“So you want in on the action, Koni?” Rex asked, his feet up on the desk as he watched the two men in front of him.

“Most definitely, boss! Now that you got that little shit out of the way, I got a world-class plan that will be smooth as fuck! Benyi’s ma nigga, so I know it’ll turn out good!”

Rex smirked. The enthusiasm with which his American-born subordinate spoke filled him with some excitement. When it came to competence, Koni was good on his own. Benyi was also good on his own. So the two of them working together was certainly going to bring wonders.

“Absolutely! I trust you. Maybe if I had left this in your hands instead of that piece of shit, we’d be moving on to other matters by now.”

“Perfect! Just one brief request.”

“Which is…”

“Hyper realistic masks. And a silencer. We’re gonna need them for this one.”

“Oh wow! Looks like you’ve got a pretty awesome plan up your sleeve.”

“It’s on point, boss! And I know Benyi and I will pull it off effortlessly. That toad ass motherfucker and his bitch will be history by the end of this operation.”

“Magnificent! Sure, I’ll get in touch with our suppliers and get them ready for you.”

“Great! Alright, boss. Lemme step out and speak with Benyi for a minute.”

As the two hitmen stepped out, Rex’s smile lessened as he looked at the phone. It was time to call that client.

“That stupid fuck better not act all bossy and shit with me tonight,” he muttered as he picked up the phone. “Or he’s really gonna be sorry.”

***

It was a pleasant Sunday evening as the Evans family occupied the living room, stationed in front of their ultra-modern television, busily watching the latest episode of Date Rush. Barry and Barbara had not heard of it, but their boys were ardent fans all the way from the United States and had convinced their parents to check it out.

And with the roars of laughter that came from them, it was clear they were loving it as much as their sons did.

“Ah, but this girl too, where did she get that accent from?” Barry wondered out loud in amusement. “Isn’t she the same one who said she’s never travelled beyond Konongo?”

“Yes ooo! This one, it’s proper LAFA!” Joseph laughed.

“Serious! A proper ‘locally acquired foreign accent’,” Barbara added.

As they watched the said lady dancing on stage, Barry’s phone rang.

He looked at it. The number had not been saved, but he recognized it. It was Rex.

“You guys, excuse me for a moment and lemme take this call. She better not choose that guy in the white hat!” he announced, the second statement strongly seconded by his sons as he wheeled himself into the kitchen to answer the call.

***

“A very good evening to you, Mr. Barry Evan…”

“I hope you’ve gotten someone new who’s on the job, Rex.”

Barry was in no mood for pleasantries from this Rex guy. He just wanted results.

A sigh followed in response to his curt snap. “Yes, Mr. Evans. There is someone new on the job. Two, in fact. Two of my most trusted men. And they will be dealing with the said target tomorrow evening.”

Barry snorted. “Trusted men? Really? Huh, I can’t help but doubt your words. Well, I sure hope they’re efficient, at least.”

“Yes, they are, Mr. Evan. And I can assure you they’ll get the job done. You’ll have some good news by tomorrow evening…”

“Well, I had better! Coz your brand has been pretty shit, to say the least. Hopefully, these ‘trusted men’ of yours will get the job done. Or else you’re not gonna enjoy what you hear from me. Tell your men to send me a message when he’s done. And don’t you dare let me hear another stupid story.”

Barry ended the call, barely moved by the hint of irritation in Rex’s voice. No time for niceties and allowing himself to be spooked out by that guy. He wanted the work done, and there would be no tolerance for any report similar to what he had received from them.

“Let me get another rubbish report. There will be hell to pay,” he muttered as he wheeled himself back into the living room.

***

“Oh, really? That’s awesome!” Elisabeth gasped delightedly. “So you’re familiar with the famous Beehive Student Center?”

The gentleman seated next to her took a sip of his cocktail and nodded. “Was always there. Best place to get some work done. Had this couple I regularly studied with. Egbert and Marlien. Hehe, those two made my stay in the Hague an awesome one, that’s for sure.”

Elisabeth and Gilbert nodded as they also took sips of their cocktails. “What a pleasant coincidence,” Gilbert remarked. “Who would’ve thought we’d meet alumni of Liza’s university?”

“Say it again, Mr. Addison! Small world we live in for sure!”

Another night of fancy enjoyment at one of the classy restaurants in Accra for Gilbert and Elisabeth. This evening, they were at Santoku, and as they wined and dined with other high-class personalities, they encountered two well-dressed and very charming gentlemen.

Dennis Dapaah and Daniel Jones.

Both were decked out in Brunello Cuccinelli tuxes, which he knew to be extremely expensive. As they passed by their table, Gilbert asked them about their brands and where they acquired them from, showing interest in getting himself a tuxedo like that.

It was through that that he found out the two happened to be big-time business partners and owners of an established group of companies in the country. And Dennis, who had spent his earlier years in the United States, happened to have a Master’s Degree in Advanced Computing & Systems from Leiden University, the same school Elisabeth attended for her Master’s Degree.

What an interesting coincidence.

As they sat there, discussing school matters and business experiences, Gilbert felt a sense of satisfaction. This was what he lived for.

Rubbing shoulders with society’s elite and being able to enjoy the finer things in life.

It was totally worth all he had done to get there. Absolutely no regrets.

None at all.

***

“Alright, so we’ll call you tomorrow. Hopefully by 9 thereabouts,” Gilbert called to the two gentlemen as the four of them walked to their respective cars.

“Absolutely, absolutely. I’ll certainly be waiting,” Dennis responded cheerily, walking briskly with Daniel to their Range Rover Evoque.

As Gilbert and Elisabeth got into their car, he nodded and said to Elisabeth, “Pretty fine gentlemen, aren’t they?”

“Oh yes! Without a doubt!” Elisabeth gushed enthusiastically. “Such intelligent men. You should definitely look at doing business with them. They’re a potential gold mine.”

“Oh, I will. Most certainly. I’m calling them at 9 on the dot tomorrow. Not gonna take this new connection for granted at all…”

They were interrupted by the sound of an engine failing to start up. They looked out to see who was experiencing that unfortunate occurrence.

It was the Range Rover Evoque.

“Oh,” Gilbert gasped as he stepped out of the car. “Car problems at this time?”

Daniel grimaced as he stepped out from the driver’s seat. “Yeahh. So irritating. And to think we took it for servicing just last week. Ugghhh!”

“So sorry, chale. And at this time, 12:30, I’m sure your mechanic is asleep kraaa,” Gilbert sympathized.

“Then Gilbert, let’s give them a lift to their destination. Or a vantage point, at least,” Elisabeth suggested as she joined the men.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’ll just get ourselves an Uber and…”

“Oh no no no no, that will take time. Just hop in our car and let us take you to someplace suitable, then you can go home from there,” Gilbert insisted. “It’s the least we can do.”

Daniel looked at Dennis, then the two nodded. “Alright, then. We might as well. We’ll let the mechanic come for the car tomorrow.”

“Great! Let’s go!”

***

“Nah, I’m not up for Peesi Apartments. The reviews I saw were pretty damning. Room service was poor, WiFi barely works, electricity issues… they’re not encouraging at all.”

“Mmmm, I see. Let’s check out the other apartments, then.”

Gilbert and Elisabeth were busily discussing accommodation plans for their upcoming visit to Kumasi as they drove through the virtually empty streets of Accra, with Dennis and Daniel in the backseat. He sure loved cruising through the city at these times, when many had retired to bed and the roads were free.

As they drove past a couple of shops and moved toward a road with no streetlights and surrounded by a couple of trees, Daniel spoke up. “Uh, Mr. Addison, could I quickly take a leak around here? I’ve been needing to go, but…”

“Oh, sure, sure, don’t worry. Let me stop.”

As he parked by the side of the road, Daniel stepped out and quickly went to relieve his bladder of the stress upon it. Gilbert watched as Elisabeth dozed off, her head against the armrest. He smirked as he watched her sleep. This nightlife definitely tired her out sometimes, but she enjoyed every moment of it.

He began humming an Otis Redding song to himself, swaying his head side to side as he did. “Hey Liza,” he called softly, his eyes fixed on the empty road ahead of them.

“Mm-hmm?”

“Wanna listen to some Oti-“

A horrific sound cut him short.

The sound of two quick gunshots.

They sounded suppressed, but they were undoubtedly gunshots.

He looked to the side.

Elisabeth’s head lay limp on her left shoulder, with blood already oozing down her dress.

“OH MY-“

Before Gilbert could complete his scream, he felt the fierce tug of a thick wire against his neck.

Dennis was trying to strangle him!

He struggled as he tried to fight off the aggressor behind him. But the aggressor seemingly had twice his strength, and ten times more aggression.

“DON’T LET HIM GO!” he heard Daniel yell as he rushed in to help him.

The tug on his neck grew stronger with the weight of another hand pulling on the wire, almost causing his eyes to pop out of their sockets.

Choking as the men behind him pulled even harder, trapping his neck to the headrest, he continued to flail his arms about, trying to find any way to free himself from these monsters.

Barry sent these monsters, didn’t he? The wicked son of a bitch!

As the grip stayed firm, and the two continued to pull hard to squeeze the life out of him, his struggles grew weaker by the second. With the pressure on his neck unrelenting and the oxygen in his body running out, faintness took over.

His consciousness was slipping away.

Still pulling harder, Dennis and Daniel continued to force the breath of life out of him, finding it easier as his resistance reduced.

Slowly drifting off, Gilbert cursed his stars for running into these two evil men. If only he had known they were working for Barry. If only…

Fuck you, Barry, you selfish asshole. I hope you pay for this. I hope you pay. You couldn’t let me enjoy life? Fuck you…

***

Within minutes, it was over.

In the back seat of the Nissan Patrol, Benyi and Koni nodded with satisfaction as they checked the vitals of their victim.

No pulse. No heartbeat.

Mission accomplished. Gilbert Addison and his partner, Elisabeth De Mulder, were dead.

“Koni, ma nigga!” Benyi cheered enthusiastically.

“Ma nigga, ma nigga!” Koni responded with equal vim.

“Ma nigga, ma nigga, my muh’fucking nigga!”

The two quoted that together and completed it with fist bumps.

“Worked to perfection, chale!” Benyi sighed.

“I swear to God, my nigga! We were on point with everything! Chale, if only the boss had let you handle this from the onset instead of that dumbass pussy Romeo.”

“Hmmm, chale.”

“Honestly, nigga, that pussy was as useless as horse shit! I ain’t surprised Rex finally smoked him after that last fuck up.”

“Ah well, better late than never, chale.”

“Yeah, yeah, true. Well, time to clean shit up, take some stuff and move back to base.”

“Sharp, sharp.”

“Oh, by the way, did I ever tell you two of my niggas back in the day did some work for this bag of shit?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Manilo and Amigo. He hired them to beat up some nigga like fifteen years ago.”

“Oh wow. Interesting. It really is a dog-eat-dog world out here, isn’t it?”

“I swear to God, my nigga. I swear to God. Anyways, let’s get moving.”

So Koni and Benyi got the job done! Well, I personally don’t feel that sad for Gilbert. Barry’s gonna be delighted to get this news, isn’t he?