9:00 pm
“Put that phone down and slide it over here now” Anderson corked his gun and put his index finger on the trigger; he had the expression of a man who was ready to kill and Tony saw it. “What makes you think that I wouldn’t press this button before your bullet hits me?”
Tony stood strong, the bomb he sent to Anderson’s house was not set to explode and certainly had no connection to his phone; he only turned on a countdown app with a virtual button for dramatic effect.
“I am not joking with you, I will scatter your brains on my wall and nothing will happen to me but you know that no matter what happens here today… you will not get away with it” as Anderson tried to intimidate Tony, Tony switched on the countdown app and it began to beep.
“Countdown initializing… 20…19…18…” it was the voice from the app “Tiktok… the bomb goes off and so does the family that you put a shield on” “you fucking bastard!!” Anderson’s anger made him pull the trigger but he missed his shot at Tony and Tony ducked, hiding between two cabinets and a wall.
“If anything happens to my family, I will kill you and everyone you love” Anderson made another shot but missed Tony by a hair’s breadth. “Put your gun down and I will switch off the bomb” “8…7…6…” Anderson could hear the app counting and as much as he wanted to kill Tony, he knew the right thing to do.
He let his gun drop on the floor, Tony picked it a second before the countdown went off and switched off the app. He pointed the gun at Anderson “lie down!” Anderson hesitated “I said … lie down now!” he screamed pushing Anderson to the ground.
“Can I call my family to see if they are okay?” Anderson pleaded “Did the bomb go off?” he asked but Anderson gave no reply “did the bomb go off?!” he yelled this time “no” “then they are fine… put your face on the floor” he instructed using his feet to press Anderson’s face to the ground.
He searched the room, opening one drawer after the other; he finally opened a small cupboard under Anderson’s desk and saw a pair of handcuffs and laughed “I see that somebody has been getting freaky dicky up in here” he teased Anderson and handcuffed both his hands around a huge file cabinet.
“What are you going to do to me? Kill me? You know that you won’t go free if anything happens to me right?” Anderson tried to plant fear in Tony’s heart but Tony ignored him.
He opened the fridge and took a gulp from a cold bottle of water he found in there “you know that I haven’t had a good drink since the day started? Today has been full of shit from the moment I woke up till now” Tony explained as if Anderson was a good friend of his.
“Don’t make it worse by doing something stupid” Anderson replied, Tony smiled at his reply “something stupid” and dialled his phone. “I am in Anderson Chuma’s office… I said Anderson Chuma. Come here now” he said into the phone and ended the call.
“Who was on the phone?” Anderson suddenly became paranoid “Tony, what do you want? Money? I can give you hundred million naira right now and you will leave the country and go and live your life” he tried to turn and look at Tony but the handcuffs wouldn’t let him.
“I’m sorry that I shot you, I thought that you had set off the bomb; I didn’t mean to shoot you” fear had humbled Anderson and he started to beg for his life but Tony said no word to him. He paused on his many pleas when he heard a knock on the door.
“Who is that? Who is it? Please let me go and I will tell no one about this” he begged but Tony ignored him and went to open the door and in came Mr. Henry “So this is the snitch that wants to ruin my life” Mr. Henry’s voice sent chills down Anderson’s spine.
“What are we going to do to him?” Mr. Henry asked “many things but first I have a request,” Tony said ignoring the fearful look on Anderson “no matter what happens, I want this bastard here to disappear” he retorted pointing the gun at Anderson.
