Sarah had run to her favorite spot, the lonely bench in the corner of the dark alley where she and Derrick used to sit and talk for long hours. Talk about things that were forbidden and doing things that were forbidden.
She sat with her legs scrunched up to her chest and her arms wrapped around herself.
"Hey baby" Derrick whispered as he steadily approached her. Sarah looked up to look at him, her hair wet with tears and sticking to her face.
He brushed the strands of wet hair out of her face and cradled her face in his palms.
"Don't cry baby, I have a solution" he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Sarah whipped up her head. "Tell me, I don't want to get married to that man" she cried.
"Let's run away, let's elope that way. You and I can be together", Derrick said.
"Are…are you sure?" She asked with uncertainty.
"You do love me, right?" Derrick asked.
"Yes…yes I do" she replied. "Then let's do it baby, meet me at the back of Johnny's bar in the next ten minutes", he said.
He patted her back and sprinted off.
From the time Sarah told him about the man that had come to her house and how he indicated interest in marrying her, he knew that she was going to be sold off and her mother confirmed his suspicion.
Now Derrick wasn't someone who liked to be left behind. He felt he needed some kind of compensation for putting up with Sarah and her childishness.
So he decided to look for a way to get some money off her before she goes away.
He knocked on one of the doors in the building on Heathgrove avenue. A round-faced female with multiple piercings opened the door.
On seeing him, she smiled widely and pulled him into the room, kissing him vigorously.
"Shanel wait" Derrick said as he held her back.
"Why, isn't this what you came for?" She asked.
"I need your help?" he said.
"Well, I've got no money to give you, Derrick" she said, and sat down on the bed.
"No, it's not money I want, you remember Sarah, right?" He said as he leaned on the wall facing her.
"Yeah your goody two shoes girlfriend, never really figured out what you saw in her" she said.
"She's soon going to be married off to a rich man that's got loads of money, we need to look for a way and get some quick cash off her" he said to her.
"Okay, so where do I come in here?" She asked.
"I need your help to kidnap her," he said, not making eye contact with her. She whipped up her head in surprise.
"I will not be part of this Derrick,, I am many things, but what I will not be is a kidnapper" she replied.
"Look, you don't have to do the dirty work, I just need someone who will be in charge of the ransom money, he said.
"And you feel that person is me?"
"It's much too risky for me to do that, Shanel, her mother knows me already and I don't want to take any chances. Moreover, think of what you'll gain from this", he said, and walked over to where she sat.
"I know you've always wanted to have me to yourself, with her gone you will and just think of the money we'll get when the man pays up", Derrick said, as he held her hands.
"Just this once, Derrick, and you owe me one for this" Shanel said to him.
"Okay cool, I gotta run right now. Listen, all you have to do is, write a note and drop it off at her place", Derrick said as he stood up to leave.
"Where are you going to keep her?" She asked with curiosity.
"In my home boy's basement", Derrick said, as he opened the door and walked out.
Derrick had texted his boy, Bones, to come over to the bar with his truck.
He looked at his watch and sprinted to the bar.
He spotted the truck parked some few meters away.
He entered the bar and motioned to Bones to go through the back.
"You got the masks?" He asked
"Yeah" Bones said as he brought out two black masks and handed one over to Derrick.
He changed his shirt and they both wore their masks as they waited in the shadows for Sarah to arrive.
Sarah sat there considering and weighing her options. She really did not want to marry that sick man and neither did she think eloping was a good idea, but she didn't have much of a choice.
She decided that eloping with the man she loved was a safer option. She stood up and walked slowly down to the bar to wait for Derrick.
They saw her approaching from afar and got ready for the grab.
She didn't notice the men lurking in the shadows with dangerous knives until she had walked right into their trap.
They grabbed her and gagged her, motioning for her to be quiet if she wanted to live.
They bundled her into the truck and drove off.
Allan stood up from his squatting position and motioned for Harry to take over the interrogation.
"Where is this Derrick now and where is he keeping the girl?" Harry asked her with a recorder on, ready to tape the conversation.
"I….I don't know where" Shanel lied.
Harry gripped her neck with force enough to scare any young woman.
"Now don't be stubborn, we've been doing just fine here. Tell me the truth if you want to live", Harry said to her with his hand still on her skinny neck.
"No,I…I meant that I…don't know the address but I can take you there" she stammered.
"That'll be convenient because, either way, you were still going to come with us", Harry said, as he turned to Allan for the next order.
"Well, let's go then," Allan said.
They went out with her and drove off.
She directed them for some time.
"Stop here, this is the place". She pointed to a small grey house.
They alighted from the vehicles and waited for the next order.
"You, you and you, to the back" Allan pointed.
"Logan and Harry you're with me, we go through the front. The lady is coming with us too." Allan ordered, and they all went into action.
Harry kicked the door open and they rushed inside.
The perpetuators were inside and were caught off guard. They jumped up in shock from their lying positions but before they could do anything, they were apprehended.
They tied them up and proceeded to interrogate them.
"Which of you is Derrick?" Allan said as he approached the two guys gagged and tied to each other.
None of them responded and Allan turned to Shanel. She pointed at Derrick who was in his blue holed pants.
"So you're the boyfriend, huh?" Allan asked as he picked up one of the knives they left on the floor.
"I'm a very busy man, Derrick, and I don't appreciate people toying with my property."
"I….I..thought you were going to be old."Derrick stammered.
"Well surprise! I ain't older than both of you put together. Now I want my bride. Where is she?" Allan said as he stood up straight.
"She's in the basement" Derrick muttered through his gag.
Allan went into the basement and saw Sarah tied up in a lying position. She wasn't moving and looked as though she was drugged.
He touched her neck and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her pulse. He untied her and carried her like a baby.
"What did you do to her?" Allan asked as he walked back into the room with Sarah in his arms.
"Nothing, just gave her a few sleeping pills to keep her quiet" Bones muttered.
"Take care of these motherfuckers", Allan said to Logan as he walked out and entered the car with Sarah.
On the ride to his house, Allan kept on holding Sarah like a baby. She turned and cuddled more into his arms, which made Allan take a sharp breath.
He touched the black mole on her cheek and watched her sleeping face intently while his thoughts ran wild.
"What am I doing, and why do I feel this way?" He thought to himself.