Chapter 38

Steve Blade.

All her anxiety to meet the man died when her eyes landed on Steve Blade. Her steps slowed down. All she did was stick her tongue in her right cheek. Disappointed.

It wasn't him. He wasn't part of the 'they' that she always thought about. If he was one of them then he wouldn't have approached her at the mall and asked her what secret she had for Charles. Or maybe he was acting. But why act? There was no reason to act, so he clearly wasn't on the team.

One thing she was sure of is he knew someone who was on the team. He was close to one of them who was on the team. He was probably being used.

"That's him," the lawyer whose name she didn't know pointed at Steve. "Mr. Blade gave me a call this afternoon to come get a friend who had been arrested," he explained to her as they reached Steve. He and Steve nodded at the same time, the way people do when they have accomplished a task.

They started their way outside of the building into the parking lot.

"I've got everything settled," he said to Steve. "Her name isn't in their record, neither her photo. They didn't do any of that because of the circumstance which they were working. As far as we all are concerned, this arrest never happened, you didn't come here, and all that. But you should expect them on Monday." A worried look came on Vivian's face. She couldn't imagine being back in there again. He understood the expression and explained that what they did would make things easier for her. She could then blackmail her way out.

"Thank you Quincy. I really appreciate," Steve thanked him as Quincy got into his black Pathfinder. 

"Anytime, son." Quincy drove out of the Station house parking lot. They watched him get on the four-laned road and disappeared into the traffic.

"You owe me big time," Steve stated when Quincy Pathfinder was out of sight, turning to face Vivian.

"Who sent you? Which one of your family member sent you? Brother? Father? Sister? Mother? Aunty? Uncle? Who sent you to bail me out?" She threw the questions at him like October rain in Liberia.

Steve was stunned. He didn't understand what the questions were all about. She had just been bailed out by him, and, instead of showing some gratitude, she was spraying him with questions.

"Wouldn't you at least say thank you, Mr. Steve Goodsir Blade, for bailing me out of this hell hole, and I promise to repay you in anyway you want?" He said it dramatically. "That will do."

"Will you tell me who the fuck told you that I was here?" She folded her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Unless you promise to pay me back in anyway that I want." He mimicked her posture and facial expression.

What a childish adult he was. Couldn't he understand seriousness and play? Couldn't he see that she was dead serious?

"OK. Fine. I'll pay you back ANYWAY you want me to. I promise on my mother's grave." She had said the last part to assure him. To seal his trust. Her mother didn't have a grave.

"I was at my mother's charity program today when I received a call from an anonymous person who claimed to be your friend. She told me you'd told her to call me when you was being arrested. And only me can free you," Steve explained everything that had been said by the woman who called him.

Three words Vivian collected from all what Steve said: anonymous, she; her. She didn't care about the rest he had said.

No woman who was her friend had been there when she was arrested. It was the two police men, and her parents who were present. She didn't have friends, beside.

They were smart people. They weren't stupid. She was working with witty people for sure. But she did believe that whosoever that had called Steve was one of them. So she guessed there were two of them for now. She was sure they were more than two, four or five maybe. But not two exactly.

"Do you have a brother?" She asked him.

"Yes. One," Steve retorted.

"How old?"

"Seventeen."

No. That couldn't be him. The person who called her sounded very mature. It couldn't be a teenager. No possibility.

"Sisters?"

"Two. Rachael and Ashley. Why?" He had answered a lot of her question. She had to answer some of his now.

"Are your sisters feuding? Have they ever?" She threw another question at him, ignoring his question. She had to comprehend who she was working for. Vivian believed he was the only one who could help her.

"My sisters are the most friendly pair. Nobody in my family is feuding with anybody. So why all these stupid questions?" He asked her harshly.

"Nothing." She looked around the parking lot. The lot wasn't occupied. Only a black van and a Maserati MC20, so she headed for the Maserati. A man like Steve Blade would never drive a shabby, black van.

"Where are you going?" He asked her.

"Your house," she replied, standing at the passenger door.

"My house? Why? No." He stood at the driver door. His eyes were focused on her beautiful hair.

"You heard what Quincy said, right? The police will come get me on Monday again, at my my house. I was in there since this morning. And it's 3:00am right now. So it'll be better I stay at your house to avoid staying long in a secluded room. It's intimidating." Her face was too sorrowful for Steve to refuse.

"I can't take a stranger to live with me. Secondly, it was you who spoiled my sister's wedding. My family will think otherwise when they find out you're staying at my house." He was caught in the middle of compassion and family trust.

"I have no other place to go, Steve. Trust me I didn't mean to stop your sister's wedding. I have nothing against your sister. I promise to my life to explain everything to you, but at your house." She didn't like the skeptical look he gave her. "I am a Muslim, I don't take promises made lightly. Please."

This was his chance. He had to know what Charles was hiding from them. He had been dying to get his hand on the secret. He had to take the risk. Rachael was definitely going to appreciate him for the job well done.

"I honestly don't want you to stay with me because of so many reasons, but I'll allow you to stay just for one reason." He opened the car and got in. She stood outside looking at something. "Aren't you getting in?"

"There's something familiar about that van. It's like I've seen it before," Vivian told Steve, bolting the seat belt, looking out the driver door window.

"There are thousands of black van in Liberia. They're everywhere." He started the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

A/N

Saturday, June 18th will be my birthday. Can you be show me some love on any of these:

Instagram: Mitch_real_love or mitchkangar

Twitter: Kangar_Mitch or Mitch_Kangar

WhatsApp: +231775700418

Facebook: Mitch Kangar.

I will really appreciate y'all making me feel special. Xoxo