Speed Demon
In the great country of Ibadan, which exists within the continent of Ọyọ, in one of the megacities, lives a man, not one of the jobless bombs like Oguma Benedict, who lack education and walk around begging for money within a country that forces those who are unemployed to get work. No, this man might be jobless but he has a way to earn a living.
To every man his way,
The consequences, he shall pay by the end of his days,
Life is too short to be wasted, so live each day happily
And you will never lose your way.
The motto that applies in the technologically enhanced city of Ibadan, everything within this city was digitised, from the piping system all the way up to the artificial air supply. The food itself was treated with chemicals that control pregnancy, only a selected batch of individuals recognised by the government were allowed to conceive and have children, others were expected to go through an official process. Ibadan might be the centre of commerce for the whole of the multi-continental Yoruba Empire, but some of the old negative stigmas remain. The constant demand for human resources (labour) within the confines of the country has given birth to the illegal human trafficking network, which exists within the criminal underworld. Ibadan might be a country based on economic prosperity and financial growth, but it was also a land riddled with fear; no one knew when fate would cause a disaster to fall upon themselves or their families. There have been several missing person cases recorded within the past few days, and the local authorities promise to find a solution to the problem, but everybody knows the victims will never return; this is the nature of Ibadan.
Within the vast urban jungle, Kayọde found a way to make a living. He was a popular figure within the criminal network, a transporter by the name “Speed Demon”. He became an established driver the moment he found himself behind the wheel of a hovercraft, earned his driving permit 3 weeks later, and has been transporting for the past two years. His name is Kayọde Ọbayi, the renowned king of the road, the speed demon that commands the respect of all within the megacity of Ibadan. He has seen it all, from the smuggling of illegal substances such as cocaine, angel dust and Baba aye; all the way down to playing the part of a getaway driver for a bunch of wild financial institution robbers. He has been cheated and has also swindled others; he has been betrayed, and he has ratted out those who trusted him. Such is life in the city, definitely not survival of the fittest; only those who are wise will survive. But he lives by a code, never trafficking in women and children. He holds no grudge against the drug trade; all the junkies can die if they want. Choice is the right of every man, but forceful adoption of a free human being was unforgivable.
He might be a road demon and he might have been involved in many illegal activities, but he has never dirtied his hands with the freedom of others. He lives by the code of freedom and he intends to die by the code of freedom. Kayọde opens the glove compartment and draws out a small package containing his lunch, a hamburger with a bottle of Bigi cola. No point waiting for his clients on an empty stomach he thought. He’s presently on a job, a couple of amateur bank robbers had hired him to be their getaway driver; fools, they actually ordered him to wait in front of the bank for them. It’s obvious that they didn’t conduct a case study of the environment before they engaged in the operation, children nowadays seeking fast wealth without measuring the implications. It’s obvious the security cameras would have picked up his face by now. A day from now, the police will be giving him a call and within the week, these boys will be behind bars. He sighs, as long as he is paid in the end.
“Well, well, well,” a voice called as Kayọde finished his second bite into his meal, “if it isn’t the speed demon himself, please don’t tell me you're slacking off”
“It’s a slow day,” Kayọde replied with a smile, recognising the voice. Now, he must be careful. The stranger who had addressed him is the head of the Ibadan department of police. They have been on each other’s throats more times than they care to remember, “So I'm just chilling”,
“If you're chilling in the park, that I can understand; if you're chilling in front of a school, I can understand that too; if you're chilling on the beach, I might even join you, but in front of a financial institution. You must be up to something boy”. the police officer replied,
“Weeeellllll…”
“You're on a job waiting on your clients,” the officer said, in an as of matter of fact tone
“That’s not possible”, Kayọde replied with a false smile, “I'm just chilling and my parking here is just a coincidence”
Unfortunately for Kayọde, his last statement didn’t prove anything; in fact, it confirmed all of the policeman’s suspicions. The police officer immediately drew out his weapon and rushed into the bank fully prepared for a gun battle. Kayọde chuckled within himself; the fools are the ones who told him to wait in front of the financial institution, now they are going to regret that decision.
The next moment welcomed a cacophony of laser gun blasts, the cries of people in panic and the sirens of multiple backup police hovercrafts and even some materialising law enforcers from the special unit on the sides of the financial institution building. This was definitely going to be a difficult job indeed, simply because his employers are a bunch of teenage fools; that’s it, he thought, I'm never going to work for any foolish, inexperienced kids again. Finally, the so-called inexperienced kids stormed out of the bank with a wounded officer in tow. Kayọde actually chuckled; they're not so inexperienced after all, but they foolishly ran into a line of fire, and the police officers outside didn’t wait for any approval to shoot. Two of the four bank robbers were gunned down immediately the other two managed to make it to the hovercraft.
“Drive!” the first one called in urgency,
“Yes sir”, Kayọde replied with a smile, wondering if he should charge extra for the complications.
The Agbara’n crystal engine sprang into life, and with it, several other police hovercrafts, all filled with trigger-happy officers anxious for the kill. Kayọde smiled with exhilaration; finally, he was in his element, the open road, with all the dangers of the world at his fingertips; to make things better, he was being pursued, what luck! Now it’s time to find out which one of these false drivers was worthy to be his rival. They had barely gone far when he made a sharp left turn loosing over half of his pursuers in the process.
“You think you're good?” he called out defiantly, “I am the true king of the road!” Then he made another sharp right turn, knowing that several crafts would have taken another way to cut him off ahead. This is the open road, and he is king; no one can stop him now, not even the police. As a child, he enjoyed driving games; he even practised with different VR simulations. Now, he’s grown driving is the only thing he can do, and he was so good at it. He made another difficult right turn, and then, to the shock of all, including his customers, he made a magnificent U-turn and drove in the opposite direction.
“What are you doing?” one of his occupants cried,
“Let me drive”, he growled from beneath his voice
The police drivers were so shocked by his U-turn manoeuvre that they forgot to fire the guns in their possession, plus the moment they were able to regain their wits and make a U-turn of their own Kayọde was long gone.
“Be careful”, the bank robber said, with a commanding tone. “I swear, if we get caught, I will make sure you never drive again, sho ti gbo?” and to prove his point he pointed his gun directly at Kayọde’s head.
A threat! a threat? Kayọde growled, from within. This fool has just made a very bad mistake, one that will cost him his freedom. The gun indeed gives power and confidence, but too much power and confidence can lead to a bad thing, like someone thinking they’re God. This fool might be a god when it comes to rubbing banks and other financial institutions, but when it comes to the road, he, Kayọde the road demon, is king, and no one will ever dare to claim his title.
Kayọde stamped his foot down on the nitro boost pedal with the intention of increasing the speed of his hovercraft. The last remaining vehicles belonging to the law enforcers, able to keep up, started to fall behind. Then he jammed his fist into the hover breaks, which caused the craft to stop suddenly, unseating all the occupants of the craft but Kayọde, who had his seat belt on. The fool who sat by his side, pointing the weapon, flew right through the wind-shield of the hovercraft.
“What are you doing?!” the second rubber exclaimed, “he’s the leader of this… we must stop for him”
“I told you to fasten your seat belts the day we had the agreement. Any accidents that occur during high-speed chases and the like, I will not be held accountable. That was the agreement”. Kayọde chuckled as he drove off, leaving the fool as fodder for the police to consume. Now there was only one, he thought with a sinister smile. He jammed his feet into the nitro boosters and shot his hovercraft across the road with such speed that an observer would call him mad. Dropping the leader of the robbers along the road proved to be a wise action, because the number of police crafts had now dropped to two; Kayọde signed regretfully, with fewer toys to play with. Judging from the way the last occupant sat meekly in his seat, with his seatbelt strapped on tightly, Kayọde almost pitied the poor fellow, after all he was the last one remaining from the group. “Hold on tight, my friend, this is where it gets fun”, Kayọde called out to his anxious passenger.
The craft shot through the road with unbelievable precision, without bumping or smashing into anything on the road, while the two following behind managed to keep up clumsily. The hovercraft suddenly vibrated with the impact of multiple gun blasts, and judging from the loud noises coming from beyond the road, the police had ordered some aerial assistance. To outrun a bunch of amateurs was but a small task, but to outrun a bunch of high-flying battle ships was equal to suicide; these ships were equipped with special high-tech weapons that could atomise his hovercraft along with everything in it. Kayọde smiled, “I think it’s time to end this farce,” he thought.
Kayọde instinctively drove his fist into the air, breaking abruptly, causing a sudden halt. The first of the police cars, in its attempt to avoid a fatal collision, screeched towards the side of the road and smashed into a nearby fast-food shop. The second car drove into an old billboard pole.
“Why did you stop?” the lone occupant in the car protested,
“Let me drive”, Kayọde snapped, as he drove his foot onto the nitro boost propelling the hover craft into a sudden motion. As the craft gained speed, the last bank robber observed the large crater on the road at the exact location where they should have been had Kayọde not stopped the craft so suddenly. Now he could appreciate the natural skill set that Kayọde possessed, the gift to become one with the road, to be able to sense danger before it happens was an amazing gift. Kayọde smiled with anticipation as he drove through a busy road pursued by the 3 airborne battleships, knowing fully well that they would not risk firing their deadly cannons and harming a civilian population. ‘We’re almost home’, Kayọde growled beneath his breath. He only said this to give his now silent customer some comfort, but the next few moments will decide if they are both going to live or die. The craft shot out of the populated area and into a clear savannah, giving the battle crafts a pass to fire at will, and they did. If not for Kayọde’s quick last-second decisions, they could have been atomised many times over. Kayọde could feel the crystal core overheating due to it being pushed beyond its limits. If he continues to use the nitro boost, the Agbar’n crystal might explode.
“Surrender! And your lives will be spared”, the officers inside the baffled crafts announced
Kayọde laughed at the irony, so they agreed to a cease-fire for a few seconds. The very same seconds he needs to make a clean getaway, better to make the best use of it. Kayọde initiated the nitro boost and felt the crystal core crack, the craft shot into a rapid flight across the savannah briefly leaving the battle ships behind. Kayọde smiled. He had finally arrived, unknown to the police officers and the occupant of his hovercraft, he had been privy to the plans of the underground catacombs beneath the city; he knew all the entrances and all the exits, and he even added a few adjustments himself. He was the road demon and he had conquered every single scrap and passageway within the city, so it came as a surprise to the pilots of the battle ships when the hovercraft they were pursuing suddenly disappeared without any explanation. Victory to the demon of the road.
As Kayọde drove through the underground roads, he received a text message in his communication device, and it read, “The score is now Kayọde-75 and Police-5” We will get you next time” Kayọde chuckled at the message, No one beats the road demon’ he voiced with pride.
Blind Point
The great continent of the Yoruba people, in the major country of Eko, the great settlement of the Awori, the last descendants of the mighty Oduduwa, father of the great Yoruba Empire. The Gig-links lounge, one of the best places to get a taste of the most exquisite drinks in the entire country, she sat down quietly enjoying the cool evening air while drinking a cup of the best palm wine the lounge had to offer. She was dressed in one of the best evening gowns that she possesses in her wardrobe; she had to be at her best for an occasion such as this, it’s not every day that she had the chance to meet with a very important person for a regular job like any normal person. Unfortunately, for people like her, something like this only happens briefly then the black hole of her past would suck it all away, now, she was the very vision of perfection garbed in her red nightgown which exposes far too much of her ample bosoms, and her legs could distract any man within a 50-foot radius.
“Would you like some more wine, ma?” one of the attendants inquired,
“No, I'm fine, thank you”, She replied, “I might need some food, but that will be after I meet with the director of the power industry”,
“Just call for me when you're ready”, the attendant smiled with a careless wink
She forced herself to smile back at him; if this fool should find out who she really was, he would be running for cover instead of flashing his handsome face, thinking that he had a chance to mate with her. The darkness of her past would make the devil proud to call her his minion; it’s a good thing that she had a weakness, sometimes one’s weakness can lead even a cold-blooded criminal away from the darkness and into the light. She was once the infamous blind point. A professional assassin who specialises in the act of killing high-placed people in society, it doesn’t matter how effective their security system was, she’ll find its weakness and execute. Now she was just a common Lagosian finding a job that doesn't require killing her target, but somehow there is this strange feeling in her soul telling her that there is no escape from her past. One day, the black hole will suck her deep into its core, from whence there is no escape. She kept her eyes on the door, hoping for her date to arrive at any moment. To her relief, the man walked in, she immediately stood up from her chair and flashed her most enchanting smile while waving to get his attention. Mr Oluwole smiles back at her and walks purposely towards her table.
“Miss Aluko?” he inquired as he reached her table
“Yes”, she replied, “and you must be Mr Oluwole”.
“I am” he smiled “and I must say you are a very beautiful woman, beauty itself falls short when it stands next to you”
“Thank you, sir”, she replied with a smile, making the best impression of mock flattery.
To her surprise, the man sat down and started to dive through his files without giving her a second glance. This man is all about business; thus, seduction is out of the question. Now she needs to impress him with her skills if she is ever going to acquire this job.
“Let’s begin with your personality profile,” the man said in a business tone, without drawing his eyes away from the paper in his hands
“Your full name is…”
“Miss Morẹmi Aluko”
“Your age?”
“I'm 28 years old”
“Is that your real age?” He said politely, “I know it is rude to ask a woman her age but…” he sighs, “it is protocol”
“Yes, I'm not like all those women who go through the process of facial reconstruction, and then lie about my age” she said, he chuckled at her reply
“Do you have a criminal record?” he inquired
Now that’s the question that she fears, the answer was quite simple, she does have a criminal record, but since she has never been caught, no one can actually place her face to the crime. So the real crime is actually getting caught.
“No, I do not have an official criminal record”, she replied keeping her breath even and her eyes focused, if this man has any skills in micro expressions then he’s looking for a lie, better to be on guard, “I'm what you call a saint”
“I see”, the man replied, now taking his eyes off the paper for the first time, “good, tell me what you intend to do towards the development of the power industry?”
Now she smiled, this is the question she’s been waiting for; she took in a deep breath and prepared to make a breathtaking speech that she had been practising all week.
“Excuse me,” a stranger said as he bumped into the director.
The director at first thought the stranger intended to pass by, but instead, he stood by the director as if waiting for him to do something.
“Leave”, the stranger growled,
“Excuse me, but who are you?” Morẹmi growled, seeing that this fool was about to ruin her chance at a normal life, “can’t you see that we are having a meeting”
“The boss needs your services”, the stranger said, directing his gaze to the confused woman. Then, he looked at the director, “If you value your life, then you will leave.” The stranger exposed his coat and flashed his gun for the now terrified director to see. Without a second thought, the director gathered all his files and left the table; he didn’t even give her a sideways glance. Morẹmi cursed beneath her breath, her one chance at a normal life just slipped right through her fingers.
“The boss needs you” the thug said again,
“Which one?” she growled in rage, “and when I'm done talking to him I'm going to kill you”,
“I told the boss that you are weak, but he's said you’re handling this deal, so I'm your babysitter. What makes you think you can kill a monster like me Ajẹ(witch)”
Morẹmi felt her heart tremble with rage, that’s one of the flaws in her business, the arrogance of her victims. She could now feel the cold claws of bloodlust reach their way into her soul; she needs to kill, and she needs to kill now! This fool had just awoken the demoness named BLIND POINT; today is the day he will die.
“Who’s your boss?” she growled darkly. The fool instinctively recoiled at her last words, then he gazed directly into her eyes, defiantly daring her to attempt his life.
“Chief Ọji” the stranger replied after the brief pause.
She should have known, Chief Ọji, the fool with a god complex. The same fool who used her to slaughter every one of his enemies without paying her a single kobo, the man who enjoys controlling others by holding their family and loved ones for ransom. Of all the members of her formal clientele, he is the one she regrets working for and wishes she had never met; she scowled in suppressed rage as she demanded the message.
“So, what’s the message, errand boy?” she inquired, while she used her hidden hand under the table to send an SOS message to the one person that mattered to her.
“It took me some time to locate you, but the boss will always make you a major priority, so we can interrupt his busy schedule”, the brute smiled,
“Just give me the message,” she growled impatiently, let this fool finish his errand so she could kill him.
The brute placed a small transparent rectangular glass tray on the table and sat back with a sly smirk on his face, a communication disk Morẹmi concluded was designed to dispense a one-way communication link. The 3D image of a full-grown man in his late 20s appeared in a 3-piece suit, with extremely handsome features and a come-homely temperament. Morẹmi chuckled at the image likeness of the infamous Chief Ọji.
“Chief”, Morẹmi growled beneath her breath, “You're a little slimmer than usual”
“It’s good to see you too, blind point, I need your skills”, the boss responded with the usual edge in his voice and the straight to the point manner in his tone. Morẹmi sneered, as always this man was motivated by his greed.
“I taught I told you that I'm no more in the killing business,” she barked
“And you forget that I once told you that you are my property, you have no choice but to obey me”, the chief sneered, “I know your weakness”,
“So once again you intend to use a little girl of 12 against me”
“Now, she’s 15, she’d make a good wife when I'm done with her”, Chief Oji smiled, with a perverted grin on his face.
“You forget the golden rule, never get the family involved”, Morẹmi whispered in hatred, “I'm going to destroy you”,
“The golden rule is quite simple, ‘he who has the gold, makes the rules’. I hold the gold so you follow my rules. It is your duty to kill for me, like a good dog”
Morẹmi felt the fountain of her anger explode beyond measure the glass cup within her grip shattered from the intensity of her anger.
“Easy lioness”, chief Ọji mocked “I still need you alive, and in tip top condition”, he smiled evilly, “Your next target and the files concerning their security system will be sent to your grid network mail, all 5 targets must be executed before next week”
To Chief Ọji’s surprise, Morẹmi actually smiled, and he could see the black hole of bloodlust deep in her eyes, for some reason, his survival instincts roared in a way he had not experienced before.
“You will do as I say, or your sister will be killed,” he said with a sudden panic,
“Yes sir”, Morẹmi replied with even more bloodlust in her eyes than before, to the horror of the boss, “But I have far more than 5 targets, and the last one is a big fat glutton, thinking he is god”
“You don’t want me as an enemy,” the chief threatened
“No,” she mocked, “You don’t want me for an enemy, you need me as a slave, but I'm not a slave. I'm a free woman, but as long as you live, I will never be truly free, so, I'm coming for you”
“Blind point!” he exclaimed, his voice showed a lot of panic.
“One of us must die for the other to live; I'm coming for you, so run, if you can manage it”
“Kill her!” the chief exclaimed, addressing the fool sitting where the director once sat, but his command came too late. Morẹmi’s nimble fingers tossed one of the shards of the broken glass cup directly at the brute. The power behind the shard caused it to penetrate from his Adam’s apple all the way through to the spinal Column. The shock of the penetration caused the brute to black out without making a sound, and by the time he was able to regain his consciousness, he would be long dead. Morẹmi actually smiled triumphantly, The thrill of the kill! How she missed this, but now she had a tyrant to kill. Morẹmi gathered her purse and all her belongings and rushed away from the lounge. Her identity might have been compromised, but her revenge would more than make up for it.
“Blind point please act reasonably, I promise I’ll pay you handsomely this time,” the chief pleaded
“Ho! I forgot about you,” Morẹmi smiled, “I think, I’ll kill your first son first, just remember you were the one who got family involved”
“Wait, please listen to me” he persisted,
“I’ll make it look like you never set foot on this earth,” Morẹmi said with a sinister smile, “I know you lack the faculty to walk on your own two feet, and I know you're too fat to use the door. You're not going anywhere, but your family, I’ll be using them for target practice. Then I'm coming for you. Be afraid; be very afraid because you’ve rattled the cage of the lioness” On saying this, she smashed the communicator and stormed out of the lounge.
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