SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 36: THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

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Our plan worked out perfectly! We did a wonderful job by breaching the security, without even breaking a sweat. We executed our mission with minor casualties-but no deaths-and captured the Senator and his female accomplice, Lady Tee.

After storming the hotel, we manhandled them to the van and took off immediately, back to our base, leaving no traces behind. As agreed, we balanced the ladies who assisted us during the operation after praising them for a job well done, then we went our separate ways. We had no business with them anymore.

Back to our base in less than an hour, we parked the van inside the compound and locked the gates. Simon and the rest of the guys blindfolded and gagged the Senator and Lady Tee, and then they led them to the boys' quarters while I followed behind.

It took a while for me to meet up with them, due to how slow I'd been walking. When I eventually arrived, however, the whole room was completely dark, but almost immediately, the lights came on and I could see the Senator and Lady Tee chained upwards separately, both beside each other, stark naked. Their clothes were heaped on the floor as they dangled on the chains with their bare bodies and genitals in full view. Their eyes and mouths were still sealed, making them unable to talk and see, and instilling heavy fear into them.

A chair had already been set for me to sit on, so I went to it and sat down comfortably.

"Unwrap the cloths from their faces." I instructed, and a guy stepped forward and did exactly as I said.

"Please set me free, please I'm begging you in the name of God!" The lady exclaimed the moment she was unsealed, shedding pitiful tears.

"Shut up!" The impatient guy struck her face with a dirty slap, and her tears tripled.

As for the Senator, fear was the last thing I noticed from his face now. He wasn't shaking or shedding vain tears anymore, like his cowardly accomplice. He wasn't even begging for his life like I expected. Instead, he just remained calm with his eyes darting from one end to another, surveying the room.

"Mr. Senator, well done!" I greeted him mockingly. "It's good to see you again."

He didn't respond.

"I see you are not scared," I continued, clapping my hands. "What a brave man you are!"

"You must be very stupid!" He said with rage in his eyes.

"No, don't touch him!" I stopped the same ill-tempered guy who had raised his hand to lash the Senator's hideous face. "He is a very brave man. I admire his confidence. Don't touch him yet," I finished, and the guy backed off.

"Mr. Senator, I hope you know the trouble you have caused me?" I asked. "Because of you I got kidnapped and tortured, lost my admission, lost my dear friend and just recently, I also lost my soulmate and companion. Yet, you actually have the audacity to tell me that I'm stupid?"

"And I will say it again; you must be very stupid!" He said. "Do your worst!"

"Boss lady make I lash this guy na!" The same guy spoke up, beyond vexed. I gave him the go ahead, and he slapped the Senator thrice and punched his belly real hard, like a punching bag.

"I swear on my life you idiots would pay for this! I would use all my connections to make sure you rot in jail! I would call the army forces, the air force, all ranks of soldiers and police officers to keep you in prison. I swear!" He vowed, bragging in vain.

"Are you done?" I asked, folding my hands, glaring at his wrinkled face.

"Just wait till I get out of here. I swear I'll make you pay!" He threatened. "Mark my words!"

"You see, that's the problem, Mr. Senator." I shrugged, crossing my legs. "You are never getting out of here alive."

He wanted to talk but I looked at Simon. "Simon please help me give this fool his size!" And without wasting time at all, Simon stepped forward with a very sharp knife. He went to the Senator and with one swift swipe, he plunged the blade deep into the Senator's right eye.

The Senator screamed loudly, groaning in pain as Simon still twisted the knife in his eye to gouge it out of its socket.

"That's enough!" I said, disturbed by the gruesome sight before me.

Simon withdrew the knife from the man's eye and stepped back, but the Senator still cried out as blood gushed out rapidly from his right eye. His eyeball was a complete mess, just hanging on by a thin thread of flesh from its socket.

I gazed at Lady Tee, who'd been pleading pitifully all the while we dealt with the Senator. Her body reeked of excessive sweat as she shivered with fear, trembling at what she'd just witnessed from the 'almighty' Senator.

"Please let me go, please!" She cried bitterly, almost pissing on her lovely skin. "I know I made a mistake in the past. I know I wronged you beyond measures but please...please forgive me... please. I don't want to die!"

I chuckled inwardly as she begged.

"So Lady Tee, you of all people can stoop this low to ask for forgiveness?" I laughed, widening my eyes dramatically. "What suddenly happened to your ego, your pride and your self-esteem? I am amazed at how humble you have become all of a sudden." I taunted her, a tilt to my voice. Her tears increased, like a fierce waterfall!

"Look here darling, I don't plan on killing you." I assured her softly. "But I'll make sure you live a miserable life till the day you die. I'll make your life a living hell, and you'd wish you were dead instead."

After that statement, I stood up and took one last, straight glare at the Senator.

"As for you Mr. Senator, your pride and arrogance will lead you to your early grave today. Despite all your bragging and showoff, let's see how many of your cohorts would come to your rescue."

I turned around and started walking toward the door, my hands in my pockets. "Simon you know what to do!"

He nodded at me, a smirk spreading across his face, with an evil glint in his eyes.

I walked out of the quarters and stood at a far end of the building. I could hear loud screams and moans of pain coming from the room, particularly from the lady.

Soon, the noise stopped.

A few minutes later, Simon came out with the other guys. He was holding a big nylon bag while three of the other guys held Lady Tee on several parts of her body, dragging and manhandling her toward the van. Then I saw two other guys that came out of the quarters, both carrying something that looked like a human being's figure, covered with long black bedsheets from head to toe.

"How far?!" I asked when Simon stood beside me. "How did it go?"

"We chopped off his head," he answered, showing me the content of the bag, and I instantly looked away from it, swallowing hard to keep myself from throwing up.

"What happened to Lady Tee?"

"Nothing much. We only poured acid on her body and face and removed one of her eyeball, too." He said, sounding as if it was just a normal thing to do to a fellow human being. "We are going to dump their bodies by the roadside now. Are you coming with us?"

"Yes, for sure!" I answered, somewhat scared of this brutal man beside me. But, if anything, his brutality was quite justifiable in this case, to my understanding. His rage was fuelled by his friends' deaths-especially Boma's-so I couldn't really blame him.

Well, I followed Simon to the van and took the seat at the last row. Somehow, I happened to be sitting next to Lady Tee. Her face had turned to something I couldn't even recognize anymore, and her mouth-what was left of it, anyway-had been gagged again. I shifted a little bit away from her and shook my head rather pitifully. She looked so hideous!

Soon, the vehicle's engine was ignited and we drove out.

We drove past some quiet streets and some vast areas, and when we had gotten very far from our place, we passed a local police station and dumped our victims by the roadside, directly before the station, releasing gunshots upon gunshots in the air.

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Three months later.

Three months had passed since that incident. I could remember the night when we dumped Lady Tee and the Senator's dead body by the roadside; how almost all TV stations, radio stations and newspapers had carried it on the news the next day. Although we'd all laid low for a while and it felt like it was all over and I could finally rest, it wasn't. In fact, it was far from over. I didn't have peace of mind knowing that someone special was missing in my life. I couldn't sleep comfortably in his room with literally everything reminding me about him: his clothes, shoes, pillows, perfume and even his favorite comb too.

But what stood out for me was Boma's diary, where he'd recorded the special events of his life, like the first time we met and the blessed night we made our oaths. He'd described every moment with great precision and reading through his notes felt so soothing and disturbing at the same time.

It was just too much for me to bear alone, honestly.

So, on a certain day, I asked Simon to take me out when I couldn't bear the burden anymore.

It was at midnight. We drove along the bad roads despite the darkness around us and the dangers we could encounter on our way.

At long last, we arrived at our destination, and I stepped out of the car and into the bushes to survey the trees and the environment-nothing had changed.

So I stood and listened.

I could still hear the sounds of insects and small animals: the loud croakings of frogs, the sweet melody of the ever chirping crickets, the shrill cries of owls, the noisy squeaks from rats, and I felt the breeze from the serene atmosphere that rustled the tall trees. I still fancied the fireflies that buzzed around colorfully, glinting and twinkling shades of light in the void darkness. Most incredibly, I treasured the moon's reflection upon the face of the stream water.

It still looked divine! Extraordinarily beautiful as nature should be.

I turned my gaze to the log beneath the tree where we had taken our oaths, where he had kissed me lovingly, and a tear escaped my eye.

Through Boma, I learned that no matter how bad or dreadful a person may be, there's always a good side of them you don't see. You don't just judge a book by its cover. He taught me a lot.

Right there and then, I gave my life to Christ, willingly. I prayed quietly in my heart that He accepts me and forgives my sins. I was willing to rededicate myself to Him. I was ready to turn a new leaf; to be a child of the most high God and for Him alone; to turn my back against the cruel ways of the world and be born again; to worship my God in spirit and in truth.

I felt a twinkle in my belly and smiled to myself. The baby was growing so fast and kicking gradually. I was already four months gone and still counting.

I looked up to the stars, deep into the heavens, and I blinked thrice, wondering if Boma could see me up there. I raised my shirt slightly and started rubbing my belly with both hands whilst whispering:

"Boma, wherever you are, wherever you may be, I'm sure you can hear me and see me. If I had known you would leave me so early, I wouldn't have cared trading my life for yours so you would live. Instead, you sacrificed your life for me and your unborn child, and that is something I'm eternally grateful for. You put me first before anything else, as always, and I'd do the same for you a million times and more."

I sniffled deeply, glanced at my protruding belly and a tear dropped on it, just before I faced the stars again.

"Boma, I don't have much to say to you but I want you to know that I've kept my vow to you, and I will always love you, even till my last breath. I only hope that you've finally found peace, joy and divine love from God and His angels just as you've always dreamed of and prayed for."

"Rest in perfect peace, my sweet love. Till we meet again. This is not the end. It's only the beginning."

The End.