Cracked Sources – B02E14

Patricia held Andrew firmly by his wrist, her many attempts to sway
him for the past ten minutes to see reason pass the recent resentment he held
for her had all failed, he was acting like a spoiled school child missing his
mother. “You have to listen to me,” she pleaded again, but the sharp
threat in his eyes that accompanied the words, “Let go!” made her let go

Andrew’s heard was spinning: He wondered what Patricia was thinking
when she brought this crazy idea to him. How would she think he’d agree to use
the K-option on his own mother? How could she insinuate that his mother was the
one who framed him for Imelda’s murder? It was practically impossible for
Mother to do so because he was sire she loved him, even if it was in a twisted
way. “Not happening,” He maintained his stance.

Patricia noticed the building sweat through his crisp white shirt. He
never sweated that much, never. This wasn’t the Andrew she had come to know
over the many years they’ve worked together. How could he suddenly forget his
hate for his mother? How could he even claim that she loved him?

“Get out!” Andrew’s voice boomed loud to cut her, he was
angry and his face clearly showed it. He turned a deaf ear to her plea, he
maintained his resolve to place her on suspension especially for suggestion
that he end his own mother before she ended him. According to her, Mother was
killing off his competitions, his loved ones, and he didn’t even realize it.
Probably till she killed Anna too.

***

Patrick took note of how different The Bar looked without activity
during the day, no natter the rebranding it wasn’t up to the aura the night
life provided. He gently rolled his sleeve to observe his expensive time piece,
“1:20PM,” He read out loud, “Where are you Huey?” He asked the
empty space. He looked around still nothing. He removed the dark shade that
contributed to his failing sight, and he received his healing instantly.

“Thought you wouldn’t show up,” Huey greeted with a smile.
Patrick blamed the Lagos traffic. They had scheduled another meeting after
their last one. Patrick’s eye caught the third party that didn’t seem to be
drifting away.

“Patrick Jamie, Jamie Patrick,” Huey gave a quick
introduction as he sensed Patrick’s increasing unease at the stranger’s presence.

Jamie – He was from Tiffany Jane Law Chamber: a fast rising law
chamber with an ever increasing clientele ready to take over the Nigerian law
scene. He was here on Huey’s recommendation to meet Patrick, the man with the
exact kind of skill they needed at the firm.

The job offer came with the exact kind of scenery change Patrick
needed: A new town, better pay to treat his family better, a higher rank, and
more time off with his wife, but then he couldn’t just pack up and leave Andrew
– He remembered his promise to stay with Andrew and fight all evils by his
side, even though the evils of late seemed numerous and far tactical than what
he’d have thought possible, a promise was a promise – Their unusual kind of
friendship history made the decision process harder.

“We’ll give you a lot of time to think about it,” Jamie
offered a smile, he couldn’t come back to his firm with a negative reply. Huey
assured him Patrick would think about it. Patrick sat studied with his
thoughts. Jamie felt Patrick had loyalty which was a rare commodity in the
market place, it made him want to convert him to their firm as soon as
possible.

***

“Empty!” Andrew shouted in frustration at the sight of
Mother’s empty chair. Her absence caused him to notice the not-so-newly installed
grandfather clock – He wondered why they decided to switch to the vintage form
of time telling – He ignored the eye catching edifice when Mother came in.

“I got your message,” Andrew announced with agitation.
Mother asked why she hadn’t gotten results. He stunned her when he boldly
declared he wasn’t going to do it even if she disgraced him before the entire
firm now. She lowered her fancy spectacle to view him with her Unclad eyes. He
sulked.

“You say?” She asked again.

Andrew remains quiet, he knew better than to reply. Mother’s email
instructed him to frame Akin for any crime whatsoever he could come up with so
that they could permanently get rid of him and take control of his stocks- But
he didn’t want to, lately he didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

Mother cut the chase, she wasn’t one to drag a case for too long and
she wasn’t going to start now – Just like she threatened Anna then she was
threatening Agnes now – If Andrew didn’t go ahead with the plan, “Agnes’s
children will become orphans,” she said. Andrew resisted but it only seemed to
fuel her ever increasing dominance over him; even though Ramon taught him to
manage his fright and prevent something worse than his agoraphobia to return,
he still was no match for the face of Mother’s true wrath.

He went on his knees to plead. This was more for framing Akin that for
the threat to Agnes’s life, “Mother would never hurt Agnes,” so he thought. But
she insisted, “Akin must go.”

The rising chaos outside the room, made then both pause. Andrew rose
up, he led them both outside to the source of the heavy noise.

“You’ve killed her,” The young man’s voice rang out again.
He saw Andrew and he rushed to give him a huge blow that sent Andrew
staggering, before he was barricaded by members of the staff that came to look,
they had to protect their boss from getting a sequel to his slap.

“You people finally killed her,” The white of his eye glowed
bright red as he spoke in tears, his pain had attracted almost every eyes
present in the building. Patrick arrived in time to hear him finally repeat his
statement, he asked what happened, “Who died?”

“Agnes.”

Everyone started to murmur. Soon, most eyes were on Andrew who tried
to find his feet. The moment he recognized the trouble was from Marcus he
panicked, but he refused to let his fear get the best of him, up till the
moment he received the blow; Agnes was dead and everyone wanted to know what
he’d do. His eyes scanned through the entire hall, everyone was waiting for him
to speak. He located Mother standing close to her office door, she left him to
go inside, she left as she always did.

Everyone’s guard was down and Marcus came for him again, It took the
intervention of Patrick, some young male staffs, and the sway of the able
bodied security men to arrest Marcus and force him away from Andrew, who he had
punched more times than necessary. The security officer bundled him in their
van to the police station.

 “Let’s get you cleaned
up.”

Andrew looked at his unexpected helper for the third time since the
last minute he offered his service. He couldn’t make up his mind to accept his
help or not, so he decided to play along. Mark helped him. Andrew purposely
downplayed the two subjects for a conversation with Mark; but Mark persisted,
he wanted to set the pace for a new relationship between the both for Anna’s
sake.

“I haven’t had the chance to thank you,” Mark finally said what
was truly on his mind. Andrew wondered loud, he wanted to know what the
appreciation was for.

Mark’s gently rested his back side on the wash basin next to the one
Andrew was using to clean himself up. He wanted to speak from his heart without
mincing words. He had been trying to do the right thing for the sake of Anna
and his unborn child for a while now, and that included settling whatever issue
he had with Andrew. “For breaking me out of jail,” He finally replied.

Andrew had forgotten about the favour he granted Anna, he tried to
make Mark understand the favour wasn’t form him, but her, yet he insisted on
showing appreciation. He also wanted Andrew to understand that he and Anna were
going to get married soon, if Andrew held a tiny bit of the love he claimed to
have for Anna he’d let them be for the sake of their unborn child.

Andrew stared at him, he thought Mark a fool for trying to reason with
a man who loves the mother of his unborn child; whether Mark believed it or
not, he and Anna were not yet married. But then, Anna choose him for a reason
and he would respect that choice as much as he could.

“I owe you a favour,” Mark said to him.

***

Patricia sulked in anger, over what next to do: Asides Andrew she had
no life, without him was purposeless. Her frustrations got the best of her and
she couldn’t successfully unlock her car. In the process of fiddling with the
handle, the key broke in it

“Need help?”

Patricia turned, “I think I do!” She sounded shy. A little stare
and she recognized her helper as the guy from the storage department, she had
seen him twice when she went to fetch an old document for a case she was
working with Mr. Dimeji last week.

The young man identified himself as ‘KC.’ He claimed to be a mechanic,
when he pulled out his toolbox from his car boot, he was parked next to
Patricia. Patricia bit her lips from excessive smacking, the guy was hot! by
her description, he appealed to her in every way, even the sweat collected at
the back of his shirt turned her on. Soon he was done and she thanked him with
a hug, he could feel her erect Tip from her blouse without a bra.

KC got the message, she wanted him or she wanted any man at all, it
didn’t matter to him, he was ever ready to pump. He grabbed her by the neck to
himself and kissed her. She pushed him into her back door seat, she was in
charge.