BEGINNING OF THE END

★★★★★
 

Later that night when Christian chose to go home, Zayn saw him off to his car and they were having a serious conversation there. He felt like Chris needed to know what had happened to his brother, regarding what Yusuf had told him, but he disagreed with his thoughts not trusting his instinct enough to recollect what he was told. Yusuf never mentioned that he was dead, all he knew was that the man was shot. He didn't say whether it was on his head, shoulder, chest, or abdominal region.

"So, how is it you don't know where Jake is?" Zayn decided to start the conversation with something natural, seeming somewhat clueless but that was not what he intended.

"My brother, you won't understand," Chris sounded alarmed as he reached into his blazer pocket. He brought out his phone, intending to show Zayn the information he received the night he presumed his brother was captured by the army. "I think Jake has bought himself some trouble with the military." 

He scrolled through his phone until he found what he was looking for, then subsequently he passed the phone to Zayn. It was a criminal report, declaring Jake and his father wanted. 

"Wanted for assault, arson, theft, destruction of military property, and hindering war against terrorism." Zayn read aloud, staring at the photo of Jake and his father that ran alongside the report. He noticed there was not much difference between both brothers except that Chris had thick copper curls and jaded green eyes, and he had always looked bigger. Their father was a brown-skinned man whose nose looked like it had been broken a few times. He was not very handsome, unlike his children who Zayn assumed took most of their mother's features. Their mixed race from a white mother and a Yoruba father had done them good, he thought. 

"Stainless is your father?" Their father was quite a popular thief who went by that nickname. Zayn looked surprised, realizing that Chris and his brother were raised by their late grandfather who was a very wealthy businessman with multiple hotel chains. He wondered if the man was so blessed, then how come his son and grandson turned out to be wanted criminals.

"It's a long story." Chris whispered, resting his back on his car and folding his arms over his chest."My father was kicked out of the NDA even before he got into the military. He met my mother at a bar in Lagos. They were both broken people, a lot of things went wrong when they got together and they had us out of wedlock. My mum left in pursuit of her academics because there was no way she'd spend her life with a loser who was never man enough to put a ring on her finger."

"She abandoned her kids?" Zayn could not pretend like he wasn't interested in learning a few details about their past. It was a shame that they had been such good friends since their senior year of secondary school, yet he didn't seem to know much of anything about them.

"I guess being a mother and a career woman was too much of a huge responsibility for her to handle alone," Chris responded casually like he didn't care that he and his brother didn't have a proper upbringing. After their mother left, they had been living with their irresponsible father before their grandfather took them in. 

"What business did you say your father  had with the NDA?" Zayn asked, mulling over the thought of the wanted father and son duo. "Didn't get that part."He added, a bit concerned.

"He got kicked out of the Defense Academy for a crime he knew nothing about. Ever since then my father has spent his life stealing from the military, collecting history artifacts from their museums and resource centers across the country. He blamed the army for ruining his life." For that reason, Randolph Kuti did all within his power to seek revenge on the government and the army. That was why they hated him, why he was not the most dangerous criminal in the country, but the most wanted. He made them look bad and incompetent. 

"It doesn't explain how Jake got involved with them." Zayn looked thoroughly puzzled."Was he perhaps working for your father?"

Once Chris scratched his head and stared at his friend, contemplating what he was about to reveal to him."After we graduated from secondary school, Jake started stealing, he trained day and night to get better in combat. I didn't see it coming at first, until one morning in 2016, I saw my brother on the news. He made a big splashing headline. He was declared wanted for breaking into the army resource center."

"What did he steal?" Zayn had asked, crossing his arms over his chest. The weather outside was kind of chill. 

"I don't know. They didn't reveal." Although the boys had little relationship with their father, Jake worshiped the ground his father walked on. His desire to be like him led him down a wrong path. 

I guess my theory was right. It appears there is a connection between Jake, the army, the masked man, and the oasis. The system wants him alive for some reason. He couldn't possibly be dead.

There Zayn thought he had the answer he was looking for. He believed that the flash drive Hannan possessed contained some classified information that could piece everything together. That is why the man wanted it so badly. Now even he was curious to know the content of that device. If only he could lay his hand on it.

 He felt like there was no need to tell Chris what he knew of his brother's whereabouts, at least not now. After their discussion, they addressed each other warmly and shared one last hug before Chris got into his car and drove off.

*****

When Zayn got back inside, he was not surprised to see that Ahmad had slept off on his couch. Glancing at the clock, it was just thirty minutes past eight. He assumed the man had had a long day and it was only healthy that he slept early. He had to wake up early to prepare for his nikkah. He wanted to let him be since he was comfortable on the couch, but Zayn liked to honour his guest with the best of provision. So he woke him up and told him to sleep on the bed. They both shared the comfortable space with Ahmad on his right.

That night, Zayn tried to fall asleep but he wasn't at all feeling the need to sleep. He was disturbed by the message he had received from his father that evening. It was an invitation to meet him at the Sheraton Hotel.

He stood up and strode out. He felt that maybe taking a walk outside would help him relax. He was about to pass by the dining area, that was when he heard his stepmother scolding her son. 

"Menene damuwa ka (What is your problem?)" He heard the worried voice from the hallway that led toward the kitchen. "Just because the girl switched off her phone, you decided to sit here and trouble yourself over nothing." She sounded angry. He turned and strode their way. There he met Imran stooping against his mother, his head on the counter. 

"I will speak with your uncles about this. Your behavior is getting out of hand." She expressed crossly before turning around to get out of there only to meet Zayn at the door.

"What happened?"He had asked when he saw Imran rising and bringing his phone to his ears. It looked like he was about to receive an incoming call.

"Zayn, it's your brother. He had started again." Khadija had a sour expression on her face as she hoisted up her wrapper when she moved toward Zayn.

"I didn't do anything." Imran retorted and Zayn glanced at him, meeting his eyes briefly. There was an arrogant look in those eyes, one which Zayn had never seen before. He wondered if he was talking to the person on the phone or him.

"I was standing here, on my own." He gestured wildly. "Umma appeared from nowhere and began scolding me." He was going to finish his explanation when Zayn silenced him with a raise of hand.

"Shh! I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Mother." Zayn said gently. Imran took a few steps backward as he watched his mother from the corner of his eyes, telling Zayn what she caught him doing in the kitchen. It was embarrassing that the person on the line would hear that so he distanced himself from them and focused on the call.

 He had briefly explained what had transpired between him and Hannan to the caller when he heard her say, "That is so unnecessary!"

"What's unnecessary is that she wouldn't pick up my calls." Imran scoffed. "She has been avoiding me on purpose." He paused, sensing that his mother and Zayn had been listening to his conversation. "Hold on, I will talk to you later, Salma."He cut the call and started to walk away and when he was about to step out, he felt a pair of hands held him by his shoulders.  

Imran was at a loss for words when his elder brother pulled him into a warm hug as though he knew exactly what he needed at that moment. Even his mother was taken aback as well. She watched as the brothers embraced each other as if that would be their last.

"I'm sorry," Imran heard Zayn whisper in his ears. His heart flipped at the utterance. He wondered if his brother knew the kind of torture he had subjected himself to, all because of a girl who was so clueless about the mountain of love he carried in his heart for her. His lips twitched into a sad smile and because he didn't know what to say or how to even react to his kind gestures he just began to cry softly without making a sound. A warm stream of tears flowed down his cheek as he wrapped his arms around his dearest elder brother.

The three of them fell silent. No doubt they were thinking different things. Imran was thinking he shouldn't have tried to kiss her. Everything had changed from that day on. She had been trying to avoid him since then. He knew he had acted a bit unreasonable then, he sincerely didn't know what got into him. He had been living with the guilt from that moment and that was why he had been sulking over it. And the day before when he couldn't tolerate the pain of his guilt, he had resolved to shed some tears. He prayed that God forgive him for trying to commit such a terrible sin. Nadia had seen him crying and asked what happened and because he couldn't handle the depth of his emotions, he told her the whole truth.

As for his mother, she simply did not understand what was going on before her eyes. She was thinking after all she had told Zayn of his brother's childish behavior when he would hide and be crying, she expected him to scold him severely, not hugging and sympathizing with him.

Then there was Zayn, the man of responsibilities. He was thinking that he was about to make the biggest decision of his life. He knew whatever choice he made would only intensify Imran's grief, much like rubbing salt in the wound. He had thought about his uncle's words, long and hard and it seemed he had finally made his decision. This hug was his own way of asking forgiveness for what he was about to do and how it would affect both their lives. He wished he could tell him now, but he'd save the apologies for later.

When they broke free from each other, Imran could not keep up with the sudden surge of abashment he felt. But then he was grateful for having a great elder brother who understood his feelings and somehow gave him comfort in his time of need.

His mother's eyes did the most damage to his heart. He couldn't believe Nadia had told her about his feelings for Hannan and what he didn't do. To avoid the rising questions in her eyes, he headed to his room and locked himself up without giving any reason for his action. To him, It was too unholy to talk about.

His mother took a deep breath, then she turned to face Zayn."Don't you think we should talk to your uncles about him?"She continued. "Yesterday, Nadia told me she had seen him crying in his room. I don't know what is wrong with that boy." Her voice sounded disturbed.

Zayn reached over to wrap an arm around her, making his mother look up at him. "Why are you so worried? He's a grown-up boy, he knows what he's doing. Besides he has been over pampered which made him soft. He just needed someone to talk some senses into him so he'd toughen up a little bit." He felt his words might have sounded a bit harsher than he intended so he added, "Don't worry, I'll talk to him."

"What are you going to do?" She asked, studying his face. It wasn't surprising to Zayn that his brother would cry over such a thing his mother thought trivial. He had known Imran since he was little, how he'd cry when faced with a difficult situation. Sometimes he even cried when he was angry.

"I'll have a few words with him." He smiled, squeezing his mother softly. "Don't trouble yourself too much, I'll be gentle with my words." He added and meant every word he said. This problem was his to solve, so he'd have to step up and prepare a fatherly speech for his younger brother. Zayn was well aware that this would be the hardest part of his tribulation. Nevertheless, he didn't want to give up on his brother. If he should watch him make such a mistake, heaven would never forgive him.

When Khadija was rest assured that she had nothing to worry about, she prayed for her stepson. She reached to touch his head when he lowered himself. She kissed his forehead and felt his damp and silky long curls. She shook her head in disapproval.

"Dear, won't you cut your hair?" She asked, a bit concerned. Their mothers had this belief that too much hair could cause the men's head to ache. "It's getting too long, you could catch a headache." 

Zayn laughed, "Where did you get that from?" He pulled an arm around her as they headed out of the kitchen. " In all my years in medical school, I haven't read anything like that." She smiled warmly at that. Zayn accompanied her to her room and when he was content that she was safe on her bed he came out searching for peace outside.

It was already nine O'Clock when he stood outside, under the watchful gaze of the moonlight. He stared at his screen, reading his father's text for the second time. Zayn was a bit flustered to have received such an urgent message from his father. They had not been talking to each other as they usually did and that was because Zayn had avoided him for a good one week. In the message, the old man mentioned he was restless and it stung Zayn to know that he was the reason for this restlessness. He had abandoned him in time of need, recalling the state he was in when he left him, and ever since then he hadn't called to know if he was feeling well. He thought, how selfish a son he had been to not look over his desires and grant his father his wish. He chose to be a coward as long as it had anything to do with....he paused.

Putting his vain thoughts aside, he walked up to his car and drove off to the Sheraton hotel. He knew it was unsafe to drive around the city like that, especially now that there was an assassin on his tail. He didn't know when they'd strike. He hadn't heard from them since the past four days. He wondered what they were plotting against him and he equally had a plot of his own. He chose to wait for them to make the first move.

*****

Earlier That Evening...

7:30 pm

A sleek black sedan car was pulled up in the parking area at the Hotel. The chauffeur looked into the rearview mirror, observing his master's reflection. The old man looked tired and sick, he noticed.

"Another long day, sir!" He said the moment he saw someone heading their way. It was Zayn's bodyguard, Veem

The professor lifted his head to meet his eyes in the mirror with a tired smile. Then he began to say, "The media, the government, the organization related to drug development and law enforcement agencies. These nonstop meetings are beginning to wear on me. I was never much of a talker in the first place." He ended his speech with a sad sigh. 

"Your schedule is clear for the time being." The chauffeur informed him."Would it be all right if I asked for a bit of instruction?" The Professor gave a subtle nod to that and motioned him to roll down the tinted window.

"I want you to schedule a meeting with my son." Hassan said, passing his phone to his driver." inform him about my health, and don't make it sound too serious." With that, he trusted that his driver knew exactly what to do.

"Would 8:30 be okay, sir?" 

"Yes, that would be a perfect time."He said and watched him carry out his instructions. Then he returned his attention to Veem who joined him in the back seat the moment the door opened.

 "Speak to me, what did you find?" The professor asked shortly after.

"The boy was used as a test subject. He wanted to test his new drug on a human body." Veem said. He had been sent on an undercover operation to investigate the masked man. It was all Zayn's father's plan to have him play the role of a goon.

"If he sets this weapon loose, millions of people will die. It'd be an act of bioterrorism on an unprecedented scale." Veem explained, thinking that the masked man had trust issues. He had never disclosed his identity to any of his men. None of them knew what he looked like. After serving him for more than six months, he still wasn't allowed access to the laboratory where the drugs were manufactured. 

"What makes you think, he's going to release it?" Hassan's voice was monotonous. He knew the man in question, whoever he was and whatever he aimed to achieve, wouldn't be so careless as to draw attention to himself. "Once the government and the drug law enforcement agencies get involved, then it will no longer be our fight."

"Something major is happening in the city people have been disappearing without a trace," Veem had to fill him in on the most recent news headlines where it was said that some senior school students around the age of fourteen to sixteen went missing on several occasions. He had a feeling that the masked man had a hand in it.

The Professor stared at Veem for a while, pondering over his words, and then he asked, "Have you been checking up on the girl?" He meant Saleh's girl. He was aware that Veem had deliberately let her escape when he was hired by the masked man to abduct her. He was also aware of the flash drive in her possession. There were many reasons she was precious to him, aside from being his choice for his son.

"The girl is safe. I have my men secretly patrolling their apartment, mostly at night."

"You are sure no harm will come to her after all this is over?"

"I have never failed you before, I won't start now."

"Good, I want you to keep an eye on every member of the owl council." He instructed and watched as Veem's eyes went wide. Seeing as strange things were happening in the city, it was no longer ideal to protect Hannan from afar. The professor planned to have her under his son's roof where Veem and his men would do a better job protecting her.

"Don't you trust them?" Veem asked through a gaping mouth. He thought most of the council members were some of the professor's close comrades. Why suspect them? "I thought they were your friends."

Hassan chuckled at his reaction. "Even a friend of twenty years can stab you later in the back. Time is no measure of trust." He said and thought the only man he trusted died three years ago. And truly, he trusted Stein too, and he hadn't had any reason to distrust him but desperate times called for critical measures. He was forced to suspect everyone around him, including his very own allies.

When it was time for Veem to leave, he got out of the car. The professor called him and he turned to look at him. 

"Protect my son," There was something in his voice that gave away his fear. "Don't forget we can't be seen together, in case of next time. And my son should not know what we have discussed here." At that, Veem nodded in understanding and turned to leave. A couple of minutes later, the Professor stepped out of the car and walked into the hotel. 

*****

10: 15 pm

It took Zayn almost an hour to arrive at the hotel. When he walked up to the concierge desk at the reception, a female attendant was assigned to escort him to his father's suite.

Seeing his father again was like another day filled with tension. He entered the room in distress, afraid that his father might be lying sick on the bed but upon seeing him dining with an unknown man, that mood gradually changed. His father looked up and smiled at him as he approached them. He had every right to be mad at him but he wasn't. Zayn was a bit surprised that he would react like that toward him after what he had done. It felt rather awkward talking to him unlike before. He hadn't been the good son his father was so proud of. He felt ashamed for that.

"Baba, ina wuni(good evening, father)" He came forward to greet him and took a seat next to him. His father replied, still smiling warmly at him.

"What took you so long?" He inquired. Zayn stared at him and noticed his pale form. It might not be as serious as he had thought but his old man indeed looked unwell. That made his heart clench. He didn't like seeing his father in such a state.

"I didn't think you would come, considering it's already late." He heard his father say. He was touched by his words. "I was just about to go and sleep after having my supper."Zayn was unsure of what to say. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he noticed there was something different about the way his father looked at him. There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, waiting for him to please him. That hope had everything to do with her.

Hannan! A name that consumed his thoughts and gave him sleepless nights. Without second guessing it, he was soon aware of the reason he was summoned there. 

"You don't look like you've been bored in my absence." Zayn did himself a favour by shifting his attention to something else. He slightly waved a hand to the third person in the room. "You've had company, Alhamdulillah!"

His father looked at where he pointed, "That's Nurain, he's my driver." He did a quick introduction of his son. Nurain grinned happily, having met Zayn for the first time. His father spoke highly of him. His smile slowly faded when he didn't return the gesture. Zayn didn't have the energy. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Nurain told the professor that he was heading out to the room that had been booked for him. 

As soon as he disappeared Zayn returned to face his father, watching him as he ate. He hadn't seen his father in days and looking at him now, the aura between them felt different. Hassan had been unusually silent which made Zayn feel much worse, wondering what he was thinking. He expected him to ask about work or family just like he usually did but he wasn't talking and Zayn, on the other hand, didn't plan to start a conversation.

"Won't you join me to eat?" Hassan offered, passing a fork to his son. Zayn stared at him for seconds before taking it from him, realizing that was the first meal they'd had together for more than a decade. Then he knew that even he had to make some sacrifices. If indeed they were to preserve the precious bond between them. This was what he ever wanted, to be close to his father and the rest of the family. For that, he was willing to make a little sacrifice to bridge the gap between them.

"I didn't get the chance to talk to Imran about it," Zayn said, drawing his father's attention. "I feared I may end up spilling the truth if I tried to convince him." He completed the sentence and the old man knew very well what he meant to say.

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple," Hassan said in a quiet voice and turned to face his son. Zayn was not at all expecting to hear an Oscar Wilde quote. "It has always been easier to tell a lie than to tell the truth. How did you think I got by all these years? Telling him the truth won't do anyone good. Khadija would be the most devastated. I've seen her at her lowest. You won't get anywhere by fretting over it."

Zayn reasoned his father didn't get the message."Yeah, you are right." He nodded slightly, picking at his food, he barely even touched it. He could sense his father's gaze on him, feeling the awkwardness in the air between them. He had to get the conversation over with before he made a rash last-minute change of heart.

"Do you think I should talk to Mother about it then?" Zayn asked, his heartbeat quickened as he hurried in speech. He had never felt that way before in his life. Words could not explain how he felt.

Hassan looked at him with knitted eyebrows. "Talk about what?" He inquired. Zayn said nothing and stared at his father, a dull moment of silence passed. It looked like he was searching for the perfect words to deliver his message.

"Talk to me, Son." Curious, Hassan placed a worried hand on his son's shoulder. "Is anything wrong?" He questioned again, his voice tinged with concern.

 Zayn shook his head slowly. He lowered his gaze, unable to look his father in the eyes, and stared at the table before them. "I have thought about what you said for quite a while now." He began in a low voice." And I have decided to complete half of my deen."

"Are you sure?" Hassan managed to ask, the effect of his son's words made his expression settle back into a relaxed one and a smile slowly made its way to his lips.

"Yes, father, I have decided to marry Hannan Saleh." He stated with utter caution, and fully aware that from that moment on he'd move forward, never to look back on his decision. He had given his father his words. It was the beginning of the end for him.

"I never wanted to put you through any of this, I'm as helpless as you are," Hassan said, now feeling the weight of his son's burden. He knew this was the biggest decision of his life and it required great sacrifice to finally accept his offer. 

"My mind is made up, I can't go back on words now."Zayn didn't want to talk about it. His intentions were clear and convincing, unlike his father's. When he weighed the many reasons why he should marry her, they were too heavy compared to his desires. He knew if he didn't marry her, he couldn't protect her. This was the only way he could save his brother from committing the unthinkable while he perceived not.

Hassan reached for Zayn's hand which held onto the fork. He slowly freed his fingers, letting the fork drop softly. He looked at the old man whose cold hand was now placed on top of his. They stared at each other in silence, letting the eyes do the talking when the mouth couldn't. They remained like that for a while before his father opened his slightly trembling mouth to speak.

"It has been a difficult journey."He uttered softly. Suddenly, his eyes started getting moist and Zayn looked away as a single drop of tear rolled down his cheek. "No son, don't look away, look at me. I'm your father, I'm allowed to be at my weakest in your presence." He grabbed his right hand and settled his other hand on top of it, making Zayn look at him once more, it was getting difficult to keep up with the overwhelming emotions. 

"Father, you don't have to explain anything." He managed to say, feeling slightly uncomfortable and very conscious of his emotions as well, desperately trying to keep them in check. This certainly was not the appropriate moment to watch his father shed a tear. 

"I wish I could, Zayn. It's just so hard to pull out of it— the secrets, the lies and the creeping around and hiding from the media. It's getting more and more difficult to carry on like that." He lamented, knowing It wasn't that simple. How to verbally express his motives behind the oasis. He was not fond of it. But oddly enough, perhaps it was not that odd that the key to understanding himself was his love for his family. He wished to keep them safe.

"I can't rest knowing that the killer of my father is still lurking in the shadows." Zayn cast his gaze down, realizing he and his father had a common enemy now. Wasn't it amusing how fate continued to toy with their lives in the strangest ways possible? He almost laughed at the thought. He couldn't even tell his father what had happened to him in the previous week. 

"But my heart can be at ease now because today you've relieved me of a huge burden."He confessed, making Zayn look into his eyes. He could see the satisfaction in them. "By fulfilling Saleh and your grandfather's wish, you have completed half of my journey and even if I died today, I can never be more grateful for having a son like you."

"Don't talk like that," Zayn shook his head, a sad smile lingering at the corn of his lips. "You won't die anytime soon, at least not today. " He tried to console his father. He wasn't trying to play a hero, he was simply doing what was best for everyone else. 

Hassan rose to his feet, Zayn held back his hands from his grasp and was surprised when his father pulled him up into his warm coat and held him close to his chest for some time. He then started sniffling behind his son's ears, which compelled Zayn to wrap his arms around him. He couldn't cry even if he wanted to, he simply didn't know how to express himself, unlike his father.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could be a better father to you," He said and Zayn coughed and broke from his hold so they stood silent for some moment, each searching for something to say.

"You know, I'm the one who's supposed to be crying here," Zayn murmured, feeling strangely embarrassed by the man whom he normally admired and felt indebted to for giving him the very best of education. "Because I'm the one getting married and soon to be deprived of my freedom." He tried to make fun of the situation, to lighten up his father's mood which he succeeded in doing. But deep down, he was unhappy with the decision he had made.

Hassan smiled looking at his son with pure love. He hoped they could spend more time together after everything became normal, but unfortunately for him, he didn't know how long it would take to catch the villain.

"After Ahmad's nikkah tomorrow, I'll talk to him and Uncle Kasim."Zayn confided in his father, returning to his seat. "But I want you to do something for me."He requested, his father turned to him as he settled in the opposite chair.

" What?"

"Aliya is graduating in two months. She yearns to see you." Zayn thought he could use this opportunity to bargain with his father to return home. 

"Let me guess, you want me to attend it?"

"You must attend it because I promised her you'd come." Hassan looked down at his hands, his lips pressed together as he considered his son's words. His family could use some surprise package, he thought.

"Okay, I'll come."

"One more thing, "Zayn slipped Ahmad's invitation card out of his pocket. "You were invited," he placed it on the table.

His father raised a slight brow. "Ahmad wanted to give it to you himself." He explained and saw a slow smile spread across his father's lips. The reason for that was because Hassan had an extra invitation from the General himself.

★★★★★

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