Dike forlornly sat by himself in the conference room. Two days had gone past since Muno disappeared and no one but he, seemed worried. No search parties were sent out, despite assurances from Maji to do so. Everyone carried on, as though Muno was never a part of their lives.
'Did Muno mean so little to them?' Dike wondered. How they hoped to protect him without the angelic strength of Muno, was a puzzle to Dike.
'Don't worry yourself sick', Maji would say, to assuage Dike's troubled mind, 'Muno's out taking care of celestial business. He shall return once he's done.' Dike wondered how Maji could be so sure.
'I have to do something... Muno would have gone looking for me, had I gone missing.' He soliloquized. He considered asking Annabel for help, perhaps now was a good time to renew his pursuit of friendship with her. Dike decided to ask her help as she emerged from a tunnel opening...
'Here, get your hands dirty', Annabel curtly said, as she tossed a mop at Dike. 'Brooding all day will not bring Muno back. Everyone puts in a shift around here; let's mop this hall clean.'
As Dike settled into his cleaning task alongside Annabel, he asked. 'Is there a chance you and I could ever be friends in this lifetime?'
Annabel smiled, 'Perhaps. You aren't much trouble, Dike. Silly, but fun; if the circumstances were different, we might have pursued friendship goals. Right now, my focus is keeping you alive and away from the Beguiler.' She said wryly.
'Then you must understand why we need Muno alive and by my side. We stand no chance against the "Fallen" without him...' Dike said.
'Trust me, I know, but worrying yourself sick in this miserable sewer, does little to help him, whatever his predicament.' Annabel spoke dispassionately.
'Then why stay in the sewers? Let's move up to the surface... You can help me master my giftings and teach me to fight... Together we could take the fight to our evil Offspring relatives and fleece information on Muno's whereabouts...'
'Are you nuts?' Annabel screamed. 'I thought you were a Jiujitsu expert, how come you need me to teach you to fight?' She continued sarcastically.
'Going up there is suicide, Dike. You've got a bullseye on you. Your Blood Scent has been communicated to every Blood Hound in Africa; the moment you step out, your scent is picked...
'You shall have not only handed yourself to the Beguiler, but would also have ensured the death of everyone in Safe House 306. I can't believe I am having this conversation with you.' Annabel dropped the mop and stormed out of the conference room.
Dike stood transfixed for a moment...
Tomori overhead every word of Dike's conversation with Annabel. She stepped out of the shadows to Dike's surprise... 'Hurry, we must leave now!' She said.
Dike couldn't believe what he just heard, 'So--sorry...' He stuttered.
'This way', Tomori led the way. Dike and Tomori were making good their escape from Safe House 306. With his hand firmly in Tomori's grip, they walked straight through walls-courtesy of Tomori's 'Shadow' gifting, as though nothing was there; until they emerged on the surface.
'This isn't the train station, is it?' Dike asked.
'No, Safe House 306 has a dozen or more exits spread across this city.' Tomori hastily replied.
'Where are we headed?' Dike queried.
'I thought you had that figured, considering your desperate escape appeal to Annabel. My father will have you killed for eloping with his daughter.' Tomori lightheartedly said.
'That's if the Beguiler doesn't beat him to that honour.' Dike and Tomori giggled, as they sauntered into the cold night.
The buzzer had sounded in Safe House 306, to announce the unauthorized exit of Dike and Tomori. In less than a week, there had been three such exits: Muno and now, Dike and Tomori, had all breached Safe House rules and threatened the safety of its occupants.
Maji was furious with Annabel, in the aftermath of her revelation of her earlier conversation with Dike.
'Why didn't you speak up!? I would have had him in chains had you come to me!' Maji yelled.
'I was on my way to doing that, but with Tomori in alignment with Dike's plan, there wasn't much anyone could have done... She totally blindsided us all.' Annabel offered an explanation.
'They couldn't have gone far... Stan and Annabel, see if they are within range of your mind-searching abilities. I want to know their every move.' Maji dished out instructions.
'We'd be needing a cab, but first, you must put your curious mind on idle mode; you don't want Annabel reading your thoughts, or she'd be on to us in minutes.' Tomori warned.
'Oh, not Annabel. Do tell, how do I idle my mind?'
'I thought you wanted to be with her?' Tomori teased.
'Not at the moment. No please', Dike insisted.
'Okay, Dike, the key to mastering your Offspring abilities, is focus. Rid your mind of distractions and then fixate your thoughts on exactly whatever it is you want to do.
'Make sure you envision whatever it is you want achieved; then release that mental picture or vision into your reality... Now let's try blocking your thoughts.' Tomori tutored.
'Can you access my thoughts right now?' Dike asked.
'Of course yes. You are thinking that I am intent on carrying out Mr Van Beek's instruction, hence my decision to help you...'
'That's rather obvious', Dike countered.
'Your playboy posturing is an act. You have never dated anyone, in fact, you are a virgin, too shy to undress before a lady. So, you are thinking, "should it be decided that Tomori and I must make a baby, how on Earth do I undress?"' Tomori spoke without equivocation.
Dike was embarrassed. He struggled to find words, she was totally right... 'Well---ehm. I am focused on blocking further invasions of my privacy.' He shut his eyes and sought inner calm.
'Alright, Tomori. Try pry into my thoughts again.'
Tomori unsuccessfully tried to invade Dike's mind... 'Good job, Dike. Access denied. Now find a corner, where I can't peep at you as you undress...'
Perplexed, Dike protested, 'What in the world for? Maji told Muno and I, that our child if it comes to that, must be conceived in felicity. An absence of that, would birth a monster.
'Tomori, I am really starting to like you, I do think you are beautiful inside and out but, under such tense conditions...'
Tomori burst out laughing 'You are one scared playboy, Dike. You didn't let me finish... I need you to generously apply this lotion all over your body, to hide your Blood Scent for at least 24 hours.' She handed a tightly sealed plastic jar to Dike, who seemed relieved.
'When the time comes; if the time comes, I'd prove that I am not as timid as this awkward scenario suggests.' Dike remarked nervously. He disappeared behind a cluster of deserted makeshift stalls and begun applying the lotion.
'I am almost done, Tomori, what's next?
'We board a tricycle and head for the railway station. We need to get on the nine o'clock train to Warri tonight. Tomori revealed.
'How long have you been in Nigeria? You seem to know her people and geography well. By the way, what's our mission in the coastal city of Warri? Do you have intel that Muno might be there?' Dike's curiosity was primed.
'Someone who might have intel on Muno's status, has recently made Warri home... Tayo is one we call a "Bog of Hell" in Offspring lingo; you saw his kind wreck havoc on the streets of Victoria Island.
'He is an unusually wily and influential "Offspring of the Fallen". Tayo masquerades as a spiritual healer and leader of a religious sect feigning worship of the CREATOR. If any Offspring has intel on Muno's disappearance, it's Tayo.' Tomori appeared to have Tayo figured out.
'Would we be needing weapons or are we just going to have a friendly conversation?'
'You need not worry, Dike. Underneath my cloak, is an armed double-blade holster, strapped to my back. Maji did say I am quite handy with a sword, didn't he?
'Anyways, with the full measure of our paranormal abilities unleashed, we could take out an army of Offspring foes. Trust in your abilities Dike, I need you to stay sharp to make the abduction of Tayo a success.' Tomori collectedly said.
'Abduction!!? Dike yelled. 'Maji mentioned something about me being a "Polaris"; how does that work?' Dike mumbled a question.
'Same as your other giftings; focus is the key. You are one dangerous mass of electrical charge; potentially able to fatally deliver over 70,000mA of electric current.
'You only need to channel this charge with deadly intent, to whatever stands as an adversary. There, hold on to that steel pole, focus and release your charge...' Tomori instructed.
'I hope I don't get myself killed', Dike latched on to a steel signage support by the roadside, which soon began give off a low-pitched hum, as Dike quite effortlessly conducted his charge into it.
'Wow!! This feels good. I could create an electric field around myself and keep the minions of the Beguiler at bay.' Dike asserted.
'Much more than that, Dike. You could create a forty-foot wide electric field; you only need to focus hard enough.' Tomori excitedly spoke.
Dike liked this version of Tomori before him... This version appeared younger, more spritely and charmingly beautiful. Her creepy demeanour had been swallowed up by something more refreshingly youthful.
She seemed happy in Dike's company, as was he... A friendship with huge implications for humanity appeared to be slowly taking shape.