AFLOAT SEASON 2 Ep. 2

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

– Thomas A. Edison

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“The moment you do the delivery, ditch the ride and come home. We'll go to the bank in the morning.”

 The older of the two men whispered as he dusted off his trouser.

 “Remind me again. Why must I be the one to deliver this package?”

The fair young man with neatly trimmed afro hairstyle asked while keeping an eye on the girl tied to a chair across from them in the nearly empty and dusty room. A single bulb carelessly painted red to reduce its brightness swung and danced loosely from the low roof casting eerie shadows on the damp walls as the night breeze seeping into the room from the broken ceiling boards fanned at it.

 “Ahn Ahn! We can’t start this again. I thought we have settled that issue already. My missus, ntantaofiong mmi," he smiled briefly and continued; "she might go into labor anytime...”

 “Fine fine...no wahala. I will call you once I am done.”

“That her phone really hurt your fine face oh, the thing don swell up. You be correct AJ oo.”

“Broke Aj. Who AJ help? Anyway, once I see credit alert, everything go normal.” They laughed out briefly.

“True sha but remember you don’t have to join the butchers. Our own is to deliver the merchandise so if they ask you to join them call me. You dey hear me so?”

“I don hear. But guy, the babe is still unconscious. You said they want her alive abi? I just hope your slap never kill am sha. You know your left hand fit send person go early grave.”

They laughed out quietly again only to be halted when they heard the girl murmuring.

“What is she saying again? You sure say this girl no dey possessed...marine spirit?”

 “Who cares? Just do the delivery once it’s midnight and come home. Make sure nobody sees you because as I don tell you; most of the vigilante guys no dey for this deal. If everything works out well, we will get you out of town before dawn. Let me go back to my missus before she starts getting suspicious. Lock the door once I leave.”

 “Okay bro. Be safe.”

They hugged each other and the older man left. The second man secured the locks and pulled out his phone to make a call only to be paused by the sound of the girl crying. Her voice was muffled by the black cotton bag his friend had put over her head and the gag in her mouth. She really picked a nice spot to sleep off inside the abandoned building site. It had taken them awhile to find her after she surprised them with her reflexes and agility. He concealed a smile and was about turning back to his phone when a scraping sound made him turn to see her wrestling to set herself free of the rope around her wrists and legs.

 “Hey! If you don’t stop moving I will break your legs.”

His voice must have startled her because she stopped fighting and sat still. He sensed she was listening, trying to figure out where she was. He would do same in that situation; Stanley thought as he watched her while trying to guess what she would do next. If only he could see her face. 

Guy wetin you wan do with her face, you are losing focus; he berated himself, turned away from the girl and started flipping through his phone. He was engrossed in a social media App when suddenly a choking sound caught his attention. Stanley swung around and his phone slipped off his fingers. The girl was dying! 

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