks Bro.”
I was now with Chris’ guys. They looked rugged and dangerous. Their leader had dreads and his gun looked well used. Together, we located the building Olivia had gotten into. We were sure it was the building because we saw her car parked outside. I asked one of the guys to stay in my car, one to stay by the door of the building, while the other one and me went inside the building. The main door of the building led to a small hallway. On the right side of the hallway, was a long corridor. We walked stealthily through the corridor until we rounded a corner which led to a large white painted room. Then, I saw them. Sitting on the far end of a long table, was, you won’t believe it, my boss at the railway construction. Beside him was Olivia and the bearded guy with glasses. A dangerous looking body guard stood at the far end of the room, his hand on his gun. So, my boss had been behind the whole thing all along.
*
As soon as we got into the room, they saw us and greeted us with fire. We fell back into the corridor and returned fire. However, we were firring blindly because we couldn’t see them from where we were crouching. We ceased fire momentarily.
“Phil!!” My boss called. “There is no need shedding innocent blood. The money is not yours. Give it up, go back to your family, and your life will be spared.
“Too late for that, boss. The money isn’t yours either. You should give it up.” I retorted.
“What you have gotten into is too big for you, Phil. You are like a son to me, and that is the reason I haven’t made you pay dearly for your involvement. My men had your wife on their sights, but I asked them to let her go. Last night, Olivia would have killed you, but I asked her to give you a chance. Now, I am giving you another chance. Let it go.”
“No way, boss. Let’s split the money then. I have gone too far to just let everything go like that.”
“Then be prepared to die. Jimmy, get him.” He ordered the body guard to shoot at us.
He opened fire with his AK 47, and almost got me. We fell further down the corridor and returned fire. Jimmy ducked behind a filling cabinet at the far end of the room, just opposite the entrance to the corridor. I fired on the cabinet, but it was made of solid steel, and the bullets ricocheted and almost hit me again. I realized he was in a better position than us.
From where he crouched, he could get us without us getting him. So, I had to improvise. I aimed at the wall that was close to the cabinet and fired in such a way that the bullets will graze the wall. My plan worked perfectly. The pieces of concrete form the wall got onto his face and stung his eyes. With his reflexes acting faster than his reasoning, he left his hiding place without thinking. The Chris’ guy who was with me air conditioned his stomach and he dropped dead.
We got back into the room but could not find my boss, the bearded guy or Olivia. We figured they were trying to make their way out. We ran after them, but stopped suddenly when we heard two gunshots. We slept on the floor and crawled until we got to the exit. That was when we saw it. The guy I had left at the entrance to the building had shot the bearded guy and Olivia and they were lying in a pool of their own blood, the bag of money lying by them. The other guy in the waiting car had surrendered the boss. I moved forward and spoke.
“Boss, this is the end of you.”
“Foolish boy. What right have you got to get into my business and complicate my life like this?”
“I am sorry boss, we are both greedy people, no doubt about that. However, you have made several attempts on my life. Because of that, you deserve to die.”
“Please, don’t kill me. I no longer need the money. Take the money and let me live.” He begged but at the same time, his hand was going for his gun. The guy in the car planted him with at least six bullets. He held his stomach, turned around and gave me that why-did-you-do-this-to-me-look, then dropped on the ground and died.
The four of us quickly collected the money, got into the rented car and left the place in high speed. I dropped the guys at Feu Rouge where they had parked their own car, and then headed back to the hotel. When I got back to the hotel, I parked the car at the parking lot and raced up the stairs to my hotel room. When I was sure I was alone, I opened the bag, and realized that not even a dollar was missing. The money was still intact.
I sat on the bed and evaluated the situation. I had gotten the money back, but at a cost. I had killed people, all for money that wasn’t mine. I felt terrible. I had complicated my life because of my greed. The boss said he stopped his men from killing my wife. That meant I had put my wife’s life at risk. She came close to being killed, together with my unborn kid all because of me. I felt very bad. But I also felt consolation in the fact that I had succeeded to eliminate my criminal boss and his gang, and also by the fact that I was now stinkingly rich, and would no longer be on the run. I called Chris to thank him for his help. Then I made a proposal to him.
“Bro, can you please facilitate an international passport for me and my wife? I will pay you bountifully.” I said to Chris.
“Why do you need passports, bro?”
“I need to leave the country, bro.” I revealed.
“But your hunters are dead already. You are a free man now.” Chris spoke.
“You can never be too sure, Bro. I need to be careful.
“That’s true. See me tomorrow and we will begin the process.” Chris said.
I was very happy, especially after I called my wife and she said everything was fine with her and the baby in her tummy. I was already seeing myself as a rich man. I thought poverty was over for me. I thought beginning tomorrow, I was going to begin a new life. However, that was not to be for Karma had decided it was time to payback.
TO BE CONTINUED…
