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Chikamharida's POV.

We were both in the car, this time a different one and it was black, basic.

I was staring out at the windshield in thought. I was staring out at nothingness.

"You must be in a deep thought," Henry said, with a patronizing smile.

"I am." I replied while studying him. He was trying to help my life but he brought me into a very complicated situation, one I just found out has been going on for years. One which I couldn't just leave cause I'd promised myself that I'll make it big.

As I gazed at him, Henry rolled his eyes and chewed his lips, then I felt him sigh as he returned his gaze to me. "Stop staring, it's not nice."

"You're just... I-" I stammered, a blush pushing up my face.

I noticed a scar by the side of his cheek, same color as his skin— barely distinguishable.

He rolled his eyes again, but a smile softened his jab.

"You know what an information is right?" He asked me and I nodded, confused with where he was going.

"Information is useful knowledge. When you hand it over to the wrong person, it may be used against you but when you give the right person, it becomes an asset. I'm about to give you a very important information, Harida and whatever you do with it would determine the type of person you are."

Without waiting for my reply, he turned the ignition and the car breathed out life. Leaves whistled outsides when he rolled the glass down and I was somehow unable to concentrate on their gentle shuffling, like a scarecrow on wheat.

"You know," he said, putting the car on reverse. "When you asked me what I wanted from you, I didn't tell you all of it. While I want you to be happy and to achieve something great, I also need your aid in delivering justice."

A part of me knew what he was hinting at but I had to hear it in his words.

"Justice? How? On what?" I asked.

"You'll see," he said and stepped on the gas. Then the vehicle sped off down the driveway while I was left with a quizzical expression and more questions.

~

"We need something darker," he said. "And please make her bulky."

Immediately those words escaped Henry's lips, I felt a pair of thongs grab me and whisk me into the dressing room where another black attire was ripped from me from the hundredth time that day. The complain? it was too light. I swear I wanted to faint but I kept quiet ...and let her tug and toss me.

"Please be gentle," I said to whatever her name was while trying to itch my hair. Trust me, it was hard. I couldn't even raise my hand cause of the weight of the clothes pulling it down and it was all his plan to let "she's not my sister" dress me up cause he wanted to show me something important and I don't mean it in a romantic way.

She was quiet to my request and finally I realized why when I was pushed out of the dressing room and into Henry's view.

He was fighting a laugh but I wasn't.

"Please," I said after managing a step. "Leave us alone."

Then I went and sat next to Henry on the bench. It creaked and I barely fitted in.

"Henry, I don't understand all this. How am I meant to follow you if I can't even walk properly in your costume and why on earth will you inform her of our supposed break in?"

"She knows a lot Harida, so she's the least of our concern. As for your outfit, I'm already well known so I wouldn't need the disguise. But you do, obviously for security reason."

"At least make it smaller!" I protested.

And he snapped his fingers.

~

I always thought magic came in the form of witchcraft and hypnosis, never knew it sported dreads and wore an all black suit on some days.

Henry was a magician.

He didn't hypnotize me but he took me to a destination capable of such and that was the level headed beauty before me. Level- headed cause it was a regular shopping complex. However, vans had their own lot which was underground, where they distributed their goods for over an hour live, before returning to the outside lot or driving out.

Henry said that the lot was too dangerous, so we avoided it. We had to use the main entrance like every regular people which we did, quite comfortably, if I must say, that was until we took our goods to the cashier and Henry flashed him his ID with JZ written on it.

"Who's he?" The cashier asked with no inclination towards me but I knew I was the hot topic.

"An associate," Henry said with a deadly glare.

The cashier nodded and ushered us to the back so that we were away from prying eyes and before a door, same colour as the walls.

Henry flashed his card at a poster on the wall which beeped and withdrew into space. When we got into a steel elevator, it took me seconds to finally realize that the door actually sunk into the wall.

More buttons which Henry pressed and we began the descent into what Henry prized as an important information, but to me it wasn't. Rather, I viewed it fully as a corporal punishment and I wondered if they did it on own their own accord.

More steel and iron, stale smell of urine and rust; chains, cages and whips, all molded to one's faith.

The men were never in anything else. Just black attires or they were shirtless, naked.

The women? They were just a few. At least I saw three, lying helplessly on lean benches, hands shackled and limbs spread wide with remnants of their clothings subjected to a slumber by their feet.

Only the men moaned and if the women did, it was out of pain. I had to shut my eyes, but then, Henry had to lean closer to my ear and whisper. "They'll get you if you close your eyes."

My limbs were shaking but I held on. At least I tried to.

We passed the men who invited us for a runt. Henry politely declined for us both, his face a board of nonchalance, but I could tell from his stiff posture that he hated the place as much as I did.

It didn't take long till we arrived at a wider set of doors, which had two guards on it.

"Why the visit Danle?"

"Came to inspect the cargo."

"The guy beside you?"

"He's one of us."

The guy shook his head and sighed. "Zebra has ordered max security in all factories. Some insoles trying to reap the goods. We can't let him in. He either has an up or he waits for you."

"So my order isn't enough to take him in?"

"No it ain't."

"Alright," Henry said. "Well go get the up."

When we were in the safety of our car, first thing I asked was "Those acts aren't consensual, are they?"

"For those that signed up willingly, they are but for the others, I'm not so sure."

"I guessed so," I said with a humorless laugh as images of the least person I wanted to see started flashing in my eyes. ... Manga forcefully hugging me, and me declining his pitiful attempts.

"Harida. Harida? Harida!"

It was Henry shaking me and calling me out. I was clutching the gun in my hand too tight and somehow it was pointed at the driver of a van some distance from us.

"Some of those vans carry legal goods," he said, softly prying the gun off my hold and placing it on the chamber between our seats.

"How legal?"

"See," he said, pointing at a delivery guy, wheeling a cart of goods through the main entrance of the mall.

Everything seemed normal but I couldn't just let it go. I couldn't. And Henry seemed to understand my take somehow.

"So, this is what I wanted justice for. Inside there is much worse. My sister was among the victims and I can't let more people be. Will you help me?"

"I will," I said without thinking. "How do we start?"

"I've got a plan that may work. And it involves the child you're nannying."

"How?"

"She'll need to convince her dad to go on a date with her, the day after tomorrow, so that we can strike the factories and let the authorities in on it without her dad available to give commands."

"I don't think mr Bolaji is the one in charge. It's a Zebra. Who's he?"

"It's a she and she's Cynthia Jones," he said. "Are you in?"

"Of course I am. But I have one more question."

"Ask."

"Is there any other way that we can run the plan which doesn't involve Adele's risking her life?"

"I don't think so. With her father and her bodyguard, Adele is the safest she could ever be."

"I'm her bodyguard."

"You're not the only one," it took some moment for that to sink in and for bile to rise up my throat at the fact that I had a ninety nine percent chance of losing my job all this while without even knowing. That still didn't mean that I wouldn't protect Adele.

"I've got another question," I said.

"I can't tell you who her real bodyguard is."

"Why?"

"It takes away the fun."

"That's not the question anyway," I said. "What I really wanted to ask was if your sister gave birth to Adele."

"How did she know?"

"She doesn't know. I figured it out."

He looked at me, all emotions completely sunken.

"And how did you know cause that happened like fifteen years ago?"

"I just- I just..." an image of the diary came to mind. I couldn't let him in cause it wasn't my secret to tell. It was Adele's.

"You've gotten attached," he concluded.

"I haven't even-"

"You've gotten attached to Adele," he said with finality but I never failed to sense the hint of hurt in his voice.

Only when he started the car and I glanced at the crowd of shoppers through the tinted glass window, did I realize that I'd almost shot someone in my minute of rage.

And it didn't end there.

I had to blink twice to make sure I was seeing the right person.

A van, just parked three spots before our car had its drivers side open. And exiting the passenger side in his usual Sam Larry fashion was my brother, one of the triplets, walking towards the boot like he owned it. Or maybe he did?

"What?!" I couldn't stop myself from opening the door and waltzing out.

"Harida?" Henry called out. I wasn't listening to him. My muddled mind was as all on my brother who was dressed in a delivery T-shirt and jeans. What was he doing here? I asked internally as I hurried towards him. But before I could get to him, he'd locked the back of the van and it was already driving off.

Henry had to walk towards me and clutch my bloated wrists. I was still in my costume, and for once, it just wasn't burdensome.

I was pulled to a chest; no questions were asked. I could hear his heartbeat and I could feel the warmth from his blood.

He patted my back, rubbing gently as if to ease the pain.

Was I pained? I couldn't tell.

All I knew was that it hurt wanting to shoot a delivery man, and finding out that my brother was doing the same job without my knowledge.

It wasn't a case of misidentification; I could tell Garga anywhere— long bones, eyes like mum's. It just couldn't be!

~~~

An early update for you guys. Way to go babes!
And please don't forget to vote and comment.
—Em.