The Second Sight – Episode 41

THE SECOND SIGHT EPISODE 41

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CHINK IN THE ARMOUR

CHARLES BONNER

(gravely)

It is certain that she would die, and it is possible that her family would also be killed.

BOAT

(aghast)

God damn it, old man! Why the hell didn’t you tell me that hours ago?

CHARLES BONNER

I thought you had other vibes, that there was something you knew that I didn’t. I thought you were being guided by the Holy Spirit, but it seems I was wrong. It’s your gift now, and you should be taking control, getting vibrant and positive directions from the Holy Spirit, like you did when you tackled the demon in that Samantha lady. But, suddenly, it seems you’re not getting the right pointers, and I just don’t understand what’s happening, boy!

I laughed, and it sounded shaky even to my own ears.

I shook my head and stared at him.

BOAT

(stressed)

You people! What kind of games are you playing with me? Goddamn it to hell, what kind of stress are you putting me through? You overburden me with so much guilt and anxiety that I would be surprised if I’m still alive in a year’s time!

His eyes were flint-hard as he stared at me.

CHARLES BONNER

(calmly)

This is your destiny, son. Once you became an Unblind the lives of people rest on your shoulders. You must always be on high adrenaline, a step ahead of the most cunning and wicked principalities ever created. So, instead of standing there jawing and wallowing in unnecessary self-pity, why don’t you get a move on?

Once again we stared each other down, and this time no one gave in. I turned away from him and headed angrily toward the door.

He shuffled after me as fast as his arthritic limbs and the cane would allow him.

CHARLES BONNER

Wait up, son. I’m coming with you.

BOAT

No, old man, you stay right here.

CHARLES BONNER

Don’t be silly. Apart from the fact that you could waste hours trying to find the Okai residence, I must tell you that theirs is a private property manned by armed guards who would not allow you inside under any circumstance. But I know almost all of them, and they’re accustomed to me paying late visits to the Okais.

It was a long time after that, after we had driven across the length of Portville and entered a long stretch of dark road toward the Okai residence, that I turned to him carefully and asked the question.

BOAT

You’re coming with me for other reasons too, aren’t you?

He stared straight ahead, his head up, features still looking strong. He didn’t speak for a long time, and finally he heaved a huge sigh.

CHARLES BONNER

(tenderly)

Yaw Boat, I’m used to the hard lonely life, but suddenly you came into my life, and you remind me so strongly of a son I used to have, and whom I lost under very trying circumstances. It is all a form of sentimental nonsense, of course, but somehow I have come to love these few days I’ve known you. Not like a son, mind you, but enough. If I seem to be pushing you hard, it is because I love you, boy.

We were quiet for a long time.

His words touched something soft and deep within me, and I felt the tiniest ache in the core of my throat, and recognized it as what it was.

I was afraid that if I spoke my voice would tremble, so I kept quiet, and l loved him back … in solitude. It was a very special moment for me, and somehow it helped restore some of the confidence I had lost.

A long time later, when lights began to emerge from the trees, telling us that we were entering a secluded residential area, I spoke again.

BOAT

You didn’t answer my question, old man.

He turned his head slightly and looked at me.

I could not completely see his expression, but from the lights on the dashboard I saw enough to see that he was very tensed up, and very scared.

CHARLES BONNER

(cautiously)

The Legion has something on you, Yaw. It is something basic. I can almost touch it, but it is frustratingly out of reach, but it is tangible enough. It was running from you, avoiding places you were, but now it is willing to take chances, and it had become daring. It means only one thing: it has managed to get a foothold in your armor. It has found something – an omission on your part, or a kind of sin, more like – and this has made it bold. It will get bolder by the day, and I think your next meeting would not be as easy as you think. I want to be present when you meet again, because maybe I just might be able to get hindsight into its secret weapon and help you out. Satisfied?

I nodded and kept my eyes on the road.

But, suddenly, my fear came back violently; it was stronger, and it was smellier.

I knew something really bad had happened even before I saw the flashing colored lights of the police cars.

Bonner had directed me off the main road onto a broad stretch of side road that had not been tarred, bordered on both sides by trees and foliage so tall and broad that they virtually covered the road.

We followed it at top speed for about five minutes, and suddenly we shot out of the thick forest onto a breathtaking sight of double streets with brilliant street lights stretching along its length. The streets were bordered by exotic trees and plants. There seemed to be lights encased in glass enclosures on the streets, giving the road a dreamy beautiful look.

A huge billboard depicted Mr. and Mrs. Okai in the prime of their youth, faces smiling a great welcome. At their feet was a far younger Andrew, wearing a brilliant suit and grimacing into the camera in a silly attempt to smile.

The letters above the picture

said “Welcome to WebCity. And below that were the legendary words: Home of the Okais.”

We came to a sort of box junction manned by traffic lights.

All amber lights were now blinking simultaneously, and I slowed down.

BOAT

Which way do we go now?

CHARLES BONNER

Straight ahead. Left and right lead to their factories. Straight on brings you to their residence.

I stepped on the accelerator and soon I was passing a wide expanse of a man-made waterfall stretching along the length of the road.

It was so picturesque, even at that ungodly hour, that I slowed down and gaped.

BOAT

(awed)

Well, this is something isn’t it?

CHARLES BONNER

What? Oh, the famous Andy Falls. It was the innovation of their son. Has drawn a lot of praise worldwide and considered to be one of the best architectural achievements of the century.

I admired it a little bit more, and then it was behind us as I drove past.

A road sign popped up suddenly, depicting a steep curve in the road.

CHARLES BONNER

Slow down now. The bend is steep, and it will bring you right to the main entrance of their residence.

The tires squealed a little as I eased down on the accelerator and stepped on the brake pedal. I maneuvered the big car through the ever deepening curve, and then suddenly it was there … but not exactly what I expected.

CHARLES BONNER

Oh, Jesus!

I heard the old man’s groan of horror beside me, but I didn’t pay him any attention. My eyes were riveted on the four police sedans parked at the entrance, lights flashing. There were also about three police motor-bicycles.

A lot of uniformed policemen and white-clothed medical staff were moving restlessly around the grounds.

Even as I veered off the road and came to a stop a huge white ambulance emerged from deep within the premises, slowed down to maneuver through the human bodies and vehicles, and then it went shooting past my car and headed for the city.

I noticed that another ambulance was parked just beyond the gates, lights flashing.

It was actually a sort of check-point; there was a large structure that resembled a booth and had a lot of glass on it.

Barring the road was one of those electronic road-barriers which had a thick circular metal bar across the road, and could be lifted upward by electronic means.

At the moment it was standing way up, and my befuddled brain told me that it would be a long time before it came down again.

CHARLES BONNER

(harshly, angrily)

We’re too late! The Legion has already struck!

THE HORROR AT WEBCITY

A tall lean man in a Stetson and long coat was approaching the car; when he was near enough I saw that it was Chief Inspector Jack Frost.

I stepped out quickly as he came to a stop. He was holding a flat gold-plated cigarette case. He shook out a long slim cigarette and put it in the corner of his mouth.

He slipped the case into in inner coat pocket and brought out a lighter.

It flared, illuminating his perpetually stoic face, the huge bags under his eyes now inflamed as if he had not slept in years.

The lighter also did a disappearing act and he puffed out a great blast of smoke before finally fixing his cold eyes on me.

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

(quietly)

So we meet again, Mr. Boat. May I ask what you’re doing here?

Pastor Bonner was suddenly standing beside the policeman.

I had not been aware that he was getting out of the car.

CHARLES BONNER

I asked him to bring me here. Mr. Okai senior and I had some discussions to conclude.

Frost looked at his wristwatch significantly.

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

At one o’clock in the morning?

The old man didn’t bat an eye.

CHARLES BONNER

Yes, we prefer it that way. I don’t see anything wrong with that. May I ask what is going on here? Did something bad happen?

Frost’s eyes were boring into me, and he was quiet for a while.

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

Yes, something really bad happened. Seems something

really bad happened to Mrs. Okai, and she took a gun and blasted three security guards dead. That was after she had woken up around midnight, slit her husband’s throat whilst he slept, stabbed her personal servant about forty times, and tried to spill the intestines of her son with a kitchen knife when he tried to stop her. Summary: Mr. Okai, three security guards, one servant all dead. Mr. Okai junior in hospital now, receiving treatment for knife wounds on the hands and the stomach. It is my guess that he freaked out when his mother took after him, and after receiving a few scratches he hid himself. He called the police, incidentally.

I held on tightly to my open door as I felt the weakness assailing me.

CHARLES BONNER

(with horror)

Oh, dear sweet Lord!

Bonner was trembling wildly as he reached for the car to steady himself.

BOAT

(tightly)

And where is she? Did you get Mrs. Okai?

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

No. Apparently she drove out of here in a Mercedes. We’ve sent out the license number but haven’t received any information yet about her whereabouts. A high alert has been put out for her, and we shall have her soon, I’m sure.

A pudgy figure approached.

It was the overweight Kweku Abbiw, licking his lips as usual and poking his little pink tongue out.

He gave me a disdainful look before turning his attention to Frost.

He spoke as if he was presenting a major trophy to the President.

SERGEANT ABBIW

They found the car abandoned right in the middle of the road in front of Mickey’s Aquariums. Mickey Asamoah’s place is downtown, you know, near the Jamaican settlements.

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

And Mrs. Okai?

SERGEANT ABBIW

No sign of her yet.

Debasement!

The word exploded in my brain, and for a horrible moment it made me so weak that I was scared I would fall down.

There it was again, the sharp pains racking my body, the terrible odour of rotten bones and stale sewers … debasement!

The woman was going to be debased as retribution.

The Legion was going to make her do horrible things as punishment!

I didn’t know why, but I knew !

It was strong in me, filling me, exploding out…

A disgraced life, a humiliated existence for the minion who had not been able to carry out a little assignment she had been given, and allowed me to intervene.

Pastor Anderson should have been a dead man if she had lived up to her part of the bargain and kept me fully occupied, but she had failed, and I had chased away the demons, and for that she would pay the most terrible of retributions.

First her family, then there would be debasement, and then the scandal which would be so rotten that it would hit the ceiling and spread everywhere, tarnishing her name and hard-earned reputation forever!

Debasement.

Evil at its finest…Legion style!

Such wickedness!

I coughed, and slowly my vision stabled, and the awful scent slowly lessened, giving me welcomed relief from the agony of holding my breath for so long.

I spoke, and the words seemed to tumble out.

I felt a splitting headache, and suddenly sweat poured off my face in torrents.

BOAT

(softly)

You’ll find her at a seedy place. She’ll be where sin is, someplace with dirty music, bad dancing, alcohol, and especially where there’s cheap sex … it could be a whore house, a bar, restaurant, hotel. Find the ugliest joint around. She’ll be there!

I dug out my handkerchief and wiped my face.

Frost slowly dropped his cigarette and stomped on it, his eyes narrowed now and roving intensely over my face.

SERGEANT ABBIW

(contemptuously)

What the f**k is this clown babbling about? Are you mad? Jesus, do you really begin to grasp what happened here, you screwball? Just –

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

(acidly)

Shut up, Kweku. Do you realize he just described the Kitty-Pussi Club ? It is the new joint in town, located on the border between Portville and Takoraid. It would not have been tolerated in the middle of either town, but its location, just on the outskirt of the towns, has served it well. That filthy place caters for a variety of sick perversions, so I’ve heard. A lot of people have clamoured for its closure, but the rumour is that its clientele includes high-powered people from both towns who are protecting it. Owned by a woman called Sophia Christy, but I believe she’s just a front. I smell drug money in the whole thing. But tell me, how do you know Mrs. Okai would be there, Mr. Yaw Boat?

I stared back at him.

Five people were dead in one night alone, and somehow I was to be blamed for that. It was time to get my priorities right, as Bonner had said.

It was time to force a showdown with that vile collection of demons.

I had allowed the Legion to operate on its own laws of waste, destruction and death for long enough. The time had come for me to take the upper hand and be on its tail.

BOAT

(quietly)

I know. I can’t explain to you. I don’t even fully understand it myself, but she’s there. We’re wasting time; get me there!”

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

It is about an hour’s drive from here. You could follow us in your car, but be reminded that I won’t take any interference from you. This is a police operation, and you’re merely coming around for the ride, got it?

I stared at him hard, and I went close until we were eye to eye. He was a hard man, and there was only one kind of attitude that he understood.

BOAT

(acidly, fiercely)

What do you think this is? One of your usual psychotic murders? A demented and bored housewife, certainly drunk, probably doped up, driven to the outer limits of self-endurance and suddenly decides to ki*ll five people?

He stared right back and didn’t bat an eyelid.

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

(coldly)

Happens all the time, dude, and it will surprise you how original some of them could get.

BOAT

(hissing fiercely)

Well, this isn’t one of them!” This is an entirely different playing field, Mr. Frost, and I assure you that it is a game you’ve never really played before, nor wish to ever play, believe me. I don’t know how you’ll do it, but I think you should better make sure that I alone should deal with Mrs. Okai when we find her.

He spat near my shoes, uncomfortably close, missing the top of my shoe by the barest distance, and pointed a rigid finger at me

CHIEF INSPECTOR FROST

(angrily)

Bulldog sh*t! Boy, you better behave yourself if you don’t want me to drag your a$$ right now to one of my bloody cells. You stay the sh*t out of this. Any trouble from you, and I promise you’ll live to regret it. Get my f****ng flow?

I didn’t argue any more, and a moment later I followed the wailing sirens and flashing lights of the police sedans as we pulled out and trod on the accelerators.

Another huge billboard on the main entrance told us that we were leaving WebCity, home of the Okais, and that they hoped we enjoyed our stay and to please come back again.

 

To be continued…

©Aaron Ansah – Agyeman

All Rights Reserved.

 

 

ALL EPISODES OF THE SECOND SIGHT