This is a passion work. So, I would really appreciate it if you leave behind a review when you're done reading.
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CH49: SHOCK INTERROGATION
Korede placed Chidozie Agbu on a chair before waking him up with another needle-shot. The Smuggler woke up slowly. After getting his bearings, he became alarmed.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Definitely not who you were expecting." Korede responded.
"How did you know about the deal? The security words?" Chidozie asked.
"Sorry, I'm not here to answer your questions. You are here to answer mine." Korede replied causing the Smuggler to shut his mouth.
"I heard the NDz have a drug deal planned with the A4 and Saints. I want to know where you arranged for the deal to take place." Korede continued.
Chidozie suddenly burst into laughter. "So you're a cop? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a legitimate businessman. Even if I do know what you're talking about, why should I tell you? Go to hell." He refused.
Korede wasn't the least bit surprised. It would have been odd if Chidozie talked without a little 'push'. Korede smile and placed his Beretta M9 pistol on the table. Chidozie flinched a bit.
Even though he was an Underboss in the NDz, he was an intellectual type. He lets others do the physical heavy lifting for him. Thus, he was rarely involved in the physical exchanges or dangerous gunfights of the gang.
"You're a Cop. You can't threaten me with a gun. I have rights."
The smile on Korede's face grew wider. Wide enough that it was creepy. Creepy enough that it scared his captive.
"Look around you. Does this look like a police station? Did I ever tell you I was a Cop?"
Chidozie looked around and finally realised that he wasn't in a police station but rather an apartment made to look like an interrogation room.
"Besides, I don't plan on shooting you. At least not yet anyway." Korede continued. "I heard the reason you got so good at smuggling is so you could facilitate your drug habit. Now, I'm interested in seeing how much cocaine you can snort before you feel like telling me what I want to know."
Korede brought out a bag of cocaine from the bag by the table. The same bag containing the contents of Chidozie's safe. He made a small hole in it with a knife and created multiple lines of the drug on the table. Then, he placed a thick paper card in front of his captive.
"Start snorting!" He ordered. Chidozie hesitated, so Korede continued. "If you don't start snorting, I'll just put a bullet in your head. I don't need you alive. There're other means of finding what I want. They're just more stressful."
With that said, Korede effectively cut off Chidozie's path of escape. It was not like Chidozie was loyal to the gang or anything like that. He was just in it for the money. If not, he wouldn't have tried to set up his own little operation. Not to mention he didn't want to die. Left with no choice, he folded the paper card and started snorting.
Line after line was snorted in quick succession and soon five lines were gone. However, Chidozie didn't feel anything good about his achievement. He could feel his head ache and his heart beating rapidly as if to break out of his chest. He knew that if he continued, he would have a heart attack. Fear gripped him as his body begged him to stop.
Unfortunately, this 'devil' didn't care.
"Did I tell you to stop? Continue!" Korede ordered as he pistol-whipped him across the face.
Chidozie looked at the cocaine lines on the table. Previously whenever he looked at the white opioid, he always felt the anticipation of euphoria that would wash over him. The promise of a successful high. Now, however, all he felt from seeing it was nausea and fear. Gone was the promise of euphoria. In its place was the promise of death.
With his previous experience with the Okafor brothers, Korede used {Mindhunter} to amplify the dread Chidozie felt. Finally, the man decided not to touch this poisonous substance again, no matter what. So, he begged.
"Please, let me stop. I'll tell you everything you want to know. No! I'll tell you everything I know. Just let me stop."
Korede smiled. Another successful interrogation.
[This guy has poor mental fortitude. How could he live a life of crime with such a weak mind? Aren't criminals supposed to have hard minds.]
'Well, hard doesn't mean strong. Though there're some criminals with strong fortitude, I believe most criminals are weak-minded. If not, they wouldn't fall into the temptation of the dark side in the first place. They would be doing honest work regardless of the challenges if they did.
But I know you should already know that, given your experience. So, what are you trying to do? Check my thought process or something?'
[Or something]
Korede shook his head.
He knew he wouldn't get anything else. He threw their conversation to the back of his mind and brought his full focus back on Chidozie.
"Where did you plan for the deal to take place? Tell me everything I need to know." He demanded.
"I prepared to hold the deal in the warehouse section of the Main market. Warehouse 4D." Chidozie replied. "My usual method is to keep the exact location of the deal secret. The interested parties only know the general location. They are directed to an appointed location where, close to the appointed time, I personally go pick them up and take them to the exact location of the deal.
In this case, the A4 and the Saints only know the deal will take place at the warehouse section. They don't know which warehouse. Even the Duke shouldn't know the location"
Chidozie's plan was a simple plan and one that puts the control in the palms of the NDz. If not for their somewhat 'good' reputation and the fact that they were the only ones that could supply the volume of product and in a short amount of time, the buyers might not accept such unfavourable conditions.
By giving the buyers an appointed location, it gives the NDz a greater chance of accurately assessing the threat level of the buyers. Also, if the buyers want to double-cross them and steal the product, they won't know its true location. If they attempt to search the general area, they would alert the NDz sentries in the area and the gang can easily move their product elsewhere before dealing with the threat. Besides, since perhaps only the Smuggler knows the true location of the deal, it eliminates the possibility of the location being leaked. However, this raised a question in Korede's mind.
"Duke trusts you that much?" Korede asked, clearly sceptical.
"Of course not. The man trusts no one. He has spies amongst my men. Between the spies and his network of contacts, there's no way I would be able to steal the drugs from him without him finding out. He lets me do whatever I want because he is sure he can deal with me should I double-cross him." Chidozie explained.
As mentioned earlier, Chidozie was an intellectual type. This means that he only provides the brains of the operation. The Duke and the NDz provide the contacts, men, influence, and finances for the operations. Without all of these, Chidozie was nothing. This was exactly why the Duke wasn't bothered about him. It was also why he wanted to go into business for himself. He wanted to get all of these and increase his speaking right with the Duke.
"Alright, let's talk about the other gangs. Who will represent them?" Korede asked.
"The deal this time is worth about 70 million naira. Half payment had been made while the other half will be made on delivery. So, the bosses of the two gangs won't trust anyone and will attend the deal in person." Chidozie replied.
"How do they verify the authenticity of the drugs? Do they just trust you? Or do they bring a chemist?"
"Chemist?" Chidozie laughed. "If they could get a good one under their employ, they'd probably be making the drugs themselves. Gangs also don't trust each other much. Even if they did, this is business. They'll definitely confirm the goods. This is a 70 million naira deal after all. They will test the goods the old fashion way."
Korede nodded. Since these guys don't want to employ a Chemist, they have to use a 'primitive' method. They'll consume the drug orally.
Compared to snorting the drugs through the nose, the psychoactive effect of the drug is reduced when it is consumed through the mouth. However, experienced individuals can detect the potency of the drug through this method 'safely'.
Korede continued to question Chidozie for the next 30 minutes until he was satisfied. He created three more cocaine lines on the table, much to Chidozie's dismay.
"Your reward for your help." Korede said before leaving the apartment.
He locked the door behind him.
[Are you just going to leave him like that?]
'Yes, I am.' Korede replied Aon before looking back at the door. 'I want to see what he will do. Will he snort the cocaine or leave it be?'
[Why does it matter?]
'Well, if he snorts it, he will overdose and die. If he doesn't, interrogators will have something to hold over him.'
[Was Temitope also the one that came up with this method? This is cruel.]
Korede was taken aback. Actually, this method was his idea. What Aon said made him feel awkward.
'What do you mean by cruel? This is a criminal mastermind, he must have done worse. Besides, this method can be called shock therapy. If it works, thanks to me, another life would be rescued from the influence of drugs.'
[Or another life will die to drugs.]
'You can't blame me for that. Even without me doing this, he was well on his way to death caused by drugs. Whether he lives or dies, it's his decision.'
[Fine, fine, you are a saint sent to save all drug smuggling addicts.]
Korede chuckled but didn't say a word. He brought out his phone and dialled Special Agent Ndike's number.
"Hello." Korede said.
"Hello. What's new?" Special Agent Ndike asked.
"First target in custody. I've apprehended Chidozie Agbu. Can you send a team to pick him up at my current location?"
"Will do."
"Also, I have a kidney here that needs to find a recipient. The ice is almost melted though. How long will it take to get to my location."
"About two hours. I sent them on an assignment previously. Can you change the ice? That should give them enough time to get there.
"Alright."
"Anything else?" Special Agent Ndike asked.
"Yeah. Have you sent the message like I asked in the status report?"
"Yes, I did. The Duke should have received it by now."
"Good, that should keep him busy."
Special Agent Ndike chuckled. "He'll definitely have his hands full. Alright then. Happy hunting. Operator."
The call ended.
Korede went to the apartment next door and entered it. The was a cooler on a table almost at the centre of the room. Korede opened it only to discover that most of the ice had melted. He shook his head and closed the cooler. Unfortunately, the apartments were bare and there was no way he could find a fridge or freezer here.
"I guess I'll have to go to a store nearby to buy the ice."
Soon, Korede left the apartment complex in his Corolla. He drove around the surrounding area looking for a store whilst also thinking about how to mess up the drug deal in a way that fits his plans.
Fortunately, he quickly found a store in the neighbourhood. He got out of his car and entered the store. He saw a sign saying that ice was available in the freezer for sale. He approached the salesperson and was able to buy the ice. As he was about to leave the store, he saw a shelf of diapers at the corner of the store.
A thought came to him.
'If I remember correctly, diapers are made of…"
Suddenly, he smiled. An idea of how to ruin the NDz drug deal formed in his head.
'It's a good thing the Duke would be too busy with my message to attend the deal. It would be difficult to pull this off if he shows up. Well, I guess I will use the more direct option if it comes to that.'
With that said, he moved to the shelf and picked up a number of diapers.
With the smile still on his face, he left the store.
[Looks like another person is going to suffer.]
'Yeah. A lot of people might be dying soon. I wonder what the Duke would think if he finds out that his 70 million naira deal will be destroyed by diapers.'
[What do you want to do?]
'You'll find out soon enough.' Korede said as he got into his car and made his way back to the apartment complex.
[A.N: Please, don't forget to leave a review of the work to encourage me. Your opinion matters to me.]