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Back The Missing American Save as PDF
Chapters (109)
  1. Part One
  2. ONE
  3. One day earlier
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. PART TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  81. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  82. SEVENTY-NINE
  83. EIGHTY
  84. EIGHTY-ONE
  85. EIGHTY-TWO
  86. EIGHTY-THREE
  87. EIGHTY-FOUR
  88. EIGHTY-FIVE
  89. EIGHTY-SIX
  90. EIGHTY-SEVEN
  91. EIGHTY-EIGHT
  92. EIGHTY-NINE
  93. NINETY
  94. NINETY-ONE
  95. NINETY-TWO
  96. NINETY-THREE
  97. NINETY-FOUR
  98. NINETY-FIVE
  99. NINETY-SIX
  100. NINETY-SEVEN
  101. NINETY-EIGHT
  102. NINETY-NINE
  103. GLOSSARY
  104. Acknowledgments
  105. Continue reading
  106. Part One
  107. ONE
  108. TWO
  109. THREE

“Besides how much I hate him? Well, he controls the destinies of a lot of sakawa boys and on the other side, MP’s and top policemen and so on. Some people say even President Bannerman consulted him and participated in a ritual that made him win the election.”

“Really,” Emma said, not sure whether or not to believe that. “Well, whatever the case, now that someone has shot Evans-Aidoo, looks like Bannerman will take the presidency again.”

Emma and Bruno looked at each other, reading each other’s minds. An assassination organized by the president and/or his henchmen was not an impossible scenario to imagine.

Something struck Emma at that moment. “Bruno, have you been tempted to do sakawa on the real? Tell the truth.”

“No,” he said without hesitation, “and do you know why? These boys and girls who go into it find themselves trapped. If you happen not to be successful, and you want to get out, it’s very tough. If you make a mistake or woe betide you, you have conflict with the fetish priest, you can suffer badly. When you live by spiritual powers, you can also die by them. So, no—I will not go inside, even if I wasn’t working for Sana Sana.”

Emma nodded. “Because I don’t want you to do it.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “I know you don’t.”

Bruno’s phone rang. “Nii, watsup?” He listened for a moment. “Thursday, right? Okay, no problem.” He ended the call and looked at Emma. “Nii and I will meet Godfather tomorrow night.”

SEVENTY-NINE

SEVENTY-NINE

On Thursday morning, Nii reflected he might have rushed into this so-called BEN partnership a little too quickly. Maybe Emma had charmed him so much that he had lost his head? Technically, Nii should have told Ponsu about Emma so he could vouch for her by spiritual means. Ponsu would need to see a picture of her and fortunately Nii had snapped a selfie with her and Bruno. But with the all-important Godfather meeting looming that evening, the Emma question could wait a couple of days.

Like any major hotel in Accra, the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel where Bruno and Nii were to meet Godfather was already revving up for a weekend of parties, weddings, and conferences.

Beautiful people dressed to kill swarmed the lobby with its high ceilings and glistening marble floor. A live band accompanied the laughter and clink of champagne glasses. Bruno took it all in with envy keen as a knife. Look at all these people enjoying life.

“Come on,” Nii said. “This way to the lifts.”

They took one to the top floor where Godfather’s suite was guarded by an armed police officer.

“Good evening, boss,” Nii greeted him.

“Your identification,” he said, deadpan.

He looked at their IDs, and then up again at them before handing the cards back. “Remove your backpacks. Stand there, arms up and legs apart.”