Private Lab
Ovic Incorporation
Noon
Dayo held his head in his hands. The migraines ground into his temples have got worse. It was the kind that stopped all other traffic in the brain, as if suddenly all had met with red lights. His vision blurred as he tried to concentrate on the simulation of the RNA structure of the virus. He tried shaking the pain off, but it only grew worse. He wobbled as he got to his feet.
He needed to find the cure. Time was running out. A glass of Lucozade Boost would rejuvenate him. All he needed to do was walk to the other side of the room. He took a step forward and lost the colour from his face. It was as if his heart had suddenly stopped beating and all the blood had run down into his boots. Then with another step forward, he crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings.
Asokoro
A
Down the dark sideOsunBangTemi could not help herself. Her jaw dropped to the floor as she stared at Elijah. He crumpled to the floor as blood spurted from his torso. He gave her a look that seemed to ask what happened. His confusion changed to pain. Tears poured from his eyes as he held onto his stomach. He mouthed a word that she could not place.“Go,” he said, louder.What if she carried him? Would he lose more blood if she did?“Go.”The man approached them. She could not bear to leave him like this. He will bleed to death.“Temi, we need to leave,” Alpha urged. She felt the buzz of the Celo in the pocket of her trouser.If she could lift him without making the injury worse...“Go!”In a sp
Location: UnknownOsun10:00pmUnable to stop shivering, he plodded down the empty and dark road. Aside from the moon and stars in the deep blue night sky, the street lights threw a warm glow. The cold did not cause his shivering. It was because of something much darker. When he rose to consciousness, he noticed the blood, and most of them were not his. He held a bloody arm that looked like he forced it out of a shoulder socket. Body parts laid all around him. He recognised the dealer's head, which laid on a bloody iron rod.His empty stomach lurched, and he heaved and hurled liquid content. He had rushed to his feet and hurried out of the black market, sliding and slipping on blood and body parts. The metallic smell of iron clung to him.What frustrated him the most was that he remembered nothing after he yelled, never. It seemed impossible for him to have ki
On The RoadOsun11/4/203010:00amThe autocab to Ibadan state left Osun as early as ten in the morning. Temi and one other passenger sat on each side of the vehicle, avoiding physical contact. Temi thought how hard it had been to convince the security of the departure park not to check her fingerprint.The other passenger hummed a music tune as he played a mobile game on his Celo. Temi noticed his Celo was bigger and oblong. Was this an older or newer version? Ire would have known. He is always up to date with the newest things around.Temi exhaled and pried open the Ibadan flyer in her hand. She read a brief history of Ibadan state from the top left of the first page. A drawn map of the city showed red lines showing major towns for the wealthy, blue lines for the middle and lower classes, and the green for the unpopular towns. Yellow marked popular spots and purple showed the Go
AsokoroAbuja2:00pm“I thought you were joking!”At her exclaim, Ire smirked. He had Jamal present everything known about the virus and how scientists and virologists have attempted to get a remedy.“Licensed virologists around the world have worked hard for the past year to unravel the virus. You, here, are thinking of finding the cure?” Esther barked a laugh. “Good luck. You will need it.”“I'm going to try.”“I hear you.”“I will be back in a few. I need to meet someone.” Richard looked at the door with a sour look. His slippers slapped gently against the tiled floors.Ire regarded him with worry. He hoped nothing went amiss.“Have Jamal call us if anything goes wrong. Okay?” Cautious, Esther
Area C police stationOsun StateAt about 2:30pm“May I read your prints?” The officer asked.Elijah hesitated. He would risk exposing himself if he did this. Perhaps Alpha might figure out where he is and come pick him up. What if the Mohandas come after him instead?“Your hand?”Reluctantly, he placed his hand over the red beeping scanner on the table between them. Immediately, it showed everything about him.“So you say you were attacked by a group of men?”“Yes, they locked me up and hit me.” He raised his shirt and showed his gun-shot wound for emphasis. The wound looked like a wound got from a burn.“Do you remember where they took you from or to?”“I think it was from Rivers State.”
AsokoroAbuja12/4/20308:45amIre hated mornings.They were loud and bright after a long, quiet night. Morning meant he has to get up and face another heart wrenching day without his family. What was the point? He could lie in bed for the rest of his life and–“Breakfast is ready. Esther has prepared fried beans buns and chilled milk.”Ire shot up from his bed. He could go to sleep later but first, food. He pulled on a t-shirt and wore his slippers.When he entered the kitchen, Esther served the breakfast and sat to eat hers.“Good morning,” she greeted.“Good morning.” He sat on the chair beside her. She filled the dinning table with a large bowl of fried golden beans buns, steaming cups of fermented cereal pudding called akamu,
Bicycle parkMiri RoadAbuja11:10amThey sat on a bench, watching people come and go. The air smelled clean and sweet, like lilies. A flock of doves landed on the grass beside them, pecking at some grains a little girl threw on the ground. However, the comfortable silence between them soon ended.“How did you escape the men?” Temi asked.“The guy who shot me helped me out of there. Apparently, the dealer wasn't planning on letting us go. He treated the gun wound too.” He noticed he became more fluent in lying. Elijah knew he had to keep lying to protect his secret. If she ever knew about that...She pulled up his top without another word and gawked at his upper stomach area. Flustered, he cleared his throat. The previous red colour had turned pink.“
Yomi's private office,Ovic Incorporation.Abuja11:28amShe slouched in the seat, Third dumped her in. Temi folded her arms across her chest, giving all three audiences a mirthless smile. The boring white walls matched with the boring white floors. The dull brown desk did not appeal to the senses either. While she appreciated the soft, elegant brown leather chair, her insides burned with annoyance. What annoyed her more was the looks she received from that evil, short man.It was like he could not decide between joy, fascination and pride as all three merged into one ugly expression.“Project Five One Three,” the man said with a happy sigh.“My name is Temi Johnson,” She affirmed. “And who are you?”“Wow! Look at this, we have another spunky Johnson.”“I aske