6. Adrian

Adrian stood in front of the gravestone that bore Elizabeth Gichohi's name on it. It simply stated beloved daughter. His eyes were curiously dry but the pain that radiated through his body was very real. In the past when he had closed his eyes at night he had always dreamed of the future and in his future she had always been there. The autopsy report had stated that Lizzy had bruises all over her body consisting of a brutal beating before her death. She had finally died of abdominal stab wound that wouldn't have been fatal if treated immediately but had granted her a slow and painful death. He turned away from the gravestone putting on his sunglasses and walked to the waiting range rover. He joined his grandfather in the back seat with a defeated sigh. Hilary turned to look at his grandson's-tired face with sympathy in his eyes. He had known for quite some time his grandson was planning to marry the young woman and he had been ecstatic about it. That his grandson had gotten himself a medical discharge from the army when he heard of her death had not come as a surprise. He had known Adrian would find a way to come home and find out what had happened to the woman he had loved. Hilary passed an envelope to his grandson who took it surprise on his face. "I am still the man who raised you so I know when you are planning something. I might as well help." Adrian nodded his head in gratitude pulling out the documents and photos. "The man responsible for Lizzy's death is known as Henry Rao Serro. You may know him as the Mombasa governor. He owns a financial firm here in Nairobi, the same firm Lizzy was working in. The police investigation concluded it was a robbery gone wrong because the Mombasa governor is planning to vie for the presidency seat this coming election."

"How do I get to him?" Adrian asked his grandfather. His grandfather was silent for quite some time prompting him to turn and look at him. In his grief he had not noticed his grandfather was growing old. The white in his hair had spread more than the last time he had been home. He had gained a little weight but he still looked like the man who raised him since he was five years old and he had learnt his parents were never coming home again because a drunk driver had decided it was a good idea to drive on the wrong lane. When he had started living with his grandfather Hilary had been a popular politician with an eye for the presidency seat. Five years into their new living arrangements and Hilary Maliekhe had been voted president of the Republic of Kenya. He stayed president for two terms in a row until he retired when Adrian turned twenty years old. He and his beautiful wife Margaret had chosen to move out of the city to the country to enjoy a simple life. That life was cut short three years ago when Adrian turned thirty years old and Margaret died of heart failure.

"You alone can't do anything without causing irreparable damage to your position but with the help of someone else you can destroy him," Hilary said. "The woman in that picture goes by the name Angela Anjala. One of the richest women in the country and has a lot of illegal businesses. She is quite infamous in the political circles and as you know she is head of the phoenix family. Her husband is Lawrence Sabaya the Nairobi governor."

"What can she do for me?" Adrian asked.

"Angela's father left her something called a black box. He was one of the richest and powerful men in the country during my presidency. The black box was rumoured to control a lot of politicians because of its contents. She has a lot of pull with the illegal and legal world so having her on your side will be quite beneficial but that will be tricky."

"Why?" Adrian asked looking at the very familiar face in the photo.

"Her husband is also one of the candidates for the presidency seat and with her support he has a real shot at that seat. The problem is Angela is very careful about the people she has in her inner circle and she trusts even fewer people but they are loyal to a fault. Her trust is very rarely given in fact it is never given."

"What do I do grandfather?"

"When you were twenty years old as my last act in state house, I authorised the special ops team to save a woman who had been taken hostage by the Mombasa drug cartel to avoid a national incident. You were injured during that operation if you remember correctly," Hilary stated and waited for his grandson to remember that night.

"Yes I remember that operation," Adrian said turning to look at the passing scenery. "The woman was about to be killed during the operation. I stepped in front of the bullets meant for her saving her life. I didn't know her and I haven't seen her since."

"That was Angela Anjala and according to my sources she has been looking for the man who took five bullets for her that night. She even had a sketch of you made. All you have to do is make her find you accidentally of course and you are in," Hilary reached into his pocket and brought out a phone. "This phone contains a recording of Angela giving an assassination order. The assassination was against the leader of the Mombasa cartel three months after her abduction," he paused then continued. "He died a month later. Drowned in his swimming pool. The minute you have reason to believe your life is in danger this will be your life saver." Adrian placed everything in the envelope and left the phone with his grandfather for safe keeping.

"Thank you, grandfather," he said softly. Hilary watched his grandson closely wondering what he felt. Most times Adrian did not show his emotion on his face. Whenever he was angry his face would show you a guy who was as cool as a cucumber as though everything before him bored him but inside he is boiling with fury. He might even smile when all he was thinking was how to kill you as fast as possible. Whatever persona he showed to the world was something vastly different to his real persona.

"For a man such as Serro he fears little in this world because he has the power, the money and the connections to protect himself. His greed supersedes his morality and he is greedy to gain power over a whole country. Death to a man such as he is simple but the loss of his reputation, his money, his power and his political power is the worst thing that can happen to him. It will not only be torture but pure hell," Hilary replied, "Use your training and remain calm and patient until the balance tips then react."