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TemitopeDaniel: EPISODE SEVENTEEN.

   "Aishat, how are you?" Hakeem quickly asked as he stood. He held the phone with a hand and his trouser with the other.

He was quiet for a moment before he took away the phone from his ear. "These ones are kidnappers for real." He said and closed his eyes tightly.

"What did they say? Who picked up the call?" Tomisin asked quickly.

"A guy... they want ten million naira ransom." He replied.

"10m?" Uthman stood up too, slack-jawed.

"Exactly, I don't know why some people are just too heartless." Hakeem hissed.

"What do we do now? Should the police be involved now?" Uthman asked.

"I was told if I bring them, they'll kill Aishat." Hakeem replied.

"I fear them oh, don't let us get the policemen involved. These kidnappers and thieves are just heartless, just like Boko Haram." Tomi said.

"There's no way we won't get policemen involved, those guys must be gotten." Uthman vociferated.

"There's no need, what we need is getting Aishat back, she the priority right now." Hakeem said.

"Anyways, I have an idea." Hastrup stopped abruptly and continued. "Let's track the money. He concluded.

"Yeah... we have a tracker.." Uthman smiled.

"Yes, we'll attach the tracker to a bundle of out of the money to know the location of the guys, then, policemen can come in." Hastrup said.

"Brilliant idea! That's a nice one.." Tofunmi clapped his hands.

"I have to call my bank manager right now." Hakeem said and scrolled through his contacts.

****++++****

DAY TWO.- OCTOBER THIRD.

It was seven o'clock in the morning, Hakeem just concluded the discussion with the kidnappers. He had been told to bring the money to the field at Peace and Progress Estate. They described the way to him and advised him not to play pranks again because it might cost lives.

Hakeem sighed, the money had been packed already, together with Hastrup's tracker in one of the bundles. "Bada, Peace and Progress." Hakeem informed his friends.

"What time?" Hastrup asked.

"5pm."

******

Hakeem had cancelled work that day, he slept on the three-seater sofa imagining how things would look by evening. He had been wondering if the policemen should be involved or not. He had been warned three times concerning the issue of policemen and any other pranks.

He remembered the threats concerning lives as he was told, was it his and Aishat's lives the guy meant? Whichever one, he had made up his mind he wouldn't involve the police, he hoped all would be well.

He had been reciting Ayatul Kursi, a verse in the Holy Qur'an which have immense power of Protection from any acts of Evils and also prayers for protection and help. He hadn't heard his Aishat's voice, he continued hoping all would be well.

Hastrup and Uthman had gone to the company, Hakeem had told them to go so that everything wouldn't be muddled up. He had been examining Hastrup's iPad that had the location of the tracker on it before he laid and started quoting the surah again.

He was still on the sofa when his phone rang. "Aishat." He muttered as he picked up the phone and saw an unsaved mobile number. He hissed as he looked disappointed and picked up the call.

"This is Derin." The sexy voice said to him.

Derin? What's this one calling me for? Does she know I'm not a kind of guy who's useless at all? he said to himself and greeted her. "How have you been?" Derin asked him.

Hakeem was not in the mood to discuss, he felt like snubbing her but controlled himself. "I'm good, I'm busy, I'll call you later." He replied her.

"Hakeem, you wish to avoid me right? I'm sure you aren't busy.." Derin's soft voice told him.
Temitope Daniel you've forgotten Hakeem lied he is Tope to Derin
"See Derin... I'm busy." Hakeem ended the call and cllsed his eyes.

*****

4:30pm.

Hakeem took a cold shower before he stepped out. He placed the iPad right beside the passenger's front seat and the box of money on the foot mat, right beside him. He called his friends and told them he was ready to leave. He had called Tomi likewise and got her informed.

He rebuked Hastrup and Uthman's company with him, it might be dangerous, he had thought and sped off.

He got to Legacy Guest House- the junction that lead to the Estate he was told to bring the money when his phone rang. He picked up the phone and glanced at the dashboard as he picked the call. It was 4:51pm already.

It was Aishat's call. "Yeah." He said.

"Honda Pilot, with the number- LND - 104 - BJ , the glass is not tinted so I can see you dressed in either a cream shirt or a white one." The voice told him.

Hakeem smiled. "Alhamdullilah, thank God I told these people not to follow me, if not.." he muttered as he applied the brake. "It's me, where should I go to?" He asked.

"I've been here, monitoring you. Just keep going straight, till you get to the Estate and finally the field." The guy replied him.

Hakeem peeped outside, he couldn't see anyone. He smiled again and drove on, he knew the guys must be around, peeking at him.

He finally got to the field, he was still on the call when he got there. "I'm there already." He told the guy.

He was asked to drop the money there and turn his car back, he'd see a turning by the left, after some seconds' drive, he'd see a big church. He was told Aishat was there.

"Thank you." He said and hopped into the car instantly, he drove as directed and got to the church. He could sight the big board, Sinai Baptist Church. He looked around for few minutes but couldn't find Aishat. He picked up the phone and dialed Aishat's mobile number again. "I can't find her." He said, instantly the call was picked.

The guy laughed wickedly. "This is just a tip of the iceberg, so you like this girl as we've been told? Anyways, if you really wish to get her, come with another five million naira tomorrow." The guy replied him.

"This is what I hate! I hate it when you don't keep to promise! This is not our..." Just then, the call ended.

Hakeem got umbrageous, he dialed the mobile number again but it wasn't picked. He walked back to the car and picked up the iPad as he called Hastrup. "The guys didn't release her." He informed.

"This is rubbish! Should I get the policemen now?" Hastrup asked him.

"No, I don't know where the guys are, but I'm sure they are watching me." He replied him.

"That's not my concern now, let's get the police."

"No, the money has moved away from the location I dropped it." Hakeem told Hastrup as he stared at the iPad.

"That will make it easier, come back home, let's plot how everything will be done."

"No, I'll hide somewhere here. Get the police." Hakeem ended the call and continued staring at the iPad. He zoomed the location and noticed the money had moved, he dropped thr iPad and drove back to the field.

He redialed the mobile number again, this time, it was picked up. "Release Aishat, it's not funny." Hakeem said, he was already angry.

"You think I'm joking? Is it because you've not heard her voice? Let me slap her here so that you can know what she's facing here." The voice replied him.

Hakeem was infuriated as he heard Aishat's cry. "He's really beating her." He said and his hearbeat increased. He opened his mouth slightly and picked up the iPad again. He came down from the car and looked around, he saw no one. "The guys must be in this Estate." He thought as he got back into the car.

He ended the call, alreading panting. He called Hastrup immediately and asked him how things were going. Hastrup told him he had contacted Tofunmi and Tomisin already.

He couldn't hold back his anger, he whined down the glass and peeped outside again. "I will trace them." He affirmed and picked up the iPad again.

He could see the direction clearly, he kicked the engine and drove forward. He could see that the green indicator was moving as he was driving, he got the tactics and continued driving till he got to the house. It was thirty minutes' drive before the tracker stopped.

He dropped the iPad and stared at the building. His heart almost skipped a beat, he summoned courage and got down from the car. He called Aishat's mobile number and could still hear her crying. He peeped through the gate and saw no one. I havd to hide, he thought and walked back to the car.

"These guys haven't gotten the police already, this is getting late!" He exclaimed and got to the front of the car.


"Who are you?" A husky voice asked him as the gate of the house was opened.

Hakeem shivered as he stared at the huge guy who asked him. "I'm..." he began stuttering until the guy came out and pushed him into the compound.

It was his shout that got the guy's attention. He was pushed into the living room, where he met three more huge guys. He could hear Aishat's voice faintly, from the living room where he was told to kneel.

"Are you Hakeem?" One of the guys asked him.

Hakeem kept quiet, he was shivering as he looked at each of the guys one after the other. "Can't you speak?" Another voice thundered.

"Get Aishat." Rooney, one of them ordered his guys.

Hakeem was reciting the surah he had been reciting since, he kept his head low as they brought Aishat out.

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