For Christ sake, who are they?" Matt asked as he also brought out his small pistol, " No one knows" Alvana answered staring at the side mirror, " No one is coming out of the van" He turned to us, " Maybe, they are waiting for us to make the first move" Israel said. " Then its easy, let's not make any move, let's just leave them" I suggested as I started the engine and started moving , they also started theirs and made to continue following us. " I think they need to be stopped here" Alvana said as he opened the door and immediately shot at the two front tyres of the van, he guided himself with the door to my car. The van came to an halt and three men immediately jumped out from it, they were with guns and had deadly looks on their faces, they moved towards us. " Move on, we will cover" Israel said bringing out his gun for the first time, I started the engine which I had previously killed. I had barely started moving when they shot their first bullet to the back of my car, " Move Gabi!!" Alvana shouted and I stepped on the accelerator. " In three, two , one and go" Israel shouted and immediately opened the door to my moving car and shot back at them, he closed it some minutes later. Their bullets had now shattered the back window of my car and all but me took cover behind the seats. " Calm down guys, we go in union now, in one , two, three and go!!" Alvana shouted and immediately, the three of them opened the door to their respective seats and shot back at the enemies as they popped their heads sideways out of the door, I drove on on high speed " wooow" Israel exclaimed, " What?" I asked him, " That was sweet" he smiled as I pressed more on the accelerator and soon we were out of sight. " Narrow escape" Alvana said, " How many of them did you guys take down?" I asked, " About five" Matt answered, " I thought they were only three" I said, " They were three initially , more came out from the van" Matt answered. " Who the hell were those guys?" Israel asked , " Who the hell are you asking?" Matt asked him back and he kept quiet. " Oh, this is my most favourite car and those fools h…" I was saying when israel interrupted, " Just keep shut and move" he shouted . " I am moving" I drove on.
°°
We finally got to the jungle, Newriton, it was around 9pm at night, the journey coming through wasn't easy, first of all, israel problem, always stopping to urinate and my foolish car, broke down about two times on the road, Alvana and the rest had to come down and help me push . " Tell me we have gotten to Newriton" Israel yawned waking up from his sleep, " Yeah, welcome to Newriton" I said as I parked my damaged car and alighted down from the car and the others. " Stop!!" A voice came from one of the trees in the jungle and a man in all black and a masks on his face jumped down the tree. " Who are you guys?" He asked as two other guys also jumped down from the nearby trees and joined him, " We should be asking you that, who are you guys?" Alvana asked , " We guide here" one of them replied, " What? When did this start?what about the security cameras planted all over these trees, are those not enough security?" I asked , " Hey, like you know to much, what bring you guys to this jungle?" The guy asked me, I put on my phone and stretched my forth my hand, " Look, the mark of Newriton" I showed him, he simply smiled. " Why are you smiling, we need to have some rest man" Israel interrupted, " The mark of Newriton is no longer an acceptable access to the jungle" he said, " Why?" Alvana asked, " Because we now betray ourselves, a good example is Daniel…" He was saying when Alvana interrupted, " Do you have the mark of Newriton?" Alvana asked him, " No, am still in my trainings" he answered, " What!? You mean you guys are still in your trainings and you are standing against fully trained Newriton spies?" Israel asked angrily as he advanced towards the man in black, Matt held him back. " What is the acceptable means to enter into the jungle?" Matt asked in a sleepy tone, " we need to communicate with sir Ajan and tell him of your presence" he answered, " Fool, this is 9:25, sir Ajan is out of communication at exactly 7:00pm " Alvana told him, " That's true, that means we have to keep you guys here with us till tomorrow morning, or you go home and come back tomorrow morning" He said, " Is this one mad?" Israel asked me, " Guys,we tried to be peaceful with you guys, we need to get in…" He interrupted me, " No, either you go back and come back tomorrow, or you stay on the trees with us" he said. " You know, if we are to turn this violence, the three of you cant possibly hold us down" Alvana told him, he only laughed out loud. " Should we try?" He asked, " " No, that's is a complete sign of immaturity, we cant…" Alvana hadn't finish saying when Israel delivered a spear ( a type of fighting technique where you hit your opponent with your shoulder, the rest of your body is in flat position in doing this) to the man in black, the remaining two of them immediately brought out their sword and advanced towards israel, " I think we have no choice than to join him" Alvana said , I turned to matt and we also fell in.
FIVE MINUTES LATER
" you guys have fun okay" Israel said to the three security guys who were now tied to a tree, " You will regret doing this" one of them shouted, " I wonder the kind of people Newriton train these days " Alvana spat on the floor, " Guys let's go " He said as we moved to the Ex – students quarters, this is where ex students from Newriton stay when they come visiting or for a mission. " Good thing, I brought my card" I said as I brought out my security card and opened on of the vacant doors to a room in the quarters, " Sweet " Israel murmured as we went in, Matt was the first to fall one of the beds, there were actually two beds in the room. " See you guys in dream land" Israel shouted and joined him, " I think we have to use the other bed" Alvana said and jumped on the bed, I only sat down, as I couldn't help lying down on the bed with my wife still held hostage by some people I dont know. " Sleep bro, I also feel the same way " Alvana touched me from behind..
AS NARRATED BY TONIA
I got home that day feeling a little bit relieved, if not for anything but for the fact that I had at least bugged her, I mean Christiana. I brought out my small working laptop from the drawer and drew a chair, I set to work immediately as I configured the laptop with the bug I had placed on Christiana's neck when I had hugged her. " Connect, connect, connect, connn... Yesss" I shouted as the laptop got connected, " This is gonna be sweet" I said to myself smiling as Christian came into view in my laptop, " Hmmmm, eating, nothing to be suspicious about " I thought as I headed for the kitchen.
••••••
" please, let me go" Matt mother begged as she sat on the beautiful couch of the sophisticated room where she was placed, " Ma'am, we can't let you go" A well built guy wearing a black trouser and thick singlet told her, " Why, what have I done?" The old woman asked, " It's not what have you done, its what have your son done ?" The guy smiled. " please, I beg you" the old woman knelt down, " Let me go" she pleaded. " Nope, I won't let you go until we achieve what we want" The guy told her, " What, what do you want?" She asked with tears streaming down her cheeks, " Nothing " the guy smiled as he turned to the wall television hanging on one side top corner of the big room, " News reaching us her from Umbagu village, yet another kidnap, this time the kidnap of the wife of the highly respected chief, Chief Calistus, Mrs Ngozi Calsitus, who was kidnapped two days ago in her apartment by some masked men, speaking to her...." The newscaster continued, " You actually look very beautiful in that picture" The guy said pointing at Mrs Ngozi picture which was being displayed on the television screen for identification," Dont worry ma'am, the police will come to rescue you soon" the young man said and bursted into laughter as he walked away from her as side, " Hey , least I forget, in case you are hungry, there is food in the kitchen, enough food" he told her as he walked to the door, " My son, do you have a mother?" The old woman suddenly asked , the young man stopped and turned back slowly.
°°°°
" Ahhhhh" I yawned as I stretched myself on the bed, it was a new day. " You slept too long" Alvana said as i opened my eyes, he was standing and staring out of the window. " This fools are still snoring" I smiled turning to Matt and israel corner, israel has his leg on Matt tummy , Matt head was hanging freely away from the bed. " I think sleeping is the best way to forget your sorrow" Alvana turned to me smiling, " I thought it was the best way to fight hunger" I said, " Then forgetting your sorrow is the second best thing sleeping can do " he said as he walked into the small kitchen, "Thank God, found some fruits" he shouted , I got up and walked to Matt and Israel corner, " Wake up fools!!" I shouted slapping them turn by turn, " Yeah, where is Ann?" Israel shouted taking up a fighting stance against me, " She is still held hostage" I told him as he rubbed his eyes, " I was dreaming" He said. " Its a new day" Matt said yawning loud, "Yes Matt" I told him as I walked towards the bathroom, Israel held me back. " Let me bath first" He said, " Why?" I asked him, " Remember we used to be room mates during training days, you do take hours in that bathroom" He told me and pushed me away slightly, " I am ashamed of you" Matt added, " Only a girl takes hours in the bathroom" he continued.
AS NARRATED BY ADANNA
it is the second day of staying in the room, and also the second day of not seeing my husband. I woke up feeling tired, I turned to my left side and saw Morgana doing push ups, Ann was still sleeping. " Good morning Morgana " I greeted, " Good morning Adanna" she smiled like there was nothing to worry about. "yes, I have been meaning to ask you, who taught you how to fight?" I asked with a smile, she stopped her push up half way and turned to me, " I once use to be in the army" She told me, " But I later had to quit when I almost loosed my life during one of those minor wars" She explained while I nodded, " So you always do this?" I asked her, " Do what?" She asked back, " These push ups" I answered. " Yes, every morning" she answered, " Wooow, strong woman" I complemented, " That mark on your wrist, what is it for? Gabriel also has it, I asked him once and a told me it signifies the club you guys belong to"I said, " Yeah, it just a mark we decided to give ourselves as friends, Gabriel, Myself, Israel, Jason , And Matt has it, you dont know matt but he is also a good friend of us. It is a mark that we will look at years later when we are no longer together and say yes, I use to have a friend like Gabriel and the rest" She said while I nodded, " I also wanna be a friend to you guys since am a wife to Gabriel, how do I get the mark?" I asked her.