Chapter Fifteen

Andrew tried to move his body but couldn't. He opened his eyes and discovered every where was dark. Again he tried to move, something cold seem to cover from his neck down to his toes hampered him still. A smell of smoke mixed with an unfamiliar smell filled the air. He looked searchingly around but couldn't make out a thing in the dark.

Soon, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, wisps of smoke came from a small cylindrical tin beside him, the roof looked like rock and so was the wall at his feet end. He looked at the thing wrapped around him, it was a solidified sand now moulded.

He forced to break free but a sharp pain hit from his side accompanied by a flash of him falling off with Khalid. That was when he remembered he had fallen, in a reflex he turned in search for Sandra. Called her name as he glanced around but his voice produced a faint whisper.


Susan laid on the floor with her hands shoved between her legs sleeping on the sandy floor in an empty unplaster room with just a narrow window covered with iron protector and an iron door locked from the outside. She had made futile attempts to escape severely and has given up to fate.

A hand gently shook her shoulder and she jumped and moved away from Abdul who squatted beside her. He had a bowl of white rice and vegetables which were expensive in that region and a cup of water with him in a tray.

Abdul looked at Susan's face, she was recovering very fast and becoming so beautiful, even with few traces of dehydration and in her dirty clothes, she could still attract any man who understands the true nature of beauty; A full dark afro hair hung above her oval-curved face and two dimples on her cheeks. Her big round white eyes covered with long natural lashes and full naturally perfect groomed eye brows. Her nose pointed above a reddish full lips with a pointed jaw under. She has a slim waist and a perfect broad hips with firm round butt, coupled with a flat tummy and medium sized firm boobs not forgetting her full straight spotless light skinned legs . Abdul discovered this when he first slept with her before Andrews frenzy, she was different from every woman had ever been with; she was feminine and charming. Now he has forgotten all about his proposed intentions and decided to win her heart since Andrew was no more.

After they returned from chasing after Andrew, he took Susan away from the camp to a hidden cell. He couldn't explain why he wanted to save her but after a while he discovered he had grown a special likeness towards her.

"eat food, I bring water to wash body and clothes. You like rice?". Abdul asked smiling.

Susan eyed the food and looked away. Even her angry face was charming, Abdul wondered if Andrew knew how lucky he was. Then slowly stood up and said. " eat, wash body". And left.

Susan slowly went to the food, hesitated a little, then began eating slowly. After which she took her bath and changed into new clothes. It felt relieving bathing each day Abdul brought her water. Water was a rare commodity which becomes a luxury enjoying daily privileged but Abdul had ensured she bathed daily and this kindness was too complex for her to fathom.

The first two days she rejected everything from him suspecting ulterior motives in Abdul's gesture but after hunger reminded her in the verge starvation of the possibility of Andrew coming for her and it'd be wrong to die before then, she decided to enjoy every privilege and only wished Andrew was as privileged as she was.

Abdul knocked once and came in. His breath ceased when he saw Susan in the gown he brought her, she was impressively transformed into an angel in his eyes. He stood, lost in admiration with his mouth opened that Susan became worried he may take an irrational action.

He suddenly realised himself and shook his head." You... You okay?". He stuttered looking aimlessly around the room.

Susan nodded and remained seated with her hands crossed around her knees with her back on the wall.

" I must marry her!". Abdul said in his heart. Then picked up her clothes and the things he brought her. "you want anything?". He asked.

She shook her head and remained quiet. Abdul nodded, thought of what to engage a conversation. " you happy?". He asked.

She winced at his strange behaviour and slowly nodded. Abdul smiled and fight back pouring his heart to her. He paced around scratching his head, then said.

" you want me stay?".

She was shocked to hear this and became frightened. He may want to rape her or do something crazy to her. Abdul sensed her reaction and nodded. " I go, no worry. I come with food. You like food?".

Susan did not answer, she was yet to understand the kindness of the man whose presence gives her the creeps.

Abdul smiled and didn't know when he said. " you beautiful woman!" Then blushed like a little boy and walked away locking the door from outside.

Susan then started suspecting Abdul may have feelings for her. But she shook the suspicion away and returned her mind to Andrew's where about.


A rock on Andrews side started shaking letting in rays of light, he looked attentively still unable to move.

The rock moved aside and a tall heavily built shirtless man in shorts carrying something with his two hands bent over and came in and two others struggling with the rock behind him.

Andrew couldn't make out his face as the light behind the man blinded him from seeing clearly.

The man stopped, looking at Andrew, dropped the bag and turned to the men behind him who had entered and now pulling back rock with great strength with a rope tied around it.

" he is up!" The man shouted in a thick intimidating baritone.

The other two left the rock slightly closed and moved to Andrew. The three men; very dark, massively built with strong muscles and veins wrapped around their hands and chest all in shorts stood looking down at Andrew ominously with faces slightly escaping gorillas'.

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Chapter Fourteen

Abdul ordered Susan to help Andrew up but she was too overwhelmed by the sudden death of Jaga she didn't hear him.

" carry man up!". Abdul barked.

She shook from her mental slumber and stood up. Andrew was half way up before she assisted him.

The two Arabians walked behind them discussing while Andrew and Susan in front. Andrew limped with a hand across Susan's neck and the other on his injury, while Susan held his waist to support him.

They arrived the cliff and Andrew found it difficult to move down.

"why go through all these stress, lets throw them down and take their bodies back to camp". Khalid bellowed.

" no, we need them alive so I can teach others a lesson with their sufferings". Abdul said with a smirk on his face.

Khalid doesn't understand Abduls' joy in inflicting torture through mutilation. What he failed to know aside the fear Abdul commands through such act is that he also gets erection, sometimes he ejaculates when alone torturing people to death.

Susan moved down and extended her hand to help Andrew who sat with his legs downwards. She held his hand and supported him as he slowly dropped to his feet before Abdul and Khalid joined them.

They arrived a very narrow layer, it would require that they go round it with their backs on the wall with much circumspect so as not to slip and fall down, slowly moving towards the back end before climbing down.

Andrew suddenly felt a sharp pain and his legs threatened to sag, he almost rolled over but Khalid held him back." You can't die now!" He said in Arabic. Andrews entire body became paralytic with pain . He couldn't move anymore, weakness and dizziness accompanied his condition.

" come on baby! You can do this". Susan encouraged, trying not to look down.

He suddenly smiled at her and said. " not today". Still smiling he added. "Stay alive baby, you just have to trust me".

She winced looking at him suspiciously. Before she could grasp what he meant, Andrew jumped on Khalid grabbing him by the neck and they both fell off the cliff.

Susan couldn't believe what she just saw, she only opened her mouth but words didn't come out.

" ha! Ha!". Abdul cried looking down at Andrew lying on top of Khalid with thick blood flowing from his head, there was no how they could have survived the impact. He turned to the dazed Susan. " what he do? Ha!"

Abduls' voice awakened her to reality and she screamed Andrews name crying bitterly. She almost jumped over but Andrews words." Trust me, stay alive". Refrained her. She could only cry looking at Andrews body on top of Khalids, she had forgotten her phobia for height as she looked down at her husband lying dead, what could he have meant when he said "trust me?" This she couldn't understand as she cried.

Susan and Abdul managed to climb down safely. Abdul behind Susan with the gun pointed at her back, though she wasn't scared of death anymore but she allowed herself to be motioned by Abdul still crying as she too wanted to see clearly if Andrew was dead because she wanted to believe he wasn't.

Abdul moved to the side where Andrew and Khalid fell, but met the greatest shock of his life. Khalid was the only one lying there. Even Susan too was over taken by shock as well.

Abdul forgot all about Susan as he ran crazily looking for Andrew, there was no trace of his footprints, he began to think Andrew wasn't human.

Susan was confused, she saw him fall and saw blood. There was no how any human being would have survived that fall. She carefully looked around for any trace of him so she would be the first to see him and perhaps save him from Abdul.

" where he go?". Abdul bellowed at Susan. He turned again searching every open corner as there were no hidden place there, it was an open vast land with the only thing visible was the rock. In his confusion, he forgot to keep Susan in check and ran behind to look for Andrew.

Susan who was also curious of Andrews survival possibilities didn't see this as an opportunity to escape, instead she started looking at places Abdul had searched already but there was no trace of Andrew.

She moved to Khalid's body, looking down at the smashed skull on a rock in a pool of thick blood, she noticed something was missing; his gun. This gave her a conviction that Andrew was alive. And again she knows if he were alive, he would have tried to rescue her, then another thought frightened her; what if someone had stolen his body, perhaps a cannibal or an animal? But animal would have left a trace.

While she pondered, the sound of an approaching car was heard. She looked towards the direction hopefully and ran to see who it was.

A large dust was raised from a distance accompanying the arrival of a van. Abdul joined her looking same direction.

When the van came closer she realised it was men from the camp, it then dawned on her to escape, as she made to run, Abdul pointed the gun at her and shot beside her. She stiffened and was surprised she still was scared to die.

Abdul walked up to her, grabbed her by her arm and stood waiting for the van to come closer.

It was a black Hilux, with six men seated at the back and five men inside, they were all armed.

As soon as they packed. One of the men alighted with a walkie-talkie, handed it to Abdul. It was the chief on the line.

Abdul told the chief that Andrew was dead and did not mention Susan. The man who gave him the phone; a thick stout man with full white beards In dusty green jacket, brown combat chinos, a black military boot and muffler around his neck eyed Andrew as he talked.

When he was finished with the call, the man asked. " where are your men?".

" dead!".

He looked at Susan and asked. " is she not the one he escaped with, why didn't you mention her?".

Abdul turned to him ominously and said in a malicious tone. " any word aside what you have heard me say...." Then he stopped half way and pulled Susan who couldn't understand anything they had spoken towards the van.

About an hour thirsty- five minutes later after sweeping the area recovering the bodies of Abduls' men still with no sign of Andrew, they were headed back to the camp, with the jeep and pickup van following from behind

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The elders; some group of men in their sixties and above sat around a table in a magnificently decorated hall drinking and eating with beautiful Arabian ladies; two to each man as they sat discussing and male waiters in long caftans waiting on them with hands humbly locked behind.

The chief so he's called, the leader of the group; a bulky human in his late sixties with full ice white hairs and beards, sat with one lady beside him. He silently listened as the men talked, between his fingers laid a big Cuban cigar, smoking and puffing out smoke at intervals.

His cellular rang on the table and the lady with him picked it up and placed it on his ears while he remained in his position. Suddenly his face stiffened, and he snatched the phone from the lady sitting up he lifted up his palm and the men on the table abruptly stopped talking.

" how many men down?". He spoke in Arabic with a steady baritone counting each word." Where is Abdul...How long now?....Find him, take more men with you. I want that man alive...with his wife? In Abduls' watch?". He frowned maliciously and continued."tell Abdul to call me!". With that he hung up.

The men on the table looked questioningly at him when he dropped the phone.

" we got a situation in our hands". The chief told them in his usual tone with a cigar in his mouth.


"I didn't want to get involved ohhh". Jaga cried with his head buried between his head.

Susan ignored him, her mind was busy. Another gunshot came from Abduls direction and bored a hole in the rock in front of her, she bent over and fear overtook her.

Andrew moved closer and touched her hand, she shivered and when she saw him she cried." I can't do this! I'm scared!".

He smiled to her and said as audible and encouraging as possible fighting back pain. " yes you can! You can do this".

She nodded looking into his eyes.

Khalid moved closer surreptitiously with his back on the wall and the gun in hand.

Abdul peeped and saw Khalid. He winked him and smiled. Then moved out sneakily bent over with his gun pointed forward. The distance between Khalid and was less than seven feet.

Jaga peeped and saw Khalid approaching, he jumped back, ran towards Andrew and tried to hide behind him, Susan used the butt of the gun on his nose. He fell on Andrew holding his nose. She pushed him off Andrew, he then sat beside Andrew. " why did you hit me?" He cried aloud with a hand on his nose amidst blood. " he's here! The other man is close..." He bellowed.

Khalid jumped in before Jaga finished his statement and fired, Andrew pulled Susan's leg in time and the bullet missed, she fell on her butt and the gun fell off her hand. Khalid pointed the gun at them ominously. Susan, Andrew and Jaga looked up at Khalid frighteningly. She didn't bother to pickup the gun lying in front of her.

Abdul surfaced and saw the trio sitting pathetically on their butt. He quickly kicked the gun away from Susan and laughed. " we catch you!" Laughing, he walked up to Susan." Who kill my man?".

Nobody answered him, they all looked up at him quaveringly. He examined them critically looking at their faces then stopped at Andrew whose face was pale, he screened through him and the bandaged wound then turned to Jaga, Jaga bent his head apologetically hoping to gain mercy. In a swift swing he took out a revolver from his jalamia's pocket and shot Jaga in the head.

Susan jumped and let out a loud scream. Andrew shook in shock looking at Jaga lying on his side, eyes opened, face covered in fright with blood sliding off his forehead.

Abdul turned to Khalid who was still pointing the gun at them and said in Arabic. " get them, lets go!".

Chapter Twelve

Susan and Jaga exchanged glances and Jaga said in panic. " we have alerted whosever is with him".

"what should we do now?". Susan asked in a quivering voice.

Jaga looked confusingly at her, turned to Andrew, he's mind could not put things in place, he held his head with his hands and wandered about with Susan's eyes following him. He turned again to her and said hastily walking towards Andrew. " lets get him out of here fast".

Susan joined him immediately trying to pull Andrew up and suddenly he stopped. She wondered what he was up to. He gently dropped Andrew and went to pick up the gun. Susan moved circumspectly towards him looking as he fumbled with it.

" can you make use of it?". She asked.

The look on his face told her he couldn't. She joined him to figure it out when a rock crackling sound startled them both. They exchanged a frightened glance and Jaga moved towards the cliff, stretched his head to peep down, a gunshot exploded, he jumped backwards throwing the gun off his hand falling on his butt, sprang up swiftly and ran for the upper part of the rock to escape.

" hey! Stop!". Susan called after him.

" I can't do this!". He said pulling himself up the cliff

Susan looked at Andrew and wondered how she was going to handle him all by herself. Immediately she picked up the gun and pointed it at Jaga. " don't move! I'll shoot!".

Jaga paused half way with his upper body resting on the levelled part of the upper layer. He turned to Susan and his eyes widened. "what are you doing?".

"I'm sorry, but I need you here, please help us". Susan said still pointing the gun at him.

Jaga slowly stepped down to faced Susan but his mind still went to the people coming for them. With his hands half way up he said. " put that gun down, you will kill someone with it".

Susan still kept the gun pointed at him. " I'm sorry, but I need you here. Please stay".

Jaga felt defeated, standing with a droopy shoulder he said. "okay, but do you know how to use that?".

" I think it's just pushing...". Susan hasn't finished her statement when she pulled back the trigger, a gunshot echoed and narrowly missed Jaga's head. The impact bored a hole on a rock behind him.

Jaga and Susan stood still looking at each other in shock. " I'm sorry, Susan finally found herself saying still petrified.

Abdul was a layer away from them when the gunshot startled him. He paused, releasing his hand from the last layer, standing with his back on the wall he listened to know if it was him the gunshot was meant for.

" I told you to be careful with that thing". Jaga said to Susan moving towards her to retrieve it from her. " give it to me!". Collecting the gun from Susan he examined the weapon to study how it works.

" can you use it?" Susan asked, still in shock.

"let me see". Jaga answered, still screening through the gun.

Abdul smiled and said to himself. " amateurs". Then he moved away from where he wanted to climb from to the other side so he can approach them from behind.

He climbed up to the levelled ground, slowly pulled the gun handing on his back into his arms and moved slowly towards his preys. With his back on a rock he could see Susan and Abdul looking at the gun as though It was a new toy. He grinned and aimed to fire.

Meanwhile, the sound of the gunshot had woken Andrew, he was still recuperating lying where he laid on his back. He turned to Susan and Jaga and smiled, when he turned his head towards the opposite direction, he saw Abdul, his heart sank into his stomach, he was a little farther from Susan. With all his strength he screamed. " baby!". His voice came out like a dying horse's voice.

Susan and Jaga turned abruptly to him and that same time caught Abduls smirked face aiming to fire. The sound of a gunshot echoed but they both jumped on opposite directions falling on their sides. Abdul rushed out and fired again towards Susan, she rolled over and the shot missed her leg. Jaga immediately pulled grabbed the gun and pulled trigger in utmost confusion pointing aimlessly, Abdul retreated back to his hiding place enjoying the fun.

Susan quickly ran to Andrew who was struggling to his feet and helped him up, they both moved out of sight to the corner where Jaga had ran to for cover with the gun his hands shivering.

"I...i...killed him?". Jaga stuttered.

No one answered him as Susan kept Andrew seated on the floor and his back on the wall.

Abdul smiled excitedly and peeped, no one was in view. He slowly came out and moved speedily closer to where they were and hid himself some ten foot away, with his back on the wall he giggled silently and peeped again.

Susan looked up at Jaga he was completely overtaken by fear. She went to him and grabbed the gun. He didn't make any attempt to resist.

" hey baby". Andrew said in a whisper.

She went to him and knelt beside him. " yes baby".

" give it to me, I can manage", Andrew said trying with great difficulty to stand up and biting back pain.

Susan held him back." No baby, I'll protect you". She stood up and went to peep. Abdul was very close tiptoeing his way over with his gun aimed. She caught sight of him in time and fired without target, he ran back to his hiding place laughing loudly.

"you die! I...fire you and you be alive, and crying alive, after I cut your body away!". Abdul shouted excitedly in his hiding place. " today you die!". And laughed hysterically.

Jaga went down on his knees and placed his forehead on the floor praying. Susan laid her back on the wall with the gun in her hands breathing heavily. Andrew looked at his wife who looked now like a star in an action movie and felt a sense of pride in a second but reality snatched the smile from his face before it could even draw a line.

A gunshot fired in front of Susan but the bullet brushed through her hip, she screamed and simultaneously returned the fire in reflex without aiming before taken cover squatting behind a four feet rock carved out from where Andrew sat and Jaga immediately jumped on top of Andrew in fright, and rolled over shuddering.

The last of Abduls men had reached the top. He targeted Susan from where he was hiding behind a rock some ten foot from them and fired, but Susan moved just in time and returned the fire sending him back to his hiding.

Abdul heard two gunshots called in Arabic. " Khalid is that you!".

" yes sir!". Khalid responded in Arabic.

Abdul smiled nefariously, impatiently waiting to come out of his hiding place.

Chapter Eleven

"what happened?". Susan's alarmed voice echoed from behind Jaga, she ran towards Andrew and knelt beside him shaking him rigorously."baby! Stop this!".

Jaga moved slowly to Andrew, knelt opposite Susan and placed his ears on his chest. Then looked at Susan and said. " he's alive! I think he's caught a fever. He's burning. We need to get him care fast". Standing to his feet, he pulled Andrew up, with Susan's help they hauled him with great difficulty to Jagas' shoulder and he staggered with his balance before getting back his stand.

The way up was going to be challenging, he was already being weighed down by the weight on his shoulder.

" how are we going to get up there?". Susans' panicked voice echoed.

Jaga said nothing, he held the first step and tried, but he couldn't pull himself up, Susan immediately assisted with a nudge using her back on Andrews butt, yet their effort was futile. Jaga then decided to push Andrew up first; this took ample struggle before they got Andrew up on the upper layer.

Jaga sagged on the floor catching his breath, Susan rested her back on the rock breathing heavily. Her mind was troubled, she was scared for Andrews condition. She knew taking Andrew up wouldn't be easy but she needn't bring it up to discourage the already fatigued Jaga.

"please lets continue!". Susan suddenly sounded desperate standing in front of Jaga.

Jaga eyed her maliciously and stormed angrily." What are you talking about! Can't you see the extent of what we're going to take him through? Just the first and I'm this tired". Jaga stood on his feet hesitating.

Susan perceived what was brewing in his head, it paralyzed her with frustration. She knew she had to persuade him, she was already traumatized by everything, so she came on to Jaga in full force." please! I beg you in the name of everything you hold dear, please help us!". Tears accompanied her pleading, shaking Jaga by his arms looking into his face to see his resolution.

Jaga avoided her face and said grudgingly." We can't get him up there until he's well".

Susan knew he was right and slowly left him, drooped on her butt crying miserably. Jaga eyed her pitifully and murmured. "I can make a tent here and try to fix him, that's the least I can do" scratching his head he added."but I'm not a doctor! We can only hope for a miracle".

Susan felt a surge of hope as she sprang to her feet hugged Jaga firmly, then released him slowly and said with her face beaming gratefully. " oh! Thank you! Thank you so much! That's okay with me!".

Jaga flushed and turned away scratching his sandy coloured hair. Then moved to climb and said to Susan. " stay with him, be back in a jiffy". She nodded and watched him climb up.


Abdul was at the other side of the mountain snooping up suspected clues. He had climbed about nine feet and yet no sign. His three men tried the other corners, every one of them armed to kill.

A reptile crawled out from behind Abdul. He transferred his aggression to the poor creature, pointed his gun to fire but refrained when he thought of spooking Andrew. Instead he chased after the creature, but couldn't get it as the reptile ran down the mountain. " if I catch you! I'm going to cut off your balls and make you eat it before I skin and roast you and your witch alive". He said under his breath and continued his search.

Susan sat impatiently beside Andrew waiting for Jaga, she feared that Andrew may not make it, his side was bringing out whitish fluid, the opening has expanded, although she had covered it up with a part of her jean left foot she tore, yet the sight she saw tormented her.

Andrew was burning, he was still immobile but sweating profusely. She prayed for Jaga to come in time before something bad happens.

Eight feet under, one of Abduls' men moving slowly towards Susan, he wasn't aware that Susan was there, not for long anyway.

Susan heard footsteps and looked up sharply, but heaved a sigh of relief when Jaga surfaced with an old brown paper box in his hand.

He came closer and dropped the box beside Andrew; took out a 10cl bottle with a dark liquid inside, a water bottle, an handkerchief, a piece of cloth and a something wrapped in black nylon.

Susan watched him silently unpacking. He pulled Andrews head up and forced the liquid into his mouth.

" what's that?". She asked in disgust frowning at the stench emitted by the substance.

"you don't want to know. Please help me with his head". Jaga replied trying to pass the liquid down Andrews throat.

Susan joined him forcing Andrews mouth open and placed his head on her thigh.

The substance in the bottle reeked of a rotten leafs mixed with urine and other repulsive things she couldn't make out. Slowly a little went down Andrews' throat and he winced moving his mouth. She was happy to see him move and this resurrected optimism.

Jaga opened the nylon to unveil brown dust mixed with some blackish stuff. He loosened the cloth from Andrews injury, the cut was wet with brown and whitish slimy fluid. Susan reacted frantically to it but Jaga remained expressionless.

He took several pinch from the dust and applied it on the face of the injury until it covered it up. He looked at the remaining in the nylon, frowned, wrapped it up and put back in the box. Brought out another bottle of soldier ants from the box. Susan eyed him suspiciously and held his hand.

" what are you doing!". Her voice stern. He looked at Susan's hand on his wrist and instinct told her to let go. When she did, he continued, taking the ants out one-by-one, placing the head between Andrews injury for them to bite together before he cuts of their heads. Andrew moved his lips reacting to the pain but remained still.

The ants served very well as a stitch for the opening, before Jaga wrapped it up with the cloth. He poured some water from the water bottle to wet a piece of cloth and wiped Andrews face, neck and chest with it, then turned to Susan with beads of sweat on his forehead and said with a hint of uncertainty." Lets pray he responds to it".

Susan suddenly froze looking behind Jaga with fright on her face. Jaga wondered what she hand seen, but before he turned behind him a voice said something in Arabic. Abduls' man was standing with a gun pointed at them.

" you...you..." He attempted in English and stopped not knowing what to say.

Susan was completely paralyzed in fear and remained in her position, to her it was over.

The man slowly moved closer eyeing Andrew then turned to Susan saying something she couldn't understand.

" he said we should stand up". Jaga interpreted standing to his feet.

Susan joined him and the man moved to shake Andrews shoulder, looked at the covering and then screamed something in Arabic.

" he's calling on others! We're dead!". Jaga said to Susan in a low pathetic tone.

Susan remembered what Andrew had told her at the sand hill." No matter what happens, keep going, trust me, we're not going back there". He had said amidst gunshots.

She impulsively jumped on the man throwing her weight on him and Andrews' body behind tripped him over, he let out a gunshot before they reached the ground.

The gun fired spooked Abdul in his ridiculous goose chase. He jumped facing the direction of the sound.

Susan held the mans neck like her life depended on killing him while he pushed her face hard." help..help me!". Susan called the confused Jaga who stood watching the struggle.

Like something dawned on Jaga, he shook off the spell and rushed towards Susan.

The man punched Susan hard on the jaw and tried in vain to get her off him as she refused bulge, instead she bent over and bite him in the neck. Jaga launched a kick in the mans face and released several other kicks.

With a sudden surge of strength, the man threw Susan off him and yanked to his feet eyeing his gun lying between them. Jaga was overtaken by fear and almost ran away. Susan swiftly picked up a rock and threw at the man, he dodge it, she picked another one but the man quickly rushed to his gun, picked it up and was about firing when Jaga rushed and pushed him off the cliff.

Abdul saw his man fall passed him, he watched him land on a rock and his head burst open in front of the last of Abduls men who was trying to climb up. He looked up at Abdul and then eyed his mate in horror.

Nice one brother, keep it up!

Chapter Ten

Andrew and Susan got to the mountain taking a narrow lead behind and began climbing. Andrew was too weak to push himself up, but he tried all the same with Susan's little nudging.

After climbing a storey high, there was no sign of human habitation in view as everything was rock and sand.

" are you sure he lives here?". Andrew asked Susan sitting on a small rock, gnashing his teeth in pain.

Susan eyed his injury, it looked bad, water dripping and the stiches opening. She needed to be hopeful for that was the only thing she could do. With Andrews question, she turned around desperately, looking for anything that could give a clue but found nothing. Then she turned to Andrew and said. " stay here, I'll continue".

Andrew grabbed her hands, standing up he said." No! I won't allow you go about alone, it's dangerous".

She smiled and asked." And you can protect me?"

Andrew ignored her and made to move in front of her but she held him back." Please sit down dear, you're badly hurt. I'm the one to protect you now. I don't think you can survive this injury if you continue like this".

Andrew still insisted, but she forced him down, so he gave up and began nursing the excruciating pain eating deep in his side with great difficulty to look strong for Susan.

Susan left Andrew and continued the climbing. She had climbed about four storey high and when she looked down, it felt like she was falling, she immediately withdrew her eyes. Susan has phobia for heights but this time she braved it and climbed on.

Andrew looked for what to cover his injury with around him but found just stones, sticks and sand. He suddenly found himself praying that Susan sees the weird man. He could feel himself growing weaker and dizzy. But what feared him more was the fiver that was setting in. His temperature had gone up, his lips dried and eyes turning white. This was not a good sign. " not here! Not like this! Not today!". He reassured himself and prayed for a miracle.

Susan had gone high enough, she couldn't look down anymore, it was obvious to her that climbing down would be her greatest nightmare. But she pulled herself up the upper layer and when she was now on her feet trying to climb the next layer, she saw something that made her scream. A big black cobra coiled for an attack.

Andrew heard Susan's scream, he called her name but his voice surprised him, it sounded different. He struggled to his feet, the fiver had taken hold on him and the pain hampering his movement. Again he tried to call her but his voice was more of a dry whisper. He tried to hold a rock for support to climb but he couldn't pull himself up. " baby!". He called in his frustration.

Jaga sat in front of a fire with a rat hanging on a stick across a fire when he heard the shout, he screened the voice in his head in a jiffy and immediately jumped on his feet, grabbed his forged arrows and bow and ran out .

Jaga lived in a dimly illuminated cave inside the rock. The shapeless surroundings didn't give the place an habitable ambience. Rock laid on almost every sides, a six foot person would need to bend all the way inside. Just one narrow entrance and exit that one would have to crawl through. Jaga used a rock to cover it so that no one would suspect such thing was there.

Susan eyed the snake in absolute fear, she stood still shivering as the snake coiled itself waiting to strike as soon as she moves. Susan couldn't think, her mind was completely shut down, all she could see was death waiting to take her.

The snake remained where it was hissing, its head spread like an Egyptian wig and tongue shooting out looking ominously at Susan.

Jaga came from the opposite direction behind the snake. He saw the snake before Susan and abruptly said. " don't move! Remain where you are!". Then arrange his arrow to shoot.

Susan was so relieved to see him, but she couldn't shake off the tension before her for a smile.

The snake turned immediately towards Jaga still coiled. Jaga moved circumspectly towards the snake with his arrow pointed at it. The snake suddenly attacked Jaga's feet in a swift spring. Susan let out another loud scream that made Andrew desperate to climb up. But the snake narrowly missed its target as Jaga jumped over it and stood in front of Susan.

The snake coiled again still hissing, its head smartly raised at its rival, threatening to strike again.

" are you okay?". Jaga asked calmly.

Susan nodded, still eyeing the ominous dancing of the snake.

Jaga aimed his arrow and shot, the snake dodged and jumped towards Jaja's foot. Again Susan screamed louder jumping away from Jaga. Andrew almost fainted where he was, he struggled up the mountain with every ounce of strength in him, the fiver was kicking in violently and the pain unbearable, he was shaking but kept moving calling Susan's name.

While the snake attached, Jaja strike it with his bowl towards a rock close by, he quickly picked up a sizeable rock from the floor and threw it at the snake. His aim was timely; the stone smashed the snake's head as it made to attack again. It coiling around the rock on its head. Jaga moved closer and pulled it up by the tail. The head was completely smashed. He turned to a petrified Susan looking with horror at the defeated serpent and said in an award smile. " dinner is served".

Andrew tried again to go up a rock step, he couldn't, his limps shook tremulously but he kept trying calling Susan's name.

A crackling sound startled him. He jumped towards the direction, knowing fully well he couldn't do much in his current situation. The sound came closer, all he could hear himself say was " not today! Not here!".

A large leopard strolled out, Andrew eyed it unbelievably and remained still with his heart throbbing fast, the animal suddenly changed to an alligator strolling pass. He heaved a sigh of relief and an approaching sound startled him from behind, he slowly limped towards it hoping it was Susan and not something dangerous. The joy he felt when he saw Jaga approaching was what he couldn't express. His feet became too weak he sagged on the floor and everything went blank.

Abdul spotted the jeep and drove towards it, packed behind it, alighted from his van and rushed to look inside the jeep for any trace of Andrew and Susan. When he saw nothing, he searched for foot trail but the wind had covered it up. He then screened the vicinity, there was nothing in view save for a mountain.

" they can't survive a long walk under this sun, they're up that mountain!". Abdul said confidently. Then he went to get his gun from the van and said to his men. " we have a catching to do".

Chapter Ten

Andrew held on to Susan's hand firmly as the wind pushed hard against them. Their knees were on the sand because they were unable to move anymore due to the force of the wind. Susan held on to Andrews waist and her head pressed on his back as they started to be pulling off the ground. In a short while, their feet went off into the air and the wind spun them several times before shooting them out, but Andrew never let go of Susan's hand ignoring the pain threatening to kill him.

The wind came towards Abdul, took two of his men who were still standing up into the air, while they spun, a sharp iron stabbed one in the chest before it rapidly spew them both away on different directions.

Abdul remained on his tummy, face pressed in the sand resisting the force trying to spin him. He fought back pressing his body into the ground.

After the wind left, Abdul was buried in the sand. He pushed his himself up, spew sand off his mouth and shook it off his head and body as he stood up. He looked around but found three of his men staggering up and dusting off sand from themselves. He searched for the other two but they were no where on site. Then he started digging his hands into the sand for his gun, he searched around him before he found it deeply covered in sand. He looked up for Andrew but didn't see any sign of him. He turned to his men and shouted. " where are the!" His men gave him a puzzled look. Then he added walking ahead " lets go find that dog!".

The four of them matched up the hill and one of Abduls men saw a hand shooting out from the sand. He called others attention to it." Body!".

Abdul jumped and raced towards him, pushed every one aside and dug off the sand to reveal one of his men's face, he was dead. This was not Andrew. Abdul cursed under his breath and continued matching forward abandoning the body there.

They climbed up to the top, there was no trace of Andrew and Susan.

"look!". Another of Abduls' men shouted pointing down the hill in front of them to something that looks like a foot shooting out in the sand.

" check it out!". Abdul said calmly.

Two of his men raced down the hill while Abdul slowly followed from behind. The men dug it open and looked up with a stricken face.

" what?" Abdul asked.

" Ahmed!". One of the men answered.

Abdul continued down the hill looking on different directions but Andrew and Susan were still out of sight. He sagged on his butt with his AK on his laps dusting the sand from his hair. " where have they gone to?". He wondered.

One of his men slowly walked up to him and said. " I think should be buried somewhere around here".

" we must find them, dead or alive. We must find them!" Abdul said standing to his feet and began stabbing the tip of his gun into the sand in search for them.

Susan stood up and shook the sand off her body. She looked around for Andrew but couldn't find him, immediately she sprang up in panic spun around in search for Andrew. " baby!". She called as she went on her knees digging around her for him. " baby!" She cried.

Andrew pulled himself up from the sand behind Susan, spitting out sand from his mouth. Susan abruptly turned and jumped in joy, ran to him, hugged him but he flinched and groaned in pain holding his side. The bandage was gone and the tip of the stiches was opening. Susan eyed at the cut and covered her mouth in hysteria. Andrew quickly covered it up with his hand and struggled to his feet biting back pain.

" its okay!". He said without looking at Susan and examined where they were.

Their van and Abduls jeep packed a few distance at their left. He immediately looked out for Abdul and his men in sudden realization and called on to Susan who was still confounded. " lets go!". Limping towards the jeep.

He came close, opened the door, looked at the ignition and found the key, he smiled, entered the car, turned on the engine and it responded. " get in!". He called on to Susan. She hurried into the passengers side, he reversed and drove off.

Abdul heard the sound of a car engine, turned to his men in a surprised look and Immediately started up the hill again with his men behind.

Andrew had gone far enough before Abdul got to the top. He emptied the bullet in his gun towards Andrew car distance away in frustration. He stopped shooting and sagged on his knees looking dejected at the dust raised by Andrews jeep. His eyes caught the van packed, I sudden life came into him, he stood up and started rushing down the hill to the van.

Andrew raced with every reckless speed down to no where, but he tried to avoid the location he came from. Susan kept stealing glances at Andrews stitch, she wanted to do something about the water that was now coming out, but Andrew was too occupied at the moment, so she prayed for a kind of miracle.

After driving for about an hour, he spotted the mountain the strange man had showed them earlier in a distance. And suddenly the jeep started slowing down and eventually stopped.

" what is going on?". Susan asked in alarm.

" I don't know!". Andrew said looking at the faulty fuel gage.

He opened the door of the car and went to the bonnet. Checked for water and other vitals before he discovered he had ran out of fuel.

" what is it?". Susan asked with a scared look behind Andrews shoulder.

Andrew heaved and said. " fuel!". He turned towards the mountain and said to Susan. "lets pay that weirdo a visit".

" push the damn car!". Abdul yelled at his men as they gave in all their strength pushing the van out of the sand with someone pressing hard on the throttle.

The van suddenly started moving out. And soon the it was out, the guy in the drivers seat moved to the passengers side for Abdul, he jumped into the drivers side and his men followed in the back seat. He followed Andrews tire trail driving desperately fast.

Chapter Nine

"what are we going to do!". Susan cried looking behind her at the approaching jeep.

Andrew said nothing, his mind was working. There was a sand hill in front of him, he began driving towards it.

A gunshot echoed behind them. Susan let out a loud scream and lowered her head. Andrew continued driving sweat drenching his cloth, he faintly felt the pain on his side, every nerve in his body stood in tension.

Another gunshot, he turned and what he saw was demoralizing, they were evidently nudging closer. " not today! Not today;". He reminded himself.

" move this car! Kill that dog! Don't kill him, I want him alive! Shoot him down!". Abdul raged.

The sand contented with the speed of the van as he approached the sand hill. The van's engine cried as Andrew pushed harder the throttle against the encumbrance.

" what are you doing!". Susan yelled. " they are catching up on us! Get us out of here!". She cried.

The tire of the car suddenly got stuck in the sand. Susan became hysterical, she literally turned looking at the jeep that was now closer. " we're dead!". She cried.

Andrew abruptly opened the door and turned to Susan. " get down!". He hastily said as he jumped out of the van. His side suddenly hurt like a hot coal placed inside his stomach, he sagged on one knee and stood up again, started staggering up the hill falling at intervals Susan helping him up.

Abdul's jeep packed behind Andrews van. He jumped down firing like a deranged man yelling at his men. " go after them! Get them!".

Andrew and Susan fell on their stomach as the gun fire continued. Andrew looked and saw the men fast approaching. He turned to Susan, raising her face to his, looking into her eyes he said." We're getting out of this alive! Do you trust me!".

The petrified Susan didn't know what to respond, another gunshot fired past them, she made to look but Andrew held her face to his and gave her a reassuring smile. " do you trust me!". Susan swallowed hard and nodded. He stood up , pulled her by the hand and started running, ignoring the stabbing pain on his side.

Abdul was In front hastily pushing his way through the sand eating his foot. His men lag behind struggling with the sand swallowing their boots. " shoot him! Kill that dog!". Abdul yelled at his men and released several shots but missed as Andrew and Susan continued running.

Andrew became tired and out of breath, he staggered on pulling Susan with him. He cared little of the gunshots slightly missing them. The top of the hill was farther than Abdul and his men who were few distance behind.

Abdul continued racing hopefully as he came closer. He took out his gun and fired but missed. He then decided to stop shooting since the possibility of skinning them alive was becoming realistic. His men opened fire but he waved them to stop.

Andrew suddenly fell, completely exhausted. Susan tried to pull him up but he held her hand and said in a weak tone. " go! I can't die! Leave me and go!".

Susan turned behind her to Abdul who was smiling maliciously as he got closer. She turned to Andrew, held his hand with tears running from her eyes. " I can't! I can't!".

" I'll never forgive you if you don't leave!". Andrew said angrily.

She suddenly exploded in confusing, Andrew looked startled at her, she met his eyes and said. " that makes the both of us". Then she laid on his chest.

Abdul saw the love birds together and stopped to catch his breath. This was so pathetic to him and the same time amusing. He turned to his men and breathlessly said to. " they're close! Hurry up and get them!".

Andrew turned to the men coming for them and said to Susan. " not today". Susan smiled, wiped the tears from her eyes, nodded and said.

" I know". and chuckled.

Andrew turned again to the men now strolling up the hill, smiled and said to Susan without taking his eyes away from them. " they think they have gotten a trophy".

Susan followed Andrews gaze, her heart sank into her stomach, she turned to her husbands smiling face and wondered why he was so complacent. She turned to the men again and saw the terrified look on their faces. Abdul too was also struck with the same thing the men saw. She turned behind her and saw a massive dust approaching with the wind. It was a great tornado.

" it's time!". Andrew said taking off his shirt, he tore it into two places and handed one to Susan.

Susan eyed him suspiciously, like he was nut. " what are you doing?". She asked.

" trust me!" And said smiling " tie your nose!". He tied his and struggled up to his feet, held Susan's hand but she hesitated. Again he said. " trust me". She allowed herself to be led towards the horrific wind and dust.

Abdul saw Andrew moving, he shook the fear away and yelled." They are getting away! Kill them!"

The men took out their guns but the wind had covered their target. The men quickly dropped their guns, turned to Abdul hesitantly hoping he'd call for retreat, looking at the approaching wind.

" get them!" Abdul shouted and stopped, his face changed into a frightened awe when he saw how boisterous the wind was. He turned behind him but it was too late to retreat, he quickly pulled the muffler off one of his men's neck and wrapped his nose with, laid on his tummy.

Chapter Eight

...The man in front of Andrew started falling, Andrew quickly returned the fire targeting Abdul but missed. The other men took cover giving Andrew the opportunity to race with Susan towards a parked pickup van. They were a few steps away when gun shots followed from behind shattering the side glass and boring holes on the body of the van.

Andrew pulled Susan along towards the passengers side of the van. The gunshots continued, Susan covered her ears with her knees and forehead on the floor, Andrew squatted with his back on the van's front seat door and head bent.

The gunshot seem to be approaching pretty closer he had to peep from under the car and saw feet approaching, panicked gripped him but he reminded himself. " not today!". And bent towards the head lamp and fired two shots, one hit a man on the chest, the rest took cover immediately.

" get him! Kill that African dog!". Abdul yelled from inside his tent.

Andrew moved to the tail end of the van biting back the pain on his side that had started bleeding. Susan hasn't lifted up her head yet, she kept muttering words of prayers. From Andrews point, he could see the men carefully moving closer with their guns pointed forward. He aimed at another, released a shot but hit the man beside his target on the shoulder, the rest took over again.

Andrew turned to the van, crawled towards the front door and opened it." baby go in!". He said to Susan pulling her by her shoulder.

She looked up at Andrew in fear.

" go in!". Andrew repeated impatiently.

She rushed in and gunshots came again. Andrew made to fire back but he was out of bullet. " not today!". He said to himself and rushed in, Susan adjusted, as he passed her to the driver side, the pain on his side bite an excruciating pain through him, but he managed.

The fire was now targeted towards their direction and they both bent over.

Susan's cry of fear and the realization that the car had no key got Andrew confused. The gunshots came even closer and bullets kept narrowly missing them .

In the frenzy, Andrew pulled out the plastic covering under the steering. Dragged out some wires, cut two open, strike them together with tremulous hands nothing happened. He tried another together same disappointment, hot urine started brewing in his bladder. The men were some steps away and the bullets threatened to hit them soon. He tried again and the car engine came alive. Without hesitation, he engaged the gear and pressed hard on the throttle, the car jumped forward towards the three men approaching and knocked down one, climbed him and raced towards Abduls tent, but Andrew raised his head up in time to control the steering and the car sped past the tent headed towards the gate.

Abdul ran out from his tent shooting chasing after them, when he realized it was a waste of time, he turned to his men yelling. " get the other car! Hurry!.

Andrew pressed hard on the throttle targeting the wooden gate, the collision shattered the gate, the van jumped and gained balance again racing into the vast scape of desert land.

Susan was still in shock, she was yet to believe what was happening. This side of Andrew was new; the slow, always cautious, scared man turned to an action movie over night.

Andrew took a glance at her and returned his attention to the road." Are you okay?". He asked breathing heavily .

She nodded because her heart beating couldn't let her make out words.


Abdul waited impatiently for the jeep to come closer. It was yet to stop before he swiftly opened the front door and jumped in. " Go! Go! Go!". He yelled hitting the dashboard. As the van raced in full speed, Abdul swore to roast Andrew live after skinning him and Susan.


The commotion left everyone wondering, this has never happened before. Smart in his cell emotionally smiled and prayed that God protects Andrew.

Andrew drove aimlessly into the desert always looking behind him. He pressed hard on the throttle all the way, biting back the pain on his side as he swerved the van in position.

Few distance behind, a desert jeep was nudging closer following the trail of Andrews tire track. " faster! Faster! ". Abdul commanded with his eyes on the road and heart pounding maliciously.

Four men sat in the back of the jeep, the driver and Abdul sat in the front, and all were fully armed. Two men dead, one injured. This was the greatest challenge Abdul had ever encountered, he knew he'd rather die than return without Andrew and Susan.

" are you okay?". Andrew asked again with eyes on the road.

Susan spotted the blood soaked bandage and gasped. " you're bleeding!".

Andrew nodded still focused on the road. She searched around the van for something to stop the bleeding when she suddenly spotted the approaching jeep from the rear mirror. A loud cry left her lips. Andrew turned sharply towards her and followed her gaze. He turned behind him to confirm what he was seeing. Then pressed harder on the throttle looking for where to turn to.

Chapter Seven

" what do you think you are doing?". Ibrahim said to Abdul looking through the hole of the pistol pointed to his face.

Abdul's scuffed with a smirk on his face and said."there is always a day to become the one".

Abdul words sounded meaningless to Ibrahim. He turned behind him at the five armed men with him and said. " what are you guys doing? Take him down!". But to his surprise, Abdul laughed hard and said.

" they are with me, you're alone!".

That moment the men moved away from Ibrahim to stand behind Abdul. This felt like a dream, Ibrahim suddenly recognized what was coming to him.

" I'm sorry brother, I do all the work and you take the glory. It's time I take full responsibility". Abdul said complacently.

Ibrahim thought of his pregnant wife and two little kids in Baghdad and looked like a drowning man as he said to Abdul."do you have to do this? We're brothers".

Abdul let out a loud shot from his gun into Ibrahim's eyes and he sagged to the ground and died instantly.

Then he turned to the men with him and said in a stern tone. " any word from anyone of you, I know your families. I promise you, you'll watch them die the worse death ever before i bury you alive!". Then he examined the expressionless faces of the men and nodded," lets get out of here".

No one said any other word, not even asking about the body of Ibrahim as they drove off.

Abdul was sitting down on a mat in his tent sipping from his cup of tea when a guard walked in with Susan. He slowly looked up and nodded to the guard who bowed and walked away leaving the bewildered Susan.

He slowly drank the last drop in the cup before facing Susan. "how... you fine?". Abdul mumbled.

Susan didn't know what to say so she kept her stare on him.

Abdul slowly stood up, moved closer, touched her face, Susan flinched and turned away. He smiled and said. " you like...me no?". Susan felt a hot anger rising within her but she contained it and kept quiet still looking opposite direction.

Abdul went back to a table sat on it facing Susan and said. " he..man us carry...you...is marry?"

Susan abruptly turned to him beaming a malicious stare. " what have you done to him!". She stormed.

Abdul smiled and shook his head, then slowly stood from the table, walked up to her, met her gaze with a smiling face and said." He no die.. You ...me". Then he brought his mouth for a kiss.

Susan felt so irritated but just turned away from him without saying a word.

Abdul grabbed her by the waist and kissed her cheek. She pushed him hard, rushed to the table, took a knife and pointed it at Abdul, then she placed it on her throat and threatened. " I'll rather kill myself".

This infuriated Abdul so much his face turned red. He clinched his fist in anger and yelled in Arabic. " guard!". No one responded, he yelled madly towards the exit. Susan suddenly realised something was going to happen and was overtaken by fear but held on to the knife.

A guard met Abdul at the entrance and he commanded. "bring me that lucky African fool from the cell!".

Susan heard "African" and her heart sank into her tummy. She rushed out looking at the raged Abdul not knowing what to say. He turned to her and made to say something but stopped then turned impatiently towards the direction the guard left.

After eight minutes of expecting the worse, Susan spotted two guards coming with Andrew dragging him on both arms. She was stricken with confused emotion not knowing what to do to stop Abdul.

The men came some few distance from Abdul and pushed Andrew angrily to the floor, Susan without thinking jumped on him and supported him to up.

Abdul looked at them with contempt in his eyes and said something to the guards. They jumped on Andrew pushed Susan away . One came with a long rope, bound Andrews hands and they pushed him towards a try tree, crossed the rope through it and pulled him up suspending him in the air sending an unbelievable excruciating pain through Andrew as he groaned in agony.

Susan stood helplessly crying as a guard refrained her with a hand around her arm. Then suddenly spotted the bandage on Andrews side, it was already bleeding. She broke free from the guard, turned desperately to Abdul who was enjoying the view. Went on her knees grabbing him by his leg." I beg you! I'll do whatever you want, please stop this!". She cried.

Abdul smiled and said to her grinning. "do now?".

She hesitated but when she heard Andrews agonizing cry, she nodded. " okay, okay".

Five minutes later Susan ran out half covering herself. " bring him down! Please!" She yelled at the guards.

Then Abdul came out in just his underwear and nodded to the men, they cut the rope from the tree trunk and Andrew fell rapidly to the ground.

Susan helped him up amidst tears. Andrew felt so much pain on his side than his arm and wrist that felt like it had been detached from his body.

One of the guards came to pull Andrew up, Andrew summoned all the courage and strength he could grasp, packed a hand full of sand and threw it into his eyes, snatched the pistol in a buckle around the guards waist. That guard was the only one with a pistol others had ak 47, It was a very fast move even Susan didn't know how it happened.

Andrew went behind the man and pointed the gun in his head moving towards a packed van. " stay close behind me!", he yelled at Susan. Then turned the men who returned the gesture moving closer them circumspectly, even Abdul. "I'll kill him, I swear it!". Andrew yelled and continued moving backwards with a hand on his wound and Susan using him as shield.

Abdul yelled something angrily in Arabic and the men rained fire at the man in front of Andrew...

Jentle244:
seat grabbed and my popcorn is popped


Ann2012
izaray
topher052
sokodobo
rachealfst
divepen1
devilpen
emperorblog21
damselposh
stblessing
frankakowo



oya oooo come oooo


only me no fit enjoy this gbedu wey dey boil for here

this is some real action movie! Ride on bro.

Chapter six

They led Andrew and the into a room with a wooden window opened, the girl laid on the floor at the corner of the room. Andrew flinched when he saw the girl, he saw death coming for him as he looked at the young arabian doctor in his twenties in white lab suit, a mask on his nose, and beads of sweat hung on his forehead despite the wind forcing its way through the window, his hands covered in blue gloves soaked in blood as he fumbled with what looked like kidney in a bowl on top of a long bench in front of him. Andrew presumed that was where the surgery takes place.

Beside the young doctor a table where some knives and scissors covered in blood laid in a plastic bowl.

The young doctor finished putting the kidney carefully in a collar, looked up at the guard with the other man and said something gently in Arabic. The men grabbed the man and bundled him on the bench, held him still and one tore open his shirt. The man breathing heavily looking frantically at anyone coming towards him.

The young doctor took a knife and came to the mans side as two men held the mans hands and legs still. The man didn't bother to struggle he only tried to look at the doctor breathing heavily. The doctor placed the knife slightly below his rip by the side of his stomach. The man screamed and struggled, the doctor eyed another guard standing. The guard quickly took a rope from the floor and tied it round the mans mouth holding his head still as the doctor continued.

It was now Andrews turn. Andrew watched as they tossed the mans shaky body on top of the girls. It felt like he was in a nightmare. Dying in a foreign land and not knowing what will happen to his wife.

A sudden surge of hope he couldn't understand lightened him up as he remembered the prayers the white man Smart prayed for him.

" you'll not die today. Do you believe that?". Smart had said earlier that day when they were going to take him away. "just believe it and you will be surprised how faith works".

Andrew now eyed the young whom nodded to the guard who held him. And immediately the guard pushed Andrew towards the bench, another held Andrews other arm and they both laid him on the bench.

Andrew kept muttering under his breath. " not today, I can't die today".

The doctor moved closer and waited for the men to rip off Andrews shirt. Then he placed the knife on Andrews side stomach that making an incision. It felt like hot excruciating pain ran through every fiber in his body and he screamed his gut out struggling, trying to break free from the men's grip. The doctor eyed the men and waited for them to hold Andrew still.

Another hand joined holding down Andrews chest, another pushed down his waist. The doctor wiped out the beads of sweat from his forehead and continued.

Andrew eyed the doctor fumbling with a knife through a small opening between them men, didn't see when he dug it into his body but felt the pain. A sudden fear for Susan meeting same gory fate encouraged him to keep whispering " not today, not today!".

The doctor forced his hand into Andrews stomach, a wide pain swept through Andrew that he felt a rush of saliva covering his mouth.

The doctor turned to the man beside him and shook his head. The men were surprised and inquired. Andrew had no idea what was going on, he kept saying it and believing it. " not today!".

The doctor suddenly left and Andrew lifted his head to see but the men holding him down blocked his view. He wanted to know what was happening, the pain was still there, he could feel his opened body and blood siding off.

The doctor returned and a sharp needle pain dug into his skin. He couldn't understand but suspected he was being stitched up. The doctor left and returned with some bandages, covered up the wound and the mem pulled Andrew off the bench.

Andrew couldn't believe his eyes, " it worked!" He said to himself. The men pushed him back to the room and took another guy in his stead.

Smart was surprised to see Andrew limping towards the cell with two guard men behind him. He stood up and waited impatiently for him. The guard at the cell gate opened it and Andrew limped in and gently sat. He noticed that the black guy was not in the cell and turned questioningly to Smart who was overly joyed to see him.

" where is...".

Smart cut him short " what happened? You came back!". Sitting beside him.

" faith worked. I didn't believe I was dying today even in the face of death".

Smart looked up to the sky with tears in his eyes. " thank you lord!". He said emotionally, then turned to Andrew . " you're the first! No one comes back alive. What happened?".

Andrew shook his head and pulled aside his shirt. Smart eyes widened when he saw the bandage.

" they cut me open, dug into me and suddenly stopped!". Andrew said.

Tears ran down Smarts cheeks. He was overwhelmed with emotion and tried to say something but words barely formed in his mouth.

Andrew turned to the other cells and noticed that the only guy in it hasn't gotten rid of the surprise on his face. His face tightened and he found himself saying." I'm getting out of here!".

Smart eyed him unbelievably." don't get too excited, you were lucky today..".

Andrew cut him short impatiently". And we are going to die all the same. But I know I won't!". He held his bandage numbing the growing pain.

Chapter Five

Abdul laid on his elbow on a mat with a knuckle supporting his head in his tent. Two heavily bearded men in black , sat at a wooden table with a steaming kettle, two tiny tea cups and a kerosene lantern which lit the room dimly laid on.

Speaking in Arabic one of the men, simply called Mustapha, slightly older than Musa, said to Abdul. "the boys are not back from the delivery and we are short of supplies".

"I still have about six in the cell". Abdul replied scratching his beards in nonchalance.

Abdul is in charge of the settlement after he mutinied his superior in the desert , came back with a ridiculous excuse of being attacked by a neighbouring town, which the elders not only bought but gave him the go ahead to retaliate which he did without blinking and returned victorious.

Abdul is respected for his ability to get things done and feared by his men due to his trigger happy finger. This eventually gave him a smack of arrogance he exhibited even before his superiors ( the elders) who are the ones financing the operations.

The elders are powerful cabal with wings in government. They built the settlement to secretly carry out their nefarious business which is not to be compared to their various lucrative businesses.

Musa and Mustapha are spokes men for the elders who has remained anonymous since inception even to the arrogant Abdul.

"six is not enough. We need you to get the hunters out there". Musa said in controlled low tone.

Abdul slowly sat up . "Have I not been punctual? Relax!". His voice shaking in controlled anger.

The visitors exchanged glances and poured themselves a cup full of tea.

" I heard you shot one of them". Mustapha carefully pointed out as he slowly dropped his cup, his eyes boring holes through Abdul in the dim light.

The statement got Abdul uncomfortable because he knows it was not in his place to make decisions. This is not the first time he had been cautioned. He wondered how they got to know about it as he cleared his throat." She was useless, she looked sick".

"and who told you that, are you a doctor?". Musa struggled to keep his voice controlled.

Abdul glared at the men and stood up." I have been in this business, breaking records, making more money for you people than anyone else has". He slowly moved closer. "I know what loses means and detest it!". He rest his hands on the table and met Musa's eyes."so you think I can't make the right decision?".

There was a sudden calmness in the tent as Musa struggled to hold the gaze. He then turned away, standing to his feet he caught Abdul's eyes and said sternly."let this be the last, you have no right to make decisions!". Then he added as he started his leave with Mustapha behind him."we need four kidneys more".

Abdul bite back his brewing anger eruption with his hands clinging to a fist on the table watching as the men bent out of the tent. He snatched the kettle from the table and slammed it on the floor fighting back the silly thought of putting bullets in the men's head.


The next day afternoon Susan, one other black girl she met that morning and the African girls sat outside the tent washing a pile of clothes which they started after washing ten very large canopies. Fifi slowly tapped Susan on the shoulder and pointed towards three blindfolded men pushed towards a pickup van by four masked men.

"who are those men and where are they going to?" Fifi said in wonder.


Susan followed fifi's gaze and her heart leaped into her mouth. Andrew was in the middle of the men bounds on his hands. She didn't know when she shouted. " hey! Baby!".

Andrew recognized the voice, turned and removed his blindfold, when he saw Susan, he impulsively made to run towards her but one of the men caught him by the shirt and pulled him back with the butt of the gun on his mouth. He dropped on his knees with his hands on his bleeding mouth.

Susan felt the gun hit her. She dropped the cloth in her hands running towards Andrew. One of the covered ladies rushed out from the tent and held her. " do you want to die? Stop this madness!". The lady yelled struggling with her.

They were still in the pandemonium when Abdul was spotted progressing towards them, immediately Susan refrained and stood quietly.

He came closer and asked looking inquisitively at everyone. " what's going on here?".

No one said anything to him. He turned to the men and said. " I thought I said you should go with a lady, why is there no lady?"

The men exchanged glances blamefully and two immediately rushed towards Susan. Even though she didn't understand what Abdul meant, instinct made her frighteningly pushing herself from the ladies grip.

" Not her!" Abdul yelled. " The other one!". Pointing at the new girl they met that morning.

The chubby light skin girl in her early twenties looked at them horrifically and took off but the men caught her in time, one bundled her on his shoulders effortlessly making towards the van ignoring her struggles.

Susan watched as they hauled the men including Andrew into the van like worthless beasts. She dropped on her knees crying as the van drove off. The two African girls joined her from behind.

Abdul walked up to her and smiled. Then turned to the covered lady. " and you're here they are getting all emotional! I see you are becoming useless!". He yelled in Arabic.

The lady jumped in fear, grabbed a stick from the floor and started flogging the girls yelling in an ascent. " get to work! ".

The van drove into a large abandoned compound. The old worn-out yellow brick building stood in the middle of a vast land. There was a pilled sign post with what was left of the inscription was "Rama... Gene..r.. hos...l" hanging slightly above the roof. Two dusty wooden window and a part of the roof detached from the roof swinging to the motion of the wind. Two men stood looking suspiciously at the van at the entrance. The place was as quiet as a graveyard with just the rustling of the window disrupting its peacefulness.

A dust infested motorcycle stood beside the building. A dried orange tree which had shed all its leaves struggled with the wind tension. The two stairs leading up to the entrance of the building were brick stones, maps of few footprints led to the building.

The men pulled the passengers off the van and pushed them forward in their blindfolds. One of the men standing came forward looking dissatisfied.

"six! Not four!". The man in white jalamia and a black cloth over his head in short beards said in Arabic.

" we have no idea, doing what we were told". One of the escort replied the man.

" take them in, the doctor is waiting". The other behind the first man said.

They pushed Andrew and his team into the building that reeked of decay and disinfectant. Andrew thought it smelt like death as they pushed them into an empty store with no window and took off their blindfolds.

Few minutes later two of the escorts came in for the girl. She hesitated screaming but they pulled her without hesitation and dragged her away.

Andrew turned to the petrified men with him and couldn't mutter any word as they all seem to be out of words knowing what their impending fate was.

They could hear the girl screaming and a furniture breaking, again she screamed and begged, then a muffling sound, then she stopped.

Andrew eyed the man beside him that had urinated on himself shaking profusely. Andrew wanted to reassure the man but found himself praying for some kind of miracle.

About twenty minutes later, three men came in, eyed their hostages and two started towards Andrew, he fought back but his hands were bound and too weak to defend himself, they grabbed the man who peed on himself also, the man hardly struggled, like he had accepted his fate.

Chapter Four

It was already getting dark, the naked cell experiencing a taste of the night's coldness, which is a direct contrast to the day's weather like literally walking in a fire. Andrew laid on his side with his hands buried under his legs. The sound of the cell gate opening woke him from a deep sleep, he was completely engulfed with fear and rushed backwards praying it wasn't him the guard was coming for.

A tall heavily built guard with full thick beards and long hairs hanging on his shoulders came in with a silver bowl, threw it rakishly on the floor and walked away. Andrew was still trying to understand what the white mashed thing in the silver plate was when his cell mates attacked the food with fierce animalization. Andrew knew he had to join in but feared the rage at which the men diminished what was not enough for one man. Instinct propelled him but he could only scoop a hand full before the food finished.

" only God knows when next we are going to have another". Said the white man who was licking off what tasted like potato from his fingers.

This revelation made Andrew regretful. He wanted to take the plate from the black man who was wiping it clean with his tongue but was refrained to caution by the mans stern stare.


"what do they want with us?" Andrew asked the white man who had settled back in his position.

The man smiled and said." organs are very expensive in the black market".

Andrew winced at this and felt goosebumps flooding his skin. "you mean that is what they did to the boy this morning?"

" what is your name?". The man asked.

"Andrew".

"Now listen...Andrew. Do you believe in God?"

Andrew wasn't expecting this, even though he was more of a practical person than religious. " what does it have to do with anything?". Was the word he found himself saying.


"do you have any idea of how to escape from here?".


Andrew thought it through and shook his head.

"then you need God". The man said and closed his eyes.

Andrew examined the twenty inches thick and nine feet tall wood with a three cm gap between them and the squared cell at ten feet length and fifteen feet breadth. He turned to the guards that looked always alert and sensitive to any movement. Then he moved closer to the white man whose eyes were shut and asked." Has anyone tried escaping?".

The man opened his eyes, eyed Andrew suspiciously and adjusted his back on the wooden bar. "yes, and he was roasted alive in front of us" he closed his eyes and shook his head regretfully. " I can still hear him screaming". Opened his eyes and turned to Andrew." Every Friday they abandon their duties for prayers..."

"that's when we should go?". Andrew impatiently asked.

He smiled. " that's your greatest mistake".

Andrew suddenly discovered he was starving and thirsty, but that felt little compared to how he was feeling about Susan's where about.

Susan and the two African girls sat on the sandy floor in the tent, watched as the men loosened their bounds and walked away.

The interior is a simple circular shaped covering with two openings serving as windows and one entrance. A 22 thick rod stood tall in the middle suspending the roof upwards and six squared arranged rods supporting the tent balance. At the right side, three Ghana-must-go bags of different colours lodged on the floor, beside it, some rolled mat rested on the canopy. Two kerosene lanterns hung on a wire above illuminated the room dimly. Under the middle rod, laid an old worn-out mat where two ladies covered in black burka sat with a pot, some silver plates and a bowl in front of them.


"how are doing?". The lady in the left asked with an ascent.

One of the African girls nodded but Susan and the other girl remained mute.

"I'm Ablah and Zahra". Ablah said pointing to the lady beside her. " I know you girls are hungry, you must eat".

Zahra opened the pot and served little portions of mashed potato into three plates and fetched water from the bowl, put beside the plates. Then she returned to her position beside Ablah facing the girls.

"eat and gain strength". Ablah's voice with a hint of smile.

The girl who nodded earlier rushed over and attacked the food pouring water all over her body as she hungrily drank. She's Fifi, an extravertive and spontaneous girl from Ghana. She too was a land traveller but was kidnapped in Libya and sold to her present captors. Fifi has always been an extremist and an adventurous individual who would rather dare and face the consequences, hence the reason for conceiving the idea of land travel.

The other girl's name was Mary, a beautiful, intelligent, gentle and reserved girl from Liberia. She was promised a job abroad by her fathers younger brother who eventually took her through land but she got robbed on her way and while stranded met an African man who promised to assist her but sold her off after subjecting her to several sexual abuses.

The girls finished eating and a sudden overwhelming tiredness engulfed Susan, but she managed to stay alert resting her head on a rod.

Ablah stood up and Zahra followed. " you may have your rest now, we'll be back tomorrow". Ablah said.

"what is going to happen to us?". Fifi asked.

Ablah turned to her. " if you behave, maybe nothing will happen to you". With that they left leaving the ladies to ponder in absolute obscurity.

Chapter Three

Andrew and Susan were blindfolded before hauled into the van. They were made to sit on the floor apart from each other with the men bridging the gap between them.

After driving for hours, they arrived a settlement with mud bricks fence habited by Arabians. Most of the men armed and their faces masked with muffler, every part of their women's body practically concealed up to their eyes, and tents of different shapes struggling with the harsh wind.

The van pulled over and the men jumped off hastily, one of them forcefully dragged Andrew down by his shirt and held him still while they resolved something with each other before a hand aggressively pushed him forward still blindfolded.

They led Andrew through different turns, stopping at intervals to exchange what looked like pleasantries. Andrew kept whispering Susans name hoping she would reply and straining his ears for a hint of her.

They took Andrew a few distance away from the settlement to where two roofless large squared cages facing each other with six prisoners; four in one cage and two in the other, mostly blacks; two Asians and one Caucasian was constructed, guarded by five heavily built men all masked up and fully armed.

A hand held Andrew still and the blindfold removed. Immediately, he looked out for Susan.

"where is my wife?". Andrew cautiously asked while taking a quick environmental survey.

The three men with Andrew blatantly ignored his question and said something to one of the guards, the guard replied pointing towards another cell opposite him. They insisted on the one he was guarding. He took a quick look at the men briefly, then slowly suspended his gun at his back, opened the cell and one of them pushed Andrew inside, waited for the guard to padlock the gate before they left .

Andrew grabbed the wooden bar peeping through for Susan, but everyone in the opposite cell were all men.

He returned to the two dejected men in his cell and asked the black man whose blue sleeve on red trouser had worn-out, sitting with his back on the wooden bar, legs folded in his arms, his black skin looking white from long exposure to harsh weather and dehydration, his hairs and beards overdue. "please, where do they keep the ladies?"

The man looked at him as though trying to grasp what he meant. Andrew immediately turned to the other, a Caucasian man in a dirty t-shit on a faded blue jean lying on his side with hands under his head looking demented in his middle bald overgrown hair and full beards. "do you have an idea?".

"he's deaf". The man said in a foreign ascent sitting up.

"who?"
"he's deaf". The man said in a foreign ascent sitting up.

"who?"

"his name is Jude, they shot a gun to his ears at close range. He couldn't hear you". The mans eyes looking pitifully at Jude.

Andrew followed his gaze but felt nothing for the pathetic looking black man. Again he tried.
" my wife was brought here with me, do you have any idea where she is?".

The man gave Andrew a look that knotted his stomach.

"she's no longer your wife as far as this place is concerned. I have been here long enough to have seen enough". He said, laid back in his previous position and closed his eyes.

"what do you mean? Talk to me!". Andrew said nudging the man's arm.

He tiredly opened his eyes . "I don't know anything more than what I just told you". Then shut his eyes again.

Andrew sat hopelessly on the floor , tears running down his cheeks, he began praying to a God he hasn't spoken to in years.

The presence of a short bulky man drifted Andrews attention from his prayers. The man walked up to one of the guards, said something and walked away. The guard moved to the cell opposite Andrew, the inmates moved frighteningly away from him. He stood in front of the clustered petrified men and fixed his gaze on the youngest; an Asian boy with a smirk .

"No! No!". The boy cried pushing himself into the midst of his mates.

The guard with zero strained effort pulled him out of their midst dragging him away ignoring his resistance.

Andrew stood watching how wholeheartedly the boy cried and struggled with ample pertinacity as the guard bundled him off. The look in the faces of every cellmate settled Andrews curiosity.

Susan sat in bound hands behind a large triangular tent alongside two other African girls and an Asian lady looking as every other person; women and children going about their business with little or no interest in them.

The Africans were of same stature and age except Susan who was light skin and the Asian; chubby, nudging her late fifties.

A lanky dark tall Arabian man with full beards, coyly hairs and two armed men walking behind him came from around the tent to inspect the newbies.

He stopped in front of the first girl, smiled, nodded and joked about something the men behind him laughed at, then he moved to the next, one of his men pointed out a cut on the girls left knee. The man frowned at it and seemed pissed with someone, again he nodded and came to Susan. This time he leaned looser, looking into Susans face as if searching for something his eyes couldn't catch giving Susan the creep. Then he turned towards a well adjacent them where a teenage boy stood watching with keen interest, he said something that brought a smile on the boys oval face, he enthusiastically grabbed a bucket and ran with it to the man whom one of his men him called Abdul.

Abdul parted the boy on the shoulder and said something that made the boy blush and his men laughed. Then he fetched water from the bucket with a cup from the bucket and handed it to Susan, she grabbed it with both hands precipitously and hungrily sent it down her throat. Abdul said something jokingly about it which and his men exploded in an hysterical laughter.

Then he moved to the Asian lady. The sight of her transmuted his laughter into an ominous frown and his breathing accelerating in rage. With an agitated impulse, he took out his revolver from under his jalamia and shot the Asian in the head startling Susan to spill the water all over her body. Everyone around took a glance and returned to their business like it was a normal occurrence.

Abdul turned to the men with him yelling, wielding his gun aimlessly. He suddenly levelled his anger on Susan pointing the gun at her, visibly hesitating, biting his lips. Like an invisible being whispered something to him, he dropped his hands and walked away.

Susan had died and resurrected, she was still trying to catch her breath when one of the men pulled her up, ordered her and the other African girls forward towards a tent with two ladies covered in black waiting at the entrance.

Chapter two

Andrew woke up in an exquisite furnished room, he laid in clean white sheets and in his front hung on the wall a large flat screen TV displaying musicals on MTV.

When he came to full consciousness, he impulsively jumped off the bed and discovered he was only in white boxers.

"Susan!". His subconsciousness called before it dawned on him to search for her. " Susan!". He eagerly called, cautiously looking for the exit in the large snow white room with every furniture plated in gold. Then a thought flashed through his mind; perhaps he was dead and in heaven, that would mean Susan isn't here with him?

He took a quick glance around and spotted a golden door knob shooting out from between a red velvet curtain. Immediately he ran towards it and was about reaching for it when the door flung open and Susan surfaced carrying a tray of fruits: Apples strawberries and bananas. At first glance he didn't recognise her in white silky handles gown that revealed her white underwear,her hairs dark and shiny, lips glowing red , her light skin polished enough to serve as mirror and her neck, ears, nose and hands adorned with golden jewelleries.

"you're up! Sleepy head". She teased shooting him that captivating smile he loved about her as she walked passed him.

Andrew was yet to digest scenario. He watched his wife walk towards an impressive large white dinning table with golden chairs and dropped the tray on it, then turned facing him with a flirtatious smile, grabbed an apple and took a bite fixing her eyes on him. This version of her was strange to him.

" what's going on here? How did we get here?". Andrew asked moving closer to her.

She smiled again and dropped the apple back on the tray " we are in our presidential villa in Italy. Come and take a look". She picked up a remote on a white shelf beside the dinning and pushed a button; immediately the curtains flung open to unveil a flamboyantly decorated terrace with mirror floor, golden rails, white exotic cain chairs and a swimming pool by its side with a view of a beautiful city that looks like something from a 3D picture.

Andrew walked slowly with her to the terrace and looked down from the skyscraper then turned to the clean blue swimming pool with some white swine floating on it.

" how did we get here?". He asked still in shock.

" we made it to Italy and we own all these". She said with a girlish smile tilting her hair to a side.

Then it suddenly started drizzling with the weather still bright. He turned to Susan and was about pointing it out but abruptly stopped when she started cat walking towards him and slowly taking off her gown, this left him speechless but he was liking this version of her.

To his surprise, she held his shoulders firmly and shook him rigorously."you can't be dead!". She yelled and her countenance changing into fear. "you can't be dead!".

Andrew was startled and tried to fathom her reason for saying that, but her grip on him and the strength of her impact confused and scared him even more.

"stop! You're hurting me!". He cried trying to break free.

Suddenly, she started disappearing into white light still shaking him. He closed his eyes from the brightness, then a shadow stood in front of him shielding the light, he opened his eyes again to meet reality; Susan looking completely pale kneeling beside him in tears sprinkling water on him with a dry grass and her body shielding his face from the sun.

"you can't be dead!". She cried, still sprinkling water on him and then stopped when she noticed his head moving.

"Baby? Baby?...". She called looking enthusiastically, her face spreading into a smile. Quickly, she dropped the grass and little cup of water by her side and fell on him excitedly, kissing his face all over.

Andrew felt a sting on his wrist and turned away from Susans fervor to notice the cut had been attended to.

"let him rest a little he is exhausted". A strange tiny little voice said.

Andrew weakly nudged Susan aside and tried to see who it was but felt woozy, then laid back.

"don't try to get up". The tiny little said again.

A man surfaced from behind. Andrew tried to see the face but he could only make out what the sun allowed him to: very slim legs shooting out from a gray or maybe black folded trouser and massive feet in a black slippers made from motor tire.

" Don't worry , you'll be fine". The man said squatting beside Andrew giving him a clearer view of his face; a bearded, skinny black man with an eye missing from the socket, his red sandy head bald in the middle, his remaining teeth had turned brown, looking like a mental patient in his dirty brown worn-out singlet.

The strange man opened a dirty old yellow plastic water bottle and made to put some of its contents into Andrews mouth but Andrew turned his face away looking suspiciously at him.

"it's okay baby, he's fine". Susan assured Andrew, then moved closer taking the left position beside him.

Andrew obliged the strange man following Susans eye approval, raising his head up slightly. And as soon as the water met his lips, he realized how thirsty he had been. In tremulous hands he hungrily held the bottle to his mouth but the fun was cut short as the man retrieved the bottle from him and casually corked it. Getting to his feet he said.

"my tent is not too far from here, it's up that mountain". Pointing towards a very high mountain faintly in view some distance away.

"what?" Susans voice wobbled unbelievably.

Andrew struggled to sit up and Susan immediately assisted him. They didn't notice the man indicating silence with a finger between his lips, a hand stretched towards them and his ear tilted upwards like he was trying to listen to something.

Andrew turned to the strange man and curiously asked. "what's going on?".

Suddenly, the man turned to them and said hastily. " we have to get out of here!".

Susan and Andrew were totally oblivious of what he meant.

"what's going on?". Susan asked In a weak tone standing to her feet".

The man looked regretfully at both of them, shook his head, hesitated as if trying to drag Andrew by the hand, then took off the water bottle from his neck and tossed it on Andrew saying.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to help!". Then started racing towards the mountain.

Andrew and Susan were both crushed with fear, they looked frantically around the dry land touching the sky with the only thing in view is one mountain.

They could now spot dust raising some far distance away and a faint sound of a motor engine.

Andrew struggled to his feet and held Susan by the hand." We have to get going?".

She looked completely petrified . Andrew felt his heart stabbed when he looked at his beautiful wife and couldn't recognize her anymore: Her face was completely dried, her eyes sockets and cheek bones vividly visible. Her use to be red lips had turned pinkish white, with her hair crazily unkept. Her blue jean that hugged well on her hip now saggy and her collar bones shooting out from the use to be white singlet now brown with a slim neck two times its usual size.

" lets go!". He said pulling her by the hand staggering towards the direction of the mountain.

Behind, the sound of the car was getting louder, Andrew had lost every strength to keep up but he managed as they both stumbled due to the much sand impeding their movement and fell occasionally.

They had not covered much grounds when Susan fell on her tummy and looked behind her at the approaching van. Andrew ran back to her and tried to pull her up." baby get up!". He said under his breath with strained effort.

She shook her head in tears." Go! Save your self!". Her voice weak with hint of dryness.

Andrew ignored her trying with every strength he could mutter to lift her up but fell instead with her.

" go! Get the hell out of here you!". She stormed with every strength left in her, slapping his face." Get the hell out of here you fool!".

Andrew looked at the black pick-up van that was now few close by, in his frustration he sat beside her waiting for the van.

Susan looked at him as though he had gone mad. " what are you doing?". She asked.

" I got you into this mess, lets die together". He said trying to hold her but she pushed his hands off her and sat up to face him.

" I will never forgive you for this!". Her tone coiled with anger.

They sat in silence and waited for the van to approach them. Four Arabians in jalamia whose faces were cover with muffler jumped down from the back of the van heavily armed speaking Arabic. Susan looked at Andrew as they pulled her up and then they dragged Andrew by his red Jessy collar yelling in Arabic.

Thnx to you guys, the ban has been lifted

Chapter one

Andrew needed to give himself hope of surviving against all odds. He turned to Susan who laid on her side and her head covered in his denim blue jean jacket. The desert wind and scotching sun had sapped every moisture left in them, all he worried about was his beautiful wife who was already dying of thirst and there was nothing he could do.

It had been a week already since the ambush on their desert jeep conveying some land travellers through the desert by
masked Arabians. Everyone else was murdered except Andrew and Susan who escaped due to Andrew's daring confidence to risk runaway amidst flying bullets raining on their jeep.

For one week they lived on insects and managed four bottled water in Andrews traveling backpack which he escaped with. After five days, Susan drank the last drop giving them no other choice but hoping for a kind of miracle.

"sweetie, did you hear that?". Susan said tiredly lifting herself up from the white sand.
Andrew immediately went to assist her as she looked desperately around.

" what is it sweetie?". Andrew's voice laden with emotion.

" I hear voices coming for us!". She said pacing around, then suddenly stopped and looking in front of her, like she could see something in a distance.

" what's it, what are you showing me?". Andrew asked with tension brewing under control in his gut.

"cant you see them? Help is on its way!". Her voice dry as she beamed a lunatic smile standing up using Andrews arm for support. And then she abruptly stopped, the spark faded into despair. " where are they? I saw them I swear!". Her voice husky almost in a whisper.

Andrew knew his wife was hallucinating, he believed her the first time, but after she repeated it an hour ago and now, he felt helpless and hugged her trying to form words instead hot tears ran down from his eyes , he immediately wiped it off and hid his face from her as she kept looking the direction as if expecting them to return muttering.

"I swear, I saw them".

Every night he tries to cover some distance due to the unfriendly desert sun hampering their movement during the day. But this very night Susan was immobile, she could only move herself faintly speaking gibberish putting the worn-out Andrew in precarious state .

He buried all plans to move that night and cuddled her trying to sing to her, but his voice produced a distant unfamiliar whisper. He too was tired and thirsty but he kept reminding himself to be strong for her.

Andrew and Susan first met in high school, it was love at first sight and they have remained inseparable ever since. Susan even declined her admission twice because they planned on entering the university together.

Immediately after school they got married but had jobs they barely got by with.

One day, on their way back from church, the lovers bumped into Musa, Andrews childhood friend who had lived overseas for 10 years, he and Andrew had a catch-up and he voluntarily promised to help only if Andrew could find his way to Italy.

After that meeting, Andrew lost all sleep, everything felt meaningless even his job, kicking against Susan's advice to be cautious. He saw this as a god sent avenue to give Susan the life he had always promised her.

One Tuesday afternoon, Susan's phone rang at work, it was Andrew calling.

"baby guess what!". Came an excited Andrews voice over the phone.

She turned to her colleague with a smile, the pregnant middle aged lady returned it and adjusted her antenna to know what's sparking her friends mood.

"what happened?". Susan asked circumspectly rolling her eyes.

"I have found an affordable way to travel!". Andrew shouted into her ears.

She let out an excited giggle and asked." How did you do it?". This time she was facing her colleague who was smiling with her.

"don't worry, when you get home I'll tell you!!". Andrew said.

Now hot tears ran down his cheeks as he remembered Susan's warning against his plans due to the ill stories her colleague shared with her about travelling on land. It all fell on deaf ears to the anxious Andrew who perceived her caution as fear.

After futile attempts to stop him, Susan obstinately decided to come with Andrew. She needed to protect him and tenaciously objected every attempt to stop her.

A thought flashed through his mind suddenly while he was still holding her "blood is water!". He said out loud, then gently moved away from her and immediately started looking for what to cut himself with. He found a rock, came back to her, knelt beside her, cut his wrist open and blood pumped out like a burst pipe of water. He quickly rushed to her mouth and put the cut in it, gently placed her head on his thigh.

" drink baby, drink!". He said as he positioned his wrist in her mouth.

She started moving her mouth slowly, then accelerated abruptly and grabbed his wrist partly unconscious sucking hungrily, though it tasted awful but it felt reviving having a liquid resuscitating her.

Her clinched grip and mouth on his cut sent a shivering pain through him, but he felt better knowing he could do something at least.
To be continued...