The mission location was a container yard. There were trucks all around, carrying shipping containers to their destination within the container yard. Workers were also on-site, making sure that everything ran smoothly. Sade, the mission specialist, was tipped off by an inside man that a container carrying tonnes of hard drugs was going to be shipped into the container yard that night. The Eko Sentinels were there to take note of the exact container and make sure that no parcel of the drugs leaves the container yard. Bayo and Sade were far away from the action. They were at the top of stacked shipping containers, surveying all that was happening. Chike, on the other hand, wore a vest and pretended to be part of the officials directing and organizing the trucks carrying containers. The night was cold and windy, with little lightning sparks in the sky. A dark, tall man was in charge of the entire shipping process. According to their informant, he was the one who decided where the container would be. Chike noticed how fast he was to turn him down when he wanted to open a particular container, as they had been doing. He immediately knew that that was the container with the drugs. He waited for the coast to be clear and made a move to open the container. Shockingly, he found stuffed toys inside it. Being curious and confused at the same time, he grabbed a few and tore them open. They were actually stuffed.....with cotton. Feeling frustrated, he closed the container to find the supervisor who had warned him not to open it standing behind where the door had previously been. 'Find what you're looking for?' The man said in a deeply raspy voice. Sade was lying on her stomach at the top of the containers with binoculars to her eyes to enable her to see from afar. She quickly noticed when Chike was being dragged by the supervisor towards the exit gate. 'Oh, my God! Chike's in trouble.' She said as she got up with worry, audible in her tone. Bayo, who was turning around slowly, looking at the containers, said, 'Wait, I...I think I can see through the containers.' His eyes glowed blue as his vision penetrated the steel containers. Sade was bent on helping Chike and paid no attention to what Bayo said. 'Look, stay put! I'll be back.' She said while taking out a gun-like weapon from the weapon bag. She shoved it in her gun pocket at the back of her belt and attempted to start running. She stopped and then sounded, 'Don't move an inch!' before jumping onto the shipping containers towards where Chike was being carried out. Bayo was still turning around, looking for the exact container when she left. He could not see clearly with his gamma vision, but he managed to see the structure of the materials inside the containers and their heat signals. He then spotted movement towards a particular container that was very far away from where he stood and where Sade was going. He realized that the person who owned this shipment knew they were going to be there and deflected them when he saw the contents of the container through his gamma vision. He attempted to jump to another shipping container in order to stop them, but was held back by the recalling of Sade's instructions. He paced back and forth on top of the container where he stood before making up his mind to get closer to the real action. He jumped across containers, feeling the cold wind around his body. He saw a black limousine parked a distance away from the container and a tall, fat man wearing a white garment walking towards it with security details surrounding him. 'He's probably the owner of the shipment,' Bayo thought while still running towards it. Sade looked at the figure she saw running on top of the shipping containers and immediately knew it was Bayo. At this time, she and Chike were already engaging some men and the supervisor in combat after she'd freed him. When Bayo had gotten close enough to the container, he slowed down and came down quietly from the container he was standing on. He then stood with his back against the other end of the container carrying the drugs as some henchmen opened it. He could clearly hear the owner of the shipment talking over the phone. His tone was subtle, as if talking to a child, while he examined the drugs inside the container. Bayo remained calm all through, and the man ordered the container to be closed. After Bayo heard a clanging sound signifying that the container was closed, he inched to his left, trying to catch a better glimpse of the man. He then noticed one of the henchmen who was standing around the 'drug lord' looking at him. 'Who is that!' shuddered the henchman as Bayo breathed heavily. He took a run for it when he saw a flashlight getting closer. The mysterious drug lord looked back briefly as two of his henchmen pursued Bayo and looked back, walking towards his ride. He was still heavily guarded, and by now, he was through with his call. The men followed Bayo closely from behind, turning in every direction that he turned. Bayo panted as he navigated through the maze-like structure of the container yard. He soon reached a dead end and turned around to look at his opposition. The two guys smiled at each other with clenched fists as they walked slowly towards Bayo. Bayo spontaneously closed his eyes and formed two powerful orbs in both hands. He pointed them towards the two guys and opened his eyes that were now glowing blue. He shot it at them, sending them through a shipping container with a loud blasting sound and an explosion. Sade and Chike heard it while tackling the last man standing and immediately became worried. The drug lord, who was about to enter his car, turned to look at the explosion. He observed the smoke emitted in the air and said, 'Hmm!' before entering his car to leave. Bayo was in total shock. He knew his abilities, but he had never used them like that before. He continued panting with eyes wide open as he looked at the smoke leaving the men's bodies, their loud and painful grunts ringing in his head.
* * *
'I told you to stay put!' Sade shouted as all three of the Eko Sentinels entered their hidden-in-plain-sight headquarters with rough looks on their faces. Sade was angry, Chike was tired, and Bayo felt disappointed.
'I was trying to stop them.' Bayo said, entering HQ last and demonstrating with his hands to show sincerity.
'Well, you disobeyed orders, and now, you've got us on their radar.' Sade said, turning around to look at Bayo while Chike walked in the other direction unbothered.
'Well, I'm sorry, but I had to act!' Bayo said, feeling remorse.
'It's okay! Just...follow orders next time.' Sade said, accepting his apology and gesturing by tapping his right shoulder. 'Now, go freshen up.' She added, turning around and collapsing on the long sofa.
Bayo turned to his left and walked towards the fridge where Chike stood, drinking from a bottle. Bayo reached for a bottle of water and opened it, gulping it down to the last drop. He looked at Chike's rib area and noticed he was bleeding. 'You're bleeding!' Bayo said nonchalantly, pointing to his rib with the empty bottle still in his hand. Chike looked down at his rib, carrying both his hands up to get a better view.
'Shit!' Chike said, touching the affected area with his hand.
Chike turned and walked towards their cabin as Bayo rested his lower back on the kitchen counter. Bayo soon followed Chike, leaving Sade in the lounge with her fingers massaging her forehead.
'Are you okay?' Bayo asked, entering the cabin to find Chike shirtless with cotton wool in his hands, trying to dab his wound.
'Yeah, I'm good.' Chike answered without raising his head to look at Bayo.
'So this is how it's going to be?' Bayo asked, walking over to his bed and taking a seat opposite Chike, who sat on his own bed.
'What?' Chike asked, finally raising his head to observe Bayo without an expression on his face.
'The silent treatment!' Bayo said, raising his pitch.
'Look, I don't know what you're talking about!' Chike replied, concentrating once again on mopping his wound with the cotton wool.
'Here!' Bayo said after tilting his head left and right. He stood and walked over to Chike, collecting the wool from his hand and sitting beside him. The cut extended from his left rib to his back. His left hand was lifted, allowing Bayo to see clearly and dab the injury.
'Sssst!' Chike sounded as Bayo carefully drew the cotton wool along the injury line.
'Look, I'm really sorry if I said anything offensive. I just don't like the fact that you make it look like I am the cause of all your problems.' Bayo said after wiping the wound clean and throwing the soaked wool into an open dustbin.
'And, I'm sorry for being so hard on you! I've just been through so much to let anyone close to me anymore. I just... don't want to hurt so bad. Chike said in a very calm tone, locking eyes with Bayo, who felt sorry for him. The scene soon felt awkward when nothing happened in the next few seconds, and Bayo broke the silence.
'I'll just...' Bay said, standing up from Chike's bed.
'Yeah, yeah.' Chike said, nodding his head and playing with his hands.
Bayo walked into the bathroom inside their cabin, and the next thing Chike heard was the sound of a pouring shower. He lay on his back, being mindful of his injury, and put both hands behind his head. He smiled lightly, a less-sad emotion.