Toun had successfully fulfilled the promise she made to her daughter and they had gone to the mall to shop for things they want. They made plans on branching at an eatery to get something to eat and also get a takeaway for her grandmother before going home. And the girl was excited about it.
"Do you have fun?" Toun asked her daughter as they walked out of the mall. The young girl was jumping with joy as she helps her mother in carrying one of the less heavy shopping bag.
"Yes mommy and I also like what I bought for grandma and daddy. They are going to like it, right?" Annabelle asked, curiously.
"Of course, they will. They will be so proud of you. I'm glad you have fun dear." Toun said with a broad smile as they approached her car in the parking lot.
They got to her car and she opened the booth. They began to arrange the things they bought at the back of the car. She closed the booth when they were done and it was in that moment that a black tinted SUV car drove in beside them almost hitting Annabelle who shrieked.
Her mother held her back, drawing her close as she frowned at the car.
"Hey, are you blind? Do you want to hit my daughter? Didn't you learn how to drive properly?" Toun yelled at the driver she couldn't see. He didn't give a reply or wind down his mirror and she furrowed her brows at the car. The car finally parked close to her car and the engine was turned off. Then the door of the car opened. A man in black tees and black jeans came out of the driver side of the car.
"What the hell is your problem? Didn't you see the girl?" Toun asked the guy who came out of the car.
Two men also climbed out of the passenger side of the car.
"Sorry." One of them muttered.
Toun eyed the men then she asked her daughter to go to the front and get into the car. The girl did as her mother instructed as Toun turn around to the driver side.
Annabelle stood at the front of the door waiting for her mother to unlock the car. One of the men that climbed out the car went to her side after nodding to his mate.
Toun who was oblivious of what the person were planning, unlocked the door and she said above the car to the guy she believed was the driver. "Hey, you should park well. I want to drive out." She said to the man in black shirt standing in front of her.
He gave no reply but nodded his head.
"Mommy." Annabella cried out when she saw what the man standing at her mother back was about to do through the window. But before Toun could turn around, she felt a hand around her nose and mouth. She struggled to let her set free from the man grip but his arms were strong and he kept pressing the clothes on her nose and mouth. And she looked at her daughter shocked face before everything went black.
Annabella cried. "Mommy." The man who had walked over to her side, hit her on her back and she fainted on his arms. The man looked around and when he had ensured that no one was watching, he opened the back seat door of the car and he laid the girl there. Then he closed the door after whining the window down a bit.
He looked around him again, then he walked over to the SUV. The others have laid the fainted Toun at the backseat and he nodded at the guys before taking the seat at the front of the car. Then the car drove out.
******
"Hello."
"Yes. How is it?"
"It went well. Mission accomplished."
"Good." The receiver said. "I will send you the address and your balance."
"Alright. We will do perfectly what you wanted. It was nice working with you."
"Okay." And the call ended.
*****
Nathaniel was at work when he received a call from an unknown number. He pondered who it was before answering the call. He was shocked when he was told that his daughter was at the mall alone in a car. He had to quickly took an excuse from his manager and went in the direction the caller have gave to him.
He knew his daughter and wife had gone on a mother-daughter outing for shopping that day. But the caller had told him that his daughter was alone in the car, crying and that she kept calling his name.
He took the first bike he saw to the address he was given and he saw some people gathered around a car in the parking lot of the location which happened to be a mall. It was when he got closer that he saw that it was his wife car. His heart skipped on seeing the car and the people gathered around the car, discussing. They were two policemen standing at the entrance of the backseat which was opened.
He wondered what was going on. And his heart began to beat fast in his chest, hoping it wasn't what he thinking.
"Excuse me, what happen here?" He asked two men who were discussing with a shaky voice.
The men looked at him with a questioning look.
"Who are you please?" One of the men asked.
"This is my wife car. I am..."
He was cut short when he heard his daughter voice. He turned to see the girl ran to meet him. And he cupped her in his arms despite he was shocked at her shaking body and swollen eyes.
"Anna. Anna, what happened? Where is your mommy?" He asked still hugging her.
"Daddy." She cried in his arms. "Daddy, I didn't see mommy."
He stooped to her level with his shaky hands.
"What happen dear? Why are you crying?" He asked his daughter.
"Mommy... Someone took mommy. He used a cloth on her nose and mommy fainted. When I woke up.... Mommy is gone. I can't find my mommy. I can't find mommy, daddy." She cried.
He pulled her to a hug, clueless on what to say. He can't even think properly. He didn't want to think about the possibility that his wife had been kidnapped.
The two police men that were at the entrance of the car, walked toward Nathaniel.
"You must be her father."
"Yes, I am." He answered them, looking at them for answers.
"She refused to tell us anything. She had been crying ever since we got here. We were able to get your number after calming her down a little." One of them said. "Can you help us with your daughter, so we can know what happened?"
He nodded slightly.
******
It has been three weeks since Toun disappearance. The police have listened to Annabelle testimony of what happened. And they checked the CCTV in the parking area and confirmed that the girl was right. But no one had noticed. Even the camera were not clear enough to see the face of those who kidnapped Toun. But the police have started their investigation on the event. But nothing good has come out of the investigation. They have not been able to find out who kidnapped Toun or for what reason.
Nathaniel hasn't been himself since that day. He had grown pale with worry and he barely sleep. The police station had been a place he visited constantly in the last three weeks. Even the police had started growing tired of seeing him. It's like he was growing insane with worry and confusion.
Every day, he heard the same story from the police. The kidnappers didn't call neither did they have a clue on who did it or her whereabout. He was going crazy. He yelled at the police men anytime he went to their office and when they have no answer to give him.
Nathaniel received a visit from the police one early morning. He had hope to hear good news from them. But instead they came to ask him the same questions that have already been asked. When he had insulted them, they asked him another question.
"Do you have any idea who could have a motive of kidnapping her?" The police officer asked the broken Nathaniel.
"At this rate, only one person could do this. And it is no other than her father." He answered them.
"Her father?" The policeman asked looking from Mrs Allyson to his colleague.
"Yes. He was never happy about our marriage and he promised to separate us. I called him about it but he hang up on me. He haven't call me back since then. I tried to reach him but it was not going. How could a father be nonchalant about his daughter disappearance? He might not like me but does he hate his daughter too?" Nathaniel spoke with venom.
"Calm down Mr Adeolu. We understand you. But who is your wife father? Where does he live?" The second police officer asked holding a notepad.
"He is Mr Joseph Adebiyi." Nathaniel answered.
The two police men exchanged glance.
"Politician and business tycoon Joseph Adebiyi?" One of them asked to confirm what they thought.
"Yes."
He saw them heaved a sigh and then they nodded. "We will talk to him."
"You have to find my wife. Please. If he have something to do with it, he should just let me know." Nathaniel said to them.
"We can't start jumping to conclusion Mr Adeolu. The man you are talking about is a powerful man. And I don't think he will do that to his daughter." The police said.
Nathaniel was about to reply the man angrily when his mother held him back.
"We can't say but please help us find my daughter in law. Please." Mrs Allyson pleaded as they stood up to leave.
"Don't worry ma, we will." They assured her.
"Thank you for your time." Mrs Allyson said to the two men. They nodded and walked out.
Annabelle came out of her room, standing in the hallway. Then she called out at her grandmother and daddy.
"Daddy, Grandma." Annabella called standing in the hallway. They turned to look at her.
Nathaniel felt a pang of hurt seeing his daughter. It was hard to look at her ever since that day. The girl hasn't been herself either since the incident. She had not get over watching her mother kidnapped. She had began to have dreams at night and it was getting them worried.
"Yes Anna." Her grandmother replied her with a small smile.
"Is mommy back?" She asked.
Nathaniel looked at his mother as he felt tears gather in his eyes. He could see she was heartbroken too. And it hurt everyone that they can't do anything about it. He quickly wiped the tears that was gathering in his eyes away to prevent his daughter from seeing it.
"Come here princess." He said to her with a forced smile. She did and he carried her on his lap. "Mommy isn't back yet but the police will definitely find her, okay?"
"I miss my mommy." She said now crying.
"I know I know. I know you miss her princess. Daddy misses her too. But don't worry mommy is going to come back for us. Do you understand?"
"Will those bad men let her go?"
"Yes. You have to be strong for mommy. Do you hear me?" He asked holding back his tears. She nodded.
"Stop crying. Mommy won't be happy to see you crying."
She slowly wiped her tears away. He pulled her closer and patted her head as he tried holding back his tears. "Mommy is going to come back to us." He assured her as he tried to assure himself too.
*****
Toun fluttered her eyes open, slowly. She was oblivious of her environment. She breathed out heavily and it seems her head was about to explode. She was still thinking of the pain in her head when she heard a sound.
She tried to remain still and listen to the sound and where it was coming from. She couldn't tell where it was coming from. It was someone talking. The person tone was harsh but she couldn't pinpoint who the voice belongs to her as her head felt like splitting into two.
Then the voice died down and then there was the sound of footsteps and silence. It suddenly became quiet.
She tried to get up from where she was laying but her body aches and head kept throbbing. She groaned in pain, leaning back on the bed. And her vision began to become blur.
Some hours later, she opened her eyes again. Her body still felt weak and her head was still heavy on her.
There was a bright light in the room that threatened to blind her eyes. She groaned in pain. She was still wallowing in her pain when the door open. She looked at the direction of the door to see a black lady with long black hair wearing a nurse uniform walked in.
"Oh, you are awake." She said smiling at her.
She does not know her or remembers meeting her and she wondered why she was there.
"Where am I ?" Toun asked her.
She looked around but said nothing as the smile on her face disappear.
"Where is my daughter and Nathaniel?" She asked trying to sit up.
"I don't know who you are talking about. But you should know that you are far away from home. And I guess I should say welcome to your new home." The woman replied.
COMMENT TIME.
Question for the chapter. Where do you think Toun is and what happens to her?
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