Having discovered what was going on it was already obvious to Jude that if he returned to the city and doesn't get to provide the evidence of the death of Shanty and how he killed her the boss would surely make him suffer the same thing. He had then made up his mind to take Shanty with him and flew the city and flee deep into an unknown place where he believed he could build a life with Shanty.
"I said I need water" Shanty had continued and to her surprise he went for the ropes he had used to tie her to the seat she was seated on and began to loosen her. After she was done loosening her he asked her to go and have a drink by herself.
"I should go and have a drink by myself?" she wanted to be sure she heard him well and he nodded. She walked to the river and bent down to drink and then suddenly saw a crawling thing and jumped in fear. Jude had rushed to see what it was and probably to get it killed but she found out there was nothing there but millipede. He stared at it for a while and asked her to keep drinking.
"If I'm seeing this here I can't drink this water" she said.
"You are disgusting" he said to her and began to walk away. She followed her without being invited.
******
Rose went to the office of Charles in a tuesday morning and met him reading a book. She stood before him and waited for him to take notice of her.
"Sit down Rose" he said and she sat and kept mute. "Surely you haven't come to watch me, I'm not a movie am I?" Charles was saying.
"No, Sir, instead I have come to render an apology for disobeying you" she said.
"Disobeying me is a common thing with you" he dropped the book in his hand and placed both hands on his desk and looked at her directly in the eyes and repeated, "Disobeying me is common with you. If you had not been discovered and yes it is impossible for you to hide from this family, you would have continued to sneak up to see your son. Well it appears you still do not see what I'm trying to make you achieve here, it still makes you uncomfortable to see the handwriting of the fact; but truth be told I mean well for you and for your son Abel. He is also like a son to me and I won't be seen making him suffer, likewise you. The reason you want to meet with him is because you miss him and probably your motherly instincts wouldn't allow you stay without setting your eyes on him but the truth of the matter which I have always tried to make you see is that there is nothing you will do for him that i myself can't do for him and if you insist you must be meeting with him you will soon be exposing him to the dangers that are hidden. We have enemies Rose, we have enemies that are asking if we have family members, If we have siblings, wives or husbands, they want to get at us through our family and if we intend to hide and protect our family from them then we have to stay away from our family. The more your loved one nears you the more they get hurt. if you want to protect your son then you have to be away from him"
"How is it going to be possible with me that I will have a son but won't be given the access to see him; it is as good as someone who doesn't have a child at all" said Rose.
"Well, since you are so eager to have access to your son then here is what is to happen if any harm comes to him; you will not blame me for it and you will not allow it affect your relationship with the family and the family business, am I understood?" He asked but she was quite. "You need to say something so I can get back to reading this interesting book" he said again but she stood up and saluted him before she said, "I won't go anywhere close to him again, not now and not in the future and if i am going to have access to meet with him it will not be as mother and son but as strangers"
"That is my girl. Now you are learning and I'm happy that you are learning faster" said Charles.
"Thank you boss" she was happy.
"Only that you failed to bring it to my notice of a young man who keeps bothering the life of Veronica and I had to find out about this young man myself. Now I'm not going to bother you with that knowing full well you were trying to help but then you must also have it in mind that I am ready to hear whatever you have to tell me that will be of help to this family. Do you understand me?" He asked and she saluted him once again before she left the office.
*******
"Why did you help me, I mean you defended me and it wasn't just about the company, it wasn't just about the business, it wasn't about the family but you chose to help me when my husband was against me with his fist. It was personal to you" This was Rose speaking with Ken as both of them sat inside a mall and ate.
"I don't know but I grew up seeing my father beat my mother that way and it made me hate that sight whenever I behold it. You are right Rose" said Ken as he continued to pick on his food.
"You are not eating?" she asked and he wondered if she didn't hear what last he said or if such memory wasn't enough to make someone loose his appetite.
"I'm okay" he said and wiped his palms.
"No you are not and I can see it in your eyes. Can we talk about you and your family if you wouldn't mind?" she asked. He stared at her for a while and sighed, telling her the most important things about himself and at the end she sighed and held his hand and said, "I believe that one day someone from somewhere will come and heal your heart and make you smile again" she wished and he forced a smile. "And so at that time you won't be needing to force a smile but you will smile from your heart" she added and smiled, probably to show him how best to smile.
"I don't know but you are a good friend who came and made things easier for me. You see I have my reasons why I am stuck in this family, I have been in this family for years and I am ready to die in this family. This is a body, a body that has what it takes to stand strong no matter what the government throws at it and I'm happy we now have someone like you in that family"
"I am happy also to be part of this family. I just feel sad most of the times because of my son Abel, a child who witnessed the death of his father and he is now being prevented from seeing his mother and having access to motherly love"
"If you were dead?" asked Ken and Rose wasn't sure she heard him properly.
"What?" She had to ask.
"I said, if you were dead; what do you think would become of your son Abel, do you think he will not be able to survive this cruel world or you think this cruel world will shape him into becoming the exact person the his destiny has in store for him?" there was no response from her and he continued, "Destiny is destiny and destiny doesn't need our permission to manifest. You could die today and Abel will still be who he is destined to be"
"Yeah I know that but so long I'm alive I want to contribute in that which he is to be" she said and he nodded we he sipped his drink.
"I can understand that and I'm sure getting the point you are trying to make" said Ken. As they were still discussing two men entered and Ken noticed their weird moves and tapped Rose, informing her to be on the alert.
"What is happening?" Rose was asking and the fear in her eyes was obvious.
"Keep calm and comport yourself" Ken said and waited, pretending to be unaware of the two men. One of the men then began to move behind Ken and Ken having known what he was about to do sat still but the side of his left eye was active as he followed him with it. The man went behind him and just that instance he drew his pistol and meant to shoot Ken and at the same time the other guy made his way to grab Rose but Ken was as fast as a fox; he held the table and swung it behind him and it hit the man, hurling him behind the counter of the bar and he fell on the broken bottles. The next guy having made his way to grab Rose was kicked on the face twice by the fast legs of Ken as Ken swung his raincoat and brought Rose to stand behind him. The people inside the bar had already started running. The man that had been kicked to the ground tried to get up but fell back on the floor. The one that had shot Ken was still on the ground and almost dead. Shortly the police arrived and took Ken and Rose away in handcoffs.
*****
"Yes, IG, the man is mine, ask your men to release him" It was Charles over the phone. Shortly after he made the call he received a call and it was from Ken. "Where are you now?" Charles asked.
"I'm on my way to the office with Rose" said Ken.
"No, I'm in my house, come over to the house" the line went dead after Charles had spoken.
*******
The two lovebirds have entered a strange village and Shanty murmured.
"What did you say?" asked Jude.
"I'm saying why are you bringing me all the way to this place if you are just going to kill me?" Shanty was saying.
"Keep talking" said Jude and she smiled.
"I know you wasn't going to do it" she was saying and he stopped and turned to look at her, "What do you mean by you knew I wasn't going to do it?"
"I meant you weren't going to kill me anyway were you?" asked Shanty.
"Maybe if you are not sure you shouldn't sound as though you are. I could kill you ten times over if I wasn't touched by a spirit of pity. You are lucky" he continued to move.
"How many people have you killed in the organization?" she was asking again while marching behind him.
"Seven hundred and fifty nine so far" he said and Shanty stopped and he noticed she had stopped following him and he too ripped and turned to look at her. "Why are you stopping?" he asked.
"You are a killer" she said.
"Yes I am, you know it, I know it and so what?" he said and shook his head expecting an answer.
"That is alot of kill" she said.
"I was the finisher" he explained.
"Was; does that mean you have given up on them finally?" asked Shanty. He shook his head and continued moving. "I'm asking you a question" she kept speaking.
"Just shut your mouth before it puts you into a bigger trouble" he said and continued to march. She sighed and with dropped shoulders kept following him.