This is a passion work. So, I would really appreciate it if you leave behind a review when you're done reading.
***
CH55: THE ACCOUNTANT
It was just a few minutes past 9 pm, Adeshina Owolabi had just returned from work and was entering his house. Today was like any other day.
Busy!
He just wanted to get into the house, get something to eat before sleeping.
From the outside, Adeshina Owolabi looked like any other major executive of a big accounting firm, notwithstanding the six hefty bodyguards that he had. Few people knew he wasn't.
For some reason, getting out of the car today, Adeshina suddenly felt reminiscent. He looked at the full moon above as the memories of his past renewed themselves.
A little over nine years ago, Adeshina was posted to Onitsha for his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Program after his university graduation. By a stroke of luck, he happened to be picked by a big accounting firm in the city as one of the Corpers they would employ as part of the corporate responsibility to the NYSC program during the duration of their service.
Adeshina worked hard every day and managed to catch the eye of one of the company's executives at the time who offered him a job after his service as long as he was willing to stay in Onitsha.
Adeshina accepted the offer and was employed by the company.
After working there for four years, he was able to rise the ladder to junior management, partly due to the influence of the executive that brought him in, mostly due to the hard work he put in. His career was looking up and he believed he would become a major executive in ten years at most.
On a fateful day, he was invited to the office of the CEO, who also happened to be the owner of the company. There, he met his benefactor, the CEO of the company and a man he later knew was Jonathan Duke aka The Duke of the NDz.
His benefactor explained to him in clear terms who the Duke was and how he was his accountant.
"Adeshina, I want to retire. However, the Duke needs a good and trustworthy accountant. I've been grooming you all these years to be such a person. I want you to take over from me as the Duke's accountant." The man said.
Knowing the other party's identity, Adeshina wanted nothing to do with him. Alas, he quickly came to realise that he wasn't being given a choice.
His 'benefactor' continued. "Do you remember the last job I had you complete not too long ago? It was a money-laundering operation. Your fingerprints are all over it. If the files are exposed, one look at the documents and you will be found guilty of Money Laundering. The company will deny you and your reputation will be destroyed. Even if you claim the company knew about it, you don't have proof because there isn't any left. Nobody will believe you nor can anyone help you."
Adeshina understood that he had been trapped. He had thought the job in question was unusual but since it was a request from his benefactor, he turned a blind eye and did what he was told to do.
"Why would you do this to me? I trusted you." Adeshina asked, aggrieved.
"I'm old. I have to retire soon but the Duke needs an accountant. Very few accountants in the company are up to the task. Those who are, are already too old. In a few years, they would also be retiring. We needed someone young and skilled enough that could handle the books for a long time. If not you, it would take too long to train someone else.
Besides, it's not as bad as you think. There's a lot of money to be made."
Adeshina was sceptical and hesitant. Jonathan Duke who had been quiet all this while opened his mouth and gave him the final nail in his coffin.
"At this junction, you don't have many options.
There're only two.
Work for me or you die.
No matter where you run, I will find you. If you decide not to accept, I'll make sure you go to prison. I'll have your reputation tarnished. While in prison, I will make sure that your life is hell. Finally, on the day you are released, I will have someone there waiting for you. You will be killed at the prison entrance the moment you set out.
However, if you work for me, I will make you filthy rich just by doing the same job you do in this company where you earn peanuts."
At this point, the CEO spoke, "I take offence to that Duke. My company has one of the most well-paid staffs in Onitsha."
"Well, it can't compare to what I'm offering him." The Duke replied without batting an eye. The CEO didn't reply and just chuckled.
Feeling he had no other choice, Adeshina accepted and became the Duke's and, by extension, the NDz accountant.
It was then he found out about the relationship between the CEO and the Duke.
In exchange for offering the Duke his best accountants, the NDz helped the company's other clients in moving their money. This meant the cooperation helped facilitate Money Laundering and Tax Evasion amongst other financial crimes. When he found out, he couldn't believe he hadn't realised the true face of the company he had worked for all this while.
Upon his acceptance of the job, his 'benefactor' retired. The man left the country within a week and hadn't returned ever since. If it weren't for his occasional calls, his posts on social media and the money Adeshina sends him from the Duke, Adeshina would have thought the NDz had silenced the man.
Over time working for the Duke, Adeshina discovered that, although Jonathan Duke was arrogant and domineering, he had an important redeeming quality.
He was very generous in his pay to those that worked for him, which is why so many people worked for him so loyally. The man was able to combine fear and money to earn loyalty.
Adeshina was no different. In a few months after accepting the job, the amount of money in his bank account grew significantly.
While still being a junior management staff, he was earning the same pay as the highest-paid senior executive. Fast forward to the present, he now owns 5% of all profits he earns for the Duke and the NDz. This was a lot of money.
Any reservations he had about working for the NDz was long gone. At times, he thought the decision he made that day was the best decision of his life. He had set up an accounting and financial firm principally to manage the NDz assets while making him more money.
Even at that, he had no plans to leave his current company as it provided him with a good cover. He didn't do any work for the company and just held a shell position there for cover. All his time was devoted to managing the Duke's and NDz assets.
The only downside to working for the Duke was that he had no freedom. He was always accompanied by his six 'bodyguards' wherever he went. Even the toilet.
The Duke told him they were elites of the NDz and had undergone some sort of military training or something of the sort. They were there to 'protect' him. However, Adeshina knew they were also there to keep an eye on him. It was because of this, that he was still single.
Aside from this, things were looking good.
Unfortunately for him, Adeshina had forgotten a universal truth.
'Nothing last forever'.
There was also a saying, 'Every day for the thief, one day for the owner'.
This means that a person might get away with a misdeed for a long period but one day, nemesis would catch up to the person. For Adeshina, who had thrown away his morals and principles for the NDz money, today was the day nemesis caught up to him.
****
There was a knock on the gate of Adeshina's luxury mansion. The security at the gate checked the CCTV and saw a delivery person at the gate.
"Who are you?" The security asked.
"My name is Okoro. I'm from liberty logistics." The delivery man replied, pointing to the name tag on his chest. "I have a package to be delivered directly to Mr Adeshina Owolabi unfailingly tonight."
"Alright, hold on a moment." The security said.
He called one of the bodyguards and explained the situation to him. The bodyguard in turn explained to Adeshina who said, "I thought the package would arrive tomorrow morning."
Instantly, the guard raised his vigilance. He asked the security to ask the delivery man why he was here today when the delivery was to be made the next day.
Through the CCTV, the security could see that the delivery man was confused. The man rechecked the package before he said, "Do you have it wrong? The document says to be delivered today by 9 pm. The order is even express delivery."
The delivery man placed the document in front of the camera so that the security could see it. The security confirmed the time and date the delivery man said was correct. He relayed this back to the bodyguard.
Adeshina, by the side, dismissively said, "Anyway, let him in. Since I'm expecting a package from Liberty Logistics anyway, It's probably it."
The order was relayed back to the security man. He opened the gate and made his way to inspect the person coming in.
He was about to search the delivery man when he received a quick punch and roundhouse kick from the latter, knocking him out.
Everything happened so fast that his brain couldn't process what had happened. The only thing he heard before he went unconscious was the delivery man shouting out, "This is for the A4 and Saints, you backstabbing motherf*ckers."
Then everything went blank.
*****
This person wasn't the delivery man known as Okoro.
NDI had intel that Adeshina would receive a package from Liberty Logistics, one of the legitimate businesses owned by the NDz, the next day.
The office building Korede broke into and stole a uniform and package from was one of Liberty Logistics' offices. While in the office, it was easy for Korede to alter the time and date on the delivery document before he stole the package.
Immediately after attacking the guard, Korede didn't tarry and quickly equipped his ACR from the duffel bag, disguised as a delivery bag, that he was carrying. One of the guards had seen Korede attack the security man. He was about to draw his pistol but Korede was faster. He opened fire and shot the guard in the head. At the same time, he shouted, "This is for the A4 and Saints, you backstabbing motherf*ckers."
The other guards heard Korede's shout. Three went to confront him while the remaining two dragged Adeshina into the house to protect him. Korede took cover behind a car and exchanged fire with the guards. Though with his marksmanship, Will Tactics and Techniques, it would have been easy for him to easily get rid of the guards in moments, Korede didn't do so as that would have been too clinical. How could a gang have a shooter of such skill?
So, he purposely wasted bullets exchanging fire with the guards. He wasn't bothered that Adeshina would escape as he was blocking the only entrance or exit. Also, he had one more surprise for them.
One of the guards that took Adeshina into the house pulled out his phone to call for reinforcement only to find that there was no signal. Or rather, the signal was being jammed.
This was Korede's last surprise for them. He was carrying a portable jammer. Although not that powerful, it was good enough to jam all GSM signals within the range of the house. The jammer was, of course, curtsy of the NDI's 'armoury' in the safehouse.
"F*ck, the call isn't going through." The guard said, annoyed.
"Doesn't matter. He is just one person. We just need to kill him to handle the situation." The other guard said.
"Then what are you waiting for. Go and kill him already." Adeshina said, feeling scared.
This was the first time he had been attacked since he started working for the NDz. In fact, the was the first time he had seen guns being fired in front of his eyes.
The two guards looked at each other and nodded. The guard who tried to call for reinforcement went into one of the rooms and came out with two Ak47s. He gave one to the other guard and they both made their way out to back up the guards outside.
The two joined the others and they were able to 'easily' pin down Korede. Korede fired the last bullet in the current gun magazine before swiftly reloading another magazine.
"It's time." He muttered.
[A.N: Please, don't forget to leave a review of the work to encourage me. Your opinion matters to me.]