This time was different. Nothing had followed the script she had become so accustomed to over the years. For starters, she would have expected to be at least intimated of the caller’s identity that morning. Rather, at the other end of an unknown number which she at first was inclined to dismiss, was a plain but urgent voice devoid of any courtesy or social protocol. The voice, somewhere in that hazy uncertainty of neither male nor female, simply requested her services for which “an escort would be made available to transport her to head quarters within the next ten minutes”. She had every reason to doubt the genuineness of the call, but being an old rogue of sinister plots herself, she felt compelled to heed the call of nature. They say like minds attract…or something to that effect.
It was a short ride to the headquarters. The escort, the very stereotype of a hardened ex-convict, said nothing throughout the journey. Although the man’s identity could have been as far from an ex-convict’s as a priest’s identity could be from a drug dealer’s, the man’s nearly seven foot mountain of muscular bulk crowned with a perpetual frown beneath a bald head would easily tempt one to think otherwise. His immaculate dressing, accentuated by his grace, smoothness and ease of movement was unmistakable as he let Adebisi into the car as she exited her office building, finally deciding to take up the stranger’s request. “So what’s this about?” Adebisi asked, on their way to the headquarters. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to divulge such information at this moment ma’am”, the man replied. “What…?!”, Adebisi thought to herself, more than slightly taken aback by the formality of this man’s reply.
To be continued…
Life is a Word 