Pass six in the evening, crickets had started chirping, and toads at nearby stagnant water had also prepared to crow as a sign to the kids at the gate that darkness was not the only thing coming against them even the police and security men.
"What now, Ella?" Obi repeated the question.
Meanwhile, the security matched like soldiers towards the gate. Their steps were not only brisk but sent a dangerous sound to any ear that hears them too, matching to capture the kids. The force in which the gate was opened thereby making rusty sound could tell anyone that life must go down that night. Truly, one of the kids might go down painfully.
The men barged outside the gate to see nobody as if the kids did abrakatabra and disappeared. At the point of woozy, the police arrived and sheriff matched forward to the security.
"Where are the kids?" she asked simultaneously.
"They're gone." one of the men said. "But how did you get information about their mission?" he added.
"What mission?"
"They left with government property."
Sheriff thought for a while. "We just met one of them on a landmine with Stephen Yinka." She said.
"The missing boy?"
"Yes. Accordingly to Stephen, they are controlled by someone named teacher Nwachukwu." She turned to her men. "Those kids haven't gone far. We need to block all the roads." She spoke through her radio to inform all units.
:
:
At the landmine, the police had drawn a boundary, journalists surrounded the place with their camera and Stephanie could be seen shedding tears at a closer range to both her boyfriend and Ada, lamenting bitterly.
"I knew this girl had something to do with your disappearance." She began, pointing at Ada. "The police must make sure she pays dearly for this!"
Ada's tears increased, listening to her. She looked at Stephen exhaustively, "I'm sorry I have to die this way. I'm sorry for loving you so stupidly. Yes, I'm stupid, I know, but I'm glad I did it for love." She wanted to step out in order to be blasted by the landmine.
"Ada, wait, please." Stephen prevented her to Stephenie's amazement who stepped backward heartbroken because she had noticed what was going on between the two. "You've passed through a lot because of me, Ada" Stephen continued. "And I must appreciate you for that. Don't lose hope yet, there must be a remedy to this. Please, don't do this." he concluded....
:
:
The blades of the helicopter generated a strong wind that pulls away dried leaves found at the basketball court when it was landing. The blades slowly stopped rotating after it hit the ground. Judith and Cynthia stepped down reluctantly, walking into the house with the fear of what teacher might do to them. Stepping into the house, they saw teacher coming down from a staircase with a book.
"Sir, only these two returned." The pilot reported, but teacher paid deaf ear.
The two kids stood unease in the living room like one under tension. Truly, they were under tension, regarding teacher's quietness and their love ones they left behind. Judith wouldn't take it if anything should happen to Dave. Therefore, she was there but her spirit was with him wherever he was.
Nevertheless, as they watched teacher silently, so as the guards and the pilot watched him too. He stood beside the centre table, pressed a remote at an empty wall and a flat screen television rolled out from the roof.
Judith and Cynthia looked at each other in dismay because that was the first time of seeing it. Suddenly, the television turned on to the latest news in town. They could hear a female journalist broadcasting thus; "There's tension in the city of Kali as Stephen Yinka who was reported missing found on a landmine with one Ada who is suspected to have a crew headed by one teacher Nwachukwu. It is also reported that these kids have made away with a government property. Nobody knows what it is or where the remaining kids are but police are doing their damndest to get to the root of this.."
"When you get to the root of a plant, what happens? It falls." Teacher said aloud.
The television displayed Stephen and Ada on the landmine. Seeing them, the two girls felt pity for them while teacher began to touch his bears critically. He turned to the girls.
"Both of you should come closer" he ordered.
The girls glanced at each other again as they reluctantly walked to him.
"Look at Ada and Stephen very well. What do you see?" he asked them.
"Nothing, teacher." Judith replied as an afterthought while Cynthia shook her head negatively.
"Look closely again." teacher instructed.
Judith went closer to the television screen. "Wait, I can see their legs having the same colour; red. What does that mean?" she turned to the teacher.
"The landmine they are stepping on is advanced."
"I don't understand, teacher."
"What you're seeing simply means that Stephen and Ada have the same blood. They are related." teacher began to slide his beards again.
"What?" Cynthia exclaimed.
"Teacher" Judith chuckled. "Different people can have the same blood and that doesn't mean they're related. So your theory isn't acceptable." She spoke scientifically.
Teacher opened the book in his hand. "All of you were taken to me as a baby after being found dumped at the gutter, refuse-bin and so many other places. I took my time and resources to take your DNAs. Without Stephen's knowledge I ran the same test and it matches with Ada's" he showed them the evidence from the book as he continued. "In order to confirm it, I sent Stephen to the landmines."
Cynthia looked up at him. "So you knew that Ada would go after him?"
"Blood is thicker than water and its cemented by love." teacher replied.
"But you sent them to their death." Judith looked up.
"No, Judith. I sent them there to get another device, the one at the bank because it's a completion of the one with Ella and co. Without the two I cannot achieve my aim."
"How do you want to get the other device with the people trapped on a landmine?" Cynthia asked.
"That is a good question." teacher took the book from them, placed it on the centre table and began to draw as he explains. "I'm the only one that can defuse the mines. When Stephen's father will discover that the two on the mines are his children he will do anything to save them."
"You'll send the father to get the device in order to save Ada and Stephen for them because you're the only one who can do that." Judith smartly completed.
"Exactly!" Teacher straightened up to see the kids amazed....