There was silence in the room.....
"So what are we going to do now?" Simon asked breaking the silence. "She has to go home Simon" he replied him. "Seriously Ed!, we can't just let her go, she knows about this place now, This organization, it's a big risk if we are letting her go out there with what she has seen." Simon ranted. "Yes boss, Simon is right we can't just let her go" Shirley added.
"So what are you going to do?, keep her in here forever?, Just because you failed to adhere to a simple rule as ensuring this whole place was secured before anything, Before any fucking thing!!?" he blasted, His eyes shooting daggers at them. They all stared downwards. "And no, she won't say anything to anyone" he continued diverting his attention from them to me.
"Really Ed?, I know we were wrong but aren't you also going overboard here, You are literally putting your trust in a kid you barely know, We have to think this through Man." Simon persisted, "There's nothing to think through here, we have no choice, you don't have to worry am gonna make sure everything still stays a secret." He assured them.
"Akira?" he called out to me, "C'mon now lets get you home". he said gesturing his right arm towards me. I walked over to him. "You have to go home now Aki" he said as he grabbed my hand to lead me out of this place. "I'll be back soon, And put the guns away now." he told them as we both got into the elevator. The four of them had this unbelieving look on their faces as they watched both me and Mr Steve enter the elevator before the wall shut in her face.
It was already nighttime when we got outside and no one needed to remind me that there was trouble waiting for me at home. "Where do you live Aki?" he didn't hesitate to ask as Soon as we got out. But I didn't answer him "What is that place?" I asked instead. "You do not need to know further about this than you already have, it's better you just go home and never come back here again" he told me. "Now where do you stay so I can get you over there this instant!" He said.
"I don't live far away" I told him. "I came to give you this" I said handing the drink over to him, "I wanted to appreciate your kindness" I told him. "You shouldn't have bothered, It was nothing and I wasn't expecting you to repay anything" he said. "But still I won't be at peace if I didn't, That's how my grandma taught both me and my brother, That we should always repay any kindness shown to us." I said to him.
"That's really good" he told me, "Now speaking of your Family, Do your parents perhaps have any idea you aren't home right now?" he asked me curiously. "No they don't, I bet they are looking all over for me now, I replied. Your parents must be really worried about you right now isn't it?" he asked. "Yes they are, I'll be in deep trouble when I get home" I said and smiled nervously.
"C'mon, I'll walk you home" he said pulling me along. "I can go by myself" I told him. "No you can't, it's pretty dangerous and lousy out here, I can't let you go by yourself" he told me.
He was right, Bars were opened and drunk people were roaming around, Different sort of bad activities like Stealing, Gambling, Smoking and prostitution are currently on. So it's really dangerous, Which also added to my worry of the greatest scolding of all time I'll be facing at home.
"Are you a bad person?" I couldn't help but ask him as we walked along the street down to my house, "Those people down there wanted to shoot me, Do you also do that?.... Shoot people?" I inquired. He paused and turned to face me "No kiddo, I am not a bad person and I don't shoot people, They were just being defensive, Also whatever you saw in there, Whoever you saw or talked to, However you get in there, You must not tell anyone about it?!" He said with a chilling voice.
"I am risking everything by letting you go Even if I shouldn't, So the only way you can truly repay my kindness is by keeping shut about whatever you saw down there, YOU MUST NEVER SAY A THING ABOUT IT." He warned me.
"Ok, I won't say anything to anyone I promise" I assured him as we continued Walking in silence. "Hey there kiddo!!" a drunk man slurred while we walked past him, "You should go check yourself out nigga" Mr Steve replied him, "Of course I shooouulld!" he yelled after us. "Dumbo" Mr Steve scoffed. "That's my house over there" I said as we got closer to our small gate, But I noticed the lights were turned off as we got nearer, Which only meant one thing. "They're not home" I said, "They are out looking for me...All of them" I said as I scratched the back of my neck. 'Yeah seems like it" he said as we reached the front gate of my house.
"Thank you Mr Steve for walking me home" I thanked him, "It's nothing, Are you sure you are going to be ok here alone" he asked me, "Yes of course I'll be hehe, You can go now I'll make sure to lock the door" I said smiling. "Alright" he said and was about to leave when he suddenly changed his mind. "No your parents deserves an explanation, And am going to give it to them." he told me. "You are going to tell them everything??" I asked my eyes widened in surprise.
"No! of course not Aki, we're gonna cook something up" he assured me.
"My parents would be shocked if they see you here! and what are you going to tell them anyway?" I asked him. "Don't worry kid, I'll figure something out It's my specialty" he said smiling. "Specialty??" I asked curiously, "Yeah" he said smiling. Am really good fabricating things, Don't worry you'll see by the time your parents come back, And you'll also thank me because I'll be saving your ass by reducing the scolding you are going to get for sneaking out....Again" he said and winked at me. And I couldn't help but look at him in an unbelieving way.
We both sat on the staircase at the front door waiting patiently for my parents arrival.