May be peace be upon you and your entire family.”Sabr said softly through the mouthpiece. “May Allah protect and guide us. I said I have news about your wife. Praise is to Allah, she is alive, sound and safe….for now. I do not want to talk too much. She saved your number as Abu Haneef. May Allah bless Haneef. May he not lose his mother today, or tomorrow. I just want to give you the good news that you will see your wife again I you wish.
All you need to give us is ten million naira only. We need this money before Friday which is two days from now.
A lot of people try to involve the police. That is very bad for them. They only end up losing their loved once but this is my take. They involve the police because they don’t love them.
It is just possible you are tired of her; you are looking for an excuse to get rid of her. This is your chance to do that. Just tell the police and she is dead. And then you can marry another woman. But if you still love her, just listen to us and comply….”
“ There is no way he can raise such an amount.” Beeba said.
“Please talk to your wife. I want you to know we are not lying. We have her here. Why should I lie? Lying is haram.”
Sabr gave the phone to Beeba.
“ Beeba.” Isa called excitedly.
“ Abu…..”
Twai!
The sound of the slap Sabr gave her pierced through the phone and hit Isa’s ear drum. Beeba let out a loud scream that shook not just her husband but Mangal.
Sabr snatched the phone from her.
“ May Allah forgive us all.” He said softly. “ I am very sorry for what just happened. She said there was no way you could raise that kind of money and I felt a woman should not interfere when men are talking. We must teach our women morality because of our children. I hope you understand. It was for the good.”
Beeba was still crying, and she felt as if it was an acid he poured on her cheek.
“Please Sir, don’t touch her.” Isa begged. “ The truth is I lost my goods a few months ago. I am in a financial crisis. Sometimes she supports us with her salary….”
“Innalillahi wa innalillahi raji’un. I am so sorry about your loss. That is why you have properties. Sell your house but let me advise you, be very careful with those real estate agents.
Let me tell you a story. There was a military man who was in need of money. He contracted some agents to sell the house at the rate of twenty million naira. He told them that he needed money desperately.
Just two days later, somebody offered forty million naira. The agents refused to sell the house. They will not sell it anything less than forty-five million.
The house was not sold for more than two months. On this fateful day, the military man went to the house to check on it. Incidentally, the man that wanted the house went there to show his friend, seeking for advise if to add the five million naira. When he saw the military man, he greeted him and asked if he just nought the house.
The military man said no; he said he was the owner . the man told him that he offered forty million naira about two months ago but the agents said the least they can collect is forty-five million naira.
The military man was perplexed. He said there was no problem. He would sell it at that rate. Lawyers were called and the deal was sealed.
The next day, the military man asked the agents to let him have the keys. He said he forgot his and wanted to get some things.
He collected the keys and gave it to the new owner before he told them that he has sold the house to the man who offered forty million naira.
The agents were mad. They took the case to court. The military man won the case. The agents went back to their office to brood. They did not just lose twenty million naira, plus their ten per cent commission from both sides, which made a total of twenty-four million naira, they also lost the money they used to process the case and hire a lawyer, and lost their time and effort.
As they sat brooding, they saw a truck of soldiers and a set brutal looking soldiers alighted.
It was not funny. You need to see men made to frog jump and got whipped…..” Sabr laughed. “You see why you must not rely on them. Get someone to buy it. make it cheap and you will get a buyer very soon. I am just advising you.”
“Please Sir.” Isa pleaded. “I cab source for five hundred thousand naira.”
Sabr laughed.
“Haba! Do you know how AK47 cost now? We feed them, give them shelter, protect them. Think about logistics. This is business and we are meant to make profit. People think what they call kidnapping is easy. We take a lot of risk so the ransom should worth it. You have to be considerate Mallam Isa. Okay, make it nine point five million.”
“Please….”
“ I will call you in the next one hour so we can talk about how to deliver the money. That is one very delicate part that is difficult. We have to make sure you are not with cops, we are not followed and a lot of other things. Goodbye Mallam Isa.”
He disconnected the line and then glared at Mangal. “You have no one to pay for you. I swear to God! I will kill you. May Allah forgive you sins. I think the meeting is over. Let us close the meeting with prayers…..” He began to pray.
Then it happened.
**********
Kamal held his pistol, pointed it at the stocky man who was a few hundred yards away from him.
“Hold it right there!” He said with a hard voice. “Drop your weapon.”
The stocky man had other ideas. He fired a shot at Kamal. He had expected it so he docked and fired a shot at the same time.
The stocky man dropped on the ground. Before Ksmal could take another shot, the man swallowed a pill and began to wiggle in pain, shaking vigorously as he got burnt while he shouted.
Kamal moved cautiously towards him. He was dead.
The man who was being chased was still lying in a state of shock. Kamal moved to him.
“Who are you?”
“I am Alarama Saheed.”
“Who was he and did he attack you?”
“I don’t know. They killed my Mallam, sheikh Jabir. I was his reciter of the holy Qur’an. The police have not told us if they knew the exact reason he was killed. I barely escaped that night.”
“I know about it. I did not recognise you. Are you hurt?”
“Not much. Just some bruises.”
“We must leave this place now. You were always with Mallam everywhere he went to preach. I will need a serious talk with you.”
“Thank you for saving my life. Who are you, Sir?”
“I am Captain Kamal of ATOF.”
************
It happened so quickly. Mangal sent a heavy fist and smacked the man holding the flashlight. The punch was so heavy and unexpected the man blundered into the wall.
Almost simultaneously, he sent his long leg to hit the second man in the belly. He had it calculated. They were shocked to see that he had one of the guns.
He had to show them that he was serious and capable. He pulled the trigger and shot one of the men in the leg.
“Nobody moves.” He warned, holding the gun with one hand and the flashlight with the other hand.
“ Hands up and do not try any wrong move.”
“You are making a great mistake.”
“The only mistake I will make is not fighting to leave here. You are an idiot! A dangerous criminal acting like a pious man. Now move over there.”
The man that was shot was still whimpering in pains.
“You cook up excused to become a criminal. Do you think you are making fun of religion?”
The two men reluctantly moved to an end of the room. Mangal was very alert, watching them carefully. He walked backwards, with Beeba behind him.
“Where is the key to this place.”
“There is no key.” The second man said.
Mangal sent a bullet into his thigh. He screamed and fell down. They knew he was not joking.
“I need our phones. Madam, go and pick them.”
She went and picked the phones.
Immediately Mangal sent the beam of light to Sabr’s face ,he covered his face and turned around. Mangal fired another shot and Sabr shouted, “ My fear!”
“Let’s go.” Mangal said aloud and they went out with alacrity, leaving the men inside. There was a bolt outside the door. Mangal bolted the door and realised that they were in a forest.
It was dark and cold. They could see nothing but grasses, shrubs and trees. He wondered how they got phone service there.
They did not know where to run to, or the direction to take. What mattered most was leaving this place alive.
They saw no car. There was another cabin a few yards away from the container. He hesitated. What if there were others? Then they heard a gunshot. The men still had another gun and they were shooting at the door.
Mangal could not believe his eyes when he saw a bike parked by the side of the cabin.
He ran to the bike, broke the ignition, and exposed some wires. He could hear them shooting.
He joined two wires and started the bike. He asked her to get on it and he rode away. He had not gone far when he heard the door burst open.
They were out. No. it was just Sabr. He was bleeding but he looked so determined.
Mangal fired a blind shot, Sabr docked and before he could regain his balance, the bike had vanished.
Mangal rode on the low grasses, not having a specific direction.
Having moved a distance, he pulled up.
“Why did you stop?” Beeba asked, alarmed.
“We will hide here for a while.”
“Why? What if they come for us?”
“We may get lost for life if we go blindly. We may still die if we get out of gas. We have nothing, no shelter or food.”
“So?”
“I will go back there. Not using the bike.”
Her eye widened.
“That is crazy! They will kill you and I will die here.”
“No. They will not come after us. They know we have our phones. They won’t not take chances. They will run away for the fear of police. That is my bet. Life is a game of risk and I must take this.”
She did not like this even though it made some sense.
“But I can’t stay here alone.”
“We will wait for an hour or more. We will go back.
********
The driver covered his heard with a turban, enjoying a Sudanese song, shaking his head. Next to him was a stern looking man holding a rifle. By the first door was a gunman while another gunman mounted the second door. They all wore turbans and military jackets over caftans.
There were about two one hundred and fifty girls in the car. Behind the luxury bus was a Toyota Hilux truck with heavily armed men.
Among these girls was Leena. She sat next to a chubby, swarthy girl. Leena had ran out of tears. Even in captivity, she felt more at ease with Mufty.
She wondered how he would have felt if he came back to meet her gone. That was if he would come back alive.
Where were they taking them to? She had no idea of where they were. All she saw was a desert, the bus raising heavy dust. They had being driving for hours.
“I have a child.” The girl sitting next to her said in a little above whisper as if talking to her herself. It was the first time she would speak with Leena.
“Where?”
“I don’t know where he is.” She said. “I had gone out with him that they when they attacked. He was just three years old. They came and started shooting. They killed some people. I held on to my son. I was a widow. I lost. my husband just a few months after our wedding.
They abducted some of us and one of them seized my son and kicked me. I was shouting, wailing and begged them to leave him with me. They agreed and I had him with me. They took us to the camp and …they took my child away.” She was now sobbing. “ I never saw him again. He was looking at me, shouting and calling me, mama. Mama, mama, mama. I tried to go after him but was pinned down. I watched them take him away. I can still see the look in his eyes.”
“Oh my God.” Leena’s eyes became wet. “When was this?”
“Three months ago. I know he is alive. I feel him but what I don’t know is…if I will ever see him again.”
“You will insha Allah.”
“Ameen. My name is Aisha.”
“I am Leena.”
“I used to see you in the camp. I thought they married you off to Iceman.”
“Iceman?”
“Mufty. That is what they call him.…behind him though. He is cold. He has no friend, no sense of humour and has never being seen laughing. Rumours has it that he has never being seen smiling.”
It was at that time Leena realised that it was true. She stayed with him for three weeks and he never smiled for once.
“I don’t know why. But the Amir did not bless our union.”
“We heard that. The man they called my husband was killed by the military.”
“Good for him. Did you say you heard?”
“Rumours and gossip cannot be obliterated even if it was in a camp like ours. I hope you are not pregnant.”
“No.”
Aisha hesitated.
“We thought he was going to wake up one day and just shoot you. Even the men fear him. They say that is all he does: kill.”
“I don’t know what to say about him. He is a difficult person to understand but….I would have preferred staying with him. At least I was with him for three weeks but I don’t know what lies ahead now.”
“We don’t know what lies ahead.”
“I was supposed to get married today.”
“Ohhh my God.”
Leena felt like crying again as she pictured Adam.
“I was abducted just three weeks to my wedding.”
“What are you two planning?” The man that was by the first door said as he appeared before them suddenly.
“Nothing.” Leena said.
“Better.” He said. “Okay ladies, we are just a few minutes to our first port of call. We all need you to behave. “I hope you girls don’t have phobia for water because you will be transported via canoes. Don’t be scared, it will be just ten in each canoe.”
Oh my God! Leena feared. Where were they taking them to? Who would come and save them? Why?
Mufty watched Jahl walking towards his cabin where he had about nine twelve wives. He said only four where his wives and the rest were his slaves.
Mufty rubbed his jaw absentmindedly while his eyes became thinner. His teeth grinded and this only happen when he was getting into his dangerous mode.
He saw him giving orders to the driver who was going to deliver provisions to a minicamp a few kilometres away from them.
Very good, Mufty thought. He ran back into the darkness and broke into a run. The time has come.
************
Thank you very much