The next few weeks, everything went smoothly. There were no attacks or someone threatening us. I was glad but Amir did not give up on the search for what Santino wanted. He said he was going to look for it, give him and tell Santino to leave us alone. I had laughed at his words. He made it sound so easy which it was not. Giang had still not find anything about Leonard Fernandez. There was absolutely nothing about Leonard but Giang was still trying his best.

School became more hectic since the semester was coming to an end. Terms papers, home works, tests and preparation for exams made it more tiresome. Mi Jin and Liza came to my house every weekend where we indulged ourselves into reading, chatting and spending time with each other. Those times, Amir locked himself in his study bury himself into work until they left.

Amir taught me how to use a pistol, the protocol and how to hold it. Almost every day, he took me to the shooting range where he said he had learnt how to use a gun together with his brother. His range safety office (RSO) then was a man in his late forties. I was excited and luckily, I learnt fast but hitting the eye became something I did not really get. I remembered the day I hit the eye, I had jumped to the sky and come back. As promised, Amir treated me out for dinner.

Sandra came every day except Sundays. My defence teacher was a petite Chinese woman. Sharon Chang was a Kung Fu fighter and teacher who own a school together with her husband in China. The school during her absence from China was monitored by her eldest son. Her appearance is such that no one would consider her to be someone who would throw a punch that could cause dislocation in few seconds. She was not teaching me the basic Kung Fu but just defense. I can't break my bones and have sprains just because of that.

Spring was over and summer had arrived with a blast of hot sun lights. Summer was not as hot as Nigeria. It was bearable unlike the scorching sun in Lagos that could cause you sun burn in few days. The semester came to an end during the first week of summer which was sorrowful and joyful at the same time. It was sorrowful because of the wonderful people I had met would go that to their various homes and towns and joyful because there would be no school for a while.

She dodged fast like a wind when I threw a blow at her face. Her feet made contact with my shoulder pushing me back at a force that made me stagger. I was fast enough to throw a punch that she blocked with her palm as I stood steady on my feet. Her eyes sharp like an eagle gave me a sinister look that switched on alarms in my brains. Our stances were perfect, our legs apart and shoulder pulled apart at a certain distance. I threw my leg at her hitting her hard on her stomach which the frown on her face did not hide the pain she felt. I brushed her next attack aside with my hand. The next few minutes, we threw punches and blows blocking each other's attack. It was fun more than I thought. When I threw my feet towards her knee, she buckled giving me access to through more punches which she was not able to block until she fell on the floor panting.

"Your defenses are better than before" She said as I held out a hand to help her up.

"Practice makes perfect you said" I replied pulling her up with a grin.

She panted loosening the cloth she had tied around her knuckles. Sweat soaked our clothes dripping down our faces.

"Do you practice with Amir or what?" she asked walking to the bench while I tailed behind her feeling the air flowing in and out of my lungs rapidly.

"No I don't. It's been weeks since I started. You do not expect me to still be lacking behind" I settled down on the bench as she did.
"You are a fast learner" she threw a bottle of water at me.

"Am I your final student for today?" I asked looking around the quiet room uncapping the bottle.

"No, when you leave, I take two young men" the tasteless liquid rushed down my throat cooling the interior of my body that felt hot.

"Sherifah was scared when I was teaching your husband's family defence. She tried but fear took over her motivation" she smiled at the memory. "She would seat here" she pointed at the bench we were seating on "And cheer her brothers both of them wanting to get her attention and impress her with their moves"

"Did they ever tell you what they needed the class for?"

"No but they were fast learners. I love them. You are pretty. That was the first thought that came to my mind when I saw you. I do not know where Amir had found such a pretty woman like you but I wish you both the best"

"So can I get my wife now?" Amir walked into the room, a duffel bag swung over his shoulder.

He was putting on something very casual not his usual suit. He must have gone to change at home before coming to pick me up. Sharon laughed at his words throwing her head back and forth.

"I will see you next tomorrow Sharon" I got up. "I will be back in few minutes" I went into the changing room.

I took a very brief bath, changed from my sweaty slacks and tank top to a skirt and blouse then used a scarf. When I came out, Amir and Sharon were talking. They stopped when they saw me.

"We shall meet again soon Sharon" Amir said.

"Bye" I waved at her as he drape a hand over my shoulder.

"How was it today?" Amir asked.

"Better, she said my defenses are better" I replied as we walked out into the summer day of London.

Gone are the days when the wintry air kissed icily on my face, the sky grey and dull splashing aloofness to the earth. The air was crispy sending vibes of cold and iciness to nature. The need for coats and gloves to keep the body warm was rampant. As spring arrived, the sun rays shone brightly with warmth and a promise of new seasons to come. Now, in the hot afternoon of June, we threaded through the busy streets of London with the dazzling rays of sunlight painting the world with its warmth like a new canvas with still wet paints. The heat of the sun beats warmly and gently against our skins. The need for face caps, light clothing and summer hats were widespread.

"Have you prayed?" Amir asked as we turned into another street.

"Not yet"

"Me either, there is a mosque just down there" he pointed at a direction. "We should pray before leaving for the shooting range" he beamed at me.

"You did not come with your car?"

"No, I didn't. I left it at home. I wanted to spend some time with you. We shall use public transport today" he threw a smile at me.

"That's will be nice" I hooked my hand around his arm.

We parted ways when we got to the mosque. It was a little bit after Asr so the mosque was almost scanty with people. After I said my prayers, I supplicated and waiting for Amir's message to come out. He said he was going to message me when he get out from the mosque. A day after I lost my phone to the water, I got a new phone. The exact same type like the former and my SIM card was retrieved. I headed out when I got a message from Amir.

On the side walk, Amir stood a hand in his pocket while the other scrolled his phone. He looked so different in what he was putting on, trousers and round neck tee.

"Where are we off to now?" I asked as we walk down the streets.

"We are boarding one of the buses to the shooting range"

The check in staff at the shooting range asked what we were shooting before I could answer, Amir said rifle. I was not expecting the answer so I moved closer to him and whispered through my teeth "Why?"

"Because you are good with hand gun. You should learn something new" he answered back while we were given targets, rifle, ammos, shooting glasses, ear plugs and earmuffs. I nodded in reply as we walked to a different shooting range.

"You should put both the ear plugs and earmuffs. Rifles are louder than hand guns"

I did as I was told greeting someone I was already familiar with. One of the staffs led us to our assigned lane where Amir put down our stuffs, hang the target and unpack the gun and a box of ammo. As he did something to the rifle, a dark guy walked up to us. There were other people at the shooting range practicing or learning how to use a gun. Every second, the sound of guns going off filled the air while I saw brasses falling to the ground.

"Hey dude" he greeted Amir.

"Peter, you still work here?" Amir asked shaking the guy's hand out.

"I have not seen you for years. Where have you been man?"

"Busy with life"

"I see" he looked at me.

"My wife" Amir said pointing at me. "How are your wife and kids?"

"They are fine. My wife Jamie is pregnant again" he said sheepishly.

"Congrats. Hayati, he is the range safety officer Peter"

"Hi" I waved.

"Hey" he replied. "How is your brother Ali?" I looked at Amir when the question left Peter's lips. Amir had a sad smile on his face.

"He is late"

"I am sorry for your loss" he pats Amir's back.

"Thanks"

"When you need my help dude, I will be right behind you" the guy left.

"Alright, there are different parts in a rifle" Amir turned back to me lifting the rifle up. "You have the stock which is the handle of the firearm" he touched the handle of the gun. "The receiver, bolt, rear sight, front sight, barrel, trigger" as he mention, he touched every part of the gun which my eyes followed. "Trigger guard, safety which prevent accidental firing" he clicked the safety "And magazine" he picked the magazine and fixed it to the firearm.

"Now before you can shoot a rifle, you develop a steady position. My steady position is standing like this" he stood with his feet and shoulder width apart. His left hip pointed to the target. I copied him. "Here you go" he gave me the firearm. "You have to hold your rifle the right way. How do you hold your rifle? You hold your rifle with both hands" he stood behind me, his build shielding mine from behind then held my hands. "The rifle's hand guard should rest in the "V" created by your thumb and forefingers" he showed me what to do placing my fingers the right way "Your grip should be light and the wrist should be straight with your fingers curled around the hand guard. Remember your non-firing hand is for steadiness and your firing hand is for support"

"Then put the rifle butt firmly in the pocket of your firing shoulder" he pulled the rifle butt against my shoulder "Grip the rifle with your firing hand. Your grip on it has to be more firm than your non-firing hand. Your trigger finger has to be straight" he adjusted my finger. "Do not curl it around the trigger until you are ready to fire. You can rest it on the side of the trigger guard or use it with the other fingers to grip the stock. Keep your elbow down and in" he positioned my elbow.

"Relax your neck and let your cheek fall inwardly to the stock" he positioned my neck and cheeks the right way. "Just perfect" he complimented with a little curve of his lips. "Relax your body" he pats my tensed shoulders to loosen the muscles. "Assume a calm breathing rhythm" I tried to do as he had said. "Your stance and the way you hold the firearm are perfect" he moved away from me to look at me while I smile trying to calm my breathing. "Check your natural point of aim. Align the rifle sight. Align your eyes with and focus on the front sight post. A correctly aimed shot has the front sight post, the aperture, the target and your eyes aligned perfectly. This is called a slight picture. Control your breathing. Now squeeze the trigger" I pressed the trigger and the gun went off. "That was good" he grinned.

"Really?" I jumped a bit.

"Now do that again"

I did what he had taught me again but he complained about my shoulders being tensed. After more shots which I had luckily hit the target many times, we left.

We ate at an outdoor café under one of those umbrellas that kept us from the sun. We talked, laughed and became playful a bit.

"Giang is coming today"

"Oh, did he find something" I chewed my food.

"Yes, he should be here now" Amir took a quick look at his wrist watch.

"What did he find out?"

"I don't know bu....."

"Hello guys" a familiar voice halted our conversation.

"Giang" we called our lips breaking into a smile.

"So here I am in the evening without my wife. Seeing you guys together intimidate me" We laughed. He raised a hand for a waiter who was attending to a man and his friend.

"You should have brought her along" Amir suggested.

"I wish but I can't. Okay" he became serious, his playful look going away. "Let's get to business. I found something" the table became silent even though cars were passing by, people were talking around us and the day was busy, the air around our table was eerie. Giang shifted his Asian eyes from Amir to me.

"What did you find out?"

"That man you showed me in the video" he reached for something his bag. "His name is not Leonard Fernandez" he brought out a folder and handed it over to Amir. "His real name is Timothy Velazquez" I grimaced. Giang hid a smile at the look on my face. "He is an American"

"But he had an accent that was not American" Amir said, confusion laced his face.

"You can fake accent Amir" Giang explained. "Timothy gave himself that name when he wanted to join a group of men. I don't know the name of those men but I have got their names in this file. What the group does is something I am yet to know but Timothy has a son who is his only child"

"A son?" I voiced out.

"Yes, a son Noorie" he nodded his head. "His son lives in Manchester. His name is Aaron Velazquez"

"That is not a problem. We will travel to Manchester if we have to" Amir said.

"I don't know but I thought you might need his home address. Everything you need is in this folder" he tapped a finger on the brown folder. "They are confidential and you have to keep them safe. Getting my hands on them was not easy" his gaze bore into mine and Amir's. "That's all I have for now"

"Thanks so much Giang" Amir said slipping the folder into his bag. "We do appreciate" he smiled which Giang returned.

"I enjoyed working for you both but if you need me, you just call and I will be here" he stood up.

"We shall" I replied with my famous smile. "Thanks bye"

When Giang left, there was quietness between Amir and I. We ate the rest of our food in peace both of us drenched in our thoughts.

"Where do you think this might be leading us to?" I asked as we left the eatery.

"I don't know" Amir said with an expression I have never seen on his face. His worried eyes were fixed on the road ahead revealing the conflicted thoughts in his mind.

"You have nothing to worry about Amir" I tried to comfort him but the look on his face said it was not working. Instead Amir sighed as a reply.

"I have so much to worry about" his voice was low and husky. "Because I just have a feeling that whatever we are searching for is not going to be easy and it might be something you and I might not like"

"Uncle Mubarak called" Amir informed me at night as I climbed into bed later at night.

"Why?"

"He wants us to come over during the weekend for lunch. He wants us to have launch with his family. He said his daughters' husbands are coming with his grandkids. It's been weeks since I last saw him. It will be nice to see everyone again"

"I am not against that. I have not seen them since our wedding. Is he the only one from your father's family who lives in London?"

"Yes, he is" he picked his MacBook from the nightstand. I got down from the bed. "Where are you off to?" he asked, his eyes on the bright screen of his MacBook.

"To the studio. I want to do little painting before coming to bed"

"I hope you won't mind if I come with you. I won't disturb you" he added immediately with his lips curled up as I gave him a knowing look.

"If you say so, I am fine with it" I made my way to the door while he jumped out of bed.

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