RESTLESS
Restless-Episode 52
Story By
Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel
Henry stopped and squatted right in front. He stared into the man’s eyes intently. He could still see the strong and resilient Agent Elkim even though he was now seeing a traitor also. He knew he wasn’t just going to have it difficult getting any information directly from the man but that the man was not going to just sit and watch him ask questions. He was sure it wouldn’t be easy when it got to the time to kill the man.
“I’m here to find out just one thing from you,” Henry said and got the man to look into his eyes. “What exactly do you stand to gain with Paul in working with the Red Wolves?”
_________________
“Stay up and watch for me,” Dave signalled to Cole strongly as he carefully climbed down the verandah of the house with his gun held firmly in his hands and pointed forward. He was sweating profusely and there were dust stains all over his body, he had also gotten a slight cut on his forehead.
Cole was standing back in the verandah. He looked dirtier than Dave was but had not sustained any visible injury, except that his shirt was torn halfway. He also felt some pains on his chest and arms.
It had been over sixty minutes of fighting with the FOX men. It started with the gun war which lasted for over thirty minutes before it gradually shifted to a fist war. Cole and Dave at a point had to switch from their use of the tranquilizing guns to guns containing LRN bullets as they were already getting overwhelmed by pressure from the FOX officers. The tranquilizing guns made very little or no impact like the normal lead bullet guns when they hit obstructions other than the target’s body. So while they shot with the tranquilizing guns, the opponents shot with lead bullet guns which pierced through walls and barriers quicker, making it quite difficult and rough for them. After almost being overcome by the pressure, they had to switch in order to cause the same impact against the opponents.
They got down from the verandah at different points in time and involved the opponents in hand battles when there was need to.
For Dave as a trained Anthannian officer and experienced bodyguard and security personnel, it was easier to combat the FOX men with his fists and even guns, and that helped him in taking down over seventy percent of the men individually. It was more difficult for Cole to deal with the trained FOX men. He was a naturally good fighter but fighting the FOX men was quite different from fighting thugs and police officers which he was used to doing in Anthanna.
Cole cocked his gun quickly and fired a straight shot at a man who appeared from behind the garage after Dave had walked past.
Dave turned back immediately to see the dead man falling and glanced towards Cole as if to receive signal whether to continue or not. He turned back and continued to look around carefully, searching for men who could still be lurking around somewhere, planning to attack them.
__________________
Samantha closed the wardrobe and proceeded quickly to the drawer. She pulled it out and picked an android phone and an electronic wristwatch she found in it. She threw them to the bed where she already put three other mobile devices, digital wristwatches and a few micro chips which she found in the wardrobe. She closed the drawer and then picked the laptop on top of it. She walked back to the bed with the laptop and placed it in the bed, pulling other devices she had thrown on top together. She searched around the bed, under the sheets and pillows to see if there was still any device left. She found a small phone and a small rectangular device which she found strange. She gathered them together with the other devices and quickly took down her backpack, she opened the main zip and put the devices into the back before strapping it back on.
She checked her wristwatch for time as she proceeded to the door, there was only twenty two minutes left for them to join Jennifer in the car. Jennifer had been instructed to be at the pickup point before the time and also leave five minutes after the time, even if none of them had joined her yet.
Samantha took in a breath and turned to look back again as she got to the door. Her eyes searched around, wanting to locate any corner which she probably skipped searching in the room, she needed to make sure she carefully did her job of getting all of the man’s devices in the room. She opened the door and stepped out after being sure that she had checked every corner in the room.
___________________
“You’re ain’t making sense Carl,” Agent Elkim dismissed Henry’s question with a scorn. He stared into his eyes with a look of contempt, “You died last year Carl Winston, we performed your final rites and last honours already. This your ghost that has probably returned seems to be an insane version of you.”
Henry smiled back slightly at the man. He knew he was trying to get at him with words but Henry was not falling for it.
“Just talk to me Agent Elkim, don’t beat about the bush.” Henry said to him.
“You’re the one beating about the bush,” Elkim replied, raising a side of his upper lip up in contempt. “You’re here accusing me of working with the Red Wolves without any evidence.”
“Now, can you explain to me why Paul Edward’s son was feigned to be dead and also why Paul Edwards sneaks out into town like an ordinary man?” Henry asked in a firm and serious tone.
“Wrong question to the wrong person!” Agent Elkim fired at him. “You should be asking Paul Edwards and not me.”
“But you knew about all this, you’re a accomplice to it and you help keep his secrets.”
Agent Elkim stared at his face without answering.
They were so close to each other, within arms reach.
Henry was expecting anything, he knew the Agent was swift and strong and could also be tricky.
Agent Elkim was also aware Henry was expecting an attack, he had to do something that will take him off completely.
“They are not my secrets and they’re not your bleeping business,” Agent Elkim said in a desperate tone as he surged towards Henry at once, trying to grab him by the shoulder as he also swung his legs towards the legs on which Henry squatted.
Henry grabbed Elkim’s hands before they could touch his shoulders and before the legs could reach his, he raised him by arms and swung him to the other side, making the man land on his back.
The Agent felt deep pains as his back touched the ground but he did his best to hold the pain in and launched a kick to Henry’s chest which was bent above him. Henry grabbed the man’s feet by the ankle as the foot to and twisted it sharply, making the man let out a loud groan.
Henry took some steps back to give the man some space. He took a quick glance at his wristwatch and noted the duration of time he had left. He decided to round up with the man in ten minutes time.
“Just talk to me Agent Elkim, we don’t need to go through this process when you know well that I’ll still find out what I need to know.” Henry said as he watched the man try to get up. “Tell me the exact reason you and Paul are with the Red Wolves.”
“Don’t ask me silly questions Carl, just do what you are here to do.” Agent Elkim said in a thick voice as managed to get to his feet. It was unknown to him that Carl Winston wasn’t yet certain that he worked with the Red Wolves, he rather believed that Carl must have gotten his facts rightly before coming there, and he also believed that Carl was there to kill him.
Henry on the other hand was not completely sure. The only thing he was very sure of was Elkim’s knowledge about Paul Edward’s grandson who was announced to have died in the bomb blast, but with the responses he had gotten from Agent Elkim so far, his suspicions were being confirmed as true.
Henry allowed the man balance on his feet properly and face him. He stared into the man’s eyes while the man stared back at him.
“Tell me where I can find the rest of the Red Wolves team, so I can end the terrorism once and for all.” Henry said.
Agent Elkim laughed for some seconds. He stopped and shook his head while smiling mockingly at Henry.
“You can’t stop this Carl, this is something different from every other challenge you ever faced in your entire life, the Red Wolves has men more powerful than you can ever think.” Agent Elkim replied, confirming Henry’s suspicions fully. “And why Paul Edwards decided to work with the Red Wolves in deceiving the world, you would have to ask him that yourself.”
Henry narrowed his gaze at the man. He felt anger surge through his veins like blood being pumped in with high pressure from an external source. This man, Paul Edwards and other executives of the FOX were men the world trusted to protect and secure them with their lives but they were the ones working with enemies to destroy the people.
Henry threw down the long gun in his hand and clenched his fist signalling with that to Agent Elkim an invitation to a fist battle.
Agent Elkim also clenched his fists. He knew it would be very difficult and almost impossible to defeat Carl Winston, but he wasn’t going to give up without fighting.
Henry charged forward first and directed a blow to the man’s face which was blocked swiftly by the man’s hand. Another blow was directed to his belly but he blocked it again. He blocked one more to his chest and another to his face, then he bent to dodge another when a heavy piercing punch hit his ribs from the left side, making him stagger backwards and ending up hitting his back against the loaded shelf.
He raised his head up quickly and launched a blow to Henry face but he was caught firmly by the wrist when his fist almost touched Henry’s nose. He stared into Henry’s eyes at that moment and saw the rage and pain in it. He felt so guilty on remembering that instant how Carl Winston was committed to serving the FOX and serving humanity, he realized the pain and betrayal he must have felt learning that some of the FOX executives were part of the Red Wolves and among those who planned he and his family’s death.
His hand was twisted as he was pulled forward. Another hard punch was delivered into his belly and he was left to fall to the ground.
He fell to the ground in pains but like the strong man he was quickly picked himself up and balanced on his feet to continue the fight.
Henry turned properly to face the Agent. He still had his eyes filled with rage and burning desire to end the Agent’s life for betraying the country.
Agent Elkim quickly picked up a footstool and charged towards Henry. He struck, aiming at Henry’s forehead but Henry swerved quickly to dodge. The man with the two hands swung the footstool to Henry again and Henry dodged again, moving to the other side. He responded swiftly by hitting the man with both fists in the belly.
The man tottered a step back but launched forward again immediately, raising the stool again to slam on top of Henry’s head. Henry with his long hands grabbed both hands of the man close to the wrists while they were still up, he followed with a heavy kick into the man’s belly. He then took the stool from the man’s hands and flung it away. He turned back to the man to get a hard punch in his belly. He caught the man’s fist as the man threw another punch. The man threw yet another one to his face but he blocked it again and sent a headbutt to the man’s face.
The Agent staggered back but launched forward again, kicking Henry hard on the left thigh. He stepped forward and sent a punch to Henry’s face. The first punch was dodged and the second hit Henry slightly on the shoulder but before he could make another attack, he felt Henry’s both hands tightly on his shoulders and as he raised his head to look, he got Henry’s head slamming his face.
His eyes closed as he staggered back. Before he could open his eyes, a heavy punch landed on his face again and two more followed, sending him crashing into the shelf. Henry pulled him up quickly and delivered two more punches into his belly, making him fall back one more time.
Henry’s speed seemed to have increased, he needed to finish up the man before he ran out of time.
He pulled the man up again and gripped him by the neck. He lifted him up with the hand around his neck, attempting to slam him against the wooden shelf but the man was able to struggle and drop off his grip. The man charged into Henry’s belly with the head, making both of them crash on the floor.
They both got up quickly and Agent Elkim was quick to land a kick on Henry’s upper thigh close to his genitals, he tried to kick again but Henry was fast enough to roll away and raise a kick to his face. The man staggered back and fell down. He tried to get up quickly but Henry was there again and delivered another kick to his face, sending him back against the shelf again. He rose quickly to a crawling position but could not go further as another kick hit him in the belly and he hit his neck against the shelf.
Henry dragged him up quickly, held him by the chest as he took two steps backwards and rammed him into the shelf. He pulled him closer again and rammed him twice more. He pulled him by the neck and took two steps backward, then he left him with his grip on on the neck and smashed him against the wooden shelf, breaking some parts of the wooden materials. He pulled him up again and repeated the process twice more before throwing him to the ground.
He stared down in disgust as the man sprawled on the floor, groaning in pains. He looked up as he heard some slights sounds around the place.
Samantha appeared at the door. “Boss, we have just twelve minutes left to get out.”
Henry turned his gaze back to the man on the ground without replying Samantha. He pulled out his gun and checked to confirm if there were enough bullets in it. He then stepped closer and fired three shots into the Agent’s belly.
He watched as the Agent body spasmed in response to the first shot and how the man laid completely dead after the third shot.
____________________
Five Minutes Later.
“What in the world could have cause the failure in the electronic traffic control system?” Dan lamented again as he slowed down behind another jam of vehicles on the road. He was driving the car and had Agent Evelyn sitting beside him and Agent Steve sitting at the backseat.
Agent Steve glanced at his wristwatch again. “It’s past thirty minutes since we got the alarm, we’re so late.”
“We have to do something quick about this,” Agent Evelyn joined in as she unlocked the door.
‘What are you doing?” Steve asked her. “I need to see what’s happening on the road,” she replied. She looked left and right carefully for incoming motorcycles before she opened the door and stepped out quickly. She closed the door and proceeded forward hurriedly.
Steve took out his phone again to check for network but the signal bars were still empty as they had been. “Other FOX men would have gotten the alarm from Agent Elkim but we don’t know if they’ve been able to make any arrangements.”
“The network issue might just be within this area,” Daniel joined in. “There could be network at the office.”
Steve, Evelyn and Daniel were together when Steve had gotten the emergency alarm on his phone. He had checked his map to locate the address from which the alarm was sent and he found out it was from Agent Elkim’s house.
Agent Evelyn returned two minutes after leaving. “The traffic signs are still not working but the road safety officers are helping to control the traffic and it’s moving already,” she said after stepping back into the car.
A minute later, the car vehicles in front of them began to move slowly and they also followed. It took them seven minutes to get to the junction where the road safety officers were controlling the traffic from and just as they got there, the traffic light which was malfunctioning turned completely off.
______________
“Be careful to avoid the potholes as much as possible, there are so many on this route.” Henry said to Dave who was now driving the vehicle.
“Yeah, I’m conscious of that boss.” Dave replied him.
Henry was sitting in front with Dave while the three other members of the team were sitting at the back. Apart from Jennifer and Henry, the rest of the team looked so rough and dirty, especially Dave and Cole. Henry was also not looking so fresh but he was still neater than the rest of the team.
Henry had Agent Elkim’s phone in his hands, he had taken it from the man’s pocket after shooting him dead. It was cracked on the screen but he was still being able to use it as it had not been destroyed completely.
The first thing he had checked on the phone was the recently used apps but Agent Elkim had cleared off the history. He then checked the recently dialled calls, the last call the man had made was in the past three hours when there was mobile network. He then began to go through the contact lists, he saw different names but he was unsure of which one to pay more attention to. He was still scrolling down the contact list when a flash message popped up.
Message Delivered
Henry raised a brow as he realized that a message the man tried to send earlier had just been delivered. He minimized the contacts app and switched to the messaging app but it demanded a password to be accessed.
Henry heaved a sigh.
“May I have the bag?” He turned back to ask Samantha.
She stretched forth the backpack on her lap to him.
He took it and placed it on his laps. He opened the bag and took out all the devices which Samantha had kept in it except the laptop. After taking a brief look at the items, he returned them into the bag and turned to Cole.
“For tomorrow, we’d have to work on accessing every detail on these devices.” he said as he handed the bag to him.
Cole took the bag from him and nodded in response.
Agent Elkim’s phone began to ring immediately after Henry turned to continue using it. Agent Steve was the caller ID displayed.
To be continued
No comments