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Every flashback done is necessary for this Story but I’ll try make them as short as possible,
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Part 8
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Omotara stopped in shock as she heard those last words, wondering if she was the one being talked about. Fear gripped her mind for the first time since she heard her death sentence, she wasn’t afraid to die but dying the way the junior Queen had chosen for her was definitely not going to be an easy experience.
Two hours later
For Omotara, it was beautiful again to see the world outside of the Nefary City again. This place didn’t look like Nigeria but the air still smelt freedom and life not like the torture and death atmosphere that was in the Nefary City. She totally forgot about her predicament as she saw the foreigners, or rather the citizens; as she was the foreigner in their land, she saw new cars of unique designs and styles, houses and high rise buildings she had never seen before. The pleasant journey came to an end after they got to a high-rise building which had a bold inscription written in Russian language. The outer walls of the building didn’t look as attractive as the previous ones she had seen on their way, it looked like an abandoned old building. They waited in the car for few minutes after they stopped and only stepped out after the queen received a call. She said some few words to the driver of the car before they proceeded towards the building. Tara watched as the car was driven away while the queen knocked the gate of the building.
Omotara felt very uneasy in her short gown as she trudged after the queen who led her through the big overcrowded hall. She kept forcing the elastic material of the gown down to her knees as it rolled up past halfway her thigh when she walked. Ninety five percent of the people in the hall were men, “big men” and they were doing heavy works, carrying and arranging heavy metals. Their sizes made Tara tremble anytime one stopped his work to look at her and they didn’t just look at her, they did lustfully. As they walked on, she could feel the eyes of the men piercing through her dress.
The junior Queen had also changed her dress into a more casual one. She had a pair of shredded black jean on a blue top and a black sports boot. She had also changed her makeup and arranged her hair in a new style. Omotara wondered why they didn’t dress her the same way.
‘…’ the queen spoke the Russian language to a short man they met at the exit of the hall. Omotara understood she had asked the man where his boss was.
The man pointed backwards, signifying that his boss was inside, he moved away from the road and allowed them pass. His eyes followed omotara as the teenager followed after the fast walking Tarasha, he sniffed in after they walked out of his sight and turned away.
They got to a block of brown walls, the door had an inscription at the wall above which read “Mad house” in English. The queen pushed the door open and entered, omotara walked in after and allowed her close the door. They were welcomed by an unpleasant smell which almost made omotara choke, the queen seemed not to be disturbed by the smell. The room which had two open windows at the left and right sides was empty except for two dusty benches close to the window at each side. There was another door directly opposite the door they had come in through, it was opened and inside it was dark. No one could be seen inside but a thin line of smoke could be seen proceeding out of the place. Omotara stood behind the queen who also stood like she was waiting for someone.
Few seconds later, a voice was heard from inside the dark room. Then a man came into view from inside the dark room, he could be seen making a call and smoking a pipe whose smoke was the source for the disgusting odour.
‘She’s here,’ the man said to someone else in the room after dropping his call, then the came out of the room to meet them. ‘Tarasha,’ he called as he proceeded towards them. His revealed his brown stained teeth. From his colour and looks, one could tell he was a native of the land. His face looked older than his body, his height was more than every other they had seen along the way but he was slender and he walked like one who was been controlled by the wind. His dreaded hair was packed in a head warmer. He had on a faded black shirt and a sagging black pants. ‘We’ve been expecting you,’ he said in his thick Russian accent as offered his guest an handshake.
‘Where’s Tom?’ the Queen asked with a disgusting look on her face, ignoring his offer to shake her hand.
‘Tom ain’t anywhere near here baby, you’re supposed to relate with us here.’ he said and put the pipe in his mouth to take another drag. He closed his eyes briefly after taking in the drag and his gaze landed on Omotara as he opened them. ‘Oh!’ he smiled revealing his stained teeth again. ‘Pretty young chick,’ he said like an intoxicated person, sizing her up with his eyes. Omotara hid her body and face from the man behind the Queen.
The queen turned back to look at her and their eyes met for the first time all through the journey. The queen had not said anything to her after the last thing she said before they got into the car for the journey which was ‘you follow me everywhere I go without questions’. Since then, she had not said anything else neither did she take any look at her when they both sat at the backseat of the car or act as if the teenager even existed. Omotara also had been obedient and cooperating, she followed everywhere she went without thinking about escaping or asking questions. She had heard about how dangerous queens were when their instructions were disobeyed and also seen an example in the case of Vladimir.
The queen’s eyes pierced through Omotara’s young innocent eyes but guilty assassin’s. She saw a young vulnerable girl whom she was leading to her death hiding behind her for protection instead of running away from her.
‘Tarasha,’ another man appeared from inside the dark room. He was also a native, he was shorter and looked neater than the first man. He was heavily built like most of the men they had come in contact with before entering the room. The first man left the Queen’s front with his pipe, giving way for his partner to talk with her.
‘Hey! I want to see Tom,’ she said to him as he approached them.
‘You have to see me first,’ the man. He took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his front pocket, he put a stick in his mouth and offered his guest one. She gently refused and waited for him to light his before they continued their conversation.
‘Is this the girl?’ the man asked, his eyes finding Omotara behind the queen. Omotara hid back herself behind the lady again.
The queen flashed another look at her and then turned back to the man. ‘Yes, she is.’ she replied.
Omotara’s heart skipped a beat and she closed her eyes in fear; maybe that was the man the queen spoke to on phone earlier, she thought.
‘She looks like a baby,’ the man commented, taking another drag of his cigarette. ‘Can I see her very well?’
The queen turned back and made a gesture with her eyes for Omotara to step forward. The young girl stepped forward shakily and stood beside the queen, facing down as she pulled her gown down to her knees again.
‘Look up young woman,’ the man shot in a cold voice, blowing out smoke into the air.
Omotara looked up fearfully and his eyes met with hers. He took a good look at her for some seconds and then took a drag after he was satisfied with looking.
‘She looks too good and useful, why do you want to waste her?’ he asked, turning to the queen.
‘She has a death sentence already,’ the queen replied.
‘Who dare sentence this pretty girl to death?’ he asked, taking another look at Omotara.
‘That is not my business, I carry out what my clients asks me to do.’ the queen replied. Omotara’s body shivered all through and she faced down again.
‘But what about we strike a deal,’ the man said with a tempting narrow look at the queen. ‘You hand her over to me and I’ll pay you handsomely,’ he offered.
‘What do you want her for?’ she asked him, raising a brow.
‘That shouldn’t matter to you, I’ll pay for her.’
‘It matters, my client shouldn’t see her anymore.’
‘Okay,’ he paused and cleared his throat. ‘Your client should not see her again truly since he sentenced her to death already,’ he paused again to take another look at Omotara. ‘She looks good, better than most of the girls you supply us, a lot of men would pay a lot to get her for just a night.’
‘Oh!’ the queen exclaimed in surprise. ‘You use girls of this ages for prostitution?’
‘Not always, but on rare cases like this, we do.’
The queen frowned and shook her head. ‘The girl is fully developed yet, what kind of men would want her instead of the mature ones you have?’
The man flashed her a funny look and chuckled, his smile broadened and developed into a loud laughter. ‘Why don’t you just release her to me first? How much will you do that for?’
‘Sorry, no deal. We go by the previous instruction,’ the queen refused.
‘Okay, if you say so.’ the man flashed another quick look at Omotara and shrugged. ‘Let’s go in to talk,’ he said and turned back towards the dark room.
‘Wait for me there,’ the queen said to Omotara, pointing to the dusty bench at the left before entering the room with the man.
Omotara moved to the bench but remained standing instead of sitting. Running away began to look like an option to her. She wondered if the queen considered her a moron or dummy for leaving her alone there and expecting her to wait for her death. She listened carefully to note if they had begun their discussion inside already, she could hear them speaking in soft tones. She looked at the door briefly, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then with determination in her mind, she walked gently to the door and stepped outside.
She met with three men – the tall Russian who first addressed the queen and two of the men they had come across in the working hall- outside the door whose gazes were placed on her as she stepped out. She decided to ignore their looks and keep on going but as she took two steps further, she felt a surge like an electric shock all through her body. It was so much that it weakened her and she fell to the ground. The men continued to stare at her without moving an inch.
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