Flashback
Few months ago.
" she goes down tonight" Ben read inside the note before he head into his room.
" hello Sophia, it's me Johnson, try to look calm and head to the toilet now before replying me, don't call, message this number only " Ben messaged Sophia.
Sophia looked puzzled first when she saw the message but decided to follow the instructions and head to the toilet.
" you're not fair Johnson, how could you abandon me when all I did was for you" Sophia replied Ben.
" that isn't important for now but you've to read carefully and understand what I'm about to tell you, make sure you understand it because you won't be able to go over it again " Ben replied.
Sophia on seeing the message tried to check the former messages and was surprised to see none of it.
" please what's going on here, I'm getting scared" Sophia replied.
" you don't need to understand but I know you're trying to investigate me and you probably know that I worked for your ex husband to make him get the divorce without losing a dime, so drop the charade now" Ben replied
Sophia on seeing the message wanted to swiftly screenshot it but couldn't.
" don't stress yourself trying to screenshot it, it won't work" a message entered into Sophia phone as the former one auto deleted itself.
" please what's happening, I'm getting terrified here" Sophia replied Ben.
" don't be, all you have to do is calm your nerves and grab what I'm going to send to you now" Ben replied.
" I'm calm now but how could you do that to me, I was ready to do anything to secure a future with you" Sophia replied.
" forget about future and get yourself together, or you might not witness any future" Ben replied.
" WTF, please what's happening Johnson, is this some sort of game" Sophia replied as her hands started fidgeting.
" you've started going beyond your boundary and the punishment for it is death but you might leave to see another day if you obey my instructions" Ben replied.
" is this some kind of joke"
"Please are you serious"
" why will someone want me dead"
" please I'm terrified here, let meet and talk"
Sophia sent, not waiting for reply before sending the next.
" we can't meet and if you don't calm yourself now and listen to my instructions, I will decide not to help you again and I dare you to get many securities you can get, I'm going to kill you without stress" Ben reply portraying his frustration at inquisitive nature.
"I'm sorry, please tell me the instructions" Sophia replied.
" get many guards in one of your dad's house but the one in Maitama is preferable, but I don't mind anyone, position your dad's securities in the house in a discreet position, then I'm going to come in and feigned not to be aware of the securities, then you make appearance and you've to put in some acting skills in this aspect, you're going to show how sad you are at my actions and you going to feign like you've known my mission beforehand, and your securities must possess guns which they're gonna point at me while you behave like you gat me under control, after some talks, you are going to get wine, not real wine because your tolerance for alcohol is very low and you might get off the plan , so you must swap the content with a look-alike liquid, you're going to drink it to maximum then you gonna feign to be drunk, then give me a goodbye kiss, after kissing me, you're gonna start feeling weird, probably cough out blood but I'm going to put a White handkerchief into your hand and push you away from me, make sure you clean your face with the handkerchief but you must be discreet when doing it, and you must make sure the breaking news of your death filled the front page of every newspaper tomorrow while you make sure you exit the country with fake informations about you, but to make sure you're safe, some of your guys are gonna lose their lives and don't shut the gate when I make appearance into your building. Hope you get it" Ben asked after his long straught of words.
" yes, I got it but since you're going to come to kill me tomorrow, why can't I just get out of the country right now or you should just come and feign to kill me without all the complicated stuffs you just uttered." Sophia replied with a cool countenance.
" firstly, I'm killing you today and you can't run anywhere, you're going to get shot ,even if you're already inside the airplane, I can vouch for your corpse coming out of the plane and for your info, the people who ordered your death doesn't take shit and I'm sure they're going to be around to watch, so stick to the plan if you value your life " Ben replied
" okay, I'm going to try my best, is that all" Sophia messaged.
" yeah, I'm going to make a call to you now, make sure you play along and inform me of the location through the call, go through the plan for the last time now, because all the messages I texted you are going to get cleared from your phone in the next minute. Bye" Ben replied.
PRESENT.
" thanks for helping us" Gina said to Sophia as she sat beside Ben who looked like he was in deep slumber on the king size bed inside the room.
" it's nothing dear" Sophia who stood arm crossed, watching Ben on her feet as she was few centimeters away from Gina.
" but how do you know Ben, are you also part of the organization he's working for" Gina asked staring at Sophia.
" what! you're funny" Sophia exclaimed laughing.
" there's no way that's possible, with the kinda popularity my dad with his onymous political career has shone on me, it's practically impossible" Sophia added minimising her laughter.
" I know, that's why I was surprised that you're the one who came to our rescue and it seems like Ben know you and I thought you're dead, I attended your burial with my dad" Gina said looking confused.
" that's a long story " Sophia replied
" Ben!, well I know him as Johnson and we were once lover but I later discovered that he was planted by my husband to allow him divorce me without giving me a dime out of his property" Sophia added as her face suddenly lost the brightness it once had.
" you mean that Ben was the guy you're rumoured to be having an external affair with which made Simeon divorce you " Gina asked with a surprised expression, while Sophia only nodded her head to affirm positivity to her question.
" but why did you save us after he did this" Gina asked still looking surprised.
"I can't bring myself to hate him, he's the best thing that has ever happen to me and he's also good, he saved my life" Sophia said recovering her bright expression as she stared at Ben.
" the guy is just perfect and also got humanity in him which keeps him in check" Sophia added smiling.
" cool, I think I agree with you on that" Gina reply as she also started staring at Ben.
" shower and hit that call button to place an order for your preferred meal , you must be famished and tired or do you care for another room" Sophia asked Gina.
" no, I'm good here and I want to monitor him" she said staring at Ben.
" want to be here when he wake up" she added not averting her stare.
" looks like you really love him, I'm jealous" Sophia said smiling.
" but I'm not surprised, no girl can resist his charm, he should be awake soon when the sedative the doctor administered to him wears off, bye for now dear" Sophia said making attempt to leave.
" thank you" Gina said.
" you welcome but you both are worth it" Sophia replied before she exited the room.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
" they're with me now" Sophia said to an anonymous person on the phone as soon as she was out of the room.
••••••••••••••••••••••••
" you're damned slow for my liking, you granted them the chance of escaping" Toy languished angrily as he paced up and down, inside a room which it only source of light was a dim bulb fixed on a table.
" then what about you" Flea shot back angrily.
" you missed your damned target and gave them the chance to escape" she added with a spiteful glare.
" I'm done with a tag team mission, mask can do the hell they want but I'm doing this my way" Toy said angrily before he exited the room.
" like I care" Flea murmured quite loudly as the roaring of Toy's bike filled the atmosphere.
•••••••••••••••••••
It was late in the night when Ben regained his consciousness.
He was surprised to see himself inside the strange room and on the bed.
He had passed out when he saw Sophia moving closer to them in the car.
He disconnected the needle fixed on his wrist, used to convey the liquid inside the drip, hung on a drip hanger beside the bed he was laying on, into his body.
He looked beside him and saw someone sleeping beside him, he knew it was Gina at once.
A brief smile flashed his lip as he stared at her.
He massaged through her hair, but suddenly withdrew his hand as he noticed some movements.
" you're awake" she said as she raised her head up and saw Ben staring at her.
" yeah" Ben said nodding his head as he changed to sitting position on the bed .
" do you feel any kind of discomfort anywhere" she asked placing her right palm on Ben's forehead and her left hand on her neck, to check his temperature.
" no, I'm alright" Ben replied.
" good, let me inform Sophia, so that she can call on the doc" Gina said as she made an attempt to stand up but was pulled back by Ben.
" let her be for now, we have to talk" Ben said in a low tone.
Gina stared him for few seconds before she sat beside him on the bed.
" I was a normal kid who had dreams to become a pilot, banker, doctor and the likes, like a normal kid dream, and not to be a deadly assassin or spy. But I was kidnapped at the age which I was just learning to decipher the wrong from right, brainwashed and made to forget everything about myself, even my names and parents , then forged into a killer at a tender age all in the mentality of following orders and doing the right thing,
I'm sorry for all this, and for playing on your feeling to get closer to your dad" Ben said in a remorseful tone but received no reply from Gina as she stared at him with a tear filled eye.
" tho I was following orders but that wasn't enough to justify my actions but I'm deeply sorry for what I did and placing you in harm's way. Everything about me might be fake but something is real about me, and that's my feeling for you, tho it's shameless of me to say it but I love you genuinely Gina and I promise you that I'm going to go thousands miles and receive thousands of bullets to ensure your safety, but you've to stay beside me in order to be safe.
You ain't safe anywhere as long as the mask wants your head, so please allow me to try my best and restitute for my sins towards many and you by protecting you.
I'm ready to condole all the hatred you've got for me but please allow me to keep you safe till I make everything right, He said as he gently grabbed Gina's hands but Gina pulled her hands away from his, and stood up, backing him as she wept.
She suddenly turned and hugged Ben, which made Ben lost balance and fell back to the bed while Gina was on him.
He felt some pain from the action but didn't show it.
" I hate myself so much because I can't just get myself to hate you after realising who you really are , I want to hate you but it's impossible to do so and oddly, I feel like I can only be safe with you and that's why I trusted you and played along with you, but promise me that you won't harm my dad and you're done with being a spy and an assassin" Gina said staring into Ben's eye as trickling of tears strolled down from her marble coloured eyeball.
Ben used his hand to wipe it off and planted a soft kiss on her lip.
" I promise you" Ben said after disengaging the kiss.
Gina smiled happily as she lowered her head to kiss Ben.
With both of their eye shot, they smooched for more than fifteen minutes without releasing themselves and by the passing of each minutes, the smooching tend to get intense.
Gina swiftly disengage the kiss and was about to take off the white top which Sophia had given to her earlier, but Ben on seeing this swiftly winced in pain and that attracted her attention.
" are you in pain" Gina asked with a caring tone as she paused taking off her top.
" I think so" Ben replied wriggling his face.
" I think I should get the doctor" Gina said making attempt to get off the bed but Ben swiftly stopped her.
" I don't need the doctor when I got you beside me" Ben said as he feebly pulled her to his chest.
" you're not feeling any pain, you just want to abort my mission earlier" Gina said raising her head up from his chest to stare at his eye.
" don't be too smart" Ben said with a smile gracing his lip as he pulled her head back.
" caught you" Gina said laughing but she abruptly stopped the laughter as she subtly knead her hand on Ben chest.
" are we safe now" she asked almost in a murmur without raising her head and not halting the action of her hand on Ben chest.
" no" Ben replied
" the action is just starting now" Ben added indifferently.
To be continue….