The Angel And The Fugitive By Reginald Obetta

Excerpt from the novel, The Angel and the Fugitive written by Reginald Obetta.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

First edition. June 7, 2018.
Copyright © 2018 Reginald Obetta.
ISBN: 978-1386636045

Bin-Ahmed’s menace and popularity of Al-hida group grew tremendously, a heroic-villain, sung by people who believed in him and those who despised him as the worst creature unworthy of earth. His men had spread throughout the northern region and the South West, with few attacks in other regions and although, they were regularly killed in each designated attacks, they continued to recruit, triple times the amount of men they had lost to the soldiers from persecuting Christians, forcing them to give up their faith, join him or face execution. All the terrorists captured by the military never gave up their leader despite several interrogations and then, they face execution. The people that refused to be recruited, Bin-Ahmed used them to do suicide bombing. In his last raid, a church was holding an anniversary in Uwai state. Unexpectedly, in the power filled worship and praise, they invaded the church building with a bomb blast at the gate, killing eight security guards and in the compound. The congregation were severely scared, offering prayers in their native languages. They thought of it as stupid to escape when every entrance and windows were possibly guarded by one or two with a machine gun hung over their necks. The church senior pastor on the altar was the first Bin-Ahmed approached with a wicked smile on his face. The building was quiet, almost as quite as if nobody was present. When he told him to denounce his faith and follow him, which was his usual intro or face execution, the pastor spat on him and said he deserved to dine with the devil. He would only be a servant of the One who created and sent him and only Him alone shall he serve.

 

“Haha”, Bin-Ahmed chuckled.

 

“I have heard that before and do you know what happens to them? They simply give up because later, they will realise it’s all falsehood they have been deluded to believe. They discover their true self image and Forge ahead,realising also they had wasted a considerable amount of time. Nature has sympathy for no one, so as the One you believe who created it, the laws of the universe. You grab your destiny with your own hands and seize it, become the monster which nature has turned you into. I was once a believer, a devoted one who discovered his true destiny and never relented to grab it. You should do the same pastor and forgive me for the long sermon but I ask you again for the last time, in the presence of your frightful congregation. If you want to save them, denounce your faith and become me”, Bin-Ahmed finished.

 

The pastor concluded everything he said was false and was only acting according to the principles of the devil. He gave the same answer that he was only answerable to his Maker. Bin-Ahmed took his knife and slit his throat in furiousness. Other pastors there was asked the same question and when they gave the same answer as the former, he slit their throats. On the altar, lay their lifeless bodies in cold blood and he made the sign of an “A” on them with their spilled blood. He made that sign whenever he or his members ki*ll someone, they ki*ll in the name of Al-hida. He moved to the congregation and told them the same thing, some denounced their faiths while some did not. Those that did claim to denounce their faith were looked in the eyes by Bin-Ahmed and given a gun to sh00t those who clung to their faith. When he saw they hesitated, he took the gun away from them and say, “ you are not ready to become my disciple”, and shoots at them. Only a few was able to sh00t at their fellow members but they were still killed. They all closed their eyes while they shot, against his rule of shooting at them with their eyes opened. It was impossible as far as they were concerned. He spared the lives of those who still clung to their faith but not for long. They knew they would all be slain like chickens on his call but will die as martyrs.

 

“You are very lucky. I came here with the good side of me. I will have you all taken with me and given the very last chance of survival”

 

“Boss, she has refused to come with us”, Binai alerted. Bin-Ahmed took a glance, she looked at him with so much affection and kept that stare for a long time, anticipating a reciprocal from the recipient but instead, he looked with so much of a vigour of anger for disobeying his orders. At once, she recognised the familiar face. He was her ex-church member.

 

“Tafa”, she called his name. It was Rita. She and some members of her church together with one of the assistants were invited to the church for a two-day service programme.

 

“It’s me Rita”, she smiled at him but his response was awful and her smile was turned into an agony when she was slapped quadruple times on her cheeks, two on either sides. He didn’t want to remember his older self, the destructive self, his ignorant self that led to the death of his family. Anyone who reminded him of his past, perhaps deserved death. He turned away from her, Rita’s mind was as clear as the crystal. Tafa had been leading all the terrorist activities that had been happening. The monster she feared he was turning into, the rage had become a reality, in as much as she wished it were fantasies. Tafa couldn’t recognise her as a friend anymore but as a captive under her captors. He was inhumane, a Savage, a stone-hearted devil who lacked conscience and brutal, a predator pouncing on his preys.

 

“Take her away and lock her with the others in the van. We are going to burn this church and everything in it down”. The captives were taken to an empty warehouse by their captors late in the night, dropping them off by two black vans that conveyed them from the church premises. They had their eyes blindfolded, perhaps, to have the road that led to their destination, unrevealed. It was a strange place to them after their blindfolds were lifted, each of them paraded on their knees and hands tied to their backs. They stayed for few hours and encroached into the far night in that manner, incapable of sleeping, talking and when they felt uneasy, they called on one of their captors by hitting the wall. They return shortly and remain in mutterings.

 

Bin-Ahmed slowly entered with a short gun and knife, tucked in his trouser. The clock read 2 a.m., in a cold morning. The captives were feeling almost freeze to death. Bin-Ahmed laughed at them pitifully about their resilience in holding to their beliefs in face of death. He repeated the same statement he had told them for the second time. Some of them were able to pick up the courage and those who did not every victims and were killed by the shooters eyes opened.

 

“Very stalwart of you. You have earned a place in my army”, he appraised them. Everyone of them knew their fate almost at that instant except Rita still had her eyes closed and embedded in her mutterings. She was the only one left alive that wasn’t yielding to his request.

 

“What do you want us to do with her? “, one of his subordinates asked. Practically, Bin-Ahmed’s was indefinite about what to do with her. That was the first time he acted this way, not been able to pronounce judgement. He wanted to enact the same justice as he had done on others but instead, he was clear of it and left it in the hands of his men to decide her fate.

 

“Don’t ki*ll her but do whatever you want with her”, he ordered them and left. It was quite surprising of him, they thought but thanked him after all for the gesture, they were going to enjoy the opportunity. Each of them unzipped their trousers and took turns in raping her. After they were done, they took her into the van and drove her to a place where her body was dumped. Bin-Ahmed got a call in their absence, they had an important mission to do in Abuja and will be leaving the following night. He called on all of them to give them an address and for them to get prepared.

 

 

Story starts on Monday.