BETRAYER IN DISGUISE??
Episode 17.
Story by Miriam Edem
Peter was able to crack in jokes to ease my mom nerves and we laughed it over. The gate opened and we left the room to see who’s coming in.
A Camry and a jeep drove in and my dad c@m£ out from the Camry with 3 men while the woman c@m£ out from the jeep.
“There are here, Peter said and we went out to meet them.
“Hey Joan, feeling better? The woman asked and I nodded while my dad only looked at me saying nothing then I recognized the police man I suspected last night and my countenance changed.
I wanted screaming but my dad was using his eyes to pas-s a message to me,
“So you’re the kidnapped Joan, welcome back, the suspected officer said to me.
“Thank you, I said keeping cool.
“So how did you get re-leased from them? He asked.
“Well I escaped, I replied.
“Do you at least know the path or road you c@m£ out from? He asked.
“Honestly i can’t remember anything one bit, and if i did i would have screamed it out, I replied.
“Why so? He asked.
“Looks like i pas-sed out and was helped out by someone, that’s it, I replied and he nodded.
“What’s the next plan now? We don’t know their whereabouts and the only one that could tell us that is dead, what now? And why are we here by the way? The officer asked.
“Oh that? Didn’t your superior tell you? The woman asked.
“Tell me what? He asked.
“I asked for officers to help guard the house till the next morning, that’s why you’re all are here, the woman replied.
“At least we should have been informed, another said.
“Sorry it was urgent and we are in dire nee-d of that. Don’t worry I’ll pay, the woman said.
“Okay fine, the officer said but i looked at the suspected one and saw he wasn’t plea-sed with what the woman said.
I walked up to my dad who was standing with an officer,
“Keep your eyes on him okay, watch his every move, i heard my dad said.
“What’s going on? I asked my dad.
“Joan let’s go, my dad took my hand walking away from the officer he was standing with.
“I’ll be back with Joan soon, my dad shouted to everyone,
“Joan wait! My mom said and c@m£ to us when we were close to the gate.
“Bring my daughter back, don’t take her to the danger she escaped from plea-se, my mom whispered to him.
“We will be back i promise, my dad said tapping her on the shoulder and i saw fear and confusion written on my mom face as i left with my father without saying a word to her.
But waiting outside was a car and i recognized police officers in it.
“This looks like a plan to me, i said when we got into the car.
“Yes and you just proved i have a smart daughter, thanks for pla-ying cool back there but we had to do a little trick to keep the cop away from important information and also to curtail his move just in case he plans to meet with them today, my dad said.
“Sounds good but you took him home to where mom is, what if he s£nds a message to them? I asked.
“Every officer there gat their eyes on him, he’s been monito-red so have no fear, my dad replied and I heaved.
“Okay if that is it, Is it just 5 of us going? Where’s the driver? I asked.
“They are alre-ady on their way to the place, we will meet with them soon, my dad replied and i nodded.
“Smart arrangements though, i said cleaning my face.
“So Joan will you be able to trace the place? We really nee-d to get those cra-ps, an officer said.
“The guy who helped me from there drove about 15 minutes on full speed before dropping me off.
We c@m£ out from a bushy area, I replied.
“The area is a bushy one, we nee-d to know the exact place to avoid complications, another officer said.
“It was a crooked path with dirty yellow waters, i said.
“Most roads has that description considering the season we are in. We nee-d a better clue,, an officer said and i scratched my head and closed my eyes thinking ha-rd .
“Joan take it easy, probably when you get there you may remember something that can lead us to them, my dad said and i nodded.
We met with 2 other cars on the way and we st©pped at a place where i could recognize the sto-re i hid that night.
“That’s right, i was hiding here before he picked me up, i confirmed pointing at the sto-re.
“Okay, then we have approximately 15minutes drive to the place right? An officer asked and I nodded……… we hit the road again.
I bec@m£ so anxious and scared at the same time,
“What if i didn’t get it right? What if something goes wrong? I kept asking myself swallowing gallons of saliva with my palm itching.
“So miss are you watching? An officer asked and i nodded. Truly the area is bushy with the same kind of road, how will i know where i c@m£ out from? I asked myself shaking because at that point we may return disappointed.
“Its about 12 minutes we’ve been driving yet you’ve said nothing, an officer said looking at me and i fearfully looked at my dad which he t©uçhed me to make me calm probably.
“Maybe we haven’t reached the place, my dad replied them.
“Its obvious she doesn’t know the place with the way she’s so quiet, we should have known better, an officer said quite angry and we saw a path again just like others, but this time there was a little rift like a car pushed in pressure to drive past and i remembered something.
That night Ebuka escaped with me, the car had difficulty in pas-sing and he struggled which the tires screeched at the back in the process,
“st©p we’ve pas-sed! I shouted and the driver st©pped immediately.
“I can’t be wrong about this, the path we just pas-sed is where we c@m£ out from, i said and the driver reversed back immediately which the other cars who drove behind us followed suit.
My heart was beating fast as we danced throu-gh the crooked road, and what made it more scary was it was evening and soon everywhere will be dark.
“Can Joan go back now? My dad asked.
“She’s not done yet because this is all a guess work, don’t worry she will be fine, an officer answered.
“That was not the deal, you promised you will s£nd her back when she discovers the path that will lead to them, and what if this is the exact place? my dad asked.
“Nothing will happen to her okay i promise, she is safe, the cop said.
“You better be sure about that, i promised her mom i will bring her back, my dad said and i sighted the sto-re i hid when i first escaped,
“We are not far from the place, we will soon be there, i shakily said looking at my dad and the officers immediately c0cked their weapons re-ady while my dad held me ti-ght………..
BETRAYER IN DISGUISE??
Episode 18.
My dad phone began to ring and he picked up,
“Yes, he said.
“Be careful sir, the betrayer just made a call I don’t know to whom, you guys nee-d to be careful, the caller said.
“What are you saying? I asked you to keep all eyes on him and……. The call ended.
“What’s wrong? An officer asked my dad.
“Great! Your officer just made a call, so let’s expect visitors soon! My dad flamed up.
“Joan are we……….. Gun sh0ts were fired at us.
“Jesus Christ! I screamed and my dad went down with me as the cars st©pped immediately.
I saw an officer fell and my dad covered me as we were at the back seat hearing festivals of gun sh0ts scattered everywhere.
I was shivering and felt like pas-sing out with no clue of if we are going to leave here alive or not.
“Hands up! We heard someone shout and there were calmness a bit.
“Don’t move! Another shouted and the car door opened.
“You’re safe now sir, someone said and we raised our head slowly.
“Is it over? My dad asked while i was trying to get myself back, but when I held my dad to sit I noticed i t©uçhed something we-t and I looked at my hands.
“Dad, blood, I shakily said and my dad looked at himself to see he was bleeding.
“Sir you’ve been sh0t! An officer said helping him out of the car and i began to cry.
“Why don’t i feel anything like i was sh0t? My dad asked as some officers were checking him.
“Maybe you were in shock or something, an officer replied and i was crying scared of losing my dad.
“Can we go now plea-se? You have them right? I shouted.
“You’ll be taken with your dad but we have unfinished business here, there are still more of them and we have backups coming, one replied.
“Interesting,dont tell me my dad will comtinue bleeding until the back ups come, plea-se he’s bleeding and we nee-d to get the bullet from him, i said.
“Joan that’s what I’m trying to tell you, take them with you, An officer said and my dad was put in one of the cars with 2 officers that accompanied us as esc-rts.
“Dad are you okay? I kept asking pressing ha-rd the cloth that was placed on his shoulder to absorb the blood.
“Joan I’m okay, I’m only glad it wasn’t you, i was so scared out there, my dad replied.
“It shouldn’t be you too, what if you were hit in a bad place? What would I have told mom? I asked.
“Joan just st©p okay, nothing has happened and nothing will, my dad replied and the officer with us had a call.
“Yes, he picked up.
“He’s been arrested, we just had a solid proof he’s been conniving with the gang, the caller said.
“Its obvious, the officer said.
“How are things over there? The caller asked.
“We lost some of us and Joan father is wounded, we are on the way to the hospital, he replied.
“We’ve s£nt backups, you may meet them on the way, the caller said.
“I know, the officer said and dropped the call and i noticed he was sad.
“What’s wrong sir? I asked and he looked at me and sniffed.
“anything wrong? My dad added when he noticed it.
“My friend was among those who didn’t make it, he replied and i closed my eyes.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Things wouldn’t have been this way if the intruder didn’t alert them. I’m sure we would have taken them on surprise, my dad said
“I personally want to strangle that idiot with my hands, he killed him! The officer shouted.
” But i don’t get it, Why did you leave him With a phone if you knew he was the suspect? That was a terrible mistake if you ask me, i said.
“We didn’t want him to suspect us you know because it was all a guess work and he proved us right, my dad replied and i cleaned my face.
“Great, we have 4 of them and i hope we get more especially Favor cousin, that’s more important so this whole drama will end, I’m tired of it alre-ady. How many more is going to die? I asked.
“No one is going to die! The officer screamed at me and my dad held my hands as a sign to be quiet knowing the officer wasnt cool that moment.
We saw the backups pas-sed with 3 vehicles and waved at us without st©pping and this time they carried more ammunitions than what we carried.
“Nice, i said when i saw them but my father was fainting.
“plea-se are we still far from the hospital? He’s pas-sing out, I said to them.
“We’re close, they replied and my mom call c@m£ on phone and i heaved knowing the officer who just called must have told her my dad was hit.
I rejected the call twice and we arrived at the hospital which my dad was rushed in and attended to immediately.
My mom called again and I picked up,
“Mom he’s fine, i said immediately.
“Joan, Joan what happened? Where is he? She asked breathing ha-rd .
“Calm down mom, I’ll text you the address, dad is fine, i replied.
“s£nd it immediately, my mom said and i dropped the call texting her the hospital address.
Minutes later my mom, Peter and the madam whose name i still didn’t know arrived and my mom rushed to me.
I hvgged her first to comfort her while i felt her heart beating fast, my mom have a first hand in worry and fear.
“Mom he was only wounded on his shoulder, he got that because we are attacked before we got to the building, all thanks to the betrayer who alerted them, i said and she nodded.
“Thanks to the careless officers too, my brother carefully murmured.
“can i see him? She asked.
“I haven’t seen him either but the doctors will soon be out,its not something that is too serious, i replied and led her to sit down.
“how are you Joan? The madam asked tou-ching me.
“I’m fine ma thank you, i replied and my brother only tapped me on my shoulders saying nothing as he stood waiting for the doctors with us.
Minutes later the doctor c@m£ out telling us my father is okay but he lost lot of blood,
“Can we see him now? My brother asked.
“Uhmmm yes but he wont be speaking to you today, the doctor replied.
“Its alright just seeing him will do plea-se, my mom said and the doctor nodded taking us to where my dad is………..
That night on our way back to the madam house after staying with my dad for a while, a call c@m£ on the woman phone,
“Good news i presume, the woman asked.
“Absolutely, we have them, the caller replied.
“And the lady? The woman asked.
“With us, the caller replied.
“Now that’s the good news, plea-se come back safely and well done, the woman said.
“Thanks ma’am, the caller said and she dropped the call smiling at us.
“Finally over right? My mom asked.
“Exactly, the woman replied and i breathed out…..
tbc