The Mistress's Child

“Where are we?" Rachel asked the other girls as the armed men had left their tent.

“ I heard one of the guys saying something about Vena...outskirts of Vena" Lori said.

“ Vena? " Another girl questioned.

“Yes, Vena. You know it? Lori's asked the girl.

“ Yeah. It's my hometown but I haven't been to the outskirts. I heard the outskirts shares borders with Atanza" the brown skinned girl name Lori answered.

She had come to deposit some money in the bank. She was the last person to enter the bank before it got sealed.

“Atanza???" Aimee asked “ That's were I used to live years back. Though we left when I was fourteen because it was unsafe according to my Dad." Aimee added.

“She was about asking more questions from Lori when one of the armed men entered again, Rum.

“Its time to sleep...busy day tomorrow" he said and walked out.

The girls thought they wouldn't be able to sleep with the buzzing of different insects and the uncomfortable place they had to sleep on - a piece of worn out mattress. But they were so tired and didn't even know when they slept off.

The thugs had already taken the young men hostages to start working at their illegal factory where they produced different counterfeit of various precious stones ranging from emerald to diamonds. They were to work till dawn as the process was mainly mechanical and required enough man power.

Meanwhile, the other thugs that stayed back in the bank to disguise as witnesses and victims were back to the camp.

“Boss" one of them came into the boss tent to report.

“ Hope you guys did as you were told?"

“Yes boss,they bought our story as well as we were the only ones who claimed to really know what happened"

“ Good. But there's a change of plans. The main boss says we shouldn't request for ransom anymore but we should sell off the females and the guys would work in our factory. Though, we are going to recruit them to our clubs till we have buyers"

“ Got it boss...but what about Anna?"

“ Oh...Anna...call Mr Kofi...tell him the Grucs have his daughter. He would know what to do."

“ Okay boss"

The Grucs was a terrorist group with different cases of child trafficking, drugs trafficking, kidnapping and robbery. They were a combination of various people from different nationalities and continents. They were the ones responsible for the bank burglary as they had intentions of getting hands in a rare gem hidden in the bank's vault and killing Mr Kofi if they had the chance to. Mr Kofi had gotten mixed up with the Grucs activities unknowingly some years ago. He was on a getaway holiday to Vena after him and his wife had their usual quarrels. He went to one of the clubs in the outskirts of Vena not knowing it belonged to the Grucs. That was how he met Stella.

Stella on the other hand had been working as a stripper for years as she had also been kidnapped too. She wanted to escape and she thought the only way they would let her go was if she got pregnant or somebody buys her.

Stella started seeing Kofi often and they got really fond of each other till Kofi slept with her and she got pregnant.

She was so happy when she discovered she was pregnant but when the thugs found out, they wanted to kill her as she refused to abort the child. Kofi heard the rumors of her being pregnant and asked her. She admitted it and told Kofi everything about the Grucs and that the only way she could live was if Kofi buys her from them. So Kofi had to buy her but they took the money and still decided to kill Stella. Kofi couldn't let it as he had fallen in love with her. He decided to fly back to his city with Stella.

Luckily for the terrorists, the bank's manager was Kofi and Stella was at the bank that day. So they could kill three birds with one stone and unfortunately for stella, she screamed as she recognized their faces so she was killed.

*********

“ Hun...why are you so worried" Mr Kofi's wife, Tam asked as she walked into the living room where Kofi was sitting down.

She had been awake the whole night as Kofi was pacing round the bedroom before he went to the living room.

“ I thought nothing was stolen or is there something you are hiding from me?"

“No...not at all" he said as he moved over to hug his wife.

“ Then come back to the room. Tell me what's making you worried? I can help" she said as she placed her head on his chest.

“ I'm just scared that's all. Those guys broke into the bank unannounced. What if they come for me?"

“ Why would they come for you?"

“ I don't know. They wanted my card in the first place to access the vault according to the police. " Kofi said as he released Tam from the hug and sat back on the couch.

“ Hey... worrying would not do any good, okay? Just relax your mind" she said sitting next to Kofi

“ I will" he said as he used his palm to brush his face.

“ Good...erm...so who's the little girl you were asking about?"

“ What little girl?" Kofi said as his heart began to pound.

“ Ann or so...I heard you were asking almost everyone at the bank about a little girl"

“ Ohh...Anna." he said as he thought of a lie to save himself.

“ Her mom had come to my office to complain about some downsides concerning her account and to request a loan. Her matter was complex so she was directed to me. She was the one who got killed. She was Anna's mom" he lied.

“ Oh my!" Tam gasped

“ Yup and- " Kofi was about saying something when his phone rang.

Kofi and Tam had been married for ten years with a son, Kennedy. Tam was a lawyer and had met Kofi in college. They had always had endless arguments and misunderstandings when they got married newly. The last argument they had was six years ago when Kofi travelled to Vena to cool off and there he met Stella.

“ Are you not going to pick that up?" Tam asked as Kofi's phone rang again.

“ it's past two am. It won't be relevant" Kofi said picking up his phone to see an unknown number calling.

“ Hello?" He said after answering the call.

“ Mr Kofi" the voice said. It sounded like the voice that had warned Kofi not to return to the bank.

“ You? What do you want again? Why are you calling me again?"

” Well whoever that called you earlier wasn't me. I'm just calling to deliver a message and if you love your family,your wife and Kennedy,you would know what to do."

“ Are you threatening my family??"

“ Ha...not really. Just delivering a message. Anna is being held hostage by the Grucs. They were the ones responsible for the burglary."

“ The Grucs???" Mr Kofi said as his voice trembled.

“ Please...I - " Kofi was yet to complete his statement when the call ended.

“ The Grucs? The terrorists group." Tam asked. “ Were they responsible for the bank's wreck?" “ We need to tell the cops so they'd know it's not an ordinary bunch of goons that was- " Tam was still talking when Kofi interrupted her.

“ No... don't...we can't"

“ Don't what? Kofi are you working for them as well? What are you hiding?? You can tell me. I'll help you out of it" Tam assures as she placed her hand in his shoulder.

“ Promise me Tam...No matter what I tell you as long as it's the truth...you'd help me "

“ Cross my heart. You know I love you and I'd do anything for you" she said as she pecked him.