Elite Part 9

1045 hrs.

The door of Melanie’s apartment was knocked impatiently and ‘Mama’ Oleg came rushing with her apron on her hips to open it. Sometimes Alicia does that when she is in need of a bathroom.

‘Oh, hello Silva Mano. I trust you have the wrong address.’ ‘Mama’ Oleo knows the man who is standing in the doorway. Silva Mano lived in her area and she has seen grow from a babe to a bad ass gangster now. He belongs to the ‘Mahua’ Gang if she recall well from the conversation with the family members. Now Silva did not come alone and he pushed his way in with the other two men. ‘Mama’ Oleo knows them by sight but not by name.

They started thrashing the place while ‘Mama’ Oleo went back to the kitchen. The tored up the settee set and pulled all the shelves contents to the floor. Even the mattress was cut open with their pen knives and the pillows slashed. They could not find anything so they went into the kitchen to see ‘Mama’ Oleo.

She was sitting there on the dining table with a pair of S&W .38 revolver in her hands.

‘Silva, you ain’t got manners’

She shot him twice in the chest and one on the face. She also shot the other two in the chest with two shots each. Then she got up and put the guns down. She took off her apron and picked up her sewing bag. She placed the guns into the bag and walked towards the apartment door.

She did not see the other guy standing guard there earlier. He has heard the shots and he has not pulled out his M1911 and aimed it at the person walking out the kitchen door. The guy held the gun with both his hands in the combat pose as taught to him by his brother. He saw the figure coming out now and he pulled his trigger. The recoil of the gun was used to him by now, but he still closes his eyes when he shoots.

He shot three or four times, but he is not sure whether he hit the person as his eyes was still closed. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was the lady in the yellow dress lying on the ground with two holes in her large bosom chest and her sewing bag next to her prone body.

He threw the gun into the apartment and ran for home. He was just turning fourteen yesterday when they gave him the gun as his bithday present.

1054 hrs

He did not asked where I got the SUV nor did I tell him how I got it. But it was on the road and I just hijacked it from its owner who is in some houses fixing the plumbing. Good to tell him not to come onto my area to fix plumbing issues since I am one plumber myself.

Marius told me to drive to the Police Warehouse and that is where I am headed.

I brief him on the ‘informers’ talks of missing gang leaders and the army barracks looks empty or anyone. More to it I told him of Mahua Gang calling in the others for a conference, and its not the leaders but the members. Most of the members are riled up and they are calling for blood on the others or whoever is responsible. More to it, the policeman on duty is down by half and the traffic section is upset with the extra workload. And I also told him of Plaza D.

But the most interesting bit was the movement of soldiers early this morning across the city streets. And a barricade was formed at Island Elite.

I wondered if anyone will dropped by my garage to check on my plumbing. I fixed a long pipe under my garage for days like this.

We finally arrived at the Police Warehouse at 1123 hrs

1055 hrs.

The Plumber came out of the house opposite Marcel’s garage and was smiling at his hour long job of clearing out Mrs Jones’ clogged pipes. He sure did a good job as she gave him some good views of her legs when he was crawling under the sink. But the best was the early drink of the day; scotch on the rocks with an eyeful of cleaves.

But now he comes out to find his SUV missing. This is unbelievable as this is middle to high income neighbourhood. I mean who else can afford a garage for the car unless they are middle to high income. He bought his Suv to impress his clients and the damned car is missing now.

He saw the black SUV drove in to the opposite garage and stopped at the driveway. Four men came out and started walking to the garage door. That is style; the SUV of the same model as his and they lived opposite.

But his next words was not spoken as the explosion from the garage also blew him back into the Jones’ house along with the rear window frame of the SUV..

1055 hrs.

The Community Hall of the People which commands a seating capacity of one thousand seats was at this time, filled with about three hundred youths. They belong to the Krigs, Banjo and Prized gangs, of which their leader is dead or missing. The former is more true but this is not none to the youths. The other four gangs are not here, and so are the Mahua. On the podium was a single man dressed in his business suit, facing the three hundred youths who eyes each other group as hostile.

‘Gentleman, I represent the Mahua Gang.’ Immediately the hall was filled with lewd remarks and show of fingers to the speaker. ‘If you allowed me to speak, you may get the benefit of today’s conference.’ Some of the members are starting to get up and walking towards the exits. ‘I am here to offered you guns and ammo for free.’ That stopped the youths who now turns to look at the speaker.

‘You will be given weapons on the way out and you may used this weapons for your purpose only at 1800hrs or 6pm today. Do I make myself clear?’

The Hall roars into a lively mode, but the Speaker is not finished as yet.

‘You may not attack the following targets; Governor’s Office, Island Elite, Plaza D and the main Station. If anyone of breaks the rules, the retaliation will be great.’

But no one is listening and they are picking up their guns at the doors.

The speaker picks up his head set and spoke; ‘ I have delivered the speech.’

Across the city, in Island Elite; more specific to the dining hall of the Governor, Colonel Mathew smiled at his plan being unfolded now.

‘You sure it will work, Colonel’

‘Yes, the chaos will start at 1800hrs and we will sneak away during the chaos leaving them to contend with the coming army from the capital. But the main buildings will spared as we told them to do so. The Station and Barracks will be their achiles heel as that discovery will surely caused their total destruction. I can just see the faces of the landing troops when they discovered the atrocities done. Your gangs issue will be erased once and for all. ‘

1130 hrs

I looked at the handful of police officers standing in front of me. They are about twelve of them and they are in a bad mood. One of them told me there were ten more but they left for the Station. I brief them on the Station and the Governor’s Office. And I told them to get their weapons from the Evidence Room here, and be prepared for an assault soon.

‘The biggest cache of drugs and illicit money is in here in that vault. And if there is a coup or rioting going on, the first place to be raided is here. And you all are going to hold the fort. Do you guys understand?’

They did not, and wanted to go back to the Station and report me.

It was then Ben came in.

‘I think you guys better believed in Lieutenat Marius. No one who was in that Station came out. And those who went in did not come out. I don;t know about you all, but I think there is something wrong out there.’ Ben words reached their ears but they wanted to go to the Station to rescue them. It was then Ben told something I did not know too.

‘They are all dead. The soldier who came to my shop for a drink told me so before I shot him with ‘bertha’ here.’ Ben was pointing to his 12 gauge double barrel shotgun with a shortened barrel. He took it from the lady who shot him with it and got to be admitted in for twelve months of bed care. Once he was back on duty, he traced her down and shot her dead in her robbery attempt on 3^th Street. He kept the shotgun as a souvenier on his retirement six month later.

Then the men started to see my explanation and decided to break open the locks on the Evidence Room. That was when Ben told them there was no need to do so; he has the spare key as he was the person in charge prior to his retirement.

In the Evidence Room are an assortment of weapons that includes hunting rifles, automatic handguns and a box of dynamites explosives with detonator taken from an old mine for illegal possession of explosives. And even a set of M72 LAW ( Light Anti Tank Weapon. I remembered that one, as we got it from a trawler coming in at night. We caught the trawler operator when he berthed at the port. Corporal Benny offered to hold that LAW as he was ex-army trained. The twelve men picked their choice of weapons including machete and ice picks and was later to take defensive position. Ben was put in charge and in addition to his ‘bertha’, he had his old service revolver and extra ammo.

Ben also moved a barrel of diesel found at the back of the warehouse to the vault. He said he will burned it to hell if they come near it.

1159 hrs

Three souls with one passion; to live peacefully now is fighting to stay alive. But they knew not why the need to do so yet.