“SC, Alhaji calls for you. He’s in his office.” The messenger delivered his message and left.

Taking one last drag of her cigarette, she put it out and hastily threw a mentos mint sweet in to conceal the smell. Alhaji loathed cigarette odors.

Head high and shoulder straight, she made her way to Alhaji’s office.

Maneuvering her way through the crowd of drunk and intoxicated people, she climbed up the spiral stairs. Each step made her more anxious. Alhaji was unpredictable.

She hesitated before knocking and the moment he saw her, he banged his fist on his desk.

“Where are my bullets?” his voice was venomous.

SC swallowed, but kept her face straight. The worst thing to do was show one ounce of fear and vulnerability.

“Alhaji I can explain,” she said with a neutral voice.

“Explain what?” he yelled with an Hausa accent, “you were supposed to bring it to me before now but I gave you extra time. So where is it?”

“We were tricked by our intel.” SC explained.

“Then you should have made another plan.”

“I did.” SC said, “but this mission is a lot more complicated than I thought. I keep having obstructions.”

“Kill them all,” he said with finality, “that yarinya mahaukaciya stole from my land. The Gothium belongs to me. Everything is mine.” He rapped his fist on the desk.

“Give me more time.” SC stared at him while she said the statement.

“More time! More time!” Alhaji got up and adjusted his babban riga over his shoulder, “I’m getting irritated with that word walahi. You are clearly the wrong person for this job. I should have given Victor instead.”

“No,” SC shook her head recurrently, “Alhaji I beg you. I can do this.”

“You are making me regret it.” Alhaji continued, “I choose you because you’ve been making progress in your previous missions. I thought you could handle this one.”

“All I need is more time and I promise you, I will get them,” she guaranteed. “The bullets are at her house, I’m sure of it. I will get them for you.”

Alhaji said nothing for a few minutes as he went over to the window and stared, his backside facing her.

“Inemo,” he called her real name, “I took off the streets because I saw something useful in you. As a child, you were quick, smart and very attentive. I have nurtured you up until this very moment. Don’t make me regret making that choice years ago.”

SC looked down and nodded slightly. She owed this man everything and she couldn’t disappoint him.

“I give you three weeks,” he turned to her, “this is your final chance. By three weeks if I do not have those bullets, you will hand over to Victor.

SC looked up and nodded determinedly, “I won’t fail you Alhaji.”

“Let us hope so. For your sake.”

SC tightened her figers over the railing as her eyes danced around, glancing through the various activities happening down stairs.

Politicians and powerful people were the majorities, either gambling, discussing or having personal strippers attend to them.

Out in the open, they put up this family man and responsible picture but behind it all, they were cheaters and manipulators.

Sham Religious men weren’t excluded as she recognized some of the popular ones in Lagos. She couldn’t care less about them, after all, that was why Alhaji built this place. A luxurious private club where affluent men could be themselves without judgment. Alhaji called it a driving business. A very profitable one which she wholeheartedly agreed seeing how club members keep on rising on a steady.

Her eyes drifted to her knuckles, which she raised to her eye level as she saw faint lines of bruises resulting from punching the mirror at Dahlia’s party.

She cursed silently at Astrid for ruining her plan. Who was she against her, Alhaji Ali Maikasuwa’s best assassin?

She curled her fist tightly over the railing, imagining she was strangling Astrid instead.

“SC?” A vice said beside her.

“What is it?” she replied with a tight voice.

“The report on the two people you ask me to find. I have it with me.”

“Let’s go to the lounge.” She said and walked away, aware he was following.

The lounge was SC’s personal place in the whole building. A place to relax and reflect over her activities, without noisy distractions.

She fell to one of the sofa as she collected the file from Tayo, the guy who had brought the report.

“What is the meaning of this rubbish?” she asked as she flipped open the file, “this isn’t enough information.” She looked up to him in question and fury.

“That was the only thing I was able to find, I swear on my Father’s grave.” Tayo stuttered.

“Then find more, ask people. Dig deep.” SC flung the file to the center table. “If we have to defeat them, we need to know who they are and who they’re working for.”

She shut her eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. This whole thing was getting really annoying.

She hissed and patted her jeans pockets for a cigarette but couldn’t find any. She grumbled, “Where the hell is my cigarette?”

“Here I have one,” Tayo offered, which she accepted, “let me light it up for you, I also have a lighter.”

SC closed her eyes and took drags of the cigarette, exhaling from her nostrils and mouth until she relaxed.

“Tayo,” she called after minutes, “this isn’t progress honestly. This isn’t getting me anywhere and I have limited time to wrap this mission up. Find me something tangible.”

“I’ll try but it’s hard. I've been looking for records on both of them, but I’ve seen close to nothing.”

SC banged her fist on the table, earning a flinch from Tayo, “you look like a smart kid, so use your brains. Try to ask people about Astrid Baek and Wura Esho, stalk them on social media, try to interact and get me something useful before the end of the week.”

“I will,” Tayo nodded, “but I think there’s something you have to know.”

“What?”

SC bashed into the room to see Victor passionately engrossed with one of the strippers.

“Get out.” She said to her, who quickly scurried away.

“What do you –“ his question was cut off by a resounding slap across his face.

“You killed Mr Dimeji and his family,” SC growled at him, “Victor are you crazy? That wasn’t part of my plan.”

Victor chuckled as he rubbed his face, “you’re lucky I don’t hit women.”

“I will slap you again if you don’t answer me.”

Victor shrugged as he opened a bottle wine, “he wasn’t giving in to threats. I had to wipe him out.”

“No you didn’t have to. And his family? Why?”

“Why do you even care?” Victor snorted, “like you haven’t killed people before.” He took a sip of his wine.

“You were supposed to blackmail him.” She gritted her teeth and her hands twitched, eager to give him another slap.

“I did, but he was stubborn. He was going to expose Alhaji to the public, so I killed him and his family.”

“Victor this is my problem with you. You make rash decisions and don’t think long term. What if another issue arises from this?”

“That was why I wiped out his whole family, so there won’t be any surprises in the future,” Victor explained, “besides, shouldn’t you be worrying about your own  mission.”

“That is none of your business.” SC narrowed her eyes at him, “unlike you, I’m taking my time so I won’t make stupid decisions.”

Victor nodded mockingly, “that’s brilliant. Take your time. When there’s none left I’ll be happy to round it up for you. That’s what friends do right?”

“You are not my friend.” She emphasized each word, “and I will finish this mission without your intervention.”

“You know the reason you’re here right?” SC asked the lady in the lounge, who looked around uncomfortably.

“Y..Yes?”

“And you know there’s no turning back right? Because if you do so, I will have to kill you.” She said unblinkingly.

“Eh?” her eyes wide in fear.

“Each time you waste, your sick mum in the hospital gets closer to death.” SC told her, “the ball is in your court.”

“I’m ready.” She said quietly while fiddling nervously with the Hem of her skirt.

“Good.” SC crossed her legs over the other, “you’re to go as an undercover maid at Dahlia Kagabel’s house for a week. I want to you to return with a full report on the happenings in there. I want to know about Dahlia Kagabel and the people there. Remember, your mother’s life depends on this.”

The lady leaned forward and stared at SC, “you mean Dahlia the celebrity?”

SC nodded.

“Will I just go there? Or how will they employ me as a maid? What if they don’t?” she inquired.

“It’s Peace right? Your name?” SC looked at her for an answer of confirmation. “Everything has been taken care of. Tomorrow someone will accompany you there.”

“So I just have to work as a maid for a week? That’s all?” She raised a brow.

“Yes.” SC said as she turned to her, “but if you snitch or do anything funny, I will find you, and when I do, you will know the reason why I’m called Skull Crusher.”

Glossary

1) Yarinya mahaukaciya : Hausa word meaning 'crazy girl.'

PS: I'm not Hausa, so my translations are gotten from goggle:-)