Chapter 56

Hunter shoved a table out of his way and grabbed Devi by his coat and pulled him, smashing him against another patient's bed. Some patients were now awake wondering what was happening. Hunter quickly checked on Walu who was having a hard time breathing but he knew he was going to be fine. As he turned around, a punch landed on his cheek knocking out his molar instantly. This small man had the power of Goliath, Hunter thought as he spat the tooth out. Devi grabbed a table and threw it on Hunter who briskly missed it. The two men stood panting heavily looking at each other. Hunter was bleeding.

'So my suspicions were right," Hunter said and went, 'But why Devi?"

'You know me?" Devi seemed shocked.

'Who wouldn't know the duo Ben and Devi and the mess they leave when handling things?"

Devi laughed, 'Are we that careless?"

'Always have been."

'May i know who you are?"

'Your worst nightmare," Hunter jumped at Devi with a punch.

Devi cleverly blocked it punching him in the torso repeatedly and sending him down on his knee. One knee on the ground, Hunter blocked an uppercut from Devi and grabbed him by his legs sending him on the floor. He tightly squeezed his neck unaware that Devi had reached for a knife and stabbed him in the thigh. Devi got off Hunter's tight grip on his neck and hit him with an elbow.

On his way down, Hunter managed to get the knife out of his leg throwing it on the floor and grabbed Devi by his leg and twisted it. Whilst at it, he threw a punch with his left hand hitting Devi on his eye. Devi felt the pain pass through his veins to his brain feeling his whole head go numb. He used his size to his advantage and managed to find his way out of Hunter's tight grip maneuvering himself and pushing himself away from him. Hunter was on his feet feeling his thigh bleeding. Was it that he was getting old? Devi proved quite an opponent and that enraged him.

'Hunter!" Walutanga shouted.

Devi looked at Hunter with fear, and at the same with satisfaction. 'Hunter?"

Hunter saw the perturbation in Devi's eyes and knew that the little man had known who he was.

Devi stepped back looking around. He heard a door squeak from the hallway and patients were now shouting and blubbering. A nurse shouted from a distance asking what the hell was happening. His eyes quickly spotted an exit.

'This is not over." he said, looking at Hunter. 'It's a pleasure to meet the legendary Hunter and have a face to face beatdown, even though you are a total let down now. Your reputation precedes you," He sprinted and disappeared into the darkness.

Hunter didn't have time to chase after him. He went to Walu's bed and found the boy crying his lungs out like the other patients in the ward. There was no time for consolation. Before Walu could know it, he was on Hunter's shoulders leaving the hospital. There was only one place Hunter could think of going to and he didn't have any options. The nurse got into the ward and just saw a window wide open and the curtains seething with the wind.

****

Ludo reached home and found no one. She was exhausted and wanted a good rest. Meeting Evan always put a toll on her. Perhaps, telling him about Erica could put him in an opposite direction than he was heading, she thought as she entered the shower. The settlement that the Patels were offering the Hamuumbu's was way too generous. Ludo had been thinking about it the whole day. Looking at how things where with Evan and possibly Erica, that money would at least make a difference in their lives.

She finished bathing and went to her bedroom. She turned on her laptop and started playing some music. Her stomach rumbled and she went to the kitchen. After she was finishes eating some light food, she checked her watch and it was 00:33am and her father wasn't back yet, she wondered. That was unlike him. Well, he was a grown man, she needn't worry about him. She went back to bed and locked her bedroom door. As she got on the bed, she heard a loud thud outside. Startled, she jerked up and grabbed her phone. She called her father but he wasn't picking up.

What if she was being scared of nothing? She asked herself. It could be some cats playing in their yard but then again, the thud was too loud to be of cats. She slowly tiptoed out of her bed and went to the kitchen. She could hear footsteps outside and knew those were of people. Panicking, she dialled 112..




'112, what's your emergency?" An operator asked from the other side of the call after a few seconds.

Before she could answer, she heard her name being called outside by a familiar voice. Her heart was now pounding very fast she was scared she might have a seizure and that would be the worst thing to happen to her in this moment. The phone was still on her ear and the operator repeatedly asked what the problem was.

'Ludo it's me!" the voice was now loud and clear.

'Hunter!" she yelled.

She could never forget his husky voice. She quickly stood up and looked through the window and saw him standing with someone laying on the ground. She ran to the door and opened it. She jumped on him hugging him and didn't even notice he was bleeding.

'Hunter where have you been?"

'Easy, younglin," he put her down, 'We need help," he looked at the shivering Walutanga on the ground.

Ludo quickly knelt before the boy and saw that he wasn't doing well. She instructed Hunter to carry him inside and once they were in the house, she couldn't believe how both of them were hurt. She knew Hunter could handle the pain but the boy's burns were terrifying. Knowing Hunter, she knew he wouldn't want any untrusted medical personnel to attend to them. She dialled her mother's line because that was the only person who could quickly come to her daughter's aid especially now that she was trying so hard to right her wrongs. Ludo talked to her mother and told her to come with some medicine for burns and anything she could think of that would be of help. Zamiwe started asking questions but Ludo assured her she wasn't in any danger but should hurry.




Ludo sprinted to her father's bedroom and grabbed some clean clothes and gave them to Hunter who just looked at them. She didn't want to ask any questions now but kept wondering what the hell had happened to these two. Whilst on it, she got a blanket for the boy and covered him. She also made some tea for Hunter though he didn't touch the cup but was alert to each and every sound he heard outside.

An hour later, Ludo heard a car approaching outside and knew it was her father. She wanted to go outside but Hunter stopped her telling her it could be someone dangerous. She listened to him as she watched him peep through the window.




'It's your father and mother," Hunter looked back at Her.

She was surprised, 'Mom and dad!"

She peeped as well and it was them with her mother hurriedly rushing for the door. The door opened and Zamiwe bumped into Hunter and stopped freezing on her feet. Joe followed and immediately stopped when he saw Hunter as well.

'It's fine," Ludo appeared grabbing her mother by the hand and leading her in.

Zamiwe was scared," What's happening love? Are you alright?" she checked Ludo.

Joe entered the house staring at Hunter who looked like he had fallen off an airplane.

'Help the boy mom," Ludo pointed to Walutanga.

Zamiwe quickly knelt before Walutanga and removed the blanket and was astound by the wound. She wanted to ask questions but Ludo told her she could ask later. Ludo left her tending to the boy and walked to her father and assured him everything was fine but wondered what he was doing with her mother this late or perhaps they had met on the road but that was pretty outrageous to even think of.

'Who is that man?" Joe asked.

'You have forgotten him, this is Hunter, Hunter this is Joe, my dad," Ludo introduced them.

Zamiwe overheard and got scared. She remembered him but looking at how comfortable Ludo was, she tried as much as possible to calm herself and work on the boy.

'I don't like the way he's looking at me," Joe said, his eyes still on Hunter.

'Don't look him in the eyes, you will only get frightened," Ludo held Joe's hand and let go.

'Why are you so calm?" Joe looked at Ludo.

'I am not as calm as you think i am. I have so many questions for everyone in here. All of you but let's deal with the emergency at hand," she stood up and walked to her mother and Walutanga.

Hunter and Joe followed too and stood behind Ludo while Zamiwe was busy tending to Walutanga. Hunter and Joe looked at each other and then back at Ludo.