SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 30: AMBUSH.

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The night I took that oath changed my life. I became brand new. I knew what love was!

I couldn’t explain it but, someway, somehow, my love for Boma increased to a whole new level I couldn’t even comprehend. It literally intoxicated my head each and every time I thought about him and laid eyes on him. The affection we shared waxed stronger within the space of three days after we took that oath. Boma made love to me that same night we got home, and I could truly tell that there was a bond between us.

We ‘straffed’ like rabbits at any time and place—basically anywhere we could find: be it in his room, in the car, in the bathroom, in the kitchen and sometimes, even in the nearby bush too. That was how insane we both were! We were undoubtedly obsessed with each other.

However, aside from all the romance going on, we still had other pressing issues to worry about. Like Mimi’s killer, for example; like the rival gang who kidnapped me and who they work for; like how to get vital information about their location and so on. Those issues really had us deliberating occasionally, even up to the point that we had to schedule another house gathering like the previous meeting we’d done before.

The only difference was that, this time around, we had more seriousness attached to it.

“Guys, this is not a joke! Let’s be serious here. It’s been three weeks since Fifi moved in here, yet we haven’t taken any action against her violators. Is this how we want to continue? Naso we go dey do?” Bauchi flared up all of a sudden with a high-pitched voice. “We are not cowards, for goodness’ sake!”

We had been on this same meeting for thirty straight minutes, arguing over and over again with no solution or plans whatsoever coming forth. It was getting tiring and boring for me.

“I understand you,” Simon piped in, trying to calm Bauchiʼs rage, “but as you know, we don’t know anything about these guys or how to trace them. How do you expect us to take actions when we can’t even find them?”

“That’s the easy part,” Bauchi answered. “I have a plan sorted out already, but I’m not too sure if it will work out.”

“Table it down, let’s hear it.” Boma demanded.

“Now you’re talking!” Bauchi heaved a sigh, and clapped his hands emphatically.

“I have a source,” he began, “a well reliable source from which I get information about those guys. I know at least two or three of them that can’t do without clubbing every Friday at a certain club popularly known as Paloma Joint. According to my source, those guys are well known for lavishing money, picking all sort of women and also buying drinks in bulk for everyone around. I have a suggestion, which is to set a trap using one of our own as bait for them,” he finalized, sounding confident about his plan.

From the look on everyone’s faces, it was clear that none of us understood what Bauchi meant or what he was driving at either.

“We don’t get you.” Eagle spoke up on our behalf, gesticulating with his right hand. “Please, expatiate.”

Bauchi frowned and shook his head irritably. “What I actually mean is that, since those guys are known to be chronic womanizers, why don’t we use that as an advantage? We could use Fifi, Rita and Nancy as bait for them,” he explained.

“No! It’s too risky!” Simon objected. “We can’t.”

“Boss, I know what I’m saying. I’ve thought through it. All we have to do is make sure they don’t recognize Fifi by giving her a good makeover. She could wear a wig, a cap and sunglasses in disguise.” Bauchi persisted. “Think about it.”

“But why don’t we just barge in there and raid them?” Boma suggested.

“No, that would be too dangerous. We don’t know how many they’d be.” Bauchi answered.

“That’s true, we have to take caution. So what time exactly is this Paloma Joint due to open?” Simon asked.

“Any time from 6 PM upwards, I believe it should be open.” Bauchi responded.

“You guys didn’t even bother to hear from us,” Rita chipped in curtly, sounding annoyed. “Are we a joke to you all?”

“Hear from you because you’re who exactly?” Bauchi countered, sending her a fierce stare. “Are you in charge here?”

“At least hear from us first if we agree with your plans or not, that’s all I’m saying.” She said, glaring back at him.

“Babe forget it, whether you ladies like it or not, you must comply with the plan. You have no choice. So you better stop all this your shakara attitude and be humble.” Bauchi replied, teasing her.

“That’s enough, please! Boma and Fifi are the latest couple in town, and their tenure hasn’t even ended yet, neither does it look like it would end any time soon. Yet, you both still want to start your own love story in this same house?” A guy amidst us spoke up, sending a wave of uncontrollable laughter across the room.

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Two hours.

Two hours had passed since we had that meeting. We were all prepared. We left the house by quarter past six with the black van. By quarter past seven, we arrived at the popular district, Paloma Joint.

According to Bauchi, our plan was that me, Nancy and Rita would go into the club and sit like casual clubbers while discussing and watching out for any of the rival gang’s men.

Hopefully, if we see them, we were asked to dance seductively towards them or better still, we’d just sit and wait for them to approach us and when they come, we would lead them outside where Bauchi and the rest of the guys would take over from.

In the club now, with almost fifteen minutes gone, Nancy, Rita and I were sitting on a round sofa, still awaiting the arrival of the cult guys. There was loud music as expected and the arena was bubbling with noise: screams and moans of different kinds from every corner. It looked as if the rooms in the club were mostly reserved for those that wanted a quickie, lap dances, stripteases and full-time sexual intercourse.

“What kind of place is this?” I was prompted to ask when I couldn’t bear the disgust I felt anymore.

“Is this your first time in a club?” Nancy asked, taking a sip from the juice in her glass, having noticed my uncomfortable mood.

“No, but this one is different. It’s too raw!” I answered, and she laughed slightly, exchanging glances with Rita. Then she leaned into Rita and whispered something to her, and they both cracked up at once.

“What’s funny?” I asked, confused. “Why’re you two laughing?”

“Just look at how serious you are with your complaints, like a saint. If somebody else sees you outside now, talking like that, they would think you are one very holy sister like that.” She said amid laughter. “You this rotten being.”

“How do you mean?” I exclaimed, still not getting her point.

“Since the past three days that Boma took you out and you both returned, we haven’t been able to rest in that house. If we don’t hear sounds like ‘ouch, ouch, ouch’, then it must certainly be another one like ‘aah, aah, aaow’ coming from that room,” Nancy explained, still laughing. “Steady knacking, back to back!”

I couldn’t help but laugh too when I got the drill.

“It doesn’t end there,” Rita chipped in, smiling sheepishly. “Most times they do it in the room, sometimes in the kitchen, and a lot of times in the car too.”

“What?!” Nancy gasped. “In the kitchen?!”

“I swear, I’ve seen them doing it there once. That one is even the least of it all! The one that shocked me the most was the day I wanted to fetch water at the compound, then all of a sudden, I saw the small car shaking rapidly. I was scared as hell! I wanted to run, thinking it was an evil spirit stalking me, but when I looked closer I discovered they were the ones pounding each other at the back seat.” Rita exclaimed, cracking us up again. “She was riding him like hell!”

“And she screams very loud!” Nancy added.

“I don’t scream loud!” I defended myself, feeling a little embarrassed. “Do I?”

“Girl, you scream louder than a woman in labour!” Rita attested sharply. “Just shut up and accept it!”

I was about to speak when my eyes darted to the club’s entrance. I saw three macho guys bouncing in, and the moment they did, almost everyone in the club started shouting and hailing them. Due to the overwhelming noise, Nancy and Rita followed my gaze and spotted them too.

“I think that’s them.” I said. “The guys we’re here for.”

“Fifi, keep your head down and put on the sunglasses.” Nancy instructed. “And stay sharp.”

Immediately, I followed her order and adjusted the cap to cover my face well.

“One of them is approaching us,” Rita informed us, acting like she hadn’t seen the guy. “Stay sharp, ladies.”

With my peripheral vision, I saw a guy holding a bottle of beer, coming towards us.

“Ladies, what’s up?” He said as he finally stood before us, but we pretended like we didn’t hear him.

“I’m talking to you in particular, fine girl.”

He seemed to be referring to me, probably hoping to see my face properly, but I kept my head down.

“Babe what’s up na?” He said again. “I’m talking to you.”

This time around, I forced a smile and raised my head to meet his lustful eyes staring down at my cleavage. He didn’t seem to recognize me at all, but I had seen him before. Nancy and Rita smiled at me and gave me signs with their eyes. I decoded their signs instantly.

“Let us leave you two alone.” Nancy said and winked at him, then she and Rita stood up and excused us. After they left our presence, the macho guy sat beside me and placed his bottle of beer on the table, smiling flirtatiously.

“Babe how far na?”

“I’m good, what’s up?” I responded casually.

“I dey. Babe I dey feel your vibe die, I swear down. I for like make we collabo sharp sharp! See as you fresh!” He said, licking his lips lustfully. “Abi how you take see am na?”

“Bros no be only for mouth o! I hope sey you hold better moola for hand?” I questioned, acting along with his foolishness.

“Babe forget am. I get plenty moola for my wallet!” He bragged, raising his shoulders high. “Trust me na. They don’t call me OG Scorpion for nothing.”

“Well, since you get too much money, no wam. Just follow me make we go outside go run the package.” I suggested.

“Outside for wetin? We get plenty rooms inside here na.” He complained with a frown in place. “Wetin we wan go do outside?”

“Bros I don’t like all the rooms inside this club, based on personal reasons. Make we just go outside stay for one corner do am sharp sharp!” I insisted.

“Okay na, nothing spoil.” He agreed eventually. “Let’s go.”

He snatched his bottle of beer from the table as we both stood up and then placed his arm around my shoulders, leading me to the back door.

When we came out, I told him I knew a vacant spot close by and he asked me to take him there. I led him to where the van was parked and when we got there, I took him to the back where nobody could see us. He started pulling off his trousers and, the next thing he knew, out of nowhere, a heavy plank landed upon his head and he staggered to the ground. It was followed by several hits: hard blows and kicks on every part of his body as he was surrounded.

“Idiot!” Bauchi fired as he kicked him one more time.

Almost immediately, Nancy and Rita showed up from a corner and joined us.

“Nice job, ladies!” Simon commended, smiling at me in particular. “You’ve outdone yourselves tonight.”

Boma smiled at me too, winked, and then faced his friends. “Put the idiot in the van and let’s leave here.”