Beating The Odds – Episode 19

Beating The Odds – Episode 19

© Brian Ngoma

(Unedited)

Yohane’s advise to Cayn on most occasions was full of wisdom. All the years they had spent doing their business, they had grown fond of each other. The only time they found themselves disagreeing was when it came to women and relationships. Cayn had discerned that Yohane was a little devil in his prime. The way he talked about women angered him.

“You see how women are,” Yohane had said. “They are easy to manipulate once they are into you. It’s like they don’t think with their brains but hearts. Once you know that, you can never go wrong.”

“But is that a reason to take advantage of them, that’s how they are, they are women,” Cayn argued. “I doubt if i can ever do what you did in your prime years, we are different.”

“It’s our differences that brings us together boy. Anyway You are a man, trust me you will one day especially when you have a boner,” he laughed. “All in all, sometimes it can mean life and death and you will have no option. When that happens, i sure be laughing in my grave if at all i won’t be around.”

“That son of a Bitc…..” Cayn interrupted his own thoughts. He thought about Yohane’s words as he was turning around to face the female officer. As he faced her, he forced a grin and said. “I didn’t see you.”

“What are you doing there?” she asked placing the plates on the desk.

“I was checking out where i would spend the night in. Your colleague said to check here,” he stepped forward.

“Where is he?”

Jackpot! Cayn thought to himself. She didn’t see him put the man under the bed. She must have come when he was done. “He walked outside saying it’s hot in here,” he walked to her and checked the plates. “This looks good,” he smiled at her and saw her suddenly becoming uneasy. He knew he had her where he wanted her to be.

“Let me get something in the rest room,” she said walking past him.

He held her hand and said, ” Can’t we just have dinner I am hungry, whatever it is can wait.”

She looked at him her eyes dilated. She seemed weak and failed to say something. He got her hand and led her behind the desk. They sat down and started eating. She was awfully quiet like she was deaf. Cayn’s thoughts were on the guard, he knew anytime soon, he would be waking up.

“I am Monica,” the female officer finally talked. “I didn’t tell you my name,” she chuckled.

“Your friend told me,” he lied. “So how long have you worked here?”

“A couple of years. Up to now, i don’t get used to this place. Dealing with fellow women is difficulty mweh. Like that one you brought in, Eish. I can see we’ll have problems with her. She’s a knucklehead but i bet she’ll be humbled with the cell i placed her into.”

“Tell me about the same cell,” he grabbed the salt cellar rubbing his hand with hers.

She almost smiled but cleverly concealed it. “So we have a cell where we put inmates who are either old or mental cases. We call them the Wasted. Don’t judge me,” she said defensively looking at the way he looked at her.

“No,” he raised his hands in the air. “I’m just curious that’s all. Continue please.”

“So we put them there and if one of the inmates is a troublemaker, we throw them in there together with the Wasted so that they can babysit. No inmate wants to go in there i tell you, they have all started behaving,” she laughed washing her hands.

“I see. That’s some form of disciplinary method.”

“How about you John?” she rested her chin on her palm looking at him. “What brings a good looking man to this god forsaken place?”

He smiled and answered. “Stand in driver like i have said, I am not sure when the actual driver will be back but till later you have to deal with me.”

“May he never be back,” she laughed covering her face with her hands.

A phone rang in the restroom. Cayn and Monica looked at each other. They all had their phones with them. Cayn knew that was the guards phone. How stupid and careless was he to leave the phone on? He grinded his teeth.

“Isn’t that Banda’s phone?” she asked quickly standing up and running to the room. “It’s probably his wife calling, she usually calls him around this time. Let me get it for him,” she entered the room and found the phone on the bed. She got it and as she was about to turn, a hand grabbed her leg. She jumped to her feet and saw it. “What!” she yelled. She knelt down and found Banda weakly trying to crawl out. “Banda what happened?”

“He’s …..” Banda feebly said.

Monica pulled Banda from the under the bed and once she was done, she turned around and met Cayn standing and filling up the whole door. She saw a remorseful face. She wanted to scream and was knocked out cold.

“Damn,” Cayn cussed. “I don’t hit women, i never hit women,” he looked at Banda who couldn’t even move his hands. “I am sorry man,” he said punching him on his face.

He tied them together to the bed and got the keys from them. He closed the door and went back to the reception. He checked his time and it was 11:58pm. He and Sky only had an hour before everyone came back. That was the deal.

Sky was stuck between checking out Cayn’s mother and knowing who the other woman was. If she decided to do the latter, then she would blow her cover. She had to do the former but time was not on her side. She was now sure that if Cayn had done everything smoothly, he must be waiting for her at the reception provided there were no guards like they had planned.

“So?” the woman asked.

“What?” Sky shifted uneasily.

“Are you the one?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Oh please, spare me the drama i am too old for this. Just answer yes or No i don’t have the time to argue with you.”

“Who are you?” Sky was getting more nervous.

“Doesn’t matter but are you the girl?” the woman asked angrily. “That woman’s life,” she pointed at the corner on Sky’s far right. “And your life depends on me. Now are you the girl?”

There was authority in the woman’s voice Sky couldn’t help but notice. She even noticed how full of herself the woman was but whoever she was, She had to take the risk. Everything was on the line now. “Yes i am the girl.”

“Was that hard to answer,” the woman stood up and walked to the light.

Sky could now see her clearly. She was an old woman but not too old. She stood firmly and extended her hand to Sky. Sky stood up and could tell that this old woman still had the strength in her. The woman walked to Kayila in the corner and stood her up. “Poor woman, pray she walks otherwise you will have to carry her.”

Sky watched her astounded. She didn’t know what was happening. Was this all part of Cayn’s plan. She had to think it was, she convinced herself. “Can i help you?”

“No, i got this for now. Open the cell door.”

Sky quickly got her pins and worked on the lock. It wasn’t difficult for her for she was the master unlocker. She managed and turned around to the women. “We leave now!”

“Carry her,” the woman told Sky.

Sky got Kayila on her back and the other woman led the way. She slowly followed her. She couldn’t believe that the whole place was deserted. How much did Cayn pay them to make this mission so much easier? They reached another door which was also locked. She laid down Kayila and worked on the door while the woman kept watch. As soon as she was done, she carried her again and off they slowly walked down a hallway which led to the reception. There were two doors in the hallway; The main one which led to the reception and another one on the left, opposite the main.They reached the main door and Sky started unlocking it but it was difficult to unlock. She was struggling and panicking with it.

“I admire what the boy is doing,” the woman said looking at Kayila.

“Is this the right time to talk about that?” Sky turned her head to the woman. “Let me concentrate on this.”

“Just work on it i talk whenever i want to talk,” the woman said. “How i wish i my son was like him. Now god knows what he’s doing. He’s probably thinking of marrying that lunatic girl. If my oldest son was alive, he would have definitely broke me out here of himself.”

Sky was wondering what the woman was talking about.

“And if it’s my daughter, she ran off with that poor man,” she nodded her head. “Children, we just bear the wrong ones. But this one right here,” she looked at Kayila and went on. “Has an angel of a devil in disguise.”

Whatever that meant. Sky couldn’t get the door opened. The pins were all broken. As she wanted to tell the woman, the other door on the left opened and an officer came out. Sky and the woman all stepped back looking at each other. This was it. This was the end, Sky thought. “What are you doing here?” the officer yelled looking at Kayila on the floor. “How did you find yourself here?” he stepped forward and pulled Sky. “Answer me!”

The woman was standing on the side not knowing what to do. Sky was overpowered by the officer she couldn’t get off his grip. “are you planning on escaping,” he reached for his radio.

Sky bit his arm he pushed her to the floor. Angrily, he threw the radio at her and charged towards her like an angry bull. She saw the door slowly opening, Lo and behold, it was Cayn. The guard saw the smile on Sky’s face and turned around. He saw an animal’s face charging towards him and before he could clench his fists, he was kicked in the face he fell on Sky. Cayn went to him, grabbed him by the shirt and banged his head against the wall.

“About time,” Sky said getting up.

“I guess you must be the boy,” the woman looked at Cayn curiously.

“Who are you?” Cayn asked. “Who is she?” he looked at Sky.

“I thought you would know,” Sky answered him.

“You don’t have time, go now,” the woman told them.

Cayn walked to his mother and looking at her, she had gotten worse but it was definitely her. He couldn’t forget that face. He quickly put her on his back and looked at Sky. “Let’s go!” he started sprinting.

Sky started off as well but the woman was just standing. “Aren’t we leaving together?”

“No, you go. I am old for this. It’s for you the young blood,” the woman said. “As long as you get out, don’t worry about all this blowing up in your face. I will handle it. They will never find you.”

“Sky!” Cayn called her from the reception door.

She turned her head to Cayn and turned it back to the woman. “Who are you?”

The woman laughed. “Elise Hamuumbu.”

“The Elise Hamuumbu?”

“Yes. Why helping us?”

“Only one brave enough to do it. The warden and I are……. i guess you get my point.”

Sky smiled and started off.

“Hey young girl!” Elise shouted at Sky.

She stopped.

“You only have one life to tell him you love him.”

Sky smiled and started off again and caught up with Cayn. They reached where they had parked the bus and Cayn laid Kayila on the ground. He opened the bus and got in. A moment later, he came out with two guns in his hands and a backpack. He handed one gun to Sky together with a torch light and got his mother on his back.

“I guess we are not using the bus huh,” She said.

“Let’s go.”

They sprinted passing the small gates which were all opened except for the last one. Sky unlocked it. As they almost reached the gate office, Cayn told Sky to wait. He crawled to the office and could hear some noise coming from it. The TV was on. He slowly got up and peeped through the window. There was only one guard. He bent down walking to the door and carefully opened it

“You are here?” the guard said turning his head to him. “I guess you have gotten her.”

He recognized him. He was the one who let them in. “I thought you had knocked off,” he said. “Open the gate for us and is it arranged?”

“Of course, the car is parked a kilometre North of this prison. Here are the keys,” the guard handed Cayn the keys.

The guard reached for his switch and opened the gate. “Now, whatever happens once you get out is none of our business. If you get caught, don’t include any of us.”

“I’m not getting caught. Like planned i have to make this look genuine,” Cayn punched the guard on his face he fainted.

He walked out of the office and ran to Sky. He picked Kayila up and told Sky to run. They sprinted to the gate and got out. As soon as they got out, the alarm went on. “Let’s go,” he shouted.

They ran as fast as they could with Sky on the front. Cayn could only pray the car was there. He was with his mother and nothing could stop him now. He had worked for the past eleven years for this.

“Boss there is no car here,” Sky said her mouth slacked.

He was confused. “It must be here somewhere, check around.”

They heard Sirens from the distance. They ran even faster searching for the car. “There!” she pointed at a car.

As they ran to it, the police car approached behind them with it’s lights on full beam and one of the officers fired a warning shot at them. They dropped to the ground. “Get my mother,” Cayn shouted to Sky.

She dragged Kayila to the car while Cayn cocked his gun as the police car approached. He looked back and saw Sky hiding behind the car. He stood up and ran to the car and slid under it hitting his head on a metal. The officer fired another warning. He got his gun and shot it at the wheel of the police car causing it to swerve off the road. He quickly threw the car keys to Sky yelling to her to get Kayila in the car. He kept firing at the police car to buy sometime till he ran out of bullets. “I’m out,” he yelled at Sky. The bag was on the ground and he couldn’t get to it lest he got shot.

From underneath the car, he saw the two police men getting out of the car. They ran to the back of the car taking cover. “Surrender now you’re surrounded!”

He heard the car doors opened from the other side of the car he was underneath. He knew Sky had put Kayila in the car. He crawled to the other side and knelt. He raised his head to peep in the car and Saw His mother at the back and Sky laying low in the driver’s seat. Sky saw him but she couldn’t see his face.”Get in Boss!” she yelled.

As he opened the back door, one of the officers gun opened up shuttering the window which he was peeping from. Sky quickly drew her gun and fired a spray of bullets that tore through the passengers window and one of the officers screamed that he had been shot. “Boss get in we are in the clear,” she turned around and Cayn was nowhere to be seen. “Boss!”

“Limbikani!” Kayila shouted covering her ears. She was horrified by all the noise.

Sky looked at Kayila at the back and found her fidgeting and kicking the seats vigorously shouting ‘Limbikani’. She opened the driver’s door and found Cayn laying on the ground. She turned her torch on and saw his face covered in blood. “Cayn!” she cried out.

To be continued

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