Chapter 8

"why are you back empty handed?" Joe asked his men as they had not come back with anything in hand, after he sent them to raid the streets.

"boss J…" one of his men wanted to speak but he cut him short.

"no boss J me if no get better thing talk! simple work, simple work wey I give una, una no fit do am. If na to pursue woman up and down, na there they go see una. Na that one wey una sabi" Joe said, completely flared up and feed up with his men's incompetence.

"I do bad say make una work for me? Simple thing. If you know say you no go work, you for tell me since, I no for bother. When King was getting sensible men, this is what I ended up with, asiwere eniyan (mad people)" Joe said, but this only succeeded in increasing his anger than making him feel a bit relieved.

"boss?" one of his men called.

"what!" Joe answered, pouring his full anger on the man.

"boss the thing be say, no be ssay we no see anything. We been see some small-small change and something from people as we dey waka. Then we con see one car, wey they just leave am there, and the still dey look okay. We con think say we don hit jackpot, say this one go sweet oga J, we con dey rejoice…" he was saying then Joe cut in.

"come, if you dey go somewhere, rach there now-now" Joe said, not in the mood for one of his endless stories.

"sorry boss. So as we dey con go the car, na e we see King boys, them just comot from him bush side come rush the car like action film" he said. Joe's eyes widened at the mention of King. His previous encounter with him flashed through his mind and the aftermath of it. His men were truly stupid he thought. But that was not the point, why were King's men raiding an abandoned car.

"King's men?" Joe asked.

"yes. They just dey raid the motor. They comot things from am, just dey do any how" the man said.

"and after that, what next?" Joe asked.

"nothing o. they just carry themselves je-jely, je-jely as they come" the man said.

"so they didn't take anything from the car?" Joe asked.

"no o. They no take pim, nothing" he said, sounding like he was over exaggerating, but everything was true.

"so why didn't you go to the car and take the things inside?" Joe asked. The men look at each other, getting confused by Joe's question.

"why una dey look yourself. No be English I speak? I say why una no come go raid the car as una see say, King boys them, no carry anything comot" Joe asked, switching to pigin, assuming that they didn't understand his English.

"boss… boss we no go there. As we see say King boys don reach that area, we con turn back. Because say we no want make trouble dey o" he said and Joe scoffed.

"true-true craze people full this Lagos. eyin eniyan were (are you people mad?). Scorpion, why you bring me stupid people na? Na this people you go find for me, say make I run this town with them?" he looks at Scorpion, his right hand man.

"sorry boss" Scorpion said.

"no just look the mumu people. Them dey fear King pass their oga, their own boss. Them dey fear King pass me! Who King be? Who him be? Pesin whey I dey there when them born am. Na that one una con dey respect? see this people o! na till I comot pesin head?" Joe said, completely engulfed in anger at the fact that his men were more scared of King than him.

"so…" the man that was speaking before wanted to speak but got cut off by the death glare Joe shot at him.

"see as I dey see una, so make una comot from my sight, go street go bring me my pay. Make una dey comot now, before una head go comot first. Dey go!" Joe screamed and they scrambled themselves around before they all left his presence.

"see, they don't even know how to go out" Joe said in disbelief.

"boss no vex. I'll get them in order" Scorpion said.

"you better" Joe said then sat down.

"but boss, this one wey King dey send him boys go they raid cars, wetin dey sup? Since when that one take start? Sehy we done already share the territories na, and everybody know where they stand and wetin be their own, so which level na?" Scorpion said.

"even me I no sabi o. Me too I dey wonder say wetin carry King go do that one" Joe said. "you sure this boys see well so? Because e get as that boy dey sound as e dey tell him story" Joe asked.

"no the boys see well. Them dey misbehave o, but dey no too dey lie" Scorpion said, causing Joe to look at him when he said the last part. Scorpion makes a face of uncertainty.

"I beg you in God's name. no bring another one wey "no too dey lie". Bring one wey no dey lie at all, at all" Joe said and Scorpion nodded his head.

"boss you gat warn this King guy o. because this is how he used to misbehave. Next thing now, he will come and say, he wants to take over our territory. Na so misbehaviour dey take start o" Scorpion said, expressing his displeasure with King always trying to Lord over them.

"no, no. That will not happen. Not when I'm alive. King, take over my territory, when he is not mad ni?

"or maybe you fit follow Baba Sege talk, maybe una go join hand, seat down on top this King matter, since una be the two leaders of the other territories. Or how you see am?" scorpion said, suggesting that they could get assistance, if they could not handle King on their own.

"that one no necessary, I fit handle King. No worry yourself, I go follow am talk" Joe said, trying to reassure Scorpion, even though he had the same fears.

"or, because na misbehaviour like this dey make them beat small pikin" Scorpion said causing Joe to scoff.

"Scorpion my G. you see na why I like you, you no dey carry last and you dey always get my back. You and tiger. Come where Tiger dey sef?" Joe asked.

"he been go run that level with that Abj guy and the senator" Scorpion replied.

"oh, okay. Na true sef, I don forget. These days I dey forget things quick-quick" Joe said

"you don dey old na" Scorpion said and him and Joe began to laugh.

Breaking up their laughter was the entrance of the man that was explaining what happened to Joe. Immediately Joe's look changed and his laugh seized in the same vain.

"what are you still doing here?" Joe asked in a semi calm tone, trying to control his anger.

"em… em" the man, finding it to form words, especially ones that would not offend Joe, he hands over the white envelope in his hand to Scorpion, instead of Joe as he was instructed to.

"they say make I give you" he said.

"who be they?" Scorpion asked.

"Baba Sege boys" he says and Joe waves him off, indicating he should leave and he leaves. Scorpion checks the envelope and sees that it's addressed to Joe.

"boss, it's for you o. Na your name dey here" Scorpion said. Joe looks at him, then at the envelope in Scorpion's hand. He couldn't help but wonder why Baba Sege was sending him a message. Joe gave him the go ahead to open the letter and read it's contents out to him.

"I'm looking for a girl around the village. It's urgent that we talk. have your men on the lookout for any new girl in your area.

B.S"

Scorpion read. Joe stayed quiet for a while. If Baba was looking for someone it was something serious. If Baba Sege was looking for you, especially to talk, it was to kill you period. There was no negotiation about it. Joe looked back at Scorpion after his thoughts and the look he saw on Scorpion's face, he was sure it was the same look he had on his face. And that will mean that they had the same thought in mind.

Who is she? And what did she do to get on Baba Sege's bad side?