Jackson walked towards his office, putting his phone on his right ear. Twice, the dialed number rang. He dialed it the third time, by then, he was already opening the door of the office.

“What do you want me to do for you this time?”

“Good morning Jackson,” a voice from his phone. It was a masculine voice and he continued.

“The security men have been invading my apartments since last week. I got some information about their arrival, and I left home. I thought you had done away with this case. You know what is at stake. I don’t want to go to jail. The security men considered me as the kingpin, but I am not. You know that. My master is dead. I am tired of this hide and seek game. I can’t move freely. I am calling you from a secret location. You are in the best position to rest this case. Please.”

“How Charles?”

“Just as you did it the last time. You know the system more than I do. You know your people. Please help me. I have a family to take care of. Moreover, I don’t want to involve you in this shit. Let’s help ourselves. There is a price tag on me as I speak to you. I guess you must have heard it.”

“I didn’t.”

“The State security service has included my name on their want list.”

Jackson squeezed his face, but he didn’t allow his frustration through the phone. He made a fist and managed to calm down, sending a vote of confidence to him.

“Please can we meet now at Keystone bridge? Let’s discuss how we can solve the matter permanently.”

“That will be better. But not in daylight. It will be suicidal for me.

“You are still a Don. You have executed a more complicated mission than this. You know we can’t say some things on the phone. We need to be more careful now.”

“I know.” Replied Charles.

“Let’s see by 6:30 pm.”

“Okay. Are you coming alone?”

“Maybe.”

“I want you to come alone. I don’t trust anyone with you. I don’t want what happened 22years ago to repeat itself. “

“Ok, I have heard you. What about you? Are you coming alone?

“Yes of course.”

“No problem, I have heard you.”

Jackson ended the call. He locked his office and went to his car and entered. Before starting the car, he brought out his phone and dialed a different phone number. Seconds after, the call started ringing.

“Hello, Clement.”

“Good morning sir,” his voice showed great reverence.

“How's your family?”

“They are very fine.”

“Are you on duty today?”

“No sir.”

“Please let’s see at Dan hotel by 2 pm. Let’s finish one bastard.”

“You are covered, Sir.”

********************************************************

Charles dropped his phone on a wooden long bench and sat on it. This was the man who made a distress call to Jackson. He was on the run. Running from his past crime. He was formerly into the importation of hard drugs. Behind him was a sizable wooden hut and two of his men were standing at his view.

“I don’t know if this will be my last day or I will be heading to prison, if I go to the town later today.” The men with him were in their early thirties. Besides Charles' right leg was a long double barrel. Whenever he gets information about his arrest, this forest becomes his abode. These men were his closest companions who supplied him with his necessities from the town. They had to walk many kilometers to get here.

“What if we go with you?” Said one of the men who looked younger.

“I can go alone. Jackson is a trustworthy man. That keystone bridge has been our place of settling issues. And the time I choose, the bridge will be busy.” He took the barrel and loaded it.

“I feel bored. Who will hunt with me? I missed Sofia. Let me fill the void.”

The two men smiled and looked at each other.

“Do not think of women now. Think of safety. Though, I can bring a whore to this place.” Said the taller one.

“Johnson, I said, I miss my girlfriend. Or I should put it this way. I need a lady. It's going to be three weeks now.” The men smiled and he joined them in their smiles.

Charles was a two-faced human. His old friends knew him as a repentant drug dealer. But behind the scene, he was causing more harm to his state than in his previous life. During his twenties to fifties, he was known as a drug lord. After the death of his closest companion, he gave up on the sales and transportation of drugs. Practically, he was free from the physical possession of harmful drugs. His present doings were havoc.

Over the years, he had known the loopholes of security men in Caledonia's borders. He wrote these ideas and sells them as an anonymous analyst on drug deals. Interested drug dealers patronize his book and from time to time, he updates it. Charles was sixty-two years old. He had an unkempt beard, a round face, and deep small eyes. His nasolabial folds were very visible. On his head, an infant bald, a Nubian nose and thin lips and was shabby. Charles stood up and cracked the gun in his hand.

“Guys, let’s go hunting. I am bored and at the same time, hungry. Since the security men have not given up on me, let me use my time to hunt bush animals.

In front of them was a dense green forest. The surrounding of their hut was very neat. Charles' men have cleared the grasses connecting the hut and the forest. Some yards away, both left and right were abandoned huts built with hardwood and aluminum sheets. Climbing plants, shrubs, and giant trees have found a home in them. This was the birthplace of Charles' drug factory those days.

Johnson saw the way Charles was looking at those abandoned huts and thought he was having nostalgia.

“Do you want to go back? Do you want to run things again?”

“Hmm… What do you mean?”

“The way you are staring at,” he pointed at the huts.

Charles sighed and faced the bushing huts again.

“My problem is the men after me. It worried me.”

During their conversation, the other guy went inside the hut at their back. His nickname was Wiz. He heard some noise at the back of the hut, it was a sound of a chewing jaw. As he gently went closer and peeped through the small hole in the hut, he saw an antelope chewing some green grass. He wanted to go and call the other men but decided to do it himself to avoid making any noise. Wiz gently took the long barrel standing against the wall and cracked it without making much sound.

Suddenly, there was a gunshot. The sound of the gun went into the forest. Johnson and Charles were taken unaware. Charles quickly held his gun and ran into the forest in fear. Charles went left and Johnson went right. They tore the bush apart to escape. They thought it was a gunshot from the security men and they gunned down Wiz. Wiz, not knowing the effect the sound of his gun had made, opened the back door. He was a sharpshooter. He saw the antelope struggling, blood pumping out of its neck and the fresh leaves in its mouth. He waited till the animal lost all its strength and its legs and hands were no longer shaking. Wiz held the two back legs and raised them. He walked to the front of the hut and saw nobody.

“Charles man, Johnson. Where are you guys?” He became worried and dropped the animal on the ground and turned around. Then he saw how both of them tore the bush apart and he went close.

“Johnson,” he shouted, looking into the bush.

Charles and Johnson looked back as they heard Wiz calling their names. Charles carefully examined his voice. Wiz dropped his gun on the ground and started laughing. He instantly knew what happened and sat on the bench. It took some minutes for them to come out of the bush. Seeing them, he laughed.

“Not funny.” Johnson scorned him. He used his left leg to kick the dead animal.

“You made me run.”

Seconds after, Charles came out of the bush.

“You almost shocked me to my grave.” Said Charles.

“I am sorry.”

Charles sat close to him.

“Can I say something,” he turned to Charles.

“Go on,” Charles shrugged.

“Will it please you if we go with you to see that General? I can see your fears. You have saved us on many occasions. Why can’t we do the same to you? Wherever you go, I will go. Your pain is my pain.”

“, Allow us to follow you.” Johnson interrupted.

“You guys have stuck with me during my perilous time. What can I say now? I have told the General that I am coming alone.”

“We will go with you and stay afar.”

Charles nodded in agreement.