LAST FLIGHT TO DUBAI FINAL PART

 

Last Flight to Dubai

Episode Four

(Final battles)

“I want to go to the hospital to run some tests. My body is feeling somehow since we returned from Dubai.” Chidiogo said to Chike that Friday morning when both of them were preparing to go out. They had slept together the night before. Chike was preparing to go to Authority Bank where the board of directors is waiting for him to present the result of his investigation into the N3 billion fraud.

“What exactly is happening to you? I notice you sleep a lot lately and you appear to be weak. Are you sure you don’t have malaria? Anyway, it is good that you are going to run some tests, so we will know what it is.” Chike responded. They both kissed and departed the house.

Deep down her heart, Chidiogo was very scared about going to the hospital and she knew it might not be malaria. Besides, her period has been delayed by four days now, so she wasn’t sure what was happening to her body, but the tests will confirm.

Meanwhile, Chike arrived at Authority Bank and he was ushered into the conference hall and led to the podium so he could address the board. The hall was packed full with everyone that matters at the Authority Bank. Stern-looking policemen and security lurked around the vicinity as if on a special mission. Mr Achibong was present and he was seated at the front row. 

Chike lifted his head from the podium to start speaking and his eyes ‘jammed’ with those of Mr Achibong, but he ignored him and went ahead with his presentation.

“Good morning everyone. I would like to go straight to the report without wasting our time. I will also present just the summary of the report and then make copies available for those who wish to read further.” Chike started. His voice sounded very confident.

“The investigation I carried out almost took my life, but God intervened.” He said. Everyone in the hall muttered some sounds as if in confirmation of what he just said. Mr Achibong had his left hand wedging his chin as he listened with rapt attention like a student.

“My investigation revealed that the CEO of Authority Bank by the name, Mr Achibong runs an international drug business and he also controls a cartel of internet fraudsters. The N3 billion fraud which was averted by me at the Authority Bank did not just happen. Mr Achibong gave out the banking details of high-profiled customers to his cartel of hackers and they successfully moved the funds to an account he created. Thankfully, the account has been frozen.” Chike said. The hall by then went dead with silence. Everyone looked in the direction where Mr Achibong was seated.

“That is pretty much the report. The only thing I have to add is that Mr Achibong transferred me to Dubai and ordered his boys to eliminate me because of the content of this report. But here we are today. I will spare you the complicated details of the investigation and just hand that over to the police to aid their prosecution of the suspects. Thank you for the trust invested in me.” Chike said. As soon as he was done, security men stormed the hall and arrested Mr Achibong and whisked him away.

Chike was very tired when he returned from the Authority bank to meet Chidiogo who was already back from the hospital. He took two hours to sleep and rest his head. And then he came down to eat lunch prepared by Chidiogo.

“I have a confession to make. And please, don’t leave me after hearing the confession.” Chike said to Chidiogo when they started eating. She lifted her eyes at the same time he lifted his and they were looking at each other eyeball to eyeball, but with much love.

Chidiogo was not sure what it was that Chike wanted to confess, but she very much liked to hear it.

“I have to hear the confession first. I love you, but I can’t promise not to leave you. What if you have impregnated another woman? That means I will certainly leave you.” Chidiogo joked as they laughed romantically.

“My name is not Chike and I’m not a staff of Authority Bank. Also, I’m not Igbo.” His words sounded like a joke, but at the same time, they flew past Chidiogo’s ears like a cacophony of loud gunshots.

“What do you mean? Is this a bad joke?” Chidiogo asked. She dropped her spoon and paid close attention to Chike who was chewing a scoop of rice and stew. It was a very tensed moment for the lovers.

“I’m very serious. My name is Terry and I’m Tiv from Benue state. I’m an investigative spy working with the Intelligence Agency, the same agency you work for. I was assigned to investigate the fraud at the Authority Bank. But because it was complicated and risky, I had to pose as a staff member. The bank employed me without knowing.” Chike said. He had his eyes fixed on Chidiogo so as to see her reaction. At that point, Chidiogo had stopped eating completely. She stood up and sat at the edge of the chair looking very surprised.

“So why didn’t you tell me? Why are you just telling me this? Why did you lie to me all this while?”” Chidiogo was furious.

“I’m sorry Chidiogo. It was not my fault. That was the code of this particular operation at the Authority Bank. It was supposed to be top secret because it involved very powerful people so no one, not even my wife, was supposed to know who I’m.” Chike said. He held Chidiogo’s hand trying to soothe her disappointment, but she stood up and shifted.

“I feel betrayed. I feel cheated. I feel used. I feel stupid.” Chidiogo ranted on top of her voice.

“I’m sorry my love. Another shocking thing is that you were also assigned to the same case with me. You are my partner in this investigation. But the Intelligence Agency ordered that you must not know that we are working on the same case. They ordered me to approach you for a relationship as a way of getting your total support. You know you are a combat officer and I’m more of an IT and cyber crime officer. I don’t work in the field. The Intelligence Agency assigned you to protect me, but you were not supposed to know about it.” Chike dropped another bombshell.

Chidiogo was not entirely shocked at what she was hearing. She knows how secretive the agency is and she knows the codes of operation, which sometimes could be very brutal and discomforting. But that was the training, to do anything to get the job at hand done, to save lives and protect the nation even if it means dying.

“I have fallen deeply in love with you and I can no longer live without you.” Chike said. He was still trying to hold Chidiogo’s hand, but she kept pushing him away.

“But the Intelligence Agency can never allow us to marry each other. You knew the law and you still approached me for a relationship. You took my heart and made me fall deeply in love with you and also proposed to me. Chike you are wicked. I feel ashamed of myself right now for all the things I went through to keep our relationship. I thought I was getting married finally. Poor me.” Chidiogo said with hot tears dropping from her eyes. She was very sorrowful.

“I’m sorry Chidiogo. I didn’t know our love would come this far. It was just supposed to be a fling of a few weeks, just for the job to be done. I didn’t know we would come this far in love. Forgive me. We can still be together even if we can’t get married.” Chike said.

“I’m not getting any younger.” Chidiogo shouted. “I can’t be in a relationship that is headed nowhere, without direction.” She said on a final note. She stormed into the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of ota pia pia she bought when she was coming back from the hospital. She drank the whole thing before coming out to meet Chike with the empty bottle still in her hand.

“I slept with another man when you were in Dubai.” Chidiogo confessed. She was hugging Chike very tightly and crying very bitterly.

“When I went to the hospital today, the tests I ran confirmed that I’m pregnant. I love you Chike. This whole thing is too hard for me to take. The pregnancy for a riff raff who slept with me because of you, so that I could get a visa to travel and rescue you. And now, my reward is the lies you told me. My head is full. I love you, but I guess we were not meant for each other. Goodbye Chike.” Chidiogo collapsed on the hard floor and gave up the ghost. Whitish substance gushed from her mouth.

Chike rushed to hold her but it was too late. She was dead! Dead and gone forever! His love, his Chidiogo. He looked at her and saw how sweet and beautiful she still looked even at death. His heart was pricked and hurt so much by the death of his love, Chidiogo. He couldn’t take it either. Suddenly, he felt his brain spinning and turning upside down. It was as if he was floating in the air or as if he was in another world. He heard voices ordering him to remove his clothes and he obeyed.

He heard more voices ordering him to step outside naked, and he obeyed. He heard several other voices ordering him to roam the streets of Abuja naked without ever stopping, and he obeyed. He ran mad!

And that was how Chidiogo sacrificed for love and got nothing in return.

THE END.