The Acting President sighed, wondering why the National Security Coordinator was not picking her call at such a crucial time. She fastened her seat belt as fear again gnawed at her heart. Her thoughts once more went to her son.
Lt. Clottey drove out of his lane and now on the left lane, stepped hard on the accelerator pedal, overtaking the vehicles in front of him. Oncoming vehicles had to give way. He jumped two traffic lights, nearly crashing into a tipper truck from the opposite direction which was negotiating a left turn. He observed in the rear view mirror the two vehicles also jumping the red lights at the traffic lights intersections.
“Wow! They are certainly after us!” he said as he continued to speed down Benarsko Avenue. Then suddenly, he took his foot off the accelerator pedal and took a sharp curve to the right. The tyres of the vehicle screeched and screamed loudly. Gertrude Mensah was hurled forward but held in check by the seat belt.
“Sorry, Madam!” the Lieutenant said. The Acting President nodded grimily, appreciating that he was doing his best to get her out of harm’s way.
Lt. Clottey took a series of sharp curves again; left, right, right, left and then hit the Anwar Sadat Street. Then he sped on.
…………………………………………………………
“We’ve lost him! Damn!” Kruger screamed. “He must have spotted us” he added. Phan Xuan did not say anything. He was his usual quiet self.
In his car Derek, a.k.a Notorious, a national security operative who was a member of Rex Yamoah’s gang also cursed. He too had lost Gertrude Mensah’s vehicle.
“Okay, turn. She was heading home. I bet having thrown us off, they would head to her residence. Let us get there ahead of them and position ourselves well so you can take her out at the entrance of her gate when she arrives. We must take both of them out.” Kruger said.
Meanwhile, a pensive Lt. Clottey drove on. He was beginning to get worried. Seated beside him, Acting President Gertrude Mensah sat quietly in his seat, wondering what next. About a hundred metres to her home, the Lieutenant stopped the car and drove off the road.
“I have a feeling that your house is being watched. It would not be wise to go home now” he said.
“So how do I change into something official? I can’t go to the airport in this” she said.
“Yes madam. You cannot go to the airport in this. The last place they will be on the lookout for you at the moment is my home because of what happened the last time they stormed there. So, we can dash there now. I will stop by the VIP boutique so you can buy what you want to wear to the airport. Then we can proceed to my house so you can change into it.” Lt. Clottey suggested. Gertrude Mensah thought about the proposal for a while and then nodded. The Lieutenant thus turned the car around and headed towards the beach.
Meanwhile, Kruger and Phan Xuan had arrived in the vicinity of the Acting President’s residence and were waiting just one hundred and twenty metres ahead of where Lt. Clottey had stopped. The Vietnamese sharp-shooter had his telescopic rifle ready to take Gertrude Mensah out. After a thirty minute wait, Kruger came to the conclusion that Gertrude Mensah was not returning home after all; there was no use waiting for her to show up.
Meanwhile, every now and then, Lt. Clottey checked the rear view mirror of the vehicle to see if they were being followed as he headed towards his residence. After about ten minutes, he decided no one was following them. When they reached the Ghana Naval Base Centre, he turned left, heading for Lake View Hill where the Exclusive women’s wear boutique for VIPs, Elegant Ladies, was located. Five minutes later, he pulled up in front of the boutique, parking very close to the entrance so that when she got out of the car, a few steps would take the Acting President into the boutique.
“Is it safe for me to go in there?” she asked Lt. Clottey
“Yes madam. It is safe” Lt. Clottey replied. Sighing, Gertrude Mensah got out of the vehicle. Mrs. Anne-Marie Koomson welcomed her heartily and immediately took her upstairs where she keeps items for VVIPs.