"Move slowly."
The robber commanded with the gun at the back of my head while leading me into my own house.
Being rich has its perks. After a while I stopped keeping valuables in the house, moving them instead to banks and safe houses. The rest of my assets are offline.
The only thing of value I know that's here is my pantry with wines and foodstuffs then the small safe that is camouflaged in the visitors toilet.
Instead of bothering on what they could gain, I wondered how this happened.
I thought back on the strange encounter. He simply asked for a ride across the street. Normally I wouldn't even stop for anyone at this time but I stopped and obliged.
I tried my best to think of his appearance looking for anything strange, a red tie or a ring or anything of semblance that can be used to bewitch me.
"Na jazz?" I asked out loud.
"No talking and quickly open the door." He prodded using the gun barrel to tap the back of my head.
I sighed then brought out the key and inputted the pin.
Immediately I opened the door and a loud growl was heard. The robber and I stopped dead in our tracks.
"What's that?" He asked, fear in his voice.
"That's Ivie." I replied, amused at the fact that a robber didn't plan that I had a dog.
Quickly I got nervous because I hadn't fed him and Ivie wasn't the most friendly of canines.
"Does he bite?" The robber asked and as though in response Ivie barked again, louder and more menacing.
I chuckled and asked, "Are you willing to find out?"
After a few minutes of silence at the door, the robber seemed to have made his decision. He cocked his gun and told me to open the door.
I did as I was told, and let him into my house. Before I was wondering what he would steal and scared for my life.
Now I wondered which lawyer I would call and if I'd be able to save his life.
God!! What kind of trouble have I carried myself into in this heist?
I nursed my bleeding leg as I rested behind the chair in one of the inner rooms.
This was meant to be a simple robbery. A gun that was meant to be just for show has been shot 3 times and now I had 2 bullets left, a ravaged leg, I've lost my hostage and there's a mad beast roaming the corridors.
There was no electricity in the house as a stray bullet hit the circuit breaker and put the whole place in darkness.
This was a curse and a boon.
The main door is an electronic lock, so there's no chance of my mark Mr Rashad going out.
It also sadly means that I am locked in with it too.
"Ivie." He was less of a dog and more like a wolf who knew his prey was injured and cornered.
Our encounter was fast and deadly, immediately I entered and the door was locked. I saw him attack. I drew my gun and managed to shoot at it.
My first two shots went wide in the dark. The third only landed because he was already on my leg.
After I shot him he backed off and I managed to drag myself to another room and shut the door.
The bullet seemed to have just annoyed him instead of stopping him in his tracks.
bringgg bringggg. bringgg bringgg
The telephone on the side stool was ringing, it seemed to be a wired in house line.
I picked the phone up and put it to my ears.
"Seems you have extremely angered Ivie." The voice on the other line of the phone said calmly.
"Rashad!! Call off your beast or else —"
"I believe we both know that the power dynamic has changed now, Mr Robber." He laughed, cutting me off.
"Firstly, I'm the one that forgot to feed him before leaving today thus his increased aggression. For that I'm sorry. Secondly, Ivie isn't my dog to call off. He was trained by my son and he tolerates me at best, not once has he obeyed me."
"So you're saying you have no control over this beast." I asked him, the fear overcoming my heart and leaving my skin cold.
"I have no control. I would have been in the same situation as you if not for my son properly introducing us before leaving."
"Regardless I can see him right now and he's visibly angry, licking the wound you gave him, and his eyes trained on your door."
"I'm here to advise you to call the police and my son."
"You want me to call the police on myself?" I asked incredulously.
"It's either that or you die. Cause trust me, if Ivie doesn't get you, the bleeding and infection later on would."
"The backup generator would turn on soon, at that time I would leave here and leave you to your fate."
"My son's simply saved as 'Son' in my contacts. He's part of emergency contacts. I do hope you make the right decision."
I could feel the blood flow steadily down my leg and indeed I was getting lightheaded.
if Ivie doesn't get you, the bleeding and infection later on would...
I thought back on Rashad's words. The call happened a little over 30 minutes ago and since then I've left bloody footprints around the room.
With a loud BAM and mechanical whirr, the backup generator kicked to life. Light came on in the room.
Only then did I see just how bad the wound felt.
The blood around has congealed but it still steadily trickled down.
Slowly defeated, I brought out the phone and turned it on.
In emergency contacts, I saw "Son" and dialed it, putting the voice in the speaker.
"Hello?" The deep voice asked and I quickly recounted what was happening.
He promised to be on his way.
Extremely weak now. My eyes were drooping and I could feel my heart rate slowing down.
I heard another bark and then scratching at the door. The lights back on must have emboldened him.
Slowly I dialed the police number and brought the phone to my ear.
With a small chuckle as the irony of the situation wasn't lost to me, as the line connected I began speaking.
"I'd like to report a robbery..."
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