Knife Edge

e station and had created a group on a social media platform called WhatsApp. The aim of the group was to communicate immediate crimes, and coordinate quick police response

een filled with motivation, to redeem his lost opportunity on catching Judas. When he arrived at the crime scene, and real

s went back to the encounter. It was a golden opportunity which he had wasted, when he tracked Judas, but allowed his anger get the best of him. Following a video posted by the psychopath on Twitter, he had predicted possible locations where he would encounter Judas. And he had been right, Judas had come as expected. W

hopath held him and snatched his gun. Rogers saw it in Judas's eyes. The psychopath meant to shoot him and he couldn't think of a way to avoid the bullet. While Rogers was calculating the best area in his body to take a bullet, and perhaps endure the pain and escape, which was his best unintelligent plan, considering the situation. At that time, Judas was definitely going to kill him, he knew it, but first the psychopath made a phonecall, and Rogers heard a voice on the phone say — kill only the target, avoid the lawyer and anyone else. Surprisingly, Judas had obeyed the strange voice. He had warned Rogers to walk away and promised him d

*

lice wagon, underneath a fruitless avocado tree in the compound, with lots of leaves and without fruit. He got out of the car, after turning off the engine and slotting a cigarette in a corner of his mouth. As he walked towards his two bedroom apartment, he lit the cigaret

his mouth and drinking a bottle of coke. The television's volume was quite high. Buj

u, wetin you dey do for house? — Wh

ing anything at schoo

we

decid

ack to school.

his mouth running. Grumbling in silen

ain, you no go like wetin I

id, then he entered his room, changed his shirt and slumped his police jacket on the shoul

t's

s aim had been to escape the orphanage home, which felt like prison. They were never allowed to leave the building, until they were adopted or got to twenty five years. Waiting for twenty five years was like waiting for eternity. So when Rogers wasn't trying to climb over the compound walls, or scheming to escape orphanage security

sure the teachers would watch the boy, and load him

*

ing a slap or a hard push, the very stubborn ones were receiving a baton to the head. While the police men working on the criminals were being violent, those sitting at the counter were manipulating loved ones of the prisoners, into paying more than necessary for bail. Every Naija government institution had its own money making strat

d walking, then he gave the officer a threatening gaze, and when he wa

the usual tradition was to share the news in the station, and invite fellow officers for the burial. On the burial day, the police would present a condolence gift. The thing was, Rogers disliked a pity party. He cou

*

portant documents for the station. As he walked into the office, Rogers casually noticed a new filing cabinet, a bookcase and a picture frame of a top politician, mockingly called — Naija Fat Cow. Furnitures were hardly new in a government office. The idea was to leave things as they were, like all go

Sir." Roge

how you dey na?"

lright

ed his paper

s the b

well

dition here, if I hadn't called you, so you wouldn't have

to keep it

nd. You know, I actually thought you won't be coming to

her continue

and lonely roads. Rogers was sure every limb in his body, would scream at him, if he attempted to lay his head and sulk a

ght, actually that reminds me..." The DPO pulled out a drawer in hi

case I want to investigate. I was

his hand in the drawe

phone out of his pocket, swiped to a picture of Judas, then he placed it

ure briefly. "Alright, if that's the case you wan

ght S

office, satisfied with

*

ment for the job which Rogers had lost, after ten years working in various Naija police stations. Police work was a tiresome job that revealed the worst of the worst in humanity, and the easiest cure for the daily horrors a police man's eye saw, was alcohol and cigarettes. Rogers understood why some police men tried to pray to God or engage in social activities, like burials or weddings. He didn't think it was useful, but he understood it. The intention was an attempt to live, and find a life, outside the terrible death and madness, which the police job demanded that they face everyday. Most police men like Rogers couldn't live the job, because killing and chasing criminals, was the only real skill they had in life. In fairness to him, Rogers had tried praying a few times, but it was such a guilty experience

re you reading?" Rogers asked Christian,

ternoon. I'm just...

and exhaled looking forward. Then he bent

glanced at Rogers. "Erm... Sir

t." Rogers said and

I ask about that your friend, Okoli? He

fingers, and looked at Christian. "Wha

really that it's a case, but... people... like everybod

illed him. There's nothing more to talk a

inued writing. “This SARS eh... is the worst thin

ng and kicking, then they flogged his back with machetes that left long lines of blood. After Okoli had screamed out his lungs in pain and fainted, they shot multiple bullets into him, and one of them, with a knife, carved a writing of SARS on his chest. If someone had told Rogers tears could fall out his eyes,

m Dagogo, while walkin

ter." H

to tell you that I found m