"Don't be a coward, William. That man behaves like a tout sometimes. He is talking rubbish", James shouted angrily.

"What if he is right? What if we are all going to die? I asked, still worried about what Martin had said.

"Then, we accept that fate, simple! What do you expect us to do now? Run or hide? No; that cannot happen. Atter this last operation, then we eliminate
your evil Uncle! l promise, James said confidently.

"l kept Wondering why you want to help me so much in killing this man? At least I have known you for a while; you wouldn't do that unless there
was something in it forr you. So tell me what I need to know, James."

"You are right, I didn't tell you", your Uncle was responsible for the death of my mother, a long time ago. Are you now pleased? And don't ask me
how, because it doesn't matter now", James stated.

My next question was going to be how it happened, but James had already answered that. If Mr Alex had killed a lot of people that way, that means
that he was worst than us, I thought.

"Now, you see, apart from just killing your father, the bastard killed my mother in cold blood and we can't just let these events pass just like that,
Willi. Prepare, because we leave at exactiy 6:00 in
the morning, James said and left the room, seriously banging the door against him.

All the while, I had stared quietly at him, speechless and shocked at what he was saying. If only I could turn the hands of time and change my past, that alone would had made me happy. How far I had come, to attain this level of wickedness, involving armed robbery and murder; it all seemed like a dream. Nevertheless, I couldn't turn my back on what was ahead of me, but l meditated on what
Oga Martin had said; it really scared me. I wasn't prepared to die before my time, but it was obvious that the part had chosen would surely lead to destruction. Then, for the first time in a long while, I fell on my knees and began to utter words, words I
never knew existed; words I had never spoken in my entire life. I rermembered God, but I knew, within me, that the prayers I had prayed did not get past the roof above me; something in me had whispered to me that the Lord had already forsaken me. I felt a
hand behind my back; that soft tender touch could not be forgotten. "Mama, I muttered weakly and I fell asleep.

The next day. We were already on the road towards Tenant road where Eliza lived alone as James had told me. We arrived much early at the place, at around 6:45a.m.

"Your faces are all over the media; I would say you have become Nigerias Osama Bin Laden,"a hoarse masculine voice was heard behind the curtains that hung in between the door separating the living room and the other room. lmmediately, the
one whom I had heard his voice emerged. My jaw clenched so hard that I thought my teeth would fall off. With my mouth agape, I stared in awe at the
businessman, Eliza, whom James had told me of. l never knew James had a twin, an identical one for that matter. they hugged casualy and Eliza quickiy directed his gaze at me, probably uncomfortable
with the way I was staring at him. "You look like you have seen God himself. Why that look on your face, boy?" Eliza asked.
I forced myself to look blank and, then, smiled prefentiously.

"l didn't tell him that I had a twin brother; maybe, that was Wny he was as.onished; but trust me, brother, he is to be trusted, too, James answered
immediately.

l swallowed back the words I had wanted to say and now stared at them both.
"James, you know my rules. I don't play this kindnd of game. You are wanted by the police and so am l; hope you know that?"

sure, but you shouldn't worry about him, he doesn't have a problem at all; trust me, James said, trying to defend me.

"l trusted you once and you betrayed me James; so, don't give me that. well, let's see it this kid actually has what it takes, the nerves, Eliza
said, smiling.

"Capon, it will be better if you didn't address me with the word, kid," I said boldly looking straight into his eyes.

"Shut up, William! Do you know who you are talking to in that manner?" James growled at me as though l was the enemy.

"Your boy wants to show some guts, even though he has the head of an agama lizard and the limbs of a mosquito. He seems more like a weakling me. Mosco!" Eliza called and l felt my lips quiver frightfully at the sound of his voice. "What was he going to do to me? l thought.

Seconds later, an exceptonaly tall young man emerged; his buttocks were unusually big to a man, as though he had padded them with some clothes. He almost had to squat for Eliza to whisper into his fat ears, then he left sharply.

My pulse increased; I kept wondering what Eliza was up to and I tried coming close to James, but he frowned his face on seeing me and l retraced my steps.

"You look lost, William; what is the matter?"
Eliza asked and smiled broadly. Then he sat on the sofa beside us and gulped in the glass of beer he had come out with.

Few minutes later, Mosco came out again; this
time, with a young lady on his shoulder as though he was carrying a bag of rice. He quickly dropped her and she landed with a thud on the floor. I watched her sob bitterly; her clothes were torn already, revealing her breasts. The bruises on her skin were much and I could see blood dropping down her torn dress.