The bullet whizzed past shattering the car window, shards of glass raining down on me. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized that was really close but I was willed not to die today. I crouched lower basking in the safety of the SUV’s metal body, I carefully crept to the edge of the car trunk and returned fire, aiming at no one in particular, keeping the gunfire at the direction of the opposition. The cacophony of gunshots rented the air as combatants shouted directives which were drowned on the gunfire.
The mobile policemen had better cover having barged in on us as we were leaving the bank. It was supposed to be an easy job, we had gotten intel that the pension money came the previous night and we had planned the operation to be a snatch and grab. We had met no resistance when we arrived at the bank, two policemen and ordinary security who we dispossessed of their weapons and locked in their security room. I was taking cover with Talib and Kofo beside the car, Talib was the getaway driver but had quickly come down from the car when he realised he was exposed and we needed extra firepower, they were also trying their best to return enough fire to aid our escape. One thing was certain, nobody was getting caught, die on the scene or escape alive was one of the cardinal rules of the Squad Diablo. Our sole aim now was to get into the cars and manage an escape, I had the bag of cash strapped on my shoulders while Honcho had the other bag on him, the problem now was that the driver doors where exposed to the gunfire of the forces. We really had to escape soon or our situation would be critical if the forces radio for backup, who knows if they had already. From my estimation they were about seven mobile policemen in the Hilux they barged in on us with. We six in number with two SUV’s, three persons to each SUV. Honcho, Okpukpu and Murphy were taking cover in the other SUV, the cars parked meters away from each other. I was shooting with my favourite UMP45. Pedestrians and drivers had scrambled to safety immediately the shootout began, the road was lonely excluding we belligerents. Honcho signalled me from his cover, indicating we should come over to his SUV, driving off with one car would be the best option. Honcho always had the best plans. I motioned Talib to go over first while we cover him, he was about making his move when I pulled him back.
“I have a plan, let’s get inactive before you cross” I told him. I reasoned a sudden barrage will put them off balance a bit. Talib nodded in agreement. I told them to keep up the gunfire. I picked up my phone and dialled Honcho who picked up on the first ring. I told him my plan of halting gunfire for a while and suddenly resuming intensity on my signal, we were going to cross over at the same time. The mobile policemen were still sporadically shooting at us, they shot with calculation, trying not to run out of ammunition and they knew their weapons were inferior to ours, we had the luxury of bullets, each one of us with magazines to last for hours.
They must have been surprised when we suddenly seized fire and stayed inactive. I waited for about sixty seconds before I signalled Honcho to rain on them, they had changed clips, now fully loaded. I could see Honcho and Okpukpu flanking the SUV from the rear, Okpukpu’s muscles bulging in his black T-shirt as he squeezed the trigger relentlessly, Murphy was their getaway driver and was still shooting from inside the car, lying on his belly. They shot with vigor, sparks and bullets flying, the mobile policemen stayed low trying to organise themselves, I saw one of them fall prey to the barrage of bullets, his blood staining the tarmac. I motioned Talib and Kofo to race over to our comrades with me. We successfully got to the SUV as Murphy regained his position as the driver, we hurriedly scrambled into the car, Murphy already flooring the accelerator, the car screeching to action. The policemen realised what we had done, they had probably thought we were planning on leaving the way we came, with the two SUV’s, they regained their composure and started firing rapidly at us not minding their ammunition this time. Kofo was perched on the car door trying to return fire when a bullet struck him in the chest sending him flying off his perch and hitting the tarmac. It did not seem enough to kill him but any attempt to stop and help him back into the car would prove fatal and definitely lead to more casualties. His body was in spasms as I aimed and riddled his body with bullets making sure I ended his life. The policemen had succeeded in bursting one of the rear tires of our SUV, the body of the car strewn with bullet holes. I had made sure I shot their tires too, one in front and one in the rear to make sure they wouldn’t come after us or even if they decided to, they wouldn’t give a proper chase.
Honcho dialled Solo, our comrade at the base to drive up and meet us so we could swap to the other car stating where he’ll be meeting us. Driving through town with a bullet riddled car would definitely raise suspicions and inadvertently bring more trouble. The plan was to switch the booty to Solo’s car while we disperse individually to meet back at the base. Murphy drove into an abandoned church as we waited and pondered the episode that just happened, loosing Kofo dampened our morale though we gained comfort knowing the money was safe and sound with us.
scintillating writes 