The near death experience
Agent Bola was still standing by the main door leading to the building, she felt the urge to go after him but she knew better. Cole would not like the idea of she disobeying him and moreover, she hadn't hear any sounds of gunshot nor any movements yet and it could be perilous for her to move in without knowing the order of things going on.
If she couldn't move in, at least she should be able to comb the entire perimeter of the building and secure maximum security. Agent Bola brought out her gun from the hostler and filled it with cartridges, she stooped low and moved to the far end of the building looking forth and back, she could see no one moving, neither any sound of someone nor something . She concluded in her mind that if it eventually turns out that there were no guards and no Emily then it would be a ploy for their death, she only hope that it wouldn't be true.
"Cole What's the situation over there?"agent Bola spoke Into the mouthpiece but it was disconnected. She was shocked and petrified.
What's happening?
She quickly walked in through the back door of the building, she had studied the blueprints of the building and she could tell where each door could lead to, her gun led the way as she moved stealthily, looking forth and back. A bullet whizzed past her head and she immediately ducked and leaned on the wall. She stayed put making no movements nor sound. That was more than enough to be sure that there are guards, but she couldn't tell how many they could be since no one came into view and the bullet couldn't have been a mistake. After about thirty minutes of waiting, nothing happened and she proceeded walking, she opened a metal door and peeked in, there was someone inside tied to a chair, the back was turned to her so she couldn't make out the face but she could tell it would be Emily. She opened the door more wider and stepped in, she walked slowly to the figure trapped on the chair. The door jammed and locked just as she got to her front. She freaked out, it wasn't the door but it was something else.
***
Cole walked over to the door, he tried opening it but it was of no use as the door was locked. He looked back at Emily who was still on the chair shaking tremendously, he shook his head. He never knew it would be arduous such as this, he himself was trapped but yet he had to save her or they both would turn into ashes. He hurriedly ran back as an idea got into his head, he bent low and removed the blindfold from her face but she was still gagged.
"Don't worry Emily, I'll get you out of here"Cole said while Emily only nodded her head as she couldn't talk.
Cole stood up, paced the room and kept glancing at Emily who quivered on the chair. The timer was still reading and he had less than three minutes to detach the bomb. He could do nothing as he knew nothing on how to detach a bomb. He knew well enough not to try detaching it as it would automatically explode. He had to do something, but the ideas weren't forthcoming.
"Hey detective"a voice rang in his ears. He was taken aback by the voice, it was Mr Sylvester's voice, he thought it had disconnected but somehow they had their way.
"Please we need your help, we are trapped in here"Cole spoke gently but definitely not in a cool voice. The situation there wasn't cool so he couldn't be cool.
"Backup are on their way already"
Cole took in a deep breath and relaxed for a moment but then, his heart raced more faster when he glanced back at Emily.
"The bomb"he said tentatively, "How can I detach it?"
"What type of bomb is it?"
"Its a timer bomb, we have just two minutes to detach it, please hurry up".Cole said in a quivery voice, though his voice betrayed him but he doesn't want to betray himself by being a coward.
"How many wires are connected to the bomb?"
"Just three, red, blue and black"he replied almost immediately.
He couldn't wait, not now.
Cole heard a loud sob burst, he spun around; it was Emily, tears trickled down her pretty face.
"Pleeeeeaaaaaseeee!"Cole stressed the word, he couldn't hold on any longer. There was silence for a moment.
"Just a minute, still working on it"Mr Sylvester's voice came over the earpiece. "Be fast!"Cole almost screamed.
1:05
"Done, get a metal tool!"Mr Sylvester's voice came on again.
"Don't use your hand. I repeat, don't use your hand!"
That seemed more of a threat than warning to Cole, but he knew better than playing with his life. Luckily for him, he still had the metals which he had used to unlock the previous door. He quickly brought it out.
"Done! What's next?"
"Remove the red wire and the black one with the metal simultaneously! Do you copy?"
"Yeah, copy"
"It should be at once, remove it all at once!"Mr Sylvester screamed emphatically
He took the metals and set it on the red wire, but he had a problem. There was no way he could remove the two wires all at once. He could only use his two hand for one, not two for two and he had no four hand to do the needful.
00:34 secs
Emily was wailing audibly now, she knew she wouldn't get out alive and she never knew she would die this way. She had wished to die peacefully when the time is right but not now. She really wished she could still be alive but it seemed impossible.
Death they say is inevitable, there is no running away from it. No matter how hard you try to run away from death, it would always find you.
00:10 secs
Emily looked into Cole's eyes, she could see a faint glint of hope in them but she couldn't rely on them. It would be better if she quickly say her dying wish before the bomb goes out, but there was no way she could do that, her mouth was gagged. Tears uncontrollably streamed down her face when she remembered that she would leave her husband without bearing kids for him.
Cole was still fidgeting on what to do and the time is almost up, an idea suddenly popped into his head. Emily should be able to help but her hands were tied, he quickly untied it and gave her the metals.
"Just pull the black wire out immediately I count on three."Cole said checking the timer.
00:05secs
He breathed deeply and braced himself up for the death task.
00:04
He shook his head, now its time.
"One!"Cole counted holding the metal tightly which curled around the red wire.
00:03
"Two!"
00:02
"Three!"
00:01
They both pulled out the wires simultaneously and the device
gave a long beeping sound.
00:00
The timer stopped blinking red and the lights went off.
"Successfully done!"Cole shouted over the mouthpiece elated.
"No, not successful yet"a voice said from outside and the door opened.
The door opened and a man in hood stepped in, his face was covered with the hood but his gun was pointed at Emily. Cole knew danger when he saw one and right there before him was one. He couldn't take the risk of shooting the man as he knew well enough that the man could also retaliate and by so doing, Emily might go for it but he doesn't want Emily to be the bait . Cole watched as the man proceeded walking towards him and Emily, he also had his gun pointed at him and his fingers were on the trigger ready for any foul play.
"Wow! Impressive"the man exclaimed clapping his hands, "But am sorry, you have to try more"
"Who the hell are you!?"Cole asked angrily.
The man chuckled, "wrong question"
"Just answer the damn question!"Cole snapped at the man as he clutched more tightly to the gun in his hands, he could shoot any moment .
"Oh no detective, don't do that_"he smirked in his concealed face.. "It's at her risk if you do, I do realize you do not want her to die, you will be blamed if she dies"
"Shut up! you jerk!"Cole screamed.
"Oh, you call me jerk?"the man chuckled again.
Cole looked behind him with an eye and kept the other eye on the boogie man, Emily was still on the chair cowering, her legs were tied and she dare not make a move to untie it or her hands will go for it.
"Hand over the gun"the man ordered Cole.
Cole shook his head, the man is playing smart contrary to what he thought . He handed him his gun and almost immediately, he brought out his short gun from his holster and shoot the legs of the man, the man went down but not without retaliating as he fired a shot at Emily.
But where was she shot?
Cole couldn't be sure as he heard Emily screamed, he felt like knocking himself over and over again for being so silly.
First, it was their stupid plan which went wrong and now, his stupid decision to shoot the man which led to Emily being shot. He had to get over with this, he released two quick shot at the man hands. The gun fell off the man's hand and he sprawled on the floor face down though he wasn't dead yet Cole moved over to the man, he kicked the gun far away, bent low and unveiled the hood from the man's face. He stared blankly at the face for a moment, it was Alex Dollinger. He had suspected him but he never knew he could go this length. Cole rose Alex up on his haunches, Alex grunted and winced in pains, blood gushing out from his legs and hands and he was fast losing consciousness.
"Why did you do it?"Cole asked.
"No, I didn't do it, it wasn't me."Alex replied in a low pitched voice.
"Then who did?"
"It was him"he said and paused.
"Who is the him!"Cole barked.
"Bamidele Williams"
***
Minutes ago
Agent Bola was shocked to the marrow. It wasn't Emily as she had thought, it was someone else, someone she never expected. Her kid sister was trapped on the chair, blindfolded and mouth gagged, and on her stomach lay the dreadful bomb with the timer reading fast.
A tear dropped from her eyes as she felt the pulse of the young girl, it was weak, very weak as she was unconscious. What could she do to save her, she knew she had failed her city and most importantly, her family.
Some years back, Bola was a young naive girl who loved anything to do with gun, she grew the zeal to study criminology from watching movies, especially the crime/action genre. Her parents objected to this but she still went on and here is where it got her.
She checked the timer, she had less than five minutes to do something but what could she do?
Nothing! Absolutely nothing!
She ran her fingers through her hair as she paced the room. She couldn't touch the bomb, in as much the bomb was a sensitive one.
It would blow off if it comes In contact with a human skin. Emily dropped down and sat on the dusted tiled floor, she threw away her gun and waited for death to come, she knew Cole would be safe since she hadn't heard any gunshot.
00:03
She closed her eyes and covered her ear, it would all be over in a matter of seconds now. She waited, nothing happened.
No explosion?
She opened her eyes when she was sure it was way past five seconds, she looked at the timer, it had stopped blinking but there was no explosion. She was taken aback when she heard sounds of gunshots as she made to stand up.
Was Cole shot?
***
Cole wasn't surprised, he had suspected the forensic man too but he hasn't gotten enough evidence to put him behind bars but now he had gotten what he needed.
"He sent me, he killed them and her"Alex continued, his voice now fading off. "Why are you telling me this?"Cole asked.
"Because…"Alex drooled on the word as if he was considering something. "Because I want to help you, he killed Cora, my girlfriend"he said it in a way that seemed it was the most painful thing that ever happened to him.
"Please, don't kill me"Alex managed to mouth the words, he was barely audible. He had lost too much blood, he closed his eyes and embraced the darkness.
"We have you surrounded, drop your weapons now and surrender". A voice said, it was from a mega phone.
Cole smiled, the backups weren't needed after all.
***
Cole stepped out of his old Peugeot 504 in front of the CIB building, he waved at the officers who saluted him as he walked to his office. On a normal day, he would have ignored them but he was in a frenzy mood. He opened the door and entered his office, the office looked untidy, books and case files were scattered on the table but he was less perturbed by it.
Cole sat down heavily on the swivel chair making it swirl around, he let out a deep sigh, a sigh not of relief but of disappointment . Things were heating up and getting more hazardous. First, it was the bomb explosion which he cheated and escaped death, but he doesn't know what to expect from his shortcomings.
Bamidele Williams (The forensic) was convicted for the atrocious crimes he was alleged to have committed but one thing is not right . He wasn't allowed to interrogate him nor carry out investigations, the DG restricted him from doing so, worst still, he couldn't visit his cell.
What does that make him?
A suspect?
He wasn't surprised the case was passed over to Inspector kunle. It was something he had expected.
But why? He couldn't tell.
He knew someone out there is setting him up but who?
A knock sounded on the door, and agent Bola walked in without being granted permission to.
"Cole!"_she called walking towards him.. "You wouldn't believe if I tell you that, Bamidele Williams disappeared in his cell overnight"
Cole's jaw dropped, "disappeared?"
"Yes, one of the guards guiding the cell just announced it"Cole sprung up immediately.
What's going on?
"Apparently, the guard said he was released"agent Bola said
"Released? On what grounds?"Cole was more than gobsmacked,
"Who could have released him?"
"That, we don't know"
***
Cole flashed his ID more than ten times before he got to the cell where the forensic man had been held. He entered the cell and looked around, the room was empty and it looked dirty.
"Where are the other members of the cell?"Cole asked a guard who stood watching him.
"They have been moved to ward 2, cell 502"the guard replied tentatively and looked away.
"Were you not here when they released him?"Cole asked.
"Yes I was but.. "the guard stopped saying when he realized something, he looked away and took three steps back.
"But what?"Cole asked already figuring it out that he had the answers he seeks.
"I Can't Say this now, and not here"the guard replied uneasily looking back and forth for any intruder.
Cole seemed to reason with him, it might be something crucial which he couldn't spit out there. Probably, it could lead him to the killer, but come to think of it, why will he be released?
"Sir!"the guard called with a quivery voice, obviously having a paranoia feeling.
"I will only tell you this in a secluded area, somewhere safe from prying ears."
"I hope its something worth taking my time"
"Sure! and please come alone"the guard said emphatically and left when he saw agent Bola walking towards them.
***
The forensic man has been away for six hours and the whole state was looking for him. They had checked his house both with his private house which was situated in Lagos but they couldn't find him. They went as far as closing all borders and airports to search for Bamidele Williams but all efforts to find him was futile. Cole was not sure how the press got the news, because the press broadcasted the news on all types of platform and it was the latest trending news in the whole of Nigeria.
Cole's Phone rang as he was about to step into his office, it was agent Bola. He swiped the green icon on his android device and pressed the phone to his ear.
"Hello"Cole spoke into the phone.
"He has been found?"agent Bola shouted over the phone.
"Who?"
"Bamidele Williams, he was found dead."