Restless – Episode 200

Restless – Episode 200

® 18+ SNVL

© Oluwatosin Emmanuel Oyinloye

Unedited

09:45 PM

Bexford, Bethanna

Henry and his team left Benuit for Bethanna in a rented sleeper bus. The driver was left alone in front while the team remained busy with their work in the lounge.

“Anyone else seen another name?” Henry asked after a long time of silence. None of the team members answered and that meant none had seen what they were looking for.

Dave dropped the document in his hand and turned towards Henry. “I don’t think I’ve got any more names in this part of the document. I’ve been looking at different patterns that they could have been written but seen now.”

“Been also trying different patterns,” Samantha remarked from where she was. “Maybe the names we find here are not in any way related to the G63.”

Before that time, they had been picking out details surrounding the G63 force which Evelyn had mentioned to them. They had picked out nine names coded in the documents which seemed to be members of the force.

“Listen up guys,” Henry dropped the documents in his hand to talk to them. He waited to get their attention before he continued. “I think the names are definitely related to the G63 but we made the wrong hypothesis. The G63 mercenaries are not G63 like we thought. They are only nine people – six and three, and we’ve got their names already. We can assume that the men are divided into two different teams, one made of six and the other three. We just have to identify the members of the six-men team and the three-men team and know what their different purposes are.”

“You’re right boss,” Dave remarked, picking up his document. “Looking at it now, it’s really six-three and not sixty-nine. And I think I’ve seen what the two teams about.”

Everyone turned to look at him. He walked towards Henry with his documents but before he could start explaining, the vehicle stopped.

Henry got up to check through the window glasses.

“Evelyn is here,” Henry said as he walked to the lounge door and opened it. He lent a hand to pull Evelyn in. He let her walk in and waited to close the door.

“Hey!” Dave was the first to greet her as she approached.

“Hi!” She greeted back and then smiled at everyone. She took off her jacket and sat beside Dave.

“We got to you at the right time,” Henry said as he walked back to join them. The vehicle continued to move immediately.

“What has been discovered?” Evelyn asked.

“G63 is not a group of sixty-three mercenaries. It’s a group consisting of two teams instead, a team of six men and another of three men. Dave here is about to tell us what these two teams are for,” Henry made a recap for Evelyn and signalled for Dave to continue.

“There are different lines on this page that encodes the roles of the two G63 teams. I’ll read them out but you have to listen well as they don’t make sense as sentences,” Dave began. “G63 first, follow secure protocol, six, highest errands, eliminate, clean sweep.”

Dave paused and looked at their faces to see if anyone caught something from what he read. Apart from Henry and Evelyn who were trying to figure it out, the others looked confused.

“Would you read out that line again?” Evelyn requested. Dave repeated the line in the same way.

“The top keywords there are First, Six, Errands, Eliminate, and Cleansweep,” Henry pointed out after a few seconds of thinking.

Evelyn glared at him. “The first team of six runs errands to eliminate and clean sweep.”

“And what does that mean?” Samantha questioned.

Evelyn turned to her. “The first team is not just an assassination team also clean sweeps.”

“What is clean sweep?”

“In this context, it means every evidence that leads to why the victims were killed or who killed them is erased,” Henry explained and then turned to Evelyn.

“So if the six-team men carry out assassinations, what does the other three do?” Jennifer questioned and all eyes turned to Dave.

He looked into the page to locate the other line he had marked. “Here is it,” he paused to clear his throat. “G63 second, follow secure protocol, fall and activate protect, back.”

He stopped and stared at them for a while. Then he repeated the line. “I’ve been trying to string these together. Even though the individual terms make some sense, they don’t mean anything together.”

“Can I see it?” Evelyn requested the document. He handed it to her and pointed where the line was. She stared intently at it for a while before looking up. “It shows that the G63 is supposed to activate or protect something. But we don’t know what they’re protecting.”

“Let me take a look,” Henry requested. Evelyn got up from her seat immediately and moved to sit beside Henry. She pointed the line to him.

Henry stared at it for a few seconds before speaking. “I think it might make more sense if we rearrange the sentence. “G63 second, follow secure protocol, fall, activate protect, and…No, that doesn’t make sense.”

“G63 second, follow secure protocol, fall back, activate, and protect,” Evelyn made an attempt.

“Looks close,” Henry remarked and then squinted at the document again. “But the arrangement seems improper. Falling back should be the first step of the team.”

“Let’s try again,” Evelyn looked into the document.

The rest of the team, looked on while Henry, Evelyn, and Dave tried to crack the code.

Maxwell, on the other hand, was in grief, even though he managed to hide it perfectly. He was finding it difficult to take his mind of Emily. The look of regret and disappointment he saw in Emily’s eyes before she turned away from him kept flashing across his mind every minute. He began to wish he wasn’t the one who had to perform that part of the job.

“It could be: G63 second, follow secure protocol, activate, protect, and fall back,” Evelyn suggested again. She and Henry exchanged silent gazes, wondering if it could be correct.

Dave who could no longer stand watching idly moved close to them. The sheet was placed in a central position where they take a look whenever they wanted to.

“If it is activate, protect, and fallback, this means we need to find what they’re activating and protecting,” Dave suggested. “And then why falling back after activation and protection?”

“No, I think the arrangement is different. Besides, we shouldn’t have to start looking for what they are to activate” Henry countered. “This form of ciphered messaging always contains the whole idea.”

“Then, we have to look into it one more time,” Dave sighed.

“I should be G63 second, follow secure protocol, activate and protect fallback or maybe protect and activate fallback.”

“G63 second, follow secure protocol, protect and activate fallback,” Dave and Evelyn read aloud in unison.

“What does that mean?” Samantha stared at them inquisitively.

“Hutton Ryker and Elvis Kahn has a fallback plan. Most likely, a plan of how to live their lives after they finish their mission or a plan to escape if it goes wrong. Whatever that plan is, the G63 team has been protecting and will activate it at the right time,” Henry explained.

“And how are all these going to help us now?” Jennifer questioned.

Evelyn let out a sigh and hissed. “I messed it up. If I hadn’t let Lucas Perez die carelessly, he would have given us more information concerning the G63,” she said as she returned to the position where she was previously sitting with Dave.

“We have to find a different way to get helpful information now,” Henry stated.

“Nevertheless, I also do not understand how we’ll work with the information we have, just like Jenny pointed out,” Samantha put in.

“There are two people we can still get good information from,” Henry stated and walked to the center table to pick a file he kept under.

“Who remembers Hakim?” Henry asked after, returning to his seat. He was scanning through the file but paused to check if everyone was looking at him.

“Trip Jones’ friend?” Samantha asked. Henry nodded. “Yeah, he’s dead. What do we need him for?”

“You didn’t just ki*ll him that day, Sam,” Henry glanced at her. “You also extracted information from his phone.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember,” Sam nodded.

Henry picked out a picture from the file and raised it. It was a photo of a man. “His name is Seedorf. He was the one who led the rescue team to Hakim’s girlfriend’s apartment that day but you finished the job before he got there.”

He paused and passed the picture to Dave who was requesting it.

“I know him,” Dave muttered on looking closely at the picture and then spoke aloud. “He was seen with Hakim a few hours before his death.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Henry confirmed. He watched Evelyn take the picture to also view. “I’m not sure you know him, Evelyn,” he watched her stare.

“I don’t,” she shook her head and passed the photo back to Henry who then handed it to Samantha.

“I’ve been following Seedorf’s movement for a while and I can confirm he’s so close to Hutton Ryker,” Henry continued. “He was also one of the men who led the team to our base after Agent Steve discovered us. It can only mean he’s highly ranked in the Wolves. I’m so sure we can get some information from him.”

“Well, I’m not so sure here,” Evelyn stated. “Daysman was closer to Hutton Ryker and didn’t have full details.”

“You’re right, Evelyn,” Henry remarked. “But you see, Daysman has been in the FOX’s detention for months. But Seedorf has been on the field for Hutton Ryker. Without any doubt, Seedorf has much more information than Daysman can have. He would know some of Hutton Ryker’s next move.”

“So, we need to get to Seedorf now right?” Dave asked.

“Before, we get to that,” Henry pulled out another picture from the file. “There’s another person we need.”

“Agent Michael?” Evelyn widened her eyes in shock on seeing the picture.

“Yeah, Agent Michael,” Henry affirmed. “We’ve known him to be a Wolves mole in the FOX for a long time. It’s time we make him useful to us.”

“I don’t suggest we touch a FOX official. That would be breaking the law,” Evelyn opined.

“Working with a terrorist group disqualifies you from the privileges of a FOX official, Evelyn,” Henry turned his eyes to her. “Or do you have any other person we could get information from?”

Evelyn shook her head silently.

“Good, so we go after these two men. Seedorf and FOX Agent Michael.”

“How do we start looking for Seedorf?” Samantha asked.

“We’re not looking for him,” Henry turned his eyes to her. “I know where he would be tonight. We’re just going to kidnap them both.”

“Kidnap? That sounds interesting,” Dave chuckled.

“Yeah, we kidnap them. And it’s happening tonight,” Henry continued.

“Tonight?” They all stared at him in surprise.

“Tonight,” he affirmed. “We have everything we need with us here, we’re just split into two teams and move.”

____

Estaru, Benuit

10 PM

 

The sixty-year-old lady walked to the door quietly at the second ring of the bell. She checked through the peephole and was surprised to see who it was.

“Emily?” She exclaimed in surprise as she opened the door.

“Hey, Mum!” Emily managed to whisper as she dragged herself in.

“Emily, what happened to you?” The woman closed the door quickly and followed after the younger lady.

“I just need to get some sleep, Mom,” Emily replied, walking towards the inner section.

“Did you drive home like this?” Her mother tried to stop her and she fell into the three-seater sofa tipsily. “You’re drunk. When did you start drinking? And how did you escape the road officials in this state? Besides, why are you back from work by this time?”

The woman sat beside Emily on the sofa and held her back as she tried to get up. “You have to talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to say, Mom,” Emily continued in her drunken state. “I left him already. There’s nothing more to say.”

“You left who?” the mother asked.

Emily tried to get up once more but was held back again. “Who are you talking about?”

“Oli…ver,” Emily stuttered, staring at her mother’s face and belched. The woman cringed. “He is a liar and a cheat.”

“Oliver? You were seeing someone, Emily?” She raised a brow.

“He deceived me, Mom. He told me that he loved me but he lied,” Emily’s tone suddenly changed to a sober one. “I can’t forgive him.”

The mother sighed and pulled her daughter into a warm embrace. Emily began to sob.

____

11:45 PM

Around Agent Michael’s Apartment

Bexford

 

“We don’t have an idea of how many guards he’s got in that house,” Samantha noted, using the binoculars to have a good view of their target’s apartment.

Henry was in the driver’s seat of the taxi they had stolen from a cabman and she was beside him. They had gotten close to the Agent’s house and had their vehicle parked at a good distance.

“The security guards won’t be a problem,” Henry replied her. He was busy with the tablet device he held. “What we should worry about are the security devices in the house.”

Samantha sighed. “I think we should have taken more time to plan this kidnap.”

Henry gasped and stared at her. “Some hours ago, you guys were complaining about how slow we were moving. Now you want us to take more time to plan?”

She blinked and shook her head. “I understand the need for us to go faster and I was even for it but kidnapping an executive FOX agent from his house just looks like a suicide mission.”

Henry chuckled. “And you think I don’t know that?”

She looked at his face and shrugged.

“It’s here!” Henry exclaimed as a diagram loaded on his device. “Here’s the outline of the structure.”

“Is that for his Duplex?” She asked as she drew nearer to look into the tablet.

“Yeah,” Henry nodded. “Every FOX agent of his calibre would have an extra exit for escape in cases of danger. We just need to spot the section of his Duplex and we’d get the job done.”

“And you think the two of us can pull it off?” Samantha asked in doubt again.

“Yeah,” Henry answered, with a note of surprise in his tone. He tapped the power button to turn off the screen and then looked at her. “Don’t you trust me any longer?”

It took her a few seconds to think of her response. She finally let out a breath and a smile followed. “Yeah, I trust you.”

He smiled back. “So, just keep trusting,” he tapped on the device and continued to examine the diagram carefully.

It took a total of five minutes for him to see what he was looking for.

“Here it is,” he moved the device close to Samantha and pointed to a spot on the diagram. “Here’s the escape route, at the side. This place should be his room.”

He paused and thought for a few seconds.

“Your job will be to go into the building from the back and find a way to get here,” he said to her.

“Huh!” She took the device from him and stared at the outline again.

“It’s not far from the back fence. You need to memorize the directions in two minutes.”

“I’ll get that done,” she replied confidently and paused to use the binoculars again. After viewing it for ten seconds, she dropped it and turned to Henry. “There are barb wires around the fence.”

“Yeah, and there is a bolt cutter in your bag,” Henry pointed to the small backpack at the backseat.

She glanced to the backseat and then turned to continue memorizing the outline.

“Alright, I got it,” she returned the device to him a minute later.

“Good,” Henry took the device and locked it. “As an executive member of the FOX Corporation. Michael has three junior FOX agents assigned to him. That means these FOX agents are also living on that premises. But they’re not the only ones living there. He’s also got six other security guards living there too”

“How do you know the precise number by looking at the outline?’

“I don’t know that from the outline. I know that after monitoring the place for a while.”

“You’ve been monitoring?”

“Yes, I have. Since we knew he was the mole. I knew a day like this would come that we need him,” he answered her and tapped on the device again. “Now let’s get back to the plan. From this outline. The main building in that facility can only house Michael’s family and a junior FOX agent. There will be two or three guards manning the gate and three others off duty. It’s quite certain that I won’t be able to take down the two guards noiselessly. So, every other security officer would be woken once I start my attack from the front. By then you must have gotten into the compound.”

“What if there’s a guard at the back?” Samantha asked.

“There shouldn’t be,” Henry replied. “Because they aren’t expecting anyone but even if there is, it’ll be only one. And you can take him out silently with your gun.”

“You said we weren’t killing anyone in this mission,” she interjected.

“Yes, your gun has no lead bullets, it will only keep them unconscious,” Henry explained.

“Oh! So I have to get in first before you make your move?”

Henry nodded. “Yes, you must be in. That’s after taking down any guard you find there. After that, I’ll attack from the front. Once I begin the attack, you’ll get my signal and proceed to…”

Samantha followed carefully as he explained the plan to her. It looked easy.

“Lastly, I must say this. We should expect surprises. There may be more men in the facility than we think. Maybe one or two more. But that won’t be a problem.”

“Sure, it won’t be,” Samantha agreed.

“It’s time to go, Sam.”

___

Meanwhile, at a different location

11:45 PM

 

Unlike Michael who was in his apartment, Seedorf was lodged in a hotel with his colleagues in the Wolves. Evelyn and her team had to go past the security of the hotel and kidnap Seedorf from his room.

It took them twenty minutes before they agreed on a brilliant plan. They were going to use Maxwell’s tech skills and Evelyn’s FOX badge as their major tool.

“Before we go in, is there anyone who needs to understand the plan better?” Evelyn who was leading the team asked. She paused and looked at their faces but no one spoke. “We move now.”

 

To be continued