Clearing his throat emphatically , Hussain broke the silence by a " welcome GR." His voice boomed thunderously in the room as George sat down on the sofa that was facing him. Hussain always had a way of calling them when it comes to this kind of meetings. He did not refer to them by their names as he does when on normal work at the Big Blue. Here there is need of privacy and even naming changes . Bruce and Collins are CL and BR respectively. They also had numbers 1 , 3 and 2 respectively. Numbers that were assigned according to their competencies in executing their tasks. Not the normal tasks at the Big Blue but dark deeds that only the four men knew.
This must be the reason why Hussain rented out this room for such discussions. The reason also why Hussain referred to these meetings as grown up meetings. Meetings that were enveloped with a deep conspiracy.
" Remember our rule! No mess No tracks! What is this I hear George?"
Hussain asked inquiringly with a tone of agitation. Bruce and Collins sent equally angry looks at him as if to confirm his guilty. " I don't connect to your talk . What do you mean master?" George responded innocently.
" Our last harvest seems to have gone wrong. Did you leave the tracks? That's against our rules. "
" No we didn't "
"Then whose number is this. ?" Hussain removed out his glossy expensive phone and showed him a strange mobile number. He looked at him suspiciously with a probing intention to confirm that truly it was George who leaked out the information and hence the stranger calling Hussain's phone number.
It had been a month now since their last ' harvest' as Hussain had always called it. The mission involved a well calculated plan and finally they had succeeded. George still remembers this as if it took place yesterday .
That day Bruce had been the driver of the van that they used to do their illicit operations. George sat next to him and Collins relaxed in the back seat with all other tools of trade. Bruce was a competent driver and seemed to blind himself from bumps and potholes on the road as he sped the four wheel drive van to their directed destiny.
Upon arrival, Bruce parked the van carefully and strategically next to a shady big jacaranda tree. Silence had dominated the ostentatious urban homes while the sun was bidding good bye to the face of the earth. Few meters from the tree was a showy blue metal gate to a sumptuous businessman's home. It was time to wait for the catch. Patience and keenness were key things that they had to keep watch of.
Meanwhile, Hussain sat comfortably in his office at The Big Blue with a careful watch on his camera that showed him how his ' boys' were doing. He kept in touch with the leader, George, to guide them how to escape safely after the ' harvest '.
Minutes later, the metallic gate clinked and a beautiful girl of fifteen or sixteen emerged from the gate. She lazily closed back the gate unaware of what's about to befall her. She reached out the hemline of her green miniskirt to stretch it a bit perhaps from the cold evening wind that blew over her brown exposed thighs. Saved for her age, she was a real definition of beauty and looked like a sheen college girl.
Bruce lowered his mask to properly cover his chin while Collins held the handle for the passenger door. George was busy stretching his black tight gloves to cover his wrists properly. The girl strolled towards the direction of the van clearly with no knowledge of it's inhabitants. She walked passed the van probably heading to the shops that were a kilometer away.
Bruce got out softly and crossed to the other side of the vehicle to meet Collins who was out also. He had ensured that he made the door wide open while George jumped from his seat to where Bruce sat. He was the one to speed the machine from the scene.
They surveyed the surrounding one more time and with the certainty the no eye was upon them, they tip toed towards their pray with silence and confidence. Bruce pounced on her mouth with his gloved left hand while his right had drew her hands to her back. Collins carried out the rest of her body and wound his arm around her legs. With little success, the girl strained to free herself from this masculine energy but was late and only realize it when she was inside the black van that had tinted side windows.
Inside the van, Collins withdrew his mouth strapper and forcefully wrapped it around her mouth ignoring her deafening screams. Bruce was also struggling to tie her legs and hands mercilessly as if he was tying up hunted animal.George did not stay indolent. The vehicle was now at top speed and out of the scene. After that, they threw her at the empty space that was meant to have seats but lay empty. They could hear her painful groaning as she rolled forth and back on the metallic floor of the van.
Hussain was guiding the driver on where to deliver the cargo. They came to unfamiliar road and George had to play tactfully with the brake pedal as this was not particularly his niche.The creeping darkness did not allow George to see what was beyond the lighting of the headlights. They drove through a bumpy and rusty road with thick bushes on either side. Startled wild cats and mice crossed the road occasionally upon being beamed by the bright light and seemed to be the witnesses of the crime. Hussain still directed them.
At about two hundred meters ahead , George came into a clear view of a huge grey obstruction. He added more force to the brake pedal and the vehicle almost came to a halt. Bruce and Collins were locked in a conversation about work . Their broken voices vibrated in the van just loud enough to choke the low groanings of the girl. They seemed not to care and obviously ignorant of what George is experiencing in the cab.
It did not take long before it dawned on him that they used a passage near a game reserve. A herd of elephants had just been crossing the road and an old and injured one was lazily crossing at last. It pulled it's massive body with pain and one of it's tusks was badly broken. Blood oozed uncontrollably filling the potholes on the road. George trembled but steadied his hands on the steering wheel. His colleagues were now aware of what's happening.
Unknown fright dropped into their hearts. Not the fright of being attacked by this beast but being tracked. As they continued to delay two things were certain. Either they would be found by the game rangers who would later drop the bomb shell after they inspect the vehicle or would provoke an imaginable anger from their employer. Just that time , Hussain called and continued to give directions. George explained to him the unfortunate encounter and surprisingly for the first time he didn't clicked in disgust as usual. Instead, he understood that situation.
Finally the wild animal disappeared into the thicket and they proceeded. They started to climb a rocky hill and the machine almost showed signs of defeat from these unbearable situations of the road. Just before the summit of the hill, George could see an old ruined building few meters from the road. A man stood in the dark with a spotlight and signalled them to stop. When the vehicle drew near George realized him. It was Hussain. He directed them towards the suspicious building off the road.
The building was a two story decrepit structure. Surprisingly, it had a basement and Hussain ordered them to park the van in the empty and dark basement. He then led them into another room upstairs that was fairly lit. As they climbed the staircases, the brushed with three men who also hid themselves in masks. They were probably going to the basement to pick up the arrived cargo. They did not say anything word to them and moved with dignity and surety of themselves.Hussain seemed relaxed about it but still occupied an authoritative vibe here.
Hussain thanked them with a heavy supper before allowing them to take a sleep. George was more shocked and troubled than his colleagues. He still could not understand where Hussain took the girls that they abducted. It still remained a mystery to him. What of the missions themselves? He would send them to strategic places and maybe somehow had a way of communicating to the victims so that they fell into the traps. He still could not understand why every time they abducted a girl, Hussain would direct them to a totally new place to deliver the victim like that day .
This was the fifth time and still Hussain found new places. What of this building now ? It looked like a deserted place with no signs of human inhabitants. How and where the food was cooked was still an unsolved puzzle. To sum it up was the new individuals that they met here and why their identity was unknown.