Chapter 53

***Levi.***

"Give the details to my man. He'd handle it." I repeated curtly, turning to leave.

Tension slowly ebbes away, as I neared the door way.

"Does your wife know that her country people were killed because of you, Senator?"

I stilled in my tracks, a chill suddenly claiming me. White flash crossed my eyes. My senses alert, waiting. But I barely knew what I was waiting for. I was only aware of something dark, replacing the initial persona that had walked up this building moments ago.

"I wonder how she fucks you at night, knowing that you killed countless of her people, including her father." The man's words cut into the night.

The jeer, a direct stab. A warning to my sheltered life with Kenya. An undercurrent to a potential rain of mayhem. A cataclysmic storm, which could rock my entire world and destroy this new life that God handed me on a golden platter. *Kenya*, my wife. My aphrodisiac. My friend. A purity that I didn't deserve, knowing my truth.

Yet, I wondered if I might have done something in my past life, to have been bestowed such a goddess. Because even though she didn't wish to accept it, even though she preferred to hate me, she had become a part of me that I couldn't lose.

And a threat from a despicable nobody, as this journalist, was only going to ruin this chance for me.

Turning around slowly, I sauntered towards the journalist. My face cloaked in the darkness. My silence stretched, the man unaware of the roiling anger that simmered inside. Reaching the man, I gave a sinister smile, inching closer. Towering over him, until the man was cornered.

"What was that you said again. Something about how I fucked my wife." I continued to inch closer, not a space left. The man spooked, backing further out into the night. The air suddenly hitting us, enveloping us. We were outside now, standing on a stone ledge that stretched out. I halted directly in front of him.

"NoNothingSenator." The man shook his head, his feet shifting nervously on the ledge. It had the width of a ramp, the ledge. Yet it was frightening, standing so high up. The moon reached us now and the man finally saw the hellish glare in my eyes.

"I thought so." I grinned, darkly. I turned away, as if heading back in the direction we came. Behind me, the journalist heaved a sigh.

"On second thought, I think not." And in two strides, I closed the space, picking up the much smaller man and threw him off the ledge.

It was quick, unexpected. The man didn't see it coming, hence he didn't even have the time to scream, for long, before he reached the floor. A thud sounded down, just as I heard the rush of feet come up beside me.

"What happened?" Blake asked breathlessly. He leaned forward, staring down. Horror and confusion furrowing his face. "Levi, what happened to the man?"

"He tripped." We watched the horrid sight below from the height; Blake breathless, me maintaining a frightening calm. After a few moments, I exhaled and turned to leave.

"Clean the mess Blake." I quietly uttered.

"What about the files we needed from him?" Blake called out, baffled.

"Check the hard drive in his pocket." I didn't give a backward glance.

***Sunday, Five days later...***

In a time of crisis, one of these actions is always certain of a man; fright or flight or fight. Fright, because there is no way out and there is no probability of an imminent solution, hence fear. Flight, because it is the only cowardly action. The safest option. And those two were never my options. I fought to the death, like a gladiator in the ring.

The car drove through the dark night that reflected my dark soul, as I returned from yet another impromptu campaign tour. This time amongst an immigrant community that wanted to pledge their support, as well as lay out their concerns. They wished to be fully recognized as members of the society; having affordable healthcare and housing. Afterall, they constantly partook in the nation's growth. The tiny cornerstones in an entire building structure.

I had listened to all they said, danced with a few of the elderly women, who had happily seen my presence as a sign of my commitment to the poor and disregarded. I had even played a game of solitaire and chess with the men. The only regret I had, was not bringing Kenya, because the community people, had all wanted her presence.

Seeing that It had been an unplanned tour, stemmed from the sorrow the people suffered, I had attended. And regret was something that rarely crossed my thoughts.

My only thoughts lately have been centered on my marriage with Kenya, my duty to the helpless, and sometimes my business affairs. I rarely bothered about my Senatorial aspiration; seeing it as a duty, which I would carry out dutifully if I won. As for been desperate about wining, I rarely blinked a wink about that. All that actually robbed me of sleep these nights, was my marriage, which was hanging on the edge of a cliff at the moment.

Barely talking to me, it was like I didn't even exist in Kenya's world. A situation, which I barely managed well. My façade due to break any moment, because I was scared of losing her.

The ruination of my marriage, was a risk I couldn't condone. And any threat to our existence as a couple, I was willing to erase, no matter the cost.

On that cold night, five days ago, I had felt Blake's questioning gaze, when I had left the scene with the journalist, but I had ignored him. Returning home to my wife.

It was 10pm, when I arrived. And not wanting to disrupt her peaceful sleep, I had gone to the spare room, where I had slept since Saturday night's outburst.