Every weak person can change into the strongest monster.

•|•|•|•|•

Kim sat on the cold floor, hugging her knees. Her black pencil skirt and suit had stained, her eyes were swollen and her face was dry. She didn’t know if it was morning already or how long she had been in here–in the dark.

A door opened and Kim looked up to see Seun. She scowled and looked away. She grumbled, “why are you here? Why are you keeping me alive?”

“Smart girl.” Seun smiled amused, “it’s your luck. You are very valuable to us after all, you will lead us to get rid of Tristan. How dare him try to ruin the brotherhood?”

Kim kept silent, looking away angrily. Seun smiled and dropped a plate of rice and stew at her feet. “Take, eat” he said, “and don’t worry, I didn’t poison it. I have to take care of my bargaining chip.”

Seun reached out to touch a strand of Kim’s hair but Kim slapped his hand away. Seun just smiled and got up. Kim stopped him, “don’t put too much hope on me. I doubt Tristan would come for a troublesome person like me.”

Seun smirked, “I beg to differ.”

Seun walked out and Kim hugged her knees tighter.

•|•|•

The previous night, Tristan arrived at an hospital to see Darren. Tristan paced back and forth outside the door. “Damnit!” Tristan cursed, “Kim and Iyke aren’t picking up that call, what the heck am i supposed to do?!”

Tristan sat down and just then, the doctor walked out of the room. “Is he fine doctor?” Tristan immediately asked.

“Yes, all he has are scratches and bruises” The doctor said, “he is lucky to have jumped out of the car in time, the results would have been fatal if otherwise.”

“Okay, doctor? Can I see him? Is he awake?” Tristan asked eagerly.

“he needs to rest for tonight” the doctor said, “he will be awake by tomorrow morning, then you can speak to him.”

Tristan nodded reluctantly and the doctor walked away. Tristan dropped his head into his hands and he began to think. ‘I can’t get through to Kim, that means either something happened or she is just messing with me’ Tristan concluded, ‘but considering Darren’s accident…something is very wrong. First of all, I need to find Kim.’

Tristan looked up, “I will have to go to her house…”

Thirty minutes later, Tristan was dressed in a formal shirt and suit pants and sat in his car with a phone pressed to his ear. “Kazeem, I trust you and I see you have potential.” Tristan said grimly, “I need you to track something for me, can you do it?”

Kazeem protested on the other side of the phone but Tristan persuaded him and he was given the job of tracking Kim’s phone.

Once Tristan was done with that, he got out of the car and walked to Kim’s house. He was let into the compound and he found out which flat Kim lived in. He knocked on the door and after a while, a middle aged woman opened the door.

“Good evening, who are you?” she asked cautiously and curiously. It was Kim’s aunt, Aunty Christy asking.

“Good evening, my name is Tristan Ogunkoya. I am Kim’s boss.” Tristan politely greeted.

“Oh, it is nice to meet you. Kim talked about you” Aunty Christy said cheerfully. She opened the door wider for Tristan to step in. “please come in. May I know the reason for your visit? Is there any work you need Kim for?”

Tristan stepped in and saw Mr. Jerry close by. He greeted him. “Honey, this is Mr. Ogunkoya. He is Kimberly’s boss from work” Aunty Christy said.

“Oh, Good evening.”

“Good evening sir.”

“Why did you come? Is there an important matter you need to discuss with Kimberly?” Uncle Jerry asked.

“Yes, you can say that” Tristan said, “is she at home?”

“No. She hasn’t come” Aunty Christy said suddenly worried. “I am feeling a bit worried, a lot of things have happened and It has been challenging.”

Tristan looked worried now. ‘something is wrong. I have to call Seun, he is my last resort. If he has Kim, I swear I will kill him.’

•|•|•

The next day, Tristan came to see Darren at the hospital. Tristan looked at Darren lying on the bed. “lucky you. Good job using your brain after a long time” Tristan joked deadpan.

“Stop being such a sore. I am in the hospital and I am feeling more cheerful than you.” Darren said playfully. Tristan was about to reply but someone opened the door and came in.

A tall brown skinned girl with skin color lighter than Darren came in with a flask of food. “You two will never listen” she said immediately scolding Tristan and Darren. “stop this dangerous game, you won’t listen. Do you want to lose an arm before you hear word?!”

“Deborah, calm down” Darren winced, “you don’t have to be so harsh about this.”

“Stop joking, you know how serious I am about this” Deborah said narrowing her eyes dangerously at Darren. Darren immediately kept quiet.

“Kim is nowhere to be found Darren” Tristan said thinking. Deborah walked to Darren’s side and dropped the flask in front of him.

“Damn it, Seun must have her” Darren cursed, “I left them together last night. I hope he doesn’t do anything rash to her.”

“He dare not because I will kill him” Tristan said immediately as he thought.

Deborah sighed, “the high blood pressure you would be giving mom and dad everyday would gave been enough to drive them crazy.”

“Don’t be insensitive Debby” Darren pouted. He turned to Tristan, “have you heard from Iyke?”

“No. If I did, I wouldn’t be freaking out” Tristan said, though he looked like he was doing anything but freaking out. His phone beeped and he answered the call.

“Tristan my guy, let’s drop all pretenses. You know I am from the brotherhood and you are trying to end us” Seun said smartly, “I don’t see why you try to ruin us instead of join us.”

“My reasons doesn’t have to be clear to you. Where is Kim?” Tristan said icily.

“Kim? Kim? Oh Kim?!” Seun played, “I have her, here, with me. If you want to save her, let’s meet and talk. Then can find out who between the two of us will live.”

“I will be waiting…don’t dare hurt Kim because I swear I will kill you if you do. Make sure I don’t see you at the company.”” Tristan threatened seriously.

Seun brushed it off cheerfully, “let’s wait and see who dies.”

Seun hung up and Tristan stared at his phone angrily. “That bastard. I warned Kim, I warned her” Tristan growled upset.

“So what are you going to do?” Deborah asked concerned.

“I don’t know yet…just take care of yourself Deborah and Darren” Tristan said, “I will handle things and get back to you.”

Deborah and Darren nodded and Tristan left. Deborah sighed, “I told you guys not to play this dangerous game.”

Tristan drove to his company and went to see Kazeem. He walked into a small office he had given Kazeem to work in. Kazeem was there doing as Tristan had asked.

“Did you find out?” Tristan asked looking at the computer screen.

“Not yet.”

“okay, do it quick. I need you to track a call that was made to me on my phone when you are done. It is very important” Tristan said.

“Okay sir.” Kazeem nodded. He suddenly found out where Kim’s phone was. “Sir, I found out where it was last seen. It was disconnected along Obalende.”

Tristan stared at the screen. “He went there?” Tristan said confused, “He couldn’t be there and even if I went, I might not find anything. That place is too crowded.” He muttered the last part to himself.

“Kazeem, track this call from my phone. Please?” Tristan said and walked to a corner, pacing back and forth. Suddenly Tristan’s phone began to ring and he rushed to it. He relaxed when he saw the caller and answered it.

“Iyke where were you?!”

•|•|•

Kim sat on the floor dully. ‘Am I really going to wait here? Wait for what? Death? For Tristan to save me? Would Tristan really save me? Will he be able to?’ Kim thought in despair. ‘I think I have to find a place out of here, by myself. But how…?’

The door keeping her locked in opened and two men walked in. “Get up!” one of them roared. Kim turned away in refusal so they dragged her up.

“Ah!” Kim winced as her sore ankles rubbed against each other. Her bare feet met the cold floor and she shivered.

Kim sourly followed the men who were holding her on each side. She looked at her surrounding and it looked like a warehouse. There were some men walking around and they looked just as sinister as Seun.

Kim looked annoyed at the thought of Seun. She was finally brought into a larger room with a brown table in front of her and several chairs. In the corners of the shadows were just boxes.

Kim looked up to see Seun and some men in the room. “Kimberly, it’s good you joined us.” Seun smiled sinisterly, “have a seat.”

“You’re mad” Kim spat annoyed. Seun chuckled and the men pushed her inside the room to a seat. Kim sat across Seun annoyed and crossed her arms. “you are not going to tie me up, aren’t you scared that I will run away?”

“You can’t, talk less of imagining it” Seun retorted smugly and Kim scowled. He sat on the table and looked at Kim, “You are an interesting woman Kim, your bravery is admirable. Just look at you.”

“I rather not” Kim deadpanned.

“and that is what I like about you” Seun said amused, “I have already made a call to our dear Tristan. You should have heard him, so worried about your well being. Bastard.”

Kim tried to hide the fact that hearing that made her relieved.

“Lucky for that Darren, he is alive.” Seun scowled, “he is very lucky.” Kim looked visibly relieved to hear that and looked down, letting relieved tears fall onto her laps.

“Ugh, stop being so sentimental. What’s so special about surviving? He is going to die eventually” Seun said walking closer to her, “just like you and Tristan.”

Kim looked up alarmed. Seun stood in front of her and bent to eye level, placing his hand on the nape of her neck and holding it tight. Kim flinched as she forced to stare at him squarely.

“What? Did you think you were going to survive?” Seun mocked, “silly girl. Now, do yourself a favor and start telling me everything you know about the brotherhood.”

“I know nothing” Kim grimaced and was met with a slap on her face. Kim froze in disbelief.

Seun clutched her cheeks tight, “tell me bitch, do you know? What does that Tristan know? Did he really kill Joel?”

Kim held Seun’s hands and winced, “I don’t know anything you bastard! Leave me alone! Ah!”. Seun threw Kim off the chair and she landed on the floor with a thud.

Kim looked up weakly at Seun. He stared at her maniacally, “tell me what you or else, I will not hesitate to kill you Kimberly. Don’t be stubborn and sacrifice your life for a bunch of people who insult you, tell me.”

Kimberly gritted her teeth, “I don’t know.”

Seun saw red. “Then die!” he kicked her in the stomach and Kim collapsed in pain and shock. She cried and curled up in a ball, clutching her stomach.

“Tell me! Tell me!” Seun said kicking her frenziedly. A man in the corner with a lean build and a covered face flinched on every hit.

Kimberly laid there sobbing after Seun was done. “Take her back and starve her till she is ready to talk” Seun said angrily.

The covered face man and another man went over to Kim and picked her up. Kim trembled in pain and she was carried back to the dark room with a dimly lit light now.

Kim laid on the floor trembling in pain and the covered face guy glanced at her before shutting the door.

Sometime later, Kim laid on the cold floor in pain and hunger. ‘Just look at me, dying for not saying anything. Why say anything when I know nothing in the first place?’ Kim thought, ‘you better come and save me Tristan. You owe me this one.’

Kim curled up into a ball when she heard the door open. The man with the covered face walked in and she eyed him cautiously. He squatted in front of her and she scooted away.

He suddenly grabbed her face and looked at it. Kim froze and felt calm. For some reason, she couldn’t feel any hostility from him. He seemed familiar.

The man suddenly let go of her and stood up. He ruffled his pockets and brought out a sausage roll and a sachet of water. Kim looked at him skeptically but he said nothing and left.

Kim looked at the food and cautiously approached it. She began eating and muttered, “thank you.”
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