Skip to content

Don’t Cry #16 of 17

Go back to #15

Don't Cry series

B

How long had it been?

A day? Two days? Three?

He didn’t know. He didn’t really care. Nothing made sense anymore.

The doctors had said that she’d died on impact, and tried to assure him that it was painless. Or at least… as painless as it could have been.

But Segun saw what had happened. He had watched his world crumble completely by one single action.

Everyone had tried to come and share their condolences. Some people had even wept. But it had all been a blur to Segun. Maybe at some point or the other someone had offered to stay with Segun and provide support, but eventually they had to leave because of one reason or the other. Segun didn’t really care.

Neither did he care what day it was. He only knew one thing was certain.

He was in the mortuary. Seated in front of the table on which his sweet little girl lay. There was nowhere else for him to go, because nothing else made sense.

And Lara was nowhere to be found.

He didn’t know how long he had been staring into nothing, but one moment he was alone and the next there was a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t even flinch as he lazily looked up to see BC standing beside him.

“This is a stupid thing to say, but I’ve been trying your number and you didn’t pick up. Heard you set up camp here, so I had to drop by.” There was only silence from Segun. It was like he wasn’t even there. “I’m sorry for your loss. I honestly am.” Segun only nodded as his head slumped and his eyes returned to Barbara’s lifeless body.

“You should know something, Sheg,” BC started but then paused. He took a deep breath and then continued. “We found out whose car your daughter came out off.” Nothing. “It was that guy… Michael.”

Segun still didn’t move, and BC began to get worried that he hadn’t been listening.

“Did you hear me Sheg?” BC asked again. “Shegere. Segun… Wolf…” Segun’s ears perked up. “Did you hear me?”

Segun’s slow mind finally processed what BC had told him, and he began to laugh. At first, it was soft, before it got loud and then maniacal. Segun struggled to breathe as the laughter wracked through his body, all the while BC stood beside him with a straight face.

“Ah BC… we had him o… We had him,” Segun sighed as tears rolled down his eyes from the laughter. “Can you imagine how he slipped away from us? How he showed his concern when I said Barbara was…” Segun’s voice hitched and he sighed. “And he’s gone…” he whispered to himself.

“Bit of good news. He’s not. My boys got him before he ran away.”

Segun’s head snapped up, and he stood up so fast the chair he was on toppled. “Take me to him, BC. Now.

“Hold on. Remember who you’re talking to.”

Segun laughed. “Yes, I know. You see this on the table?” he gestured to the lifeless body. “This is my life. Or was my life. My life has no meaning anymore… Or is this about the debt I owe you? I’ll pay it up completely. Whatever you need me to do,” Segun’s eyes were red. “Now… take me to him!”

BC stayed motionless for a moment, observing Segun, before nodding and asking him to follow.

“Come with me then, Wolf.”

==

“I want to be alone with him, and leave the weapons on the table,” Segun said as he and BC drew closer to the uncompleted building that Michael was tied up in. BC’s boys had followed him and managed to drag him out of his house into the faraway place he was currently held in. The building was roofless, and there was a table in the room. Segun had asked that a plank, a gun, a hammer and some rope be placed on the table. BC didn’t know why he asked, but he remembered the lengths Segun had been capable of going to in the past, so he didn’t question.

When BC and the others stepped away, Segun stepped behind Michael and untied the rope that bound him to the pillar in the room.

“Get up. I want this to be fair. You can pick up any of the weapons on the table, but I warn you not to pick up the gun,” Segun said as he stepped to the other side so Michael could reach the table.

Michael didn’t hesitate as he scrambled off the ground and dived at the table. He picked up the gun and pointed it at Segun, his hand shaking terribly. He pulled the trigger, but there was only an empty click. In shock, Michael squeezed a few more times, but there were only empty clicks.

“I warned you not to take it,” Segun gravely said as he tackled Michael and took the gun from him. Using the butt, he pistol whipped Michael’s face, causing the man to scream in pain as his face began to bleed. Segun gave him another whip that threw him to the ground. He tossed the gun away and went for the plank. Without sparing a word, he took the plank and slammed it on Michael’s belly. The downed man groaned out in pain and tried to cover himself from the incoming blows, but it mattered little as Segun kept going with the plank until a loose nail embedded itself in Michael’s thigh.

Michael screamed for mercy, but Segun didn’t relent until the plank broke on Michael’s back. Breathing calmly, he watched as the kidnapper of his deceased daughter bled on the floor, whimpering and begging to be spared. Segun sat down on Michael’s back and pulled off the man’s shoes and socks. With an outstretched hand he picked up the hammer and bashed the big toe of Michael’s left foot. The man screamed out a new melody as he tried to break free, but Segun kept his weight on his back and held down his leg. In quick succession, he bashed the remaining toes of the left foot before standing up to stomp on the whole foot.

Michael squirmed and screamed, but Segun was oblivious to it all. He put a knee to the downed man’s back and grabbed his right hand. With extreme force, Segun twisted it until he heard the crack. The arm ended up in an irregular angle, and he placed it on Michael’s back. With the hammer, he hit each finger until they were mashed up and bloody. Michael’s screams had begun to peter down, and all he could muster were whimpers. Segun snapped the other arm well enough for the bone to pop out of the elbow, before proceeding to bash all the fingers as well.

When he was done, he stepped out of the room and asked for matches and a keg of fuel. BC knew it would come to this, so he had his boys keep on the side. When Segun received the items, he went back into the room and poured the fuel on Michael. The smell must have hit him hard because he struggled to look at Segun and plead, the dried up blood caked on his face.

Segun spared him a fleeting moment before lighting three matches and throwing them on Michael’s drenched body. The flames caught, and he threw the matchbox as well, stepping out without a moment’s glance to the man burning alive behind him.

Continue to the finale

Published inchaptersFiction

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *