The school bell rang and announced the end of school. He was walking on the road quietly to reach home when suddenly a black car started following him. He was unware of the man dressed in black walking behind him until he felt there were eyes on him. The boy swiftly turned around and saw the man tying up his lace. He began being suspicious and started walking rapidly. The man started running behind him until he followed him in front of the little boy's house.

"Mom! Mom! Open the door mom!",he shouted while knocking at the door and watching the man in black coming towards him.

"What happen Ron?",replied the mom and the moment she opened the door,the little boy hugged her quickly when he pointed his finger at the direction of the man who was coming and said:

"He was coming to catch me", he trembled

By the time the mother lifted her gaze to look, the man disappeared in thin air.

                                    •••

"Come on grandpa! you can do it!",he said while playing football with his grandpa.

"Yes! Yes! Goal!",he happily shouted.

"Oh no",said the grandpa by smiling.

"Come on Ronnie, let's play again"

"No, grandpa. You don't know how to play",said the little boy with the ball in his hand.

"Can I go play on the ground?",he asked to his grandpa.

"No. Play here, not on the ground",he replied.

"Okay",the obedient boy agreed and were kicking up his ball when the grandpa heard the telephone ringing from upstairs. He climbed up the stairs and reached the landline when he answered:

"Hello?"

The line was dead. No one was replying.

"Hello?",he asked again.

"Strange people..",he whispered to himself then disconnected the call. As he was tired of playing, he fetched a glass of water and was drinking when the telephone rang again. He stopped and went to pick it up when he asked:

"Helloo?"

The line was disconnected. Frowningly, he put it back then climbed downstairs to play with his little grandson. To his surprise, the little boy was nowhere to be found.

"Ronnie?Ronnie! where are you, son?",he called out in a worried voice.

Suddenly he felt his mobile vibrating and he picked up the phone call when he asked:

"Hello?"

"What??"

"Who? Who's speaking?"

"Hell...Hello?",the call was disconnected.

                                   •••

The siren of the police was heard in front of the house when Sandra Flores stepped from the car along with some of her colleagues and dashed into the huge house.

"I was playing football with my grandson there, right where the car is parked. Just then, my landline started ringing. I came upstairs to answer the phone but by the time I could answer, the call got disconnected. After that when I went down, I couldn't see Ronnie anywhere. I called for him but-",he explained when he noticed his daughter sobbing beside him,her head lying on the table. He placed his hand on her shoulder and when he whispered:

"Liza, please, get a grip of yourself..."

Then he turned his gaze back to Sandra when he continued:

"After that,I received a call on my mobile. I don't know who he was but he said "if you want Ronnie back, then do I as say"

The mother was crying uncontrollably when he consoled her:

"Liza please..."

"Why? Why my son, father?,she asked while crying bitterly.

The grandpa hold her face with his two hands when he said:

"No..no dear,you will fall sick, please stop crying"

Sandra left both of them alone and walked into the kitchen where the officers were taking care about connecting the landline into a speaker.

"Found anything?",she asked to one of her colleagues.

"The call was made from a prepaid number",said the guy in a sweater.

"Okay. Tell the service provider to track the number"

"Sure ma'am",left the assistant.

"Send it to all the stations",she ordered to an officer when her assistant came after a while.

"Excuse me ma'am"

"Yes?" She asked.

"Your work is done",he said then handed her the mobile.

"Mr. James?",Sandra called out when the old man came.

"He may call again. We're tapping your calls on the mobile even on the landline",she explained then handed him the phone into his hand.

"Thank you. But what is your plan? Is there a threat to Ronnie's life if you stay here? What if the kidnapper finds out that I've informed the police,then he might do something...",the grandpa asked worriedly with a little sweat in his forehead.

Sandra took a deep breath when she exclaimed:

"If you want to save the child, then the police is your only hope"

James shook his head in agreement then went back to look after his daughter.

"I need details of the kidnapping reponed next week. Immediately.",she asked to the assistant.

"Okay ma'am"

He turned his back and was walking away when she said:

"And listen! I also want the case file of John Miller. The 8 year old kidnapping case"

"Okay ma'am",left the assistant, a little surprised.

Sandra knew exactly what she was doing. Her institution was warning her that there are some connections in the two cases. Once she would go through the files, she would certainly encountered some similarities in the two kidnappings.

                                 •••

He sat on the bench of the imambara building ,lost in his thoughts.

"I am deeply shocked about his death. May the almighty grant him salvation. That's all I can say. Goodbye",he exclaimed from a distance to a stranger then made his way towards John.

"Sir, if I couldn't remember anything yesterday then how can you expect a miracle today. What's the point in coming here everyday?",the old man said in a polite voice.

"This is the first clue in 8 years. I can't ignore it so easily",he said with a smirk face.

"Okay, I understand sir", the man replied back then they both bid goodbyes.

                                   •••

He stood looking at the Christ while praying with his rosary bead in his hand from his back. He felt a shadow behind him when he turned around and saw a beautiful woman in front of him.

"What are you doing here?",he asked with a little happiness in his voice.

Sandra returned him a smile by staring into his eyes when she said:

"Getting married. Soon"

Martin felt like her words have pierced his heart. He looked at her fixedly when he looked away, gathered some courage then looked at her again when he said:

"That's bad news..I mean a big news.."

"Why do you look so surprised? I'm not that bad looking after all",she said.

"No- I mean...",he blushed back then looked away when he whispered:

"You are..."

"I'm what, father ?",she asked by coming a little closer.

Martin looked at her in surprise by her emphasis on "father" then looked down when he stammered again:

"You are..."

"Come on, father. Say what's on your mind. There's no one here except from you, me and God"

He took a few moments when he finally asked:

"Are you..are you really getting married?"

Sandra stared at him when suddenly she bursted out a laugh and replied:

"No"

Martin left a smile and felt like he was relieved. Sandra used to joke like this before when they were working together eight years back on the case of Angela but Martin has never confessed his true feelings for Sandra.

He was looking straight when Sandra came in front of him and said:

"A child has been kidnapped..."

Martin turned his gaze to her.