In an unknown location
In a dimly lit room the silence that reigned was immediately cut through by sharp ringing of a phone.
*Click.
The phone was answered and the figure of was faintly seen holding up the phone to his ear.
"Boss,the job is done. The trade was completed successfully." Anthony's cold voice came through the speaker of the flip phone.
"Good." A rough male voice simply said.
After that the call was cut and the phone gently placed back where it was laying before.
"Kelechi, don't hate me... it's only business after all." The rough voice said before chuckling lightly.
***
Egba household
11:23 am
It had been three days since the incident and the police were being far from reliable.
Chikodi stood, pacing round the sitting room, phone on his ear.
The call connected.
From the rapidly appearing displeasure on his face one could tell that this new wasn't one that he was expecting.
"Three days!! It's been three days and yet you people haven't gotten any lead?!!" Chikodi shouted at the person on the other line.
From his face it was obvious that he was angry.
"I have a son missing and a pregnant wife who is still unconscious on a hospital bed and your here tell me this?!!" He stopped pacing around at stood in place right in front of the television.
After shouting some more at the person on the other line he cut the call and wanted to toss the phone against the wall.
That's when he saw it.
The TV scree was turned off and there was light in the living room so Chikodi was able to see his expression a bit clearly.
He looked utterly disheveled and drained.
His clothes,a simple gray shirt and black trousers were rumpled.
Chikodi saw his expression on the screen and laughed.
It was a choked, hollow sound that came out strange from his mouth.
He finally looked away from the screen and stumbled backwards till he collapsed on the sofa behind him, somehow miraculously dodging the small table in the middle.
*Sigh!
Chikodi gave a heavy sigh that somehow echoed in the room and leaned back on the sofa, running a hand from his jaw all the way to the back of his head.
His eyes looked lost and unfocused.
He had barely slept and eaten.
As he was,he was utterly spent but holding on due to the thought of his young son and currently pregnant wife.
Lifting his other hand he brought the two hands over his face and gave out a hollow mocking laugh.
He continued for over what felt like a while but it was just a minute.
Then he stopped. Brought his hands down from his face and just looked at the ceiling.
*Ring! Ring! Ring!
The sounds coming from his now shaking phone that was now by his side pierced through the silence.
Chikodi immediately straighten up before quickly reaching for the phone and checking the caller ID.
Seeing who it was,his expression lightened up a bit.
*Click.
He answered the call and placed the phone against his ear.
"Chikodi my friend." Kelechi's voice came from the other side,his voice carried a hint of caution and sympathy.
"Kelechi... I'm tired." Chikodi said letting out a heavy sigh.
"..."
There was a bit of silence on the other side.
"I understand your struggles Chikodi,at least as a father like you." Kelechi voice came from the other side,solemn yet strong.
"But you can't just say that you're tired,no matter how hard it gets you have to keep on going. Your wife and son are depending on you."
Chikodi chuckled slightly.
"You're right. Thank you Kelechi."
"Hmm. You're welcome." Kelechi said with a brief hum.
"By the way help me thank your wife, she's helping a lot by staying by Chioma's side while I'm gone." Chikodi said, voice filled with sincerity.
"What do you mean by that?! What are friends for?!" Kelechi shouted in mock anger.
"Don't say something like that again."
Chikodi smiled. A genuine smile this time.
"What about Nneka?" Chikodi asked.
There was a longer pause this time.
"She's still feeling guilty. She finally fell asleep after crying for so long." Kelechi said with a tired sigh.
"It's not her fault. She didn't know." Chikodi said with a similar sigh as he looked up to the sky.
There was another long pause on both ends.
"Chikodi...?" Kelechi said after sometime.
"Hmm...?"
"Since the police aren't helping matters much why not ask the military?"
The question dropped like a nuclear weapon.
Chikodi immediately shot to his feet.
"Kelechi,thank you. You just helped me remember something important." Chikodi said genuinely happy this time.
"Huh..?" Kelechi was confused.
But before he could say anything else Chikodi thanked him once more before finally cutting the call.
Then Chikodi immediately scrolled through his phone contacts to search for a number he hadn't called for a very long time.
After some minutes,he finally found it.
Then he pressed the contact icon and called.
*Rrring...rrring...rrring...
After what felt like an eternity to Chikodi,the call finally connected.
"Ahh... Chikodi ma boy!" A booming male voice filled with authority rang out from the phone speaker.
Hearing this familiar voice Chikodi breathed a subtle sigh of relief.
"Uncle John, there's serious trouble." Chikodi said after taking a deep breath.
There was a sharp pause on the other end of the line.
"Talk to me..." The voice on the other end was no more playful. It was dangerously serious and calm.
"What happened?"
Then Chikodi spoke.
He talked, explaining what happened as best as he could, trying his best not to let his voice falter.
"So...?" The man said finally voice calm yet with a hint of barely restrained fury, "you're telling me that some idiots had the guts to kidnap my grandnephew?"
There was a brief pause.
"How audacious." The man said.
"Wait for me, I'm coming over there."
Then the line went dead.