Chapter 50: Chapter 50

I had gone to my old apartment where Cas and I were neighbours and had seen Pastor James and Rita hurrying off somewhere.

I had asked what was wrong and why they were in such a hurry and I received a disheartening response that they just received a call from the police station and were told that Cameron was in their custody and Cas was in danger.

Presently, I just rushed into the police station with Rita and Pastor James and Cameron ran to give me a hug.

"Where's Cas? Where's your mum?" I asked.

Tears started rolling down his cheeks.

"There were three men with guns and they took my mum along with them. Please, save my mum," He replied.

"My God! Who were the men? Do you know them?" I asked.

He shook his head.

One of the police officers came up to meet me.

"Good evening, Mr Amsterdam," He said, stretching out his hand.

I shook it, "Good evening sir. Do you have any idea on where Cas is?" I asked.

"Thankfully, your son gave us the plate number of the car she was abducted in. We didn't publish the news of her kidnap on the media so the kidnappers wouldn't know that we're onto them," The police officer explained.

"Smart move," I commended.

He took me to his desk.

"We've been able to find out every single detail of the car, it's a Mitsubishi Lancer to be precise. The car was in a second hand car store and was just picked up a few days ago by one Mr Tomiwa," The police officer elaborated.

"Pause. Did you just say Mr Tomiwa?" I asked.

"Yes, Mr Tomiwa," He confirmed.

"Cameron," I called.

"Yes?" He responded.

"Where were you and your mum going before she was taken?" I asked.

"We were going to see you. You called mummy and told her you weren't feeling too well...."

I cut him off, "I never called Cas."

Cameron shrugged, "Mum said your voice sounded strange but probably because you were sick and I forced her to let us go and see how you're doing."

"Go on," I urged him.

"On our way, you called again, but we then found out it wasn't you. Maybe someone used your phone, I don't know," He explained.

I turned to the police officer, "You see, the thing is I've been searching for my phone since yesterday and it was after my step brother left that I noticed my phone was missing..."

"Wait...How does this relate to Miss Cassandra's kidnap?" He asked.

"My step brother's name is Jordan Tomiwa Ibitoye," I said.

"And the person who purchased the car Miss Cassandra was abducted in goes by the name, Tomiwa," The police officer said in realisation.

"You understand my point now, right?" I asked.

"I do," He said.

"I just don't know why Jordan will do this to Cas. If at all he has an issue with someone, it should be with me," I said.

"But why will he have an issue with you?" The officer asked.

"Well, as my father's first son, he was to inherit most of his properties. If he took Cas with him, it's probably because he knows I love her enough to let go of everything I have now," I said.

"But has he called you yet?" He asked.

"Not at all," I said.

"Then we have to wait for him to call you to know our next move," The officer said.

"I'm really scared, nothing must happen to my Cas," I said.

"And nothing will happen to her," The officer said.

"Thank you," I heard Pastor James say.

"For?"

"Always being there for my daughter," He said.

"I owe her more than that," I said.

He patted my shoulders and began walking away.

"Where are you going to?" I asked.

"I just want to receive some fresh air," He said, without looking back and walked off.

I looked at Rita who was sitting on one of the benches, sobbing gently, with Cameron consoling her.

I sat beside her.

"You'll get Cassie back, won't you?" She asked.

"I will, but you have to be strong for Cameron and wipe those tears. If you're crying in this manner, what do you expect the poor boy to do?" I asked.

"I really don't wanna cry. Cassie's my best friend and she has always been there for me through thick and thin. I don't know what I'll do without her," She said.

"I wish I hadn't ignored Cas and was still there as her neighbour. No one will have been able to deceive her into coming to see me," I said.

"It's not the time to apportion blames. You're Cassie's hero and you'll get her from wherever she is," Rita said, wiping her tears with the back of her palms.

"That's it. I don't even have an idea on where she may be," I said.

"Your phone's ringing," Rita said.

I placed my hand on my shirt pocket feeling nothing then got the phone out of my trousers back pocket.

It was no secret I had two phones, an iPhone and an Android. The Android had been taken by Jordan apparently while my iPhone was with me.

The call came from an unknown number.

"Don't pick that call," Another police officer said.

"Why? It could be a way for me to track down those kidnappers," I said.

"How will you track down the kidnappers if you don't know their location?" He asked.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked.

The police officer beckoned at some guys.

"These are top security agents. They can help in tracking down the location of the kidnappers through a phone call. The kidnappers aren't aware that the police is onto them so they don't know you may be trying to track them down. All I need you to do is give us a signal once the call comes in again," The police officer said.

"Oh, okay then," I said.

One of the so-called top security agents then collected my phone and did one or two things on it then handed the phone over to me.

After about five minutes later, a call came in again from the same unknown number.

The security agents placed their hands on their lips to signal everyone to remain silent while they gestured for the call to be placed on speaker.

"Hello, who's this?" I asked immediately after receiving the call.

"It's Jordan," The voice replied.

"Jordan? How are you doing? Why are you calling me by this time?" I asked.

"You have something which is mine," He said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Father's properties," He replied with a hiss.

"How? They're legally mine...and...and... You came to see me, isn't it? I already promised to give you a sum of 10 million naira to start a business, so what's wrong?" I asked.

"Hey, I'm the eldest. And I deserve more than that. Listen up, Amsterdam, I'm with your little plaything, Cassandra or whatever....."

"Wait. What? You're with Cassandra? But how? Why?" I asked, feigning pretence.

The police officers and security agents nodded their heads in approval of my acting.

"It's either you sign the properties to my name before 72 hours expire or you may never see your beloved Cassandra again," He said, with a boisterous laughter.

"Why are you doing this? I thought..."

"Amsterdam, your time is ticking. I'll send you a video with proof that I've got your Cassandra in my custody," Jordan said and hung up.

"Did you get that?" I asked as the line went dead.

"Sure. We'll be able to place his exact location with the amount of time you spent with him on the phone. Thanks for your cooperation, Mr Amsterdam," One of the agents said.

"Great. How long will that take?" I asked.

"Just a few minutes from now," One of them replied.

"Okay then, thanks for your help," I said to them.

Just then, a video entered my phone and it was a picture of Cas, with her hands and legs tied, looking shabby next to a pile of vomit in a dilapidated environment.

My heart sunk and I blinked back tears, I needed to be strong for my son's sake.

"Mr Amsterdam, if you don't mind, we'll need to use your phone," One of the security agents said.

"Sure," I said and handed the phone over to them.

I went back to sit with Rita and Cameron on the bench.

"We're gonna get back your mum soon," I told Cameron.

"Okay, dad. I trust you," He said and slipped into my arms.

I stroked his hair softly and he surprisingly didn't complain about me touching his hair.

Soon, I heard him snoring and saw that he had drifted off to sleep.

"You know what he was telling me right now?" Rita asked.

"No."

"He was regretting forcing Cassie to go and see you. I was trying to explain to him that it isn't his fault," Rita said.

"He shouldn't blame himself," I said.

"You shouldn't blame yourself either," Rita said.

I smiled, "I won't."

"We've successfully tracked the kidnappers location," One of the Security agents alerted.

I lay Cameron gently on the bench and rushed to meet them where they were.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"In an old warehouse at Apapa," The same man replied.

"Then we have to go there right now," I said.

One of the police officers placed his hand on my shoulder, "I understand what Miss Cassandra may mean to you but we have to go there tomorrow. It's already past 5pm and it'll be almost 6:30pm before we get there."

"I won't leave Cas over there to suffer. Didn't you see the video? She's in a bad condition. And what if my brother finds out that we know about their whereabouts before tomorrow? What will we do then?" I asked.

"Mr Ams...."

I cut in. "I'm leaving to go get my Cas. Who's with me?" I asked.

"Me," Rita said, standing to her feet.

"Count me in as well. I won't let my daughter suffer more than she already has," Pastor James said, re-entering the station.

Only God knew what he had been doing outside. His eyes were red and dull, he had probably been crying and didn't want to show it to the public.

"As civilians, you're endangering your lives," A police officer said.

"You, as the police, leave us no choice. You're supposed to be protecting us but instead, you're giving us flimsy excuses. Cas is a lady who is a victim of rape and the entire universe is aware of that fact. She's with men now, have you thought about the kind of trauma she'll pass through if she gets raped again? Her life will be ruined, she's in danger and you owe each and every citizen full protection of his/her lives and properties at any cost. The least you can do is go out there and show you care," I said, enraged.

"I'm with you," A female police officer.

"Thank you," I muttered.

"Mr Amsterdam, I get your point and the police force will be solidly behind you in the quest to find our singing champion, Cassie P. The Nigerian police force has been bashed for not fulfilling their duties. I believe it's time to change people's minds concerning us," The first police officer said.

I smiled at him and he returned the smile.

"Gather your men and load your guns with bullets. Also take with you flashlights, we're going to catch some criminals," The Head police officer said in an authoritative tone.

"Yes sir," They all said with a salute and carried out the order from him hastily.

[Cassandra's POV]

I shuddered as a family of rats nibbled on the old scraps of papers lying on the broken cemented floor.

They ignored my presence and went about their business like papers were actually food.

I was irrited at the sight of my own vomit and I felt the urge to puke again.

The entire environment was disgusting and smelt like goat poop and horse dung.

At first, I had felt nauseated and overcome with disgust at the unbelievable ruined state of the place those animals had kept me in.

Now, my nose was already used to the insanely awful smell the place possessed and it was now like the place was a part of me and I couldn't control its attraction to me.

I couldn't even eat the roasted yam that they had served me because I didn't have the appetite to eat and I wasn't even sure if the police had arrived and my son had gotten home safely.

My hands and legs were tied with a thick rope and I couldn't even think of a way of escaping.

Unlike in the movies, there was no glass or nail to use to tear up the ropes that bind my hands and legs.

Movies were such a sham!!

I was stuck, afraid, confused and in a dilemma.

What if Amsey abandoned me? What if they killed me? What if I never got to see the light of day again?

The door opened with a creaky sound to reveal Mr Grumpy who came in with a smirk on his lips.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"You," He responded, licking his lips and eyeing me lustfully.

The events of the day I had lost my pride to those three awful mem flashed in my brain.

He came close to me and crouched before me.

He pushed back my hair with his finger and I trembled; I hated the feel of his skin on mine and it was terribly terrifying.

He brought his lips close to mine and as it came closer, I reminded myself that I wasn't that girl anymore.

I opened my mouth wide, lapping like a dog, inhaling the stench of my vomit and the pile of faeces and whatever that made where I was locked in smell so terribly, I did that in order to irritate my lungs the more and it worked.

Boom! Vomit broke out from my lungs straight to my throat and spilling all over Mr Grumpy from his mouth down to his shirt and unto his trousers.

He looked disgusted and glared fiercely at me.

I grinned and threw him a distasteful glance.

"You bitch!" He yelled and raised his hand to slap me.

From nowhere, a hand held his, stopping him.

I looked up to see John eyeing him.

"Leave her alone and go get changed," He said.

Mr Grumpy stared daggers at me, stood and walked away, smelling of vomit and his ugly face looking like crap.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked.

He shrugged. "He shouldn't have done what he did. I'm just supporting the right thing."

"Why'd you treat me the way you did years ago? Was that the right thing?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Then why did you do it?" I asked.

"I was just fooling around, wasn't ready for any sort of commitment back then," He said.

I scoffed. "You were fooling around with people's feelings?"

"Yeah. You know, I got some girls to abort their pregnancy when I found out they were pregnant and I broke so many hearts. At the time, I was just having fun, but sometimes, I sit and think that the accident I had and me losing the ability to impregnate a lady was just karma, and I begin to wonder what I could have done differently," He said.

"If you know that karma still exists, why are you doing this again?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Jordan promised me a huge sum of money and since my wife already left me, all I'll do is just adopt two kids and start over again."

"Since Jordan called all of you, why didn't he call Reverend Lawrence, and how did he know Mr Grumpy's whereabouts?" I asked.

"Reverend Lawrence actually refused to be a part of it, and Mr Grumpy had been living with me, hiding from the police, so once he got me, he was able to get him as well," John explained.

"So do you like what you're doing?" I asked.

"I... I... I don't know," He responded.

"I always saw you as an admirable person. What you did to me wasn't cool and what you're doing now isn't cool either, but I want you to know that there's still time for you to make amends," I said.

"I already made my decision, I'm sorry you have to go through all these, I'm really sorry," He said.

"No, you're not. If you were, I won't be tied up here like an animal. Please, get out, I don't wanna see your face," I said, looking in the other direction.

"Fine then," He said and walked away.

Tears started streaming down my cheeks. I really missed home and Rita and Cameron and my dad as well and Mary, even my stupid bodyguards and annoying driver.

All I wanted was to go home.

I heard gunshots which made me shiver and become scared.

Were my abductors fighting each other or what?

The gunshots came again, closer this time.

My heart flew to my mouth and I tried to crawl or move somehow but couldn't, I was stuck and I couldn't break free from the ropes holding me down.

The door opened with force and I saw Jordan come in walking with hostility as his boots pounced aggressively on the cracked floor.

"This place stinks and you stink as well," He said.

He brought out a knife from his jacket pocket and licked his lips on seeing how I shuddered in fear.

He crouched before me, sending shivers in every direction of my body.

He brought the knife close to my face and my teeth clattered, feeling much more fear than I had ever felt before.

I closed my eyes and muttered a silent prayer.

However, it seemed like the knife was actually not meant for me, but for the ropes that bound me, because soon, the ropes came off and I felt free again.

I opened my eyes and saw that indeed, he had set me free.

A mischievous grin played on his face and I felt confused.

"What are you playing at? Has Amsey given you the money?" I asked.

"Not even close. I don't know how he got the police involved in this and I don't also know how they found out about our location, but I do know he's going to transfer every damn thing to my name or watch you die in his presence," He responded, with a glint of mockery in his eyes.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

He didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed me by my hair again and led me out of the place.

We were drawing closer to the exit when he stopped then John and Mr Grumpy joined him, clutching their guns in their hands.

Gunshots blared all over the place.

"This is the Nigerian Police Force. All the occupants in this building are required to step out gently with their hands up in surrender, as this place is completely surrounded," A coarse voice from outside said, obviously using the aid of a kind of transmitter.

I smiled to myself, Cameron had done it.

"I didn't sign up for this," John said.

"You still have enough time to back out," I retorted.

"Ignore her, John. My brother, Amsterdam, loves her so much. He'll never do anything to hurt her, just wait and see what I've planned for them," Jordan said.

"Is Amsey here?" I asked.

"He is. I've seen him for myself," Jordan replied.

"You all should come in here and give me what is rightfully mine, or you can watch Cassandra die," Jordan barked.

We soon saw about five police officers walk in with Amsterdam and my dad.

Jordan held me by the hair and held a knife to my throat.

"Wise choice," Jordan said.

"Let my daughter go," My dad said.

Amsey came forward and raised his hand, signalling him not to say a word.

"This is between my brother and I. Jordan, you've never liked me and you always treated me like crap. I agreed to give you money to start up a business and I'd have given you more if you wanted it. So what's your problem?" Amsey asked.

"My problem is I want all of it and unless you give everything to me, Cassandra will die," Jordan replied.

"I used to think that you're exactly like our father but you're actually worse than he is," Amsey said.

"The cub has to be greater than the lion, isn't it?" Jordan asked rhetorically.

Mr Grumpy brought out some papers and handed it over to Amsey.

"Those are the papers I got from my lawyer. All you have to do is sign them and I'll become the new owner of everything daddy owned and you and Cassandra will be free to live happily ever after," Jordan said.

"No, Amsey, don't do it," I said.

Jordan yanked my hair and brought the knife closer to my throat and I could have died out of fear in that moment, but I still didn't want Amsey to lose it all because of me.

"Don't hurt her. I'll sign the papers," Amsey said.

The police officers stretched out their guns at Jordan.

"Kill me, but I'll make sure she goes to the Afterlife with me," Jordan swore.

"Don't sign the papers, Amsey, you'll regret it," I said.

"I'll never regret doing anything for you," Amsey said and brought out his pen from his breast pocket.

I heard the sound of a gunshot and I felt my life was going to be seized from me.

I didn't feel hurt though meaning I hadn't been shot.

I stared at Amsey and he seemed fine as well.

I heard a loud growl behind me as the pressure on my hair lessened and the knife that had been held close to my throat clattered to the floor.

Soon, I heard a thud and I turned around to see Jordan lying on the floor in the pool of his own blood.

I looked around and it appeared that none of the police officers had fired the triggers and also looked shocked at the present happenings.

Then there was John, standing in the far corner of the room, with his gun placed on the floor and his hands raised in surrender.

"You...you shot him?" I asked.

"Yes, I think it's high time I started doing the right thing," John responded.

I smiled at him, "Thank you," I muttered.

Mr Grumpy was handcuffed along with John and led to the police van outside and Jordan was hoisted unto the ambulance that had been called.

I hugged my dad tightly.

"My baby, I thought I'd never see you again," He said.

I chuckled, "When did I become your baby?" I asked.

"You'll always be my baby," He said, then released me from his embrace.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Amsey staring at us.

"You should go and talk to him," My dad said and patted my back, then walked away.

Amsey came to meet me.

"How are you?" He asked.

"I'll be fine, you?"

"Me too," He responded.

We stared blankly at each other for a while, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry for what my brother did to you and I apologise for the ordeal you had to go through because of me," Amsey finally spoke up.

"It's fine," I said.

"Ummm... I guess I should go then," He said.

He turned around and began walking out.

"Amsey," I called.

He stopped in his tracks and turned back around.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Umm... Being here taught me a lesson that I don't have forever, and I just want you to know how I feel because I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to do so ever again," I said.

"What are you going on about?" He asked.

"I've forgiven you for lying to me about Cameron and I want you to know that for the past six years, I never stopped loving you, and....umm.. I still love you," I said, without pausing for breath.

He strode to where I was and looked me in the eyes.

"I know, and I love you too," He said.

I smiled.

"You think we can start over again?" He asked.

"I know we can," I replied.

He took me in his arms and hugged me tightly.

"You reek," He muttered.

I chortled, "You still love me like that though," I said.

"Do I?"

"Of course, you do," I said.

Just staying in his arms like that made me realise everything was okay and had turned out the way I had always wanted it to be.

I got the money, the fame, my father, justice for my mum, the man and the child.

Everything was finally okay.