Blackmail Time

Mike must have noticed the angry mood I was in when I went to his room that evening. He asked what was bugging me and I told him the whole story. He laughed and called his girlfriend to come and listen. “what is it?’ the girl asked from inside. “it’s your inlaw oh!” mike exclaimed. “Uncle James?” she asked as she came out from inside and joined us at the room. 

“You know him?” I asked her and mike informed me that he married to the younger sister of the girl’s mother. “What did he do this time around?” she asked and mike eagerly narrated the story to her. “Useless man!” she exclaimed. 

“one day, God go catch am.” She said. I was a bit confused and I asked what was going on. The girl explained that the man was a chronic womanizer, but her sister, the wife does not believe it when she is told about it.  “I used to live with them, but when he started making advances at me whenever my sister was not around, I informed my sister. 

I had to leave after it caused a big quarrel.” She said. She narrated how she had reported to the sister but the man denied, even accusing her that she was always trying to seduce him, leaving the bathroom tying towel at all times. The sister believed him and she had to leave the house. 

“One day, God will surely expose him!”  She seemed to be very angry at the man. She claimed that her aunty stopped giving her money because of the incidence. She informed me that the wife to the etisalat manager was the reason why the man was employed and promoted to manager within few years of working with etisalat. 

According to her, the wife was a member of board of directors of stanbic bank, the sole financier of Etisalat. The wife had recommended him as a senior staff for etisalat, and had continued pushing him up the ladder. “any day that my aunty catches him red-handed, she will surely deal with him and divorce him! I trust my aunty.” When I got back that evening, I was still troubled by sonia’s predicament. 

When I tried and couldn’t sleep, I started pressing my phone. I got to the pictures folder and started going through the pictures. Then I saw the special folder where I had moved all the sexually explicit pictures to. I opened the folder and started viewing the pictures.  

I smiled at myself as I scrolled through the pictures. Most of them were snapped at camp, when I was still trying to win the wager with the ugly one. The pictures brought back memories to me. It made me remember Oge. I wondered if she was still with her camp boyfriend. 

We were really into each other until she decided to go with that guy. I still didn’t find out what exactly i did or didn’t do that made her go with the guy. The ugly one had said it was because of the N25 ice cream that made her leave. But the ugly one always had a funny approach to things. 

He had a shallow view of things, as long as he was concerned, everything centered around money. I wondered what had become of her. Maybe I should give her a call and find out how she was doing. I decided against it. Let sleeping dogs lie.  

Then I scrolled to the na.ked pictures of the Delta kitchen attendant. She had informed me that she schooled at the state university. Maybe one of these days, I will call her and invite her over. I couldn’t remember if I actually collected her number or not.  I would check later. Then I saw a picture I couldn’t remember its source. It was still sexually explicit. 

The first picture showed the back of a blonde girl leaning over the naked body of a man. The face of the girl didn’t show much, but the guy’s face showed, and I still couldn’t recall how I got the picture. Then I scrolled to the next, and next, then it became clear. The face was Sonia’s, and the guy was the etisalat manager. 

My heart started beating fast as my mind started cooking up things. I went through the pictures once more, it was very clear; the faces, the naked body. I remembered the night with Sonia at the military guy’s room. She had slept off after the sex and I went through her phone, saw the pictures and transferred them. 

Then the words of mike’s girlfriend resounded in my ear: “any day that my aunty catches him red-handed, she will surely deal with him and divorce him! I trust my aunty.” The pictures I had in my phone were a clear definition of red-hand; Finally, I grasped an idea from the numerous ones that had been coming to my mind. Its blackmail time! Someone needs to pay!

As the days progressed, I started my plan on how to make the etisalat manager stay away from Sonia. I was planning on blackmailing him, although not for personal gratification.  

At first, I didn't want to involve Mike and his girlfriend, but as I continued working on the plan, it was obvious Mike's girlfriend was going to be of immense help. I would need the manager's house address, phone number, his wife's phone number, his pastor’s phone number and others stuffs needed for a blackmail to be of effect; this is where Mike's girlfriend comes in. 

I also needed a field worker, someone who was sneaky and street wise; this is where mike comes in. I was reluctant at first about involving the both of them. Mike was eager and desperate for money, while his girlfriend was eager and desperate for revenge. 

They both had something they want from the same target, and this could turn disastrous. I wished I could find people with the qualities possessed by the duo, but as at then, they were the only options I had. I was to keep looking, but when Sonia called again that evening, informing me that the manager had refused to give her clearance letter for the month, I had to act fast: make use of what I had. 

It was the first mistake I made. A corper collects clearance letter from his place of primary assignment with the company's letter head once every month. It was this letter that enables him/her to do the monthly clearance and be qualified to receive the monthly federal government allowance. 

If this clearance letter is not produced, the corper risk losing the federal allowee, and a possible sanction thereafter. If she doesn't get that letter and subsequent ones, it would be disastrous for her. I had to act fast. 

Finally, I informed Mike and his girl of what I intended doing. They were excited about it all; I warned them of the rule they must not disobey, I wish they had listened to me when I warned them.  They didn't; they broke the simple rule and made things worse. 

______________________________ 

The envelop was delivered to the etisalat manager through DHL as planned. It was forwarded to his office address, rather than his house address. The content of the envelope were printed pictures of him and a blonde girl, the same blonde girl that was serving under his establishment. Of course if his superiors finds out he was sleeping with his subordinates, it was a direct sack for him. If his wife finds out, it was going to ruin his family. If his pastor finds out, it was going to ruin his impeccable image which the entire congregation holds at high esteem. Such were the details as supplied to me by Mike's girlfriend. S

he took the project like a personal project, like she had a personal vendetta with the man.  Of course she had! The envelope contained another folded paper; a letter addressed to him. I made sure I wrote a simple message therein: “Any act of intimidation on that girl in the picture, your wife and pastor gets the next DHL delivery.” 

The next day, Sonia called and informed me that the clearance paper had been given to her, and the man even asked her to return to the corper's lodge. She was very excited. She didn't know what was going on, neither did I plan on telling her. 

The next enveloped was dropped two days later, containing more pictures.  I included a date and time in which a call will enter his phone and he must answer. At the exact time, I placed the call to his number and he picked at first ring. 

“Who is this?” He asked emphatically like he was trying to take control of the entire scenario. “Listen and listen carefully.” He continued. “You cannot blackmail me, I will hand you over to the police at once!” He shouted on the phone. 

“Ok, I will just give your wife the rest of the pictures.” I said and hung up. Almost immediately, he called back. I didn't border hiding the number I used in calling him, the sim card was bought new, and it was not registered. I let the call ring without picking. 

He called the second time and I picked. He started by saying he was sorry. Now that was better!  “What do you want from me?” He asked. I could detect the fear at the other end of the line. His breathing had increased tremendously. It was obvious he was in a panic mode.

 “12 million naira. I will call you in 24 hours time to tell you the payment method. . .” I said to him. I ended the call and turned off the phone as I heard him scream on the other end of the line.