“Lafiya?” Kauthar asked her mother-in-law who wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to be surprised. She finally settled for a nervous chuckle.

“Yi hakuri, I was just looking for the bathroom. I heard noise so I wanted to wait for you to come out.
Kauthar observed her for some seconds. Noise? Who was making noise between the two of them?

“Okay, ga visitor’s room behind you.”

She turned towards the door, then to Kauthar, “Aha.” She smiled and went in.

Kauthar sighed and shook her head. As she went down the stairs, she heard Ismail’s laughter before seeing him. He was perched on the sofa his mother had vacated, keeping Hajiya Binta company. Kauthar smiled at the scene. It had been a while since she saw him laugh. She hung behind Ismail’s seat and said, “Hajiya yi hakuri dan Allah, I just received an urgent call.”

Hajiya Binta smiled and shook her head. “No need, I’m already leaving.” She turned around her seat with a frown. “Ina Hidaya ne?” 

“Tana waje.” Ismail said. Just then, Hidaya ambled into the room, rummaging through her handbag.

“Okay Mummy, lets go. It’s time for my shift.”

After escorting them to the gate, Kauthar and Ismail returned to the living room. Ismail slumped into his former seat while Kauthar stood next to him. ‘Where is Alhaji?”

“Outside with an Intelligence officer.”

“Oh, what did you tell them?”
He shrugged, “Nothing apart from what we know.”

“And the phone numbers?” 

“Showed it to him.”

Kauthar nodded and rubbed her leggings clad thighs. She wondered if she should inform him about Sumayya. Would it help the case? What if the Navy decides to pursue them? She sighed loudly. 

“Any problem?” Ismail asked. 

“Umm, no.” She shook her head. Let’s wait first.

Later, after Ismail’s parents had settled in their room. The Naval Intelligence officer, a slim, dark skinned man named Chico sat across from them. Kauthar glanced at his attire: a simple polo shirt and jeans. She stared at the three long tribal marks at each cheek, his thin face and wide lips, wondering what tribe he was. 

“Good afternoon sir.” He greeted Ismail while Kauthar almost gasped at his child-like voice.
“Ma’am,” he nodded at her. 

“So, I have forwarded the numbers to our tech team and they’re currently trying to track it.”

“Is that possible? because the numbers are not going again.”

Chico smiled, “That’s not a problem, we can still trace their origin from MTN’s database.” 

Ismail nodded. “That’s good.”

“So,” Chico shifted to the end of the seat with a pen in his hand and a notepad on his lap. “Have you gotten any calls so far?”

They shared a look, then shook their heads.

“Who usually picks her from school?”

Kauthar thought of the call with Sumayya. Should she say something? “Em, she mostly comes home with one or two of her friends.”

“What are their names?”

She glanced at Ismail before replying, “Her classmate, Amy. and our neighbor’s daughter, Aaliyah.”

“This neighbor’s daughter, where was she that day?”

Kauthar opened her mouth, but Ismail beat her to it. “I don’t think that will help us.”

“Actually, whatever we can get can help us.”

Kauthar took a deep breath, then informed Chico about her meeting Aaliyah at home. As she recalled the day, her chest tightened, as though she was reliving it again. Once done, she blinked the incoming tears and took another deep breath.

Chico smiled, “Don’t worry ma’am, we’ll get your girl back, safe and sound. I promise.” Kauthar nodded. 
“About your neighbor, does she have any reason to want to harm you?”
Did she? Kauthar wondered. Rose didn’t seem like that kind of person. But then, she might be wrong. 

“Assalamu alaikum!” Hoor called out from the front door. 

“Ah, my baby.” Ismail went to hug her while Kauthar and Chico watched.

Ismail sat with Hoor on his lap. Hoor smiled at her Kauthar. “Mummy ina wini.” 

“Lafiya, how was school?”

She nodded, then glanced at Chico, eyes wide with curiosity. “Good afternoon.”

Chico beamed, “Afternoon my dear, how are you?” She nodded. 

Kauthar looked around Hoor, “Where is your lunchbox?”

Hoor gasped loudly, eyes bulged out, making Ismail and Chico laugh.

“Aaliyah,” She said, pointing towards the door. Jumping down Ismail’s lap, she headed for the door. 

“Stop running o.” Kauthar called out.

“Aaliyah, that’s the neighbor, right?”

“Her daughter.” Kauthar said. 

“Are you going to question her too?” Ismail narrowed his eyes.

Chico smiled, “Just to find out where her mum was that day.”

The couple shared an unsure look. “Let me go get her then. Her mum is not usually at home by this time.” Kauthar said, standing up. 

“Thank you.”

As she strolled out of the house, Kauthar hoped Aaliya would have good news for them this time. Not that she wanted Rose to be guilty, but at least, let there be progress. She was already sick of staying stuck, dong nothing. 
...

11: 56 a.m.

Streaks of lightning shot across the sky as dark clouds clustered together, as if to decide where to release the rain. 

Meanwhile, a young lady turned in her sleep, too lazy to close her open window, till a cold breeze lashed her face with dust and stone pebbles. Hissing loudly, she quickly went and shut the louvres.  Back on her bed, her phone vibrated under her pillow. She frowned, who could be calling at this time?

She checked the contact name, but it was an unknown number. One mind told her to ignore it, as she hated unfamiliar calls. But the other, though quiet, told her to answer it. It might be good news. And she was dire need of one right now. “Hello?” 

“Ehe, thank God you picked.” A frantic female voice said.

The lady smiled. Just the people she wanted to hear from.  “what is it? I’ve been trying to reach your brother. Why the hell has he been avoiding me?”

“There is problem o.”

Just then,  thunder banged against her window, making her yelp.

“Are you there?”

“Yes na.” She grumbled. She hated thunders, just like she hated bad news.

“Okay. Brother mi is planning to take Barakah to Abuja o.”

The lady gasped, clutching her chest. “What?”

“Yes o, there’s this man claiming to be related to Barakah, he has offered Brother mi 20 million naira. So he is planning to leave tomorrow. The deal has been sealed already.”

Ya Allahu! “What about our plan, my plan? Was he not supposed to make Ismail divorce Kauthar?”

“Me I don’t know o. All I know is that once he leaves, you and I are on our own.” 

“Get more info then.” She shrieked, her voice drowned out by the loud and heavy showers.

“He’s not telling me anything again.”
She tapped her forehead in thought. “Okay, what time do they leave?”

“I think before subhi.”

“Okay. Okay. Does he stay at the house?” 

“No, he comes and goes. Why?”

“I need you to get her out of there before he arrives.”

There was silence, then a loud “Eh! are you saying I should betray him?”
“Do you want us to get caught?”

“No, but-”

“We need to protect ourselves. Most importantly, Barakah.”

She sighed. “Okay, I’m not sure, but I can try.”

“Good. I’ll send some money to help you.”

“Okay, will she go back home then, because this whole is getting out of hand o? The police are not the ones we should be afraid of.” 

The lady sighed, “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.”

“Okay, good night.”

Without replying, she ended the call and slumped on the bed. This was not good. Not good at all.

...
Assalamu alaikum!

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Things seem to be getting heated between these so-called kidnappers.

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