THE NEWS

Hussain dashed into George's office without notice mystifying George by his emergency look. He held his phone in his hands and for once he seemed troubled by something.

" Look at this! I mean look at this! Are we in trouble? " Hussain asked George as if George already knew what he was talking about. Swiping the screen , he located and zoomed the heading of a news article. 'THE FIRST DAUGHTER OF THE RETIRED HEALTH MINISTER ABDUCTED BY ANONYMOUS INDIVIDUALS.'

Under the heading, was a cute and clear photograph of a light skinned lady with flawless pitch black hair covering her ears. She wore a blue dress that was tightly fitting and blue sandles. Her face suggested that she was a medium aged woman. George did not strain to recognize her. It was the plump woman they abducted last time when Hussain sent them. He did not believe it.

He continued reading the article silently . ' JANET WINKS , a thirty seven year old daughter of the Minister was abducted on 14th evening at her home by anonymous individuals. A witness reported that she was carried away in a black van and he missed to note it's registration number. However, investigations have revealed that she was talking with an anonymous person. Investigations are ongoing to arrest the culprits and find out the reason for the kidnap. A token of Ksh 1.5M will be given to anyone who identifies the culprits or the victim.'

The news shocked the two men . Hussain glared at George with a mixture of feeling he did not understand. His eyes rolled in their sockets menacingly and George certainly realized he was getting angry. George shook terribly unsure if the fear emanated from Hussain's vicious glare at him or the news that he had just read on his phone. Hussain snorted in anger and ordered that everything should stop. " Call Bruce and Collins and right now I want to see you at Blex towers. Now off! "

George pressed the button on his computer and shat it off almost immediately after picking up the keys to the black van. He closed his office as he saw Hussain also putting everything to a stop in his office through the window just next to his office. He ran into Collins office carelessly and was shocked to find him trying to force a hug from Susan who was adamant. " Off at Blex towers right now brother!" He signaled Collins who was confused. He also ran into one of the trailer trucks in the parking lot and passed the same information to Bruce. Bruce had just arrived from Mombasa two hours ago and had decided to take a snap inside the truck. Bruce was dazed.

The Three men met in the van and sped off to Blex towers. Hussain followed them with his car by just keeping their pace. Back at the Big Blue Logistics company, the normal running had been distracted. Although the store men continued with their work, they couldn't help but get confused by the turn of events. Susan was not spared either. She wondered what has happened and why it had to be such an emergency. She thought about it. First ,they were going to Blex towers. To do what? Secondly why should it be the three men and the boss? The mysteries of it clouded her mind mercilessly.

The three men gathered in room 15 for their private talks. Hussain dropped on his sofa angrily while the other three men fixed themselves to their designated sofas also. Bruce and Collins had no idea of this meeting and only George knew about it. Hussain scanned their faces and finally broke the pin drop silence.

"The news have it that our last 'harvest' happens to be the daughter of the retired minister." Bruce looked at Collins who also returned an ignorant look about what their boss is trying to say. Bruce raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Collins face showed sings of an emotion between fear and anger. George was a little bit composed and continued listening intently to Hussain. " The purpose of this meeting is to first develop a plan to obscure any evidence of our footprints and secondly to determine a strategy suppose the first plan failed" He recounted meticulously not sure who to point a finger at this time.

" You mean we have left evidence of our work Master? " George questioned fearfully. " What are you talking N0.1? " Hussain countered pretending to not have understood George's question. "The mission was executed normally Master. I don't see a footprint there. " Contributed Bruce after he seemed to have picked the direction of the talk. " You stupid brats! Don't tell me you violated the rule." Hussain retorted .

"But master..."

"Shh! Quiet No.3. You can't tell me anything." He added now getting less control over his temper. He thought wisely for some minutes then asked. " The news say that ' the harvest' was talking to a phone. Now tell me did you come with it? Where's the phone?"

George was dumbfounded . Bruce was frightened and Collins was Shaken to no words. The men reminisced the incident. George felt the urge to blame his two friends because he was in the van that day. Bruce and Collins also found it difficult to single out someone to blame.

That day, Bruce remembered that after covering her eyes, she was still having her phone. Yes he was the one who dealt with her hands but he wasn't sure if that phone made it to the van. Collins had a similar mental picture. He saw her with the phone but never saw it again when they were in the van. One thing was evident here. They forgot the phone at the crime scene.

"Were it not for Jerome my technicians the rest of us would be at a very bad place now." He added. " No 1. did you remember our rule? No mess no...?"

"No track Master." they replied in an almost unison voice. By now at least they started letting off their breaths . Sighs of relief were heard. But they still waited for him to utter the next word. Perhaps it was the time to pronounce punishment for their failure.

"For now Jerome has done it. But I will never stand that again. Just like the previous 'harvests' I would need their phones carried with them. That clear?"

He warned sternly. "It is clear master!" They accepted fearfully.

"Now you need to be men. Real men plan ahead! So what are we going to do?" He asked them but not sure if they realized he was changing the direction of the talk. " Next thing is to be careful in the next job." Collins tried to answer cowardly.

"Stupid ! That's why I prefer talking to No.1 during this meeting!" Hussain bubbled at Collins as if Collins had spew out some obscenities. "We don't understand master. What plan are we talking about?" George intervened carefully.

"I mean what are you thinking of making sure that no evidence is found. Did you said that someone saw you during the last harvest?"

"Yes master! It was a man who saw us leaving. But we had scanned the environment before. Nothing was suspicious until the man appeared unannounced from the nearby homestead. We had not prepared for him." George explained meticulously.

"That is what I'm asking. What should we do! Don't you realize that we almost failed in this last harvest. Many blunders and bah!" He clicked loudly in anger.

"I think you should give us more ' arms '

so that we can be clearing stubborn witnesses like that man." Bruce suggested.

The idea seemed to delight Hussain and he made something that was more like a grin on his face. Bruce had opened his eyes. " Having 'arms' is a nice solution. Nothing to add on that." Hussain was very quick to understand what Bruce meant by 'arms'. He had traded in ammunition long ago and accessing some for his workers was not something he could strain. In fact he still had the contacts of the suppliers in the black market who he thought would be of help. He then adjourned the meeting in promise to secure them firearms very soon.

Back at the Big Blue, George contemplated much on both the outome and the content of the meeting. He was still puzzled by the man Hussain called Jerome. Hussain continued confusing him with his secrets and conspiracies. He now understand why almost all the women they kidnapped, had phones and why it was difficult for any information to leak should anything happened to leave such a gadget at the scene of the crime. He wondered why Hussain was very quick at accepting Bruce's idea of guns. Now he is adding two and three to what he knows. One thing he Knows is that Hussain must be a dangerous man with a lot of back up force. He wondered how many 'Jeromes' he still hides from them.

He dismissed the thoughts away and decided to concentrate on work.