Chapter 4: the swell

I had caught the attention of a few eyes with the show I had just displayed. The almost audible gasp of the now drenched woman had not gone unheard but thankfully the large spaces drowned out the sound –– such that, people from afar could not hear or realize what had just happened.

"I'm so sorry," I apologised immediately, just as she struggled to find something to clean off the drink spill on her clothes before it became permanent. 

My voice came out in a whisper so as not to drag back the eyes to us again but she wasn't even listening, she looked more concerned about the damp patch on the upper part of her clothes.

It was the only distraction I could think of, it wasn't all that smart but at least it worked.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She bawled in a harsh whisper before making an attempt to push past me. It was successful, but only because I had decided to move my body the exact same time she rudely shoved me, as that measly attempt wouldn't have even nudged a fly.

She stormed off angrily, going down the aisle, over to the exit and when she was no more in sight, I let out a satisfied breath. After a few minutes, I walked through the same paths, in search of where she had gone.

As I was about to leave, I looked over at Emeka and he wore an indecipherable look on his face. He was declaring a silent question with his eyes, nodding his head towards the exit. 

     He was following right behind. His gesture explained that and I knew then that he had caught on to everything that had just happened in the last few minutes. 

The Chief of Defence had started his own protocol speech, so I still had time to handle this situation and not miss out on the long awaited announcement. I just hoped I was right about the woman and that she was the one we were all dreading silently. 

   The hallways were filled with more army men than I had seen on entering. They were scattered everywhere, holding their big guns in an intimidating stance. I guess normal people might have been scared off by it but I wasn't. I had seen enough action in my life, even cradled them in use in my hands and in fact, I also enjoyed using them as a hobby to pass time. Fear was frankly a maxim unthinkable at the moment. 

    I stood around the bathroom entrance for like five minutes and the thought to barge into the ladies room was persistent. I almost concede but I stopped short instantly -- a lady, criminal or not should be given respect. 

   Funny enough, at this moment it was my mother's calm voice that seeped into my mind, her words fresh like they had just been said yesterday and not almost in a decade.

 Tayo and I had been taught strictly that women were supposed to be prided and we should never belittle them. So to say, it was my morals that held me back, standing in counting patience, waiting for the lady in red to finish her business.

    When the thoughts came, I visibly palmed my face because they had just clarified that the reason why I was out here was honestly more than just finding whether she was a spy. 

    Had it been so long since I felt a flutter this little somewhere inside. It was insane though, this wasn't me, I refused to go back to the Lade that felt and had emotions. Feelings were a sought of nemesis to my being and when I pledged an oath to join the Incident Command System of Nigeria, I vowed never to be a slave to them anymore.

    "Ha!" I let out an audible laugh at the train of thoughts I had running through my mind. 'Why all these sappy talks on emotions and feelings all of a sudden?' I asked myself and I just chuckled, giving a mental shake of my head.

     The door thrust open and I regained myself straight away. The lady's head was still bent and I could make out that the stain removal wasn't so successful. 

      She kept walking and even though I was almost foot away, I was still unnoticed. 

       "Gosh!" She gasped while clutching her chest, and a struggling laugh was seconds away from bursting out but still, I managed a slight smirk. The woman had eventually realised that she had hit a person instead of a wall and the shocked expression she had on was, priceless.

      The distance between us was measurable now that she had withdrawn away from me. She was still trying to calm herself but then I didn't know why, at this same moment still, I felt a little more superior to the woman that had now seemed so little. She was tall and curvy but I could tell she was nervous under my scrutiny.

      She scowled, folding her hands when the recognition that I was the one that had just dumped a tray of wine on her in a purposeful mistake set in. 

     I trudged forward without acknowledging her displayed annoyance and she stepped back almost on instinct. The action made me almost laugh again but then I reminded myself that I needed to concentrate and get to the bottom of this.

       "What are you doing here?" I asked in an impolite tone, placing my hands in my pocket while making sure I loomed authoritatively over her.

       "Excuse me!" She said, feeling a bit offended by my harsh tone. I didn't say anything next and she just sighed in further annoyance, trying to walk away but I had blocked her path this time.

     "D3 special Agent, Lade Adenuga," I introduced myself, holding up the card to her face. At once, her angry intent diminished once she realized that I was an officer.

      "I repeat, Who the hell are you? Because I don't recall seeing your face on the guest list," I said to her, a cold expression morphing on my features but then, actually, I had been bluffing though, for all I knew, her name could actually be on that list.

        "I'm a representative for the Minister of Security." 

     I could see the silent prayer in her eyes. She had thought that I wouldn't notice the heavy lie those words carried but unfortunately, she just had to pick the wrong one.

     In the conference hall, I had sat directly beside the Minister of Security and his deputy. 

       "Miss, I'll say this one more time or I'll be forced to do something we may both regret, who sent you?" I said to her again, more demanding whilst hovering over her, endeavouring to make sure she still felt intimidated by me.

        "I have no idea what you're talking about," she responded with a firm voice but her body movements told otherwise. She was tense and she kept adjusting the hand of her cloth, more than twice even.

      I followed the trail of those hands discreetly, in fact my eyes were still on her face when I saw the silver outlining of a small circle at the end of the v cut neck of her dress.

      A camera?, the woman was hiding a camera but why?

         "I'm on my last thread of patience already and let me rephrase if you haven't been getting my question, who do you work for?" 

         "Nobody, I'm just a guest that you're openly disrespecting," she replied with feigned ignorance and an irksome confidence before trying to shove past me again 

        "Well then, care to explain why you are carrying a camera in a top secret National meeting?" I interrogated, nudging my head towards her chest that bedded the gadget and then, lifting my eyes back to hers straight after.

      The woman looked shell shocked and speechless. I was sure she hadn't planned for herself to be caught but now, what exactly was her mission. 

       The press were strictly prohibited from here and in fact, no news channel was meant to give details of what were to be disclosed in the meeting. It was questionable and the situation had left me chary, head deep in a series of thoughts, trying to put things together. Why would she be recording? If she wasn't an annoying reporter, then it would only mean the other option, she was really the spy.

       "You're delusional, I don't have anything on me." 

      I could feel the anger rising, I had already spent too much of my time on irrelevant words. If it was some other Agent she was in the hands of, they wouldn't care about respecting and instead, they would manhandle her away from here to a cold cell in order to reflect on her lost memory.

       For the third time in our little exchange, she tried to walk out and I was tired of holding back. So, I forcefully grabbed her wrist in anger, going further to seize the other in a handcuff.

      "You have the right to remain silent and If you're eventually found guilty of being an informant, I hope they get the message because this war is only just beginning," I said spitefully and in rage, I felt my hold on her wrist increase.

       "You're hurting me," she complained in quivering vocals –– a due result of the pain. I hadn't intended to be rough on her but she had left me no choice. 

     The woman tried to pull her hands from my grip but I held on harder. I had thought that I had since overcome it, that sick part of me that thrived on the pleasure of inflicting pain. 

       I hesitated for a few seconds before I loosened my hold and when she withdrew her hand, I saw the residual marks that formed from my previous, rough grip. 

       I almost fell back into that shell but then again, I was reminded by my subconscious that I had a job to do and lives to protect.

       When I brought forth the second cuff to complete the arrest, she was still clutching her wrist in pain. Surprisingly, the woman suddenly committed her all strength to struggling and escaping the scene.

     "Let me go! I have done nothing wrong," she protested, refusing to stay calm, as I tried to do my job. I knew soon enough that her shouts would attract attention and it wasn't up for consideration. This meeting needed to go well sans distractions and complications.

       "Are you a spy for the Jama'atu?" I asked after I had dropped the handcuff, astutely deciding against locking her other hand, in order to work on easing the tension.

        I looked at her intently, like I was trying to see through her disguise and catch her on her lies and truths.

       "No!" She shouted and I was fed up. 

     My hands went straight for her clothes and I roughly pulled off the little camera lens.

        "Then explain this?" 

      She didn't get to reply to my question when the first sounds of gunshots were heard.