“You are only concerned about protecting yourself, isn't it?” Paul queried. He was beginning to wonder how what was supposed to be a discussion about the contaminated products being held was turning into something else.“Okay, okay. I get it - you don't understand,” Mr. Ferguson said, gesturing to Paul that he should take it easy. “I would never have done anything to Benny. I never imagined in a thousand years that I would hurt a teenage boy like this but when someone close to me is involved, my anger is limitless.”“Someone close to you? Who was close to you that got hurt? Why would you then take it out on the poor boy,” Paul inquired, his face darting back and forth in confusion.“My daughter, damn it! Mr. Ferguson yelled, his voice a deadly rumble of anger. “My daughter has been missing for over 48 hours now and I don't know what to do. Benny caused it and that is why I was frustrated with him.”“Benny? You mean him?” Paul asked, pointing towards the young boy who had just been res
“Rosette didn’t get lost in the forest.”Paul Leonard and Mr. Ferguson turned to where the voice was coming from - it was Benny, who was seated on the ground and his face contorted with weariness.“Rosette was kidnapped - she wasn't missing as I said earlier. I lied to you,” Benny spoke again.“What?! Mr. Ferguson’s eyes bulged with a deadly stretch of surprise, his jaw dropped down like a slacked cotton. Paul’s posture was also stiff with a rigidity of surprise.“Kidnapped? Who kidnapped her? Where was she kidnapped?” Mr. Ferguson asked, his eyes gleaming with a glint of intrusiveness. “Talk to me!”“We were going to celebrate her birthday at a house party but on our way, we were hijacked by several hitmen, about 5 of them. I was only able to recall the name of one of them because her name was mentioned by her colleague during the hijack,” Benny explained, his voice dropping with a deadly whisper of revelation.“Whose name did you hear?” Mr. Ferguson asked, his tone tinged with urge
“Yes, boss. We received a sum of 40 million dollars in a gold card. We were told that the moment we withdraw the money, they will know and it will be assumed that we have accepted their offer. Then, they can come back and pass through the border.”Mr. Ferguson’s face was a desperate mask of anxiety and his hands wrung in a desperate twist of impatience. “And why didn't you take it?” Paul couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wrung his hands in an expression of gestures meant to ask Mr. Ferguson if he had gone out of his mind.The man at the other end of the phone call responded. “Errmm, Sir….I didn't know that we are now meant to take bribes.”“Damnit! F**king take the bribe. Call them, get through to them. Do whatever it takes!”Paul’s face was a silent storm of rage. If he didn't try to manage his temper, he would have interrupted the phone conversation. How would he just cower to their demands?“Sir, but—-”The man couldn't finish what he was going to say before Mr. Ferguson ye
****Rosette was experiencing the worst moment of her life.Never had she been in a condition where ropes were tied on her body against a pole in a harsh tug of captivity. The knots of the rope were tied with a harsh tightening of restraint as she couldn't even move her limbs.Rosette’s body was stiff and stuck to the spot as she wondered why her kidnappers even tied the rope so hard. They could have at least given her some space to move her hands and feet even if it is for air to enter into her armpit.She was just an 18-year-old teenager and there was no way she could have the strength to escape from being tied.Her mind was reeling with desperate thoughts. ‘What is my father going to think? I am sure that he would have gone out guns blazing against my friends. He doesn't like when I hang out with them anyway. I just wish he would understand that it wasn't their fault. It wasn't Benny’s fault or Hector’s fault or Blythe’s fault.’Rosette’s skin was glistening with sweat and a desper
“Haha, what do you think, Djene?” He turned to his male counterpart. “She reminds me of my ex-wife so much. She also had pretty eyes like her.”Djene also burst into laughter and there was an eruption of laughter between the two male kidnappers.Rosette’s jaw clenched and unclenched and her lips pressed into a purse of disapproval. She could tell that the useless men were trying to make fun of her. How disgraceful it was for adults to behave in such a perverted way? She thought. That was why she didn't like crowds or people - it was difficult knowing what to expect from people.Rosette tried to mask her true emotions of irritation though. The men were too scary-looking enough for her not to expect such kind of perversion from them anyway. She couldn't wait for them to say what they wanted. If it was money, she was sure that Mr. Ferguson would give them any amount they wanted. She just couldn't wait to leave the environment that was already choking her breath and contracting her lungs
“We are on the verge of making a major breakthrough at something that we have been planning for a very long time. I need to explain it to you in a way that you will understand so that you will understand just how foolish Mr. Ferguson is.”Vanessa snapped her fingers as if she was trying to recall an example. “What grade are you in school?”“Fifty and final grade Ma’am,” Rosette responded, her voice breaking with fear and trembling.“Oh, that’s perfect,” Vanessa gasped in satisfaction. “Now, imagine that you have worked so hard from your first year to your final year and now you are on the verge of having your certificate or award - whatever they give you guys for doing well at school.”“And then when you are to get to the podium to get your certificate, you are told that you don't deserve it and that you haven't worked hard enough. I am sure you must understand how horrible that would feel.”Rosette nodded in affirmation but she was just very scared. She would accept anything they tol
“You know what?” Paul dared, his face firing up with malice. “I am going to walk over to Benny and pick him up. If he takes my hand, it means that he agrees to go with me and then we will be on our way. There is nothing you can do about it but I would never allow Benny to spend one more minute alone with you.”With Paul’s eyes blazing with a fiery and relentless will, he walked over to where Benny was and stretched his arm.Mr. Ferguson was fuming with rage as he watched Paul walk in a daring movement of authority. Did Paul really want to dare him? Did Paul really think that there was nothing he could do? Mr. Ferguson gritted his teeth and his eyes were rolling dangerously with a spin of danger.Benny’s gaze turned to Paul’s outstretched arm. Of course, he would rather go with Paul than spend one more minute with Mr. Ferguson. ‘Only God knows if I would even still be alive if Paul left the house without me,’ Benny thought.He had been praying in his mind that Paul was going to be tho
Benny’s body seemed to shrink on itself as he trembled greatly. He wished that he could disappear from the spot or that the ground would open up and swallow him immediately. Mr. Ferguson, torturing had caused him a great deal of trauma.Paul halted his movement at the threat of Mr. Ferguson but he held Benny tightly, his eyes intent with a deadly gaze of authority.“Don't be afraid boy, I told you that as long as I am here, you are safe,” Paul said to Benny.“Shut up!” Mr. Ferguson shrieked, his voice loud as a clap of thunder. “Stop lying to the poor boy. I will pull the trigger and blow both your brains out.”Paul’s ears were hardened against Mr. Ferguson’s warning as he took a step careful of the impact that such a risky move might cause.This time, his hands were no longer holding Benny and his eyes were gleaming with an evil intent. Paul’s gaze was fixed straight at Mr. Ferguson’s finger as if he was performing a mind-control exercise. The black of his eyes rolled over the whit