Gone forever?
1743 Words
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 Kamal 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 Malern, 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 Malern 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.”
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 run 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. 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 Dammy.
“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?
It happened so quickly. Moore 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 i***t! 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. Moore 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.
Moore sent a bullet into his thigh. He screamed and fell down. They knew he was not joking.
“I need our phones. Dammy, go and pick them.”
She went and picked the phones.
Immediately Moore sent the beam of light to Sabr’s face, he covered his face and turned around. Moore fired another shot and Sabr shouted, “My fear!”
“Let’s go.” Moore said aloud and they went out with alacrity, leaving the men inside. There was a bolt outside the door. Moore 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.
Moore 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.
Moore fired a blind shot, Sabr docked and before he could regain his balance, the bike had vanished.
Moore 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.”
- Writer
