The Angel And The Fugitive – Chapter Fourteen Part A
THE ANGEL AND THE FUGITIVE – CHAPTER FOURTEEN PART A
© Reginald Obetta
It was all over in the news. The breakout of Bin-Ahmed made top headlines across all media and eventually declared wanted and a fugitive by the military, but it was still unconfirmed if he broke out on his own will or helped by his fellow members. The news brought up two different set of views, some people on one part thought his escape was some sort of good news to them. That means, his threat of launching further attacks would be suspended and invalid. The same people celebrated in clusters at their various places of work. The other set of people thought differently, his escape meant more danger since he wasn’t just released by the government but broken out and as far as the government was ignorant of that, Bin-Ahmed was a threat to human lives. These people believed attacks will continue and counted government to find him at once and put him on trial or worse even, ki*ll him. The president had his own views different, his daughter’s life was hanging in the balance. He summoned the Grand Officer Commanding of the base, Brigadier Solomon to his office who still found Bin-Ahmed’s escape as a mystery. In all of his explanations, Ajuwa Williams found it to be extremely unsatisfactory and meaningless and shared his displeasure with his leadership at the base.
“it’s impossible, no one would have the audacity to negotiate with a terrorist when he knows the implications of his being an accomplice. It’s treason and wouldn’t buy the idea”
“His Excellency, Bin-Ahmed escaped with his accomplice when the lights went off. It was probable this same accomplice did it to safeguard his escape in the dark and coincidentally, it was the same period the terrorists came. Funny enough, no soldier on guard died and Bin-Ahmed had already escaped five minutes even before at the time of the terrorists arrival. Someone inside, acting as a mole propagated his escape Mr President “
“Are you trying to say the suspect is at the base right now”
“Very possible His Excellency “
“What makes you think you wouldn’t consider other hypothesis? It could be the Al-hida group has planned for us to think that way, as clever as they always was. They had planned it all along”
“I don’t think that’s the case. His disappearance had nothing to do with Al-hida group. It was only a coincidence. A Junior fell to his psychic statements”
“It was all your fault. Do you know what his escape will cost me? My daughter will never be found, will never come home to me and his mother. It’s as if she is dead already and but waiting to undergo a funeral. That’s a huge disappointment on tour side for letting him slip away through your fingers “
“Am sorry His Excellency. I take the blame wholeheartedly for my ignorance and carelessness but I have plan Mr President “
“What do you intend to do? “
“The rumours are circulating through the media that we were incapable of securing him under our watch. International Human Rights bodies and other organizations are at our neck for our incapacity. We would contact the press and appraise ourselves before them, telling them we lost a whole bunch of men to the attacks and that they broke him out. This way, we will avoid a scandal and will have time to properly investigate everyone at the base and get hold of the traitor. “
The president gave him a go-ahead, not until he contacted his security advisers and other Chiefs of security bodies who also went ahead of the plan. He knew the press were powerful and cannot be easily manipulated unless they hear from the horses mouth.
Every single soldier at the base was questioned, with some already pointing accusing fingers at other but none mentioned Ibrahim. To them, he never had a good rapport with the terrorist and wasn’t on guard at the time of his escape. Moreover, he wasn’t with the keys to the prison. Only the colonels that were supervising the soldiers on duty that day had the key. The colonel in question with the keys was asked and he noted he was with the keys up until the time the lights went off. He hadn’t noticed early enough because everyone ran helter-skelter, but when he did realize, that was when he was told by Brigadier Solomon to get Bin-Ahmed you safety. The keys were hone from his back pocket and reaching prison, Bin-Ahmed was gone. Brigadier Solomon knew his investigations so far had hit the rocks. The security cameras doesn’t spot anyone going to the power station but only within. It was possible to get the suspect if only the lights hadn’t gone off. Brigadier Solomon knew it was a smart move.
Bin-Ahmed got a call from Alhaji Saheed, appraising him of his intelligence in the escape from the military prison. When he asked him how he escaped, Bin-Ahmed repeated the same words he said to Rogers to him. Alhaji Saheed was smart, he knew something was eureka about his statements. It couldn’t be that easy to compromise a military man under Ajuwa’s Administration, he reasoned. He didn’t reveal his suspicion in his words and told it was nice to have him back and then, he hung up. He waited for about two hours before he called Rogers. He always told him to go somewhere safe with a believable excuse whenever his call came in. Everybody knew Rogers loved staying in the woods sometimes, especially when he wants to get his mind clear. He would support that with his combination of gin and cigarettes. Nobody ever suspected him of doing anything contrary and there, he receives his call. Alhaji Saheed called again and Rogers answered.
“Did he tell you how he broke out? “
“No he didn’t. He said it was his plan and seized the opportunity of a failed blackout, knocked out the guard with the keys and escaped before the light was restored. It was unimportant “
“No, it’s important and of concern. Find out who broke him out. Anyone who broke him out had a hold on him probably and he succumbed to avoid execution. You will get the reward you have always wanted”, the call ended.
Alhaji Saheed was always careful and greatly overwhelmed with fright and sometimes, could be paranoid. . It could be his enemy that broke him out and decided to use him as a secret weapon against him and his clique. He had no mole in the military and that was his greatest fear, the fear of the unknown. Sometimes, he considered it as the greatest fear and more dangerous than knowing who your actual enemies are. On the other hand, a huge task befell Rogers. He couldn’t fathom why Alhaji needed this information but never questions him. He always did what he was told to do like a loyal servant. Finding this sort of information means trailing ever move Bin-Ahmed makes, his calls and asking him some go-round questions, hoping for him to slip at a point which seemed unlikely. He knew what he was up against, when he is discovered, he could be killed for betrayal of trust. If he was to achieve this feat, he needed to win people on his side, his friends among the group that always lobbied him to be the leader and not the opportunistic Bin-Ahmed whom they always hid their feelings of hatred and exhibited total commitments. Bin-Ahmed was feared like a god and didn’t want his wrath to befall them. That was the only way Rogers could be successful in his mission, to take that which was his by rank and not favoritism.
That was his second day since his escape, Bin-Ahmed completely shaved his beard and hair off and looked totally unrecognizable, returning to the old University Tafa. It was a new day for him. Shaving off his hair and beard was significant to him, something he doesn’t want to tell anybody. Most of his members were sleeping, except those whose job it was, was to guard the night while the rest was asleep and they were outside playing cards. Bin-Ahmed quickly had his bath, changed to a few clothes that completely differentiated him as a normal person and not a terrorist that broke out of a military cantonment. He had his hood cover his head and wore a black chinos. The first person he went to see was Evelyn, he hadn’t seen her since he came back and was disturbed by her welfare. She was sleeping in her confinement when Bin-Ahmed walked in, tapped her on her laps and she jerked to consciousness. She couldn’t decipher who woke her up, the face was different and not a regular. She reasoned someone has finally come to break her out.
“Who are you? “
“It’s Bin-Ahmed “, the mention of the regular name scared her body from her soul. Did he come to finally ki*ll her? Perhaps, the day had finally come for her to join her progenitors. Nothing could save her, not her strong faith in God, not the entourage of soldiers under his father’s command, not anyone.
“Shhh “, Bin-Ahmed put his index finger to his mouth to silence her from speaking further.
“Don’t be afraid, am not here to hurt you. I just came to see how you are doing”.
Evelyn looked at him with so much furiousity in her eyes and St the same time, perplexed. She reasoned he was playing mind games with her because, they knew she was spending her last hours on earth and so decided to make her feel worse and giddy, with the pretense, that he cared.
“How do you expect me to feel. Bad, I feel no different than when a goat is ready to be slaughtered. If you want to ki*ll me, say it. I am not afraid of dying, for I will be reunited with Christ on the last day, not in flesh but in spirit. God loves you, He really does and wouldn’t give up on his creation. There is still time for you to be saved. Those are my final words if that’s what you are implying me to do before my death”. She turned her eyes away for a while, Bin-Ahmed smiled at her, at her encouragement in face of death, her words of faith as a believer that she really is. Evelyn turned her gaze at him and was surprised to see him smiling and not saying anything.
“What? Aren’t you going to say something of an antagonism like you always do? “
“No words of antagonism and you are not going to die, not while am here. Your life will be spared”
“It’s obvious you are mendacious on the pretense of you are telling me the truth“
“Am not. Am not going to ki*ll you and my mentor won’t hurt you, I promise “
Evelyn still couldn’t fathom the change of heart. This man was a killer of men, women and children. What made her think she wouldn’t join the status quo”
“You are already a fugitive, a wanted man in the country whose head is more valuable than diamond. Are you trying to redeem yourself before you get caught? Trying to make me your associate and possibly release me do that I can plead with my father to grant you national pardon and vindicate you? Tell me if that is not what you are after”
“No, not any of that. I didn’t break out of prison on my own and am telling you this because I trust you now. “
“What makes you think you can trust your hostage? “
“Your resolute and kind attitude since you were abducted said it all. That military cantonment changed my life, my entire purpose and face me something new to live For. Everything I had fid was not me, it was all the propelling factor of anger and rage that sprang from my within. Am sorry for everything, kidnapping you, putting your family to misery. I don’t hope for you to show clemency but I have let out that which was burning my chest. I will come see you later”, he left through the back.
