THE BRAVE ONE

EPISODE 1

(At about 7:12am, a stereo is being played in an average furnished house of Mr. Ekong. The 7'o clock news is being read in the stereo from a channel Crown FM 89.9. Mr. Ekong is paying attention to the news read by a male broadcaster)
BROADCASTER:(continues reading the news from the stereo)- - - - - - at about 9pm yesterday a bomb blast happened at Abuja airport. Twelve people dead, nine injured. (reads further) Gunmen attacked a small village in Oyo state last night and killed 48 people- - - - - - - Three suspects were arrested yesterday for allegedly killing one Mr. Ifeanyi who just arrived from Dubai three days ago with some expensive goods. Alright, this is the news for this hour. Thank you for listening to Crown news 89.9 FM. Good morning!. (Mr. Ekong switches off the radio in amazement)
MR. EKONG:(in amazement) God!. What is really happening in this country?. Killing everyday, bomb blast here and there, gunmen would enter a village and wipe all the innocent people out for no reason. God!. What's happening?. God, if this will continue like this please protect me and my only child from this evil. Even if I will die, don't let me die this way. (still in deep thoughts his son rushes out of the room to where he is sitting)
JOSHUA:(appears in his school uniform with his school bag strapped on his back) Dad, I'm ready for school. (no response from his dad) Dad! Dad!! (taps him several times until his father came back to reality) Dad, is anything the problem?.
MR. EKONG:(in a low voice) No, my son. There's no problem.
JOSHUA:(responds quickly) Okay, daddy. I'm ready for school.
MR. EKONG:(responds in low voice) You're ready?. Have you had your breakfast? (glances at the wall clock) It's 7:40am already?.
JOSHUA:(responds) Yes, daddy. I'm a bit late already.
MR. EKONG:(in a calm voice) Bring my car keys on the bed inside together with my wallet (Joshua rushes inside in less than 7 seconds he is out again holding the car keys and the wallet proffering it to him. He drives his son to school in less than 10 minutes they arrive at the school gate)
JOSHUA:(sighs as he glances on his wrist watch) Thank goodness, it's not yet 8am. I would have been punished for coming late.
MR. EKONG:(smiles) I had to take short cuts because of you so you won't be late. (unzips his wallet and gives his son #200 note)
JOSHUA:(in disgust) Dad, this money is too small. It is not enough for me, you know I'll have to take a cab back home from school all by myself.
MR. EKONG:(responds calmly) Please, you'll have to bear it with me today. I don't have much on me again. Later in the day, I'm going for a job interview. Out of the money with me, I'll have to fuel my car and sort out some other things. See! (opens his wallet for his son to know he is saying the truth). I'm left with only #2000, I'll still give you from it tomorrow. Just pray I get this job so we won't have to live like this anymore.
JOSHUA:(affirmative) Okay, daddy. I have to go. I pray you get the job. (alights from the car) Bye, daddy. (waves goodbye to his dad as he enters the school gate. Mr. Ekong zooms off)
(In the house of The Christopher's, Nnenna is four months pregnant with her four year old son, Philip. Philip is playing with his toys while his pregnant mother is doing the little house chores she could do)
PHILIP:(playing with a police toy car in his hands) Mummy! Mummy!! (runs to meet his mother) Is this not how daddy's car looks like?. (showing her the police toy car in his hands).
NNENNA:(smiles) Yes, my boy.
PHILIP:(asks further questions) Mummy, my daddy is a soldier right?.
NNENNA:(chuckles) Soldier?. No, your dad is a police man not a soldier. It's your dad's car that does whow! whow!! whow!!! (imitates a siren).
PHILIP:(in excitement) Okay, but mummy when will daddy come home?. I don't see him again. I'm missing my daddy already. (almost breaking into tears).
NNENNA:(calms him down) Don't worry, your daddy will be home soon. He is not around now because he has a lot to do out there, fighting crimes.
PHILIP:(crying uncontrollably) Let me see my daddy. I want to see my daddy. Daddy, where are you?.
NNENNA:(becomes frustrated) Stop crying!. You are ought to be in school today but because you woke up this morning with a little bit of high temperature I decided to let you stay at home today. Now, you won't let me rest.
PHILIP:(crying loudly and uncontrollably) I want to see my daddy. If I did not see my daddy, I'm not going to school again (Nnenna drags him closer and pets him)
NNENNA:(fondling his hair) Don't worry, son. Very soon you'll see your dad. Just be calm, I promise you. Do you hear me? (Philip nods in affirmation) Good! (drops Philip on the sofa as he continues playing with his toys while she walks slowly to the dining table with her protruding medium sized belly).
    (Sgt. Mjr. Christopher & Sgt. Richards are not on uniforms but they both wear a black plain t-shirt with the sleeves tightly held to their biceps. Their walkie-talkies and pistol are in their holsters strapped to their waist. They walk to an upscale restaurant not too far from their workplace to have lunch, they sit on the empty chairs as the waiter approached them proffers the menu list to them Sgt. Mjr. Chris collects it and glances through it made his order as Sgt. Richards also made the same order. As they wait patiently for the waiter to bring their food. Sgt. Mjr. Chris starts a convo with his friend).
SGT. MJR. CHRISTOPHER:(in a deep voice) Richie, my friend. Like, I always tell you, you are not getting any younger. Go and find a woman to marry, you are handsome, rich and you have a very good job. So what else are you waiting for?. You are almost 40 and still do not bother about getting married.
SGT. RICHARDS:(chuckles as he was about responding the waiter brings their food, they thanked him as he exits) Chris, I've told you so many times that I don't have any woman for now who I can say I want to marry and you know that very well. I don't have time for all that till I've achieved my aim in this police force.
SGT. MJR. CHRIS:(munching his food) Richie, I think there's this lady in our department, a Corporal. This very fair lady, she seems to like you but you don't give her your attention.
SGT. RICHARDS:(frowns) You mean Uche?. Are you talking about Uche?.
SGT. MJR. CHRIS:(responds with a smile) Yeah, Uche. Don't you like her?. She's so pretty, I think she's also nice.
SGT. RICHARDS:(laughs hysterically) Chris, you are so funny. Uche doesn't like me, she's that type of lady that wants every man's attention. The type of lady that's desperately looking for husband, let's forget that's she's nice she's only putting up a drama. She is being desperate, I know ladies like this. They can do anything, just anything to get a man of herself. (chuckles)
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (asks further questions) Do you mean all those attention, all those care she shows you are all fake?. Because I've also  noticed she gets very jealous when you're with other ladies.
SGT. RICHARDS: (munching the last food in his mouth) They are all fake, my friend. I deliberately play with other ladies just to let her off my back but she still didn't back off instead she gets jealous over nothing. Haha!. (chuckles) So funny!
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: You are so unserious! (cuts the last piece of meat in the plate with the cutlery knife) I just hope you'll find a woman of your choice very soon. (his walkie-talkies beeps, unstraps it from the holster and speaks into it) Eagle, do you read me?. Over.
EAGLE: (responds hurriedly) Yes, I read you. We just got a call that there's a robbery attack at Benstone Bank, Km. 3 Tonie Road. We need you right there!. Over!
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (in a calm voice) Calm down, how many are they?. Over!
EAGLE: (responds) We didn't ask sir!. We just got a report about the robbery and we forgot to ask their number. Over!
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (ponders) That is not a problem. Order for twelve police men with two vans and you guys should come meet me at that nearby restaurant. Be fast about it!. Do you copy?. Over!
EAGLE: Copy that!. Over and out!. (disconnects)
SGT. RICHARDS: Any problem?.
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: There's a robbery attack at Benstone Bank. We are called to help them.
SGT. RICHARDS: (little bit of worry) What?!. You've ordered for more men, I think?.
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (responds) Yeah, they'll soon be here. (Few minutes later, two police cars arrives at Love Chicken restaurant, Sgt. Mjr. Chris and Sgt. Richards joins them. Fifteen minutes later, they arrive at Benstone Bank, Sgt. Mjr. Chris alongside six of his subordinate officers enters the bank while Sgt. Richards with the remaining six men stands outside to keep watch of whatever is going on outside. At the mere sight of Sgt. Mjr. Chris, the armed robbers becomes frightened. Sgt. Richards speaks with a megaphone from outside)
SGT. RICHARDS: (speaks with a megaphone) Listen up!. You're being surrounded by the police. If you really value your life it's better you surrender now, don't try anything stupid. If you don't surrender now, consider yourselves dead. You only have ten minutes to do that!.
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (folds his arm) Did you guys hear that?. Is better we do this gently or we go the hard way!. (the armed robbers are contemplating on what to do. Sgt. Mjr. Chris watches them for a few seconds and he thinks of a Plan B in case anything happens).
ROBBER 2: (turns to Robber 1 with a stuttering voice) Boss, it's better we surrender. I don't think we can escape this.

ROBBER 1: (furious as he whispers into his ear) Are you crazy?!. Why should we surrender when we've already got what we came for?. It's how to escape that's the next move.

ROBBER 2: (responds) But we can't escape now that the cops are here especially now that (pointing to Sgt. Mjr. Chris) he's here.
SGT. MJR. CHRISTOPHER: I won't repeat myself again!. It's better you surrender now or I go the hard way with you guys!.
ROBBER 1: (responds with courage) We are not surrendering!. And we won't surrender!. Oh!. You think I would be scared of you like how other criminals are scared of you?. (shakes his head in negation) No no, that's not possible. As long as I have what I came for, I won't surrender.
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (chuckles) You're not surrendering right?. Cool, then we go the hard way then!. (summons some of his men) Guys!.
ROBBER 3: (interrupts him out of fear) I surrender!. I don't know for others but I'm surrendering personally. I don't want to die yet.
ROBBER 1: (angry) Don't be stupid, boy!. He can't do anything to us. Just be calm!.
ROBBER 3: (ignores his leader) I'm dropping my gun if you promise me that you won't shoot. (Sgt. Mjr. Chris nods in affirmation while Robber 1 tries stopping him but Robber 3 didn't yield he dropped his gun and immediately he was handcuffed by the police)
SGT. RICHARDS: (who is still outside with the other police men picks up the megaphone and speaks into it) You've got less than two minutes to surrender!.
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (becoming impatient) I won't repeat myself again, drop your guns or you all are going down!.
ROBBER 4: (talks to his leader) Boss, let's not act stupid. There's no way we can escape here, we've been surrounded by the police and we've also been timed. It's better we drop our guns and surrender or we lose our lives.
ROBBER 1: (still headstrong) You guys are disappointing me!. I have to find a way to leave here unscathed, I'm not just doing this. (as he was about moving Sgt. Mjr.Chris cocks his gun pointing it at Robber 1) Let me go, man!. (shoots Sgt. Mjr. Chris on his right arm. As all six of them were about escaping, the other police men shoots two of them on the leg. The others were trying to desperately find a way out but unfortunately for them, Sgt. Richards and his men had obstructed them from behind  alongside the other police men obstructing them at the other side. They realized they had no hope of escaping again then they surrendered, they were handcuffed and taken to the police van outside, those that were shot were taken to hospital).
SGT. RICHARDS: (runs to meet Sgt. Mjr. Chris who is writhing in pain to help him up as he could not move his hands because he is already bleeding, Sgt. Mjr. Chris uses his left hand to stop the bleeding but to no avail) My God, you are losing so much blood already! (he takes out his handkerchief and ties it on Sgt. Mjr. Chris injured arm in order to stop the bleeding)
SGT. MJR. CHRIS: (in excruciating pain) Richie, take me to the medics quickly!.
SGT. RICHARDS: (responds) Of course, I will let's walk to the van. Just bear it till we get there. (they all zoom off alongside with the captors).
          (In the Police Force Unit. Sgt. Mjr. Chris is being taken to their clinic for treatment. The bullet has been removed from his arm and he is fixed on drip. Few hours later, the whole media covered the news of the heroic deed of Sgt. Mjr. Chris for saving a bank from getting robbed albeit he was shot).

                           LIGHT FADES