"Boss" Veronica was speaking on the phone and Charles was happy that he was able to reach her again.
"Veronica" he called her name.
"Boss, it is almost as if this city is against me. I have been running for my life and I need to enter the city of Enugu. Boss, if they capture me they will know that you sent me to eliminate the man" she said.
"You have to stay where you are Veronica, I will track you with your device and keep your device on" he said and Veronica was not sure if he was sending a rescue to come for her all the way from Enugu or if he had other plans of saving her from the sisters that were after her.
"Boss" she called him that for the first time and he was happy she did. "How do you plan to do this, to save me from the hands of those that are after my life?" asked Veronica.
"I know you had to go for this mission because of me Veronica. I'm not sending anyone to come rescue you, I'm not doing anything else but I'm coming myself to the rescue" when he said this Veronica smiled so brightly and nodded. "Okay sir, I'm waiting for you" She knew what it meant for him to say he was coming to rescue her.
Veronica when she had ended the call looked sideways before she stood up, suspecting everyone around her as she walked to the counter to stand, waiting for the seller to attend to her.
"I'm looking for ice cream" she said.
"You sure need one, owing this is a hot city" the vendor said and smiled but she didn't return the smile. That same moment there was a slight headache and she held her head and wondered what exactly was happening. She touched her nose having felt something coming out of it and saw it was blood. She remembered she had once hit her head against a rod while escaping from the sisters. She shook her head slightly and raised her head up. She had no more money with her and she wanted to go to the bank. The vendor gave her the ice cream and she touched it. The coldness of the cream went down to her wrist and she showed an expression. Just then she walked out and the ice cream vendor looked at her for a while and picked his phone to dial a number. "I think I saw someone that looks exactly like the one in the picture you gave me" he said.
*******
Ken arrived his home and sat down. Shortly he saw a message and it was Rose. Rose was coming to meet with him. Shortly she arrived and sat down.
"I'm sorry to disturb you this night" she said.
"You have nothing to worry about" he said.
"I would have gone directly to boss having known he was the one that sent me on the mission but then I felt better to come to you and inform you of this before I can inform boss about it. Maybe your response will give me my next direction" she said and he adjusted himself on his seat and asked, "What exactly is the problem?"
"I was told by boss to go to Veronica's house to see if everything was in order. I did that and when I got there I discovered that there was nothing there to see except a young man" when she said this Ken was skeptical to know what happened next.
"A young man; what was he doing there?" he asked.
"He wasn't doing anything there that could have warranted my killing him; he was rather there to look Veronica" she said.
"To look for her? why?" he wanted to know.
"Said they both were together and..." she was still speaking when Sarah walked in and announced there was a problem. Ken sprang up and wanted to know what the problem was. "Boss left" she announced.
Shorty after the three of them were now seated in Ken's living room and Sarah was making it sound like Boss had made a grave mistake.
"Why would he go without informing any of us? He keeps taking this risk and it is tiring me. Does he not know that he has grown enough to send as many men and women as he wants to go do for him whatever he wants. Why would he always be the one going for such things?" Sarah complained.
"I don't know what he found in that Veronica but this last times I have come to discover that Veronica having taken the bold step of killing that betrayal in Abuja it is only normal that we reciprocate that love by going to assist her in returning home safely, yet, it won't take away the fact that he did what he should not have done, by going alone and without informing any of us it makes me look stupid and useless" Ken was angry but he suddenly apologised for his use of words. Sarah left shortly.
After Sarah was gone Ken who was still not happy with the development and he said, "Boss always has a way of wanting to take care of everything by himself, makes me wonder what the use for us then?"
"Well, I trust whatever it is Boss loves Veronica" said Sarah and Ken stared at her. "Sorry Sir" she apologized.
"You don't have to be sorry when you state the obvious truth. I know that he loves her but it won't do him any bad if he involved any of us in this mission. Standing up for him has always and will always be my biggest priority. When he steps out to fight for something without any of us backing me up it scares me. He needs to know that if any harm cones to him it is not just to him the harm has come but to the entire family and if the family is hurt the empire will fall. He needs this reminder every now and then" Said Ken before he cleared his throat and continued, "Then you can tell me more about this young man you say you saw at the apartment belonging to Veronica"
******
Veronica was on the run once again as the man she bought the ice cream from had called the sisters who had sworn to hunt her down and she hid behind a vehicle. To avoid loosing the device which Charles was using to track her location she hid it under her raincoat and continued with her escape from those that would want her dead. She entered a shop and hid there and waited. She could hear her chasers argue on whether to go ahead and continue to pursue her or to retreat, having seen the police. Veronica knew that having not known the city very well she would have to escape anyhow she could else be caught and killed by the ones after her.
Charles landed in Abuja in his private jet and headed to the place called The Mall, it wasn't a mall, but one of his meeting point with some of his friends who would come from far countries to trade with him. When he entered there he failed Veronica's number and said to her, "Start to head towards the mall, lure them to the mall" He then ended the call and dropped his back in one of the windows of the mall and removed his sniper from inside his dark bag and placed it on the window. He began to fix it together with the silencer. When he was done he then placed his target and his eyes fell on Veronica as she was running towards the mall. When he was sure she was almost there he cocked the sniper and waited patiently. Shortly and when Veronica was almost there he saw that three females who had guns with them were after her. He saw too that there was a man with them and each and everyone of them had a gun. He could sense that they didn't want to shoot her but had intended to capture her alive because they wanted to punish her and get her to tell them the person that sent her to murder their boss. Having seen this Charles knew if he fired a shot he would be getting Veronica killed for if any of the chasers fall the rest will open fire on Veronica and so he dropped the snipper and took out his small gun and headed downstairs where he had decided to have a showdown with the chasers of Veronica. When it was time for Veronica to enter the mall she saw Charles as he was hiding behind a pillar and she was elated that he was there. He shouted at her to fall down and she did. When she did Charles engaged the four chasers in a fire fight. The chasers were not sure who was firing at them because they could not see the face of the ones firing that shot. They hid and Veronica crawled into the Hall and hid herself behind Charles.
"You start to climb the stare at once" he commanded her and she did just that. As she climbed Charles followed her up while still firing at the enemies. He had already gunned down two of the ladies and now it remained two of them. The remaining lady wanted to retreat but the man told her not to. When she insisted he shot at her feet and she let go of her gun and fell to the ground. She kept screaming and the man left her there and headed into the mall but carefully. He knowing that Charles and Vero had climbed the stairs carefully started climbing the steps too. When he got there he saw Charles standing and Veronica standing behind him. Charles still had his mask on and putting on his white suit. The man pointed his gun at Charles and commanded him to put down his weapon. Charles refused and kept holding the gun. At this point the man shot at his chest and he fell to the ground. Veronica could not understand why Charles had to be so careless this time that he had to leave himself so vulnerable to be gotten so cheaply. The man asked Veronica to lay on the floor at once. While Veronica laid on the floor and the man was approaching the Charles remained on the floor. When the man was upon them he used his feet to shove aside Charles's gun and then wanted to get hold of Veronica and just then Charles held him by the leg and while he was falling he fell on the dagger Charles had positioned to enter his face. The man died and Charles shoved him aside and stood up. Veronica stood up too and wondered what happened; Charles was unhurt.
"Are you now a god, that you could take a bullet?" she asked. He opened his chest to show the bullet proof vest he was putting on and Veronica nodded her head. Just then Charles held her hand and they started making their way out of the place. When they got outside and having known that there was a lady there on the floor, rearing in pain due to the bullet wound on her leg. He stood and stared at her where she laid, getting weaker by the second and asked, "You have those coming for you?" she shook her head. "You want me to finish it?" she nodded and he shot her twice on the forehead and she died immediately.
"She wanted death?" asked Veronica.
"Yes, she is far from home and she knew she wouldn't get help" he said and held her hand and they made their way out of the vicinity.
******
Edu was inside a restaurant in the city of Enugu and eating moodily when he noticed someone standing near him. He looked up and saw it was the same lady he met in Veronica's place, it was Rose.