Keep Or Kill (3) — Conclusion

A Short Fiction

Published by Laybels Publishing

Copyright 2020 C. M. Okonkwo

Twelve: This Is Just A Book

“I NEED you to listen to me closely,” Kiki said, pulling out the white book from her emergency bag. “Take this to the V.I. police station as soon as possible.”

Mekus Money looked at the book, then back at Kiki. “I can’t.”

Kiki understood that he was frightened. “This is just a book.”

“What’s in it?”

“All business operations of my boss. You need to leave now.”

He took the book. “What about you?”

“It’s the only way you’ll get out of here alive. There’s a motorbike rider waiting.”

Mekus Money looked sad.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try to stay alive.”

***

Thirteen: My Fate

Kiki heard the motorbike power up and screech off, so she was confident that Mekus Money would be safe. She now had to focus on herself and getting out alive. She opened her emergency bag and tools kit, and began planting weapons at strategic areas of the house, as a precaution.

She was barely back to the room when she heard a mild creak. She turned around and saw the gun first. She immediately pulled out hers, with accurate reflex, then she was standing face to face with another assassin, code named Sniper.

Kiki lowered her gun, and said, “What are you doing here? I could have shot you.”

“I could have shot you too,” Sniper replied, not lowering her gun. “Where is he?”

“I think he got away.”

“How did you know he was here?”

“I followed him. You?”

“A call came in. What are you still doing here then?”

Kiki didn’t respond.

Sniper wore a suspicious look, then immediately fired, but Kiki flung herself out of the way to the floor, firing several shots in return. She heard the door slam shut, followed by absolute silence. She looked up carefully, and Sniper was gone.

Kiki was confused. Sniper never missed a shot, although they were both trained assassins, but then again, it was a clear shot, so she shouldn’t have missed. Kiki looked behind and noticed that Sniper had intentionally fired at the window. It was a test.

She went to the door and tried it. Locked. She then realized that the shooting wasn’t a test, but a distraction. Sniper could have already communicated with the Mirror People through her utility wristwatch to report her findings, and a ‘kill’ would be placed on Kiki.

Kiki put her ear to the door, trying to listen out for any form of movement, although she knew it would be almost impossible to detect a trained assassin like herself. She then heard a click, followed by a gun pressing the back of her head and hers being snatched from her hand.

She turned her head, and Sniper was there. Kiki sighed. The old trick of distracting a target and hiding in the same room until they let their guard down.

“And they said you are one of the best,” Sniper remarked, and laughed. “Now, you get to die by my hand.”

“If that’s my fate, then so be it.”

“On your knees.”

***

Fourteen: The Fortune

“I love him.”

“What?”

“Mekus Money. I couldn’t kill him because I love him,” Kiki repeated.

Before Sniper could grasp and comment on what Kiki had said, Kiki did a flip and kicked Sniper on the head, sending her across the room in a haze. The two guns slid in separate directions, and Kiki dived for hers.

She stood over Sniper, as Sniper was painfully trying to crawl away.

“Never engage a kill in a conversation. It’s the first rule.” Kiki cocked her gun. “Now I have the fortune of showing you how to do it.”

She pulled the trigger.

***

Fifteen: Scarlet

Sniper dropped to the floor instantly, blood sipping from her head and forming a scarlet colour as it met with the floor. Kiki stepped aside as the blood got to her flat shoes, so that it wouldn’t leave a permanent stain. She rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, as she thought things through. Just then, she heard footsteps running towards the room where she was, and she sprung around, ready to attack, pointing her gun.

Mekus Money ran in, saw the gun and turned around immediately, sliding in the process. Kiki exhaled loudly, then tucked the gun in the back of her pants and went to help him up.

“What are you doing back here? I asked you to leave.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t leave knowing that you might get killed because of me.” Mekus Money got up, then staggered when he saw Sniper’s body and the pool of blood. “Goodness!”

“Look away,” Kiki said, leading him to the sitting room. “That’s it.”

Kiki helped him to a chair and noticed that he didn’t want to look at her, so she said, “It was either her or me.”

“I know.” Mekus Money nodded, and squeezed his eyes shut. “I just need some time.”

Kiki got up abruptly, then went into the room. She patted Sniper down and took her key. She then unstrapped Sniper’s watch and put Sniper’s fingerprint on it. It prompted her to check in on Kiki. Kiki hesitated, then input “C” for completed.

She turned the dial gradually, and decoded the messages as they appeared: Mekus Money at large. Open to all. Kill on sight.

She went back to the sitting room carrying her emergency bag, tools kit, and Sniper’s fingers, which she had cut off and put in her pocket.

“What happens next?”

“I’ve checked in and confirmed myself dead.”

“What do you mean? Were you on the list too?”

Kiki nodded. “When she didn’t find you, she checked in and they put me on the list.”

“Does that mean I’m off it?”

Kiki wore a straight face.

“I was just trying my luck.”

“You are on a ‘kill on sight’ order. Your friend must really hate you.”

Mekus Money scratched his head. “What am I going to do now?”

“The only way is to go to the police.”

“Only if you come with me.”

Kiki pursed her lips, then breathed loudly. “Fine.”

***

Sixteen: Beyond

Kiki brought out the key and tossed it to Mekus Money. “You can wait in the car.”

“Wait in the car?”

“I want to clean up and make sure we don’t leave any evidence.”

“I meant, why in the car? The motorbike rider is still waiting outside the compound.”

“Pay him off. We can’t ride in the open all the way to Victoria Island when I’m supposed to be dead and you are on a ‘kill on sight’ list.”

Mekus Money saw reason to what she had said. “Okay,” he replied, then went outside.

Kiki watched him leave, suddenly feeling remorseful. She wondered if things would have been better if she hadn’t met him in the club. It would have made killing him easy and she wouldn’t be in her present predicament. As soon as he closed the door behind him, she immediately got to work.

She closed all the windows in the house and opened the doors, then went into the kitchen and turned on all eight burners on the cooker. She then put a fully loaded gun in the microwave oven and set it for two minutes before jetting out of the house.

Mekus Money was in the passenger’s seat waiting. A few seconds after Kiki entered, he sniffed twice.

“You smell of gas,” he said. “Why do you smell of gas?”

“Because I turned on the gas.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to clean up the house of any evidence we might have left.”

“You’re setting the house on fire?”

She turned to look him in the face. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“It’s a house. Femi laboured to build it.”

“You really care about someone who wants you dead. He tried to have you killed twice.” Kiki shook her head. She didn’t have the time for that. She stretched her hand. “Key.”

Mekus Money handed her the key. Before she started the ignition, she brought out Sniper’s fingers from her pocket and used them to hold the key.

“What are those?” Mekus Money asked, as he retched twice. “That goes beyond inhumanity. I think I’m going to throw up.”

“There was no other way,” Kiki said. “The key is fingerprint sensitive. I wouldn’t be able to start the car otherwise.”

She powered the car and it prompted her to check in concerning Mekus Money. She typed in “C” and sped off, as the microwave exploded.

***

Seventeen: Monsters

“How many?”

Kiki looked at Mekus Money, then took her eyes back to the road. “How many what?”

“You know what I’m asking.”

“How many people I’ve killed?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s just focus on surviving.”

“I want to know,” he insisted.

“203, including chopped fingers.”

“Goodness! What are you people? Where are your hearts?”

“We’re monsters! Is that what you want to hear?” Kiki snapped. “You don’t know what it was like growing up, no food or shelter for days. The organization saved me. I’m not proud of it, but it was all I had.”

Silence.

Mekus Money sighed. “I’m sorry.”

***

Eighteen: Burnout

They got to the Victoria Island Police Station within the hour and were directed to an Inspector Tunde Osbourne. At the mention of ‘Mirror People,’ the inspector shook his head.

“What’s wrong?” Mekus money asked.

“We’ve chased after that phantom organization for years and always met a dead end. Most of the guys on our team had a burnout, so I don’t think anyone else would want to get into that.”

“What if I told you that we have real evidence?” Kiki asked. “A book containing all the operations of the organization, and two witnesses, who escaped murder.”

“I’m listening.”

***

Nineteen: The Summit

Inspector Osbourne had his mouth open as he flipped through the white book. The wealth of information was unimaginable, plus a countless number of unsolved murders were there.

Halfway through, he looked up at Mekus Money, and asked, “Where did you get this from?”

Mekus money looked at Kiki.

“I stole it,” she said.

“From where?”

“I was on a hit list and managed to escape an assassin who had showed up out of nowhere. I stole the book from her in the process.”

The inspector didn’t seem convinced. “Look, before we go after anyone, we have to be sure that this information is legit.”

“It is. And we’re ready to testify in court that they tried to kill us.”

The inspector looked Kiki over from head to toe, then head. “From stories, I hear they never miss a target, so how did it happen that both of you escaped and ended up together?”

Mekus Money swallowed hard. He knew that if the question was thrown at him, he would flop.

“Because we were together,” Kiki replied.

“You two know each other?”

“We met at the club last night and went back to his place. The assassin came in the dead of the night.” She shot a thumb at Mekus Money. “He was the target, but they couldn’t let either of us live.”

Inspector Osbourne said nothing.

“I walked in on her though, and surprised her, as she didn’t expect to see two people in the room. So I attacked her, and together Mekus Money and I overpowered her and got some information off her.”

“Her? You’re sure it was a her?”

“Yes.”

“Where can we find her?”

“Back at his place, but I doubt she would still be there.”

“Why are you just reporting this to the police?”

“We were afraid they would be looking for us, so we waited for some time then came here as soon as we could.”

The inspector closed the book. “Let’s say I believe you. Where do we find the organization and its members?”

“I know where the office is, but the members are scattered about the whole of Lagos State.”

“I will assemble a team tomorrow morning to raid the office and get some answers.”

“You don’t need a team, and you definitely don’t need to wait until tomorrow. All you need is the boss, and she’s currently at The Summit Residence.”

***

Twenty: Lilly

Inspector Osbourne got to a massive house and noticed about ten cameras stationed around. He knocked, and a voice prompted him.

“State your purpose.”

He flashed his badge. “My name is Inspector Tunde Osbourne. I’m here for Miss Lilly.”

The door opened a few seconds later to a petite lady in dangerous heels, but who didn’t get as high as the inspector’s chest.

“I’m Miss Lilly.” She had authority in her tone.

The inspector was surprised, no protection, but then again, she was an assassin, too. “I need to take you in for questioning.”

“Sure. Let me get my phone.”

***

Twenty-one: Hazards Of The Night

Kiki and Mekus Money watched from the one-way mirror as Lilly walked into the interrogation room with the inspector.

Lilly looked surprised when she was asked to take the hot seat, but she didn’t object. Once settled, the inspector placed a folder on the table and didn’t waste any time at all.

“You know I always thought the Mirror People was just a phantom organization, a myth, because no matter how much people talked about it and tried to expose it, we never got anything.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lilly wore a straight face.

Inspector Osbourne smiled. “If you’re here, I’m sure you know that we’ve uncovered your criminal organization. After all these years.”

Lilly was nervous, but she remained calm. She wondered if the inspector was bluffing, because many before him had come with the same confidence and had all failed. But then, none of them had ever connected her to the organization. If she knew the invitation was linked to this, she would never have followed him.

“Inspector, do you have something specific to ask me?”

“A lot of unsolved, perfectly committed murders, at night, have been plaguing our city, but now, they’ve all been linked to you.”

“Killings, just like robberies and kidnappings, are common hazards of the night. If you do your job properly, you would get the answers you need.” Lilly stood up. “I’m done here.”

The inspector opened his folder and brought out the white book. “No, you’re not. Sit down.”

If Lilly was shocked to see the book, she didn’t show it. She sat down.

“I’m not going to play any games. We have the book, we have all the operations, the clients, the victims and the killers. Best of all, we have your endorsement on every page.”

Lilly stuttered when she said, “I need to make a phone call.”

The inspector smiled and stood up. He expected she would request that. He walked towards the door, and said, “Three minutes. You won’t be monitored or recorded.”

As soon as the inspector left and closed the one-way mirror, Lilly took out her utility phone and made a call to her office.

An operator answered.

“We have a breach. Initiate a link to all active lines now. Run a check on all their activities in the last 24 hours, for anyone who has been in the files room uninvited.”

***

Twenty-two: Let’s Talk About Shoes

Three minutes elapsed and the inspector returned, smiling.

Lilly was suspicious. “You monitored my call?”

“I didn’t. But what you initiated interfaced with our network, and it’s currently downloading the locations of all your members.”

Lilly was speechless. Her phone beeped and she read the message, before the inspector seized her phone.

“Let’s talk about shoes, inspector.”

“Shoes?”

“All our members wear flats with the letters ‘M.P.’ embroidered on them. And I’m sure you’ve come across that today… on a traitor.”

The inspector narrowed his eyes, then suddenly realized that he had indeed seen them.

He dashed out immediately.

***

Twenty-three: Forget Me Not

Inspector Osbourne burst into the viewing room, and yelled, “Where is she?”

Mekus Money shrugged, surprised. “She was here a second ago. I…”

The inspector ran out, interrupting Mekus Money. He remembered looking Kiki from head to toe, and noticing the customized shoes, but it never occurred to him. Inasmuch as she had helped expose the organization, she was one of them, and had to answer for her crimes. When he got outside, she was already gone.

At the same time, Mekus Money’s phone buzzed with a text message from an unknown number saying, “Forget me not. I’ll be back.”

***

Twenty-four: A Rendezvous To Remember

Almost one month had passed and, in that time, Inspector Osbourne had been able to lock up Lilly and her girls, and bring down their criminal organization. He had also been able to close out all the unsolved murder cases, and lock up Lilly’s clients, including Femi Kingsmate.

In that same time, Mekus Money had broken two world records by being the first ever and first Nigerian to win the World Award.

As for Kiki, she was nowhere to be found.

Exactly a month after they had met, Mekus Money sat reminiscing about how Kiki had captivated him, when an unknown number called.

He cleared his throat, and answered, “Hello?”

“It’s Kiki.” Her response was curt as usual. She breathed, then added, “Congrats. I knew you would do it.”

“Thanks.” Mekus Money chuckled. “It’s been a month since we met.”

“I know.”

“It took you long to call.”

“I know.” Kiki wanted more than anything to see him again. “Can you meet me in an hour?”

“Of course. It would be a rendezvous to remember. Where?”

“Where we first met.” She hung up.

Mekus Money hurried into the club a little after an hour later and spotted Kiki slow winding on the dance floor. He walked up to her and they hugged tightly, breathing heavily.

“We don’t have long.”

“What?”

“You were followed because your line was tapped.”

Mekus Money looked disappointed. “Why did you call me then?”

“It was the only way.” She put a folded paper in his hand. “That’s my new number. Get another line and call me whenever. But never give it out.”

“I won’t.” Mekus Money didn’t take his eyes off her. “I’m so sorry I put you into this.”

“You didn’t put me into anything. I made a choice.”

“Which is?”

“Love.”

They looked deeply into each other’s eyes long enough, then shared a passionate kiss… their first kiss.

“Would I ever see you again?”

“You’re a public figure and I’m a fugitive, but we’ll make it work.”

There were sudden raucous sounds at the entrance of the club. Mekus Money turned around and saw policemen. He turned back, and Kiki was gone.

Inspector Osbourne squeezed through the crowd to meet him, and yelled, “Where is she?”

Mekus Money shrugged, but not surprised. “She was here a second ago. I…”

The inspector scoffed and ran out, interrupting Mekus Money, but Kiki was already gone.

***

The End

*****

Excerpted from Keep Or Kill, by C.M Okonkwo (Laybels Publishing, 2020)

About the author

C. M. Okonkwo is a Nigerian author who grew up in Lagos and moved to France to study, where she obtained a B.Sc. in Business Administration and Management, an M.Sc. in Personnel and Employment Management, and an advanced M.Sc. in International HR Management and Development. A lover of travel and tourism, her writing ideas and style are inspired by experiences gained in different countries she has lived in and visited.

Author’s Note

If you wish to keep in touch with me or give me some feedback on my book, please use any of the links below. I’ll be happy to hear from you.

For more information about my book and my ongoing projects, visit my Website.

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Send me an Email.

*****

Cover template by Canva.

Editing and cover art by Laybels Publishing.

*****

This book was inspired by a 2019 Wattpad short story contest, in which a series of titles were given to write a story. “Don’t Close Your Eyes” won first place, but all twenty-four titles were used to develop this book, each either limited to four hundred words or a drabble.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Other books by C. M. Okonkwo

Novels:

The XIth Hour, Thriller/Suspense, 2013

Thirteen Suspects, Erotic/Suspense, 2014

Desperate Women Series: Literary/Suspense

Dim Noo Abroad #1, 2014

Yankee Based Wives #2, 2016

Twenty-One Days, Literary/Suspense, 2015

Mama, It’s Me!, Realistic/Fiction, 2018

When It’s Murder, Mystery/Suspense, 2019

Like Never Before, Romance/Suspense, 2019

Murder On Site, Mystery/Suspense, (due 2020)

Novellas:

The Angela Hunter Series: Mystery/Suspense

Closed Door #1, 2013

Jammed Door #2, 2014

Locked Door #3, 2015

Blocked Door #4, 2016

Shared Door #5, 2017

All That Glitters, Literary/Suspense, 2018

Eight Days To Live, Literary/Suspense, 2020

Short Stories:

Ziora’s Surprise, Thriller/Suspense, 2013

Finding Love, Romance/Suspense, 2015

Black Box, Mystery/Suspense, 2015

The Other Face, Literary/Suspense, 2018

Not A Word, Literary/Suspense, 2018

The Whistling Swing, Horror/Suspense, 2018

King Of Alammiri, Literary/Suspense, 2019

Voices Inside Your Head, Literary/Suspense, 2020

Non-Fiction:

Learn To Write A Book In Under Two Weeks, Educational/Guide, 2019