Chapter Twelve

Peter Elichi Cho strolled towards the conference hall, the designated venue for company parties, and saw that everything was set for the send-off celebration.

Fifteen minutes past the scheduled start time, he was exasperated by his fruitless attempts to reach Felix. Everyone who had tried calling Felix had met with the same result. Just as Peter was about to leave the hall, Zico returned from Felix's apartment, jingling the car keys.

"Sir, I found the apartment empty," Zico reported. "A neighbor said he moved out yesterday and she doesn't know where he went."

"The neighbor also said he looked worried," he added.

"He could still be mourning his father's demise," Peter Elichi Cho replied, dismissing the concern.

He told Zico he was dismissed and then called his secretary to cancel the party, instructing her to share the food and drinks among the staff.

He truly couldn't fathom Felix's behavior. He wondered if something more than his father's death was behind his sudden disappearance. Nevertheless, he decided to keep Felix's gift until he eventually reappeared.

JANE AND TIMI still showed no symptoms of COVID-19, but they rigorously adhered to the medical experts' guidelines and took their medications religiously. Separated from those who had tested positive, they wished Abdul a swift recovery from his bed in the main hall.

Day by day, Timi fell more deeply in love with Jane, envisioning a future spent entirely by her side. It felt as if they had known each other for months, despite their bond forming over just a few days of shared trouble and trials. He had never loved any woman as intensely as he loved her.

Jane had suggested more than twice that they relocate to the USA together, a proposition Timi hadn't yet decided on. It wasn't that he disliked the idea; his only concern was leaving his mother behind. He wasn't sure if his long-held boast about never living a mile away from her still held true, despite his confidence that he would do anything to make Jane his.

Ever since his father died, his mother alone had struggled to put him through university. None of his uncles, who had promised him the world after his father's passing, had ever shown up. They had all abandoned him and his mother.

Timi was engrossed in a novel while Jane listened to the radio with an earpiece. She turned to him, smiled, and pointed to her ear.

"Wizkid playing," she announced.

Timi winked, gave a thumbs-up, and returned to his reading. The novel was utterly captivating, holding his attention spellbound as he eagerly anticipated every paragraph and page. Suddenly, the sound of gunshots outside the premises broke his concentration. He listened intently, trying to identify the noise. Two more gunshots confirmed it: there was "fire on the mountain." He dropped the book, stood immediately, and Jane, who had been listening to music, removed her earpiece and asked, "What is it?"

"I heard gunshots," Timi replied, pulling on his T-shirt and slippers.

Sitting up, Jane could also hear the growing commotion outside the building.

"What could it be?" Jane panicked.

"I don't know. We need to hide somewhere first," Timi replied.

Louder sounds of commotion and more gunshots followed from outside. Timi hastily draped the bedspread over his bed, letting a large portion of it fall to the floor to conceal the space beneath the metal frame. Then, he urged Jane to slide under it and followed suit. They remained there, as silent as a pond.

Bob Lukas and four of his men were firing into the air to scatter the medical center staff and patients before executing their plan. Three of their men remained outside the compound.

The two policemen guarding Roja and Evans cocked their guns at the sound of the gunshots and pandemonium, taking positions to fend off the intruders. Each stood by one of the two doors leading to the boys' quarters passage. They could hear the cries of women from the main building.

The policeman guarding the left door peered out and saw one of the invaders, rifle in hand, with his back to him. He swiftly stepped out, fired two shots, and the man crashed face-down, dead.

Seeing one of their men shot, the other two invaders, not far from the fallen man, scattered in different directions for cover. Meanwhile, Bob Lukas, leading the intruders, had circled the building, bursting out behind the police officer who had just taken down one of his boys.

"Hi," he said, and before the policeman could turn, Lukas sprayed him with bullets at close range. Like a tree falling to a lumberjack's axe, the policeman collapsed.

The other policeman had already radioed the police department for support, and officers had been immediately dispatched to the center. While awaiting backup, he ran into the room where Roja and Evans were chained. From his hiding spot behind the door, he heard rapid footsteps approaching the room through the passage and guessed they belonged to the invaders. His weapon was cocked, ready to fire.

Suddenly, one of Bob Lukas's boys burst into the room, and the police officer's finger wasted no time pulling the trigger. Three bullets tore through the intruder's side, ripping away chunks of flesh. The shot man slumped and died.

The other intruders who had accompanied the dead man quickly backed off, staying behind the passage walls near the door. The policeman held his ground, awaiting any other attacker willing to enter the room where the kidnappers he was guarding were held. But Bob Lukas, still outside, approached the room's window. He peered in and saw the police officer standing over his dead gang member. The policeman saw Bob Lukas aiming a gun at him from outside the house, and before he could dive for cover, Lukas shot him. The policeman fell onto the body of the dead gang member, his life extinguished.

"He is down, boys! Release our guys and let's go!" Bob Lukas shouted.

At Lukas's command, the two gang members in the boys' quarters passage ran inside and, with an iron cutter, broke the handcuffs restraining Roja and Evans, freeing them from their beds.

Before leaving the room, Evans picked up the rifles of both the dead policeman and Lukas's fallen gang member. He handed one to Roja and proceeded out of the boys' quarters with Lukas's gang members and Roja.

The Isolation Center was silent when they emerged. Every patient and medical personnel had gone into hiding, Evans thought, wherever they could find cover.

Bob Lukas approached the body of his gang member on the ground. He looked around but couldn't find the rifle of the man gunned down by the policeman outside the building.

"Who took Dammy's rifle!" Lukas yelled.

His boys looked around, trying to see if any of their men outside the fence were within the deserted premises, but no one was visible.

"Terriga! Terriga! Did any of you come in here to take a rifle?" Lukas shouted to his boys stationed outside the Isolation Center compound.

"No, sir!" They all chorused.

"Who then took it! I say, who took it!" Lukas bellowed.

The two doctors peeking from behind the window curtains saw Lukas, Evans, Roja, and Bob Lukas's gang members approaching the patient ward window, and they quickly scurried back into hiding.

The doors to the main hall had been locked from inside by the doctors to protect themselves and the quarantined patients. The windows had iron burglar bars, making them impenetrable. This meant that as long as the metal doors remained locked, everyone inside was safe from external attack.

"Look for that evil boy called Abdul! He must pay for all he caused," Evans ordered.

Before Roja and the two remaining Lukas's boys could take a step to begin the search, sporadic gunshots erupted from the far side of the compound, and the two Lukas's men beside Roja fell to the ground.

With lightning speed, Evans, Lukas, and Roja scrambled for cover, firing in the direction from which the shots came. Their attacker used a metal water tank as a shield, with the concrete fence behind him.

"It must be that animal of a boy called Abdul. He must be the one who took the missing rifle. Take him down while I go for the Japanese girl and her lover boy," Evans directed, and ran off, pursued by shots from Abdul. He barely evaded the bullets from Abdul's rifle and cursed as he escaped. The exchange of gunfire continued between Abdul, Roja, and Lukas as Evans went in search of Jane and Timi.

The doctors, now bold enough, peered back through the window, observing every action of the confrontation as if watching an action movie. They recognized one of their patients engaging the criminals in a gun battle. He wore the center's uniform and his number tag. They watched in awe, impressed by his bravery.

"Why don't we leave these people and escape? Isn't that what we came here for?" Bob Lukas asked Roja as they both exchanged fire with Abdul.

"Our escape is more critical now than the revenge Evans is pursuing. Does he need a prophet to reveal this to him?" Roja replied, reinforcing Bob Lukas's point.

Evans ran into the first room of the boys' quarters. Behind the door, Maggie, the jovial nurse, another nurse, and two patients were hiding. They had concealed themselves there when the shooting started. When Evans appeared, they were terrified. Evans clutched a rifle, his face a mask of anger and ruthlessness.

"Maggie! Where is the Japanese girl and her lover?" Evans demanded.

Maggie cringed at the question and stammered.

"They, they, they are in Room 7," she replied with a shaky voice.

Evans dashed out instantly, running along the corridor, scanning the numbers on the doors. He reached Room 7 but found no one there.

"Ops!" He lamented.

Thinking the people he sought must have run to hide elsewhere, he ran out to check the other rooms. He searched them one by one, finding only unfamiliar faces. As he emerged from Room 1, where Maggie and others had hidden, he paused, clueless, wondering where Timi and Jane could be. His instincts then led him to check the common bathroom serving all the boys' quarters rooms. Therefore, he walked briskly back towards the bathroom, which was one room away from Room 7. He almost walked past the door of Room 7 when a voice blared from a megaphone amidst the continuing gunshots that had persisted since he left Roja, Bob Lukas, and Abdul slugging it out to search for Timi and Jane.

"You are all surrounded! Drop your weapons and come out with your hands on your heads!" The policeman on the megaphone warned, repeating the sentence. Jane and Timi, still hidden under the bed, could see Evans's legs.

"Damn! Bad luck!" Evans grinned where he had halted.

If only I could squeeze the life out of that animal called Abdul and the Romeo and his Juliet, he thought as he walked away.

"There is no way you can escape. Drop your weapons and come out of the Isolation Center with your hands on your heads!" The policeman on the megaphone repeated.

Evans walked out of the boys' quarters, wishing he and Roja had left the center with Lukas and his men immediately after they were freed. But unfortunately, the situation seemed irredeemable if the voice on the megaphone was to be believed. In light of this, he concluded that the game was up. He and his men had no choice but to surrender. He was the first to drop his weapon, followed by Roja and Bob Lukas. Bob Lukas and Roja emerged from their cover, placed their hands on their heads, and prepared to walk out of the Isolation Center, defeated.

Abdul peered from behind the water tank, the rifle in his hand still pointed at the three men who had dropped their weapons. Evans saw him stand up and wished he could reclaim his weapon from the ground and take his life, but he and his men had already moved away from the discarded rifles. If he attempted what he was thinking, he would be dead before he could even raise the weapon to shoot. Abdul stood and watched him and his men approach the gate.

The three men walked out of the Isolation Center with their hands on their heads, surrendering to the police, who were deployed all over the area, taking cover behind their vehicles and wielding various types of firearms.

Evans and his men encountered the bodies of two of Lukas's boys, who had been stationed outside the center, lying on the ground. The third man was handcuffed and chained to a police pickup van.

The three men were ordered to halt at the medical center gate by the police, who then called out to the medical officers on the megaphone to sanitize the criminals and cover their noses and mouths with masks before the police would approach and arrest them.

It took the medical team ten minutes to sanitize Evans and his accomplices. Once finished, they were handcuffed and bundled into the waiting pickup van, heavily guarded by the police, and whisked away.

Gallantly, Abdul dropped the rifle and stepped out from behind the water tank. He was immensely proud of himself for having single-handedly engaged Evans and his gang in the duel. All thanks to Jane, who taught him how to use a rifle. He was also glad the police team arrived in time.

Walking confidently to the main door of the Isolation Center, he gave it a heavy knock and urged the people inside to open it. When the door opened, he was met with a chorus of praises from the inmates and doctors who rushed out to congratulate him on his bravery. As they lauded him, they also recounted to the police team on the ground everything they had witnessed during the attack.

Jane and Timi emerged from their hiding place and waved at Abdul and everyone celebrating the defeat of the criminals who had invaded the center. They stood at a distance, as they were not permitted to get close to any of the inmates from the main ward due to their COVID-19 positive status.

Anyone admitted to the boys' quarters was at the Isolation Center solely for a two-week quarantine period, to ascertain if they had contracted the virus even if they had initially tested negative.

From afar, Jane and Timi recognized some familiar faces among the patients standing outside the building: the two hotel receptionists, the two soldiers who had ridden with Timi and Jane to the hospital, and the white man Timi had driven to Victoria Island from the airport. Jane felt a pang of guilt, knowing they were all at the center because of their contact with her. But when the two receptionists waved hello to her and Timi, she felt a surge of gladness. She smiled and waved back before urging Timi to return with her to their quarantine room.

It wasn't long before all the patients were instructed by the nurses and doctors to return to their respective bed spaces. The policemen who remained after Evans and the other criminals were driven away stayed to fortify the security of lives and properties at the center. They later interrogated Timi and Jane about everything they witnessed during the attack on the Isolation Center. They also took the opportunity to inform them of Evans's confession that two men in Japan masterminded Jane's abduction, and that one of them was a Felix who worked for Peter Cho.

Jane was stunned by the information and almost fainted, knowing that Felix was her father's most trusted foreign worker and closest confidant.

The interrogation with the police lasted thirty minutes, after which some of the police officers left the Center with the bodies of their colleagues and those of the criminals. The security of the place was also significantly beefed up, with four police officers assigned to guard the premises to protect the Center from further possible assaults. More CCTV cameras were installed at various spots within the complex as well.

Jane couldn't contain the information she received from the police and was eager to inform her father.

"He needs to be aware and careful of Felix," she told Timi before dialing her father's cell phone number.

"Hello, Daddy," she greeted her father, who was eager to hear from her.

"Hello, dear," he replied from his lying position on the bed. He was tired and about to sleep after a long day's work.

"There's vital information I want to tell you. Are you alone?" Jane asked.

"Yes, I'm alone, what is it?" her father replied, yawning.

"Felix was part of the kidnap. He and a 'Jonny' masterminded the abduction," she said.

"You don't mean it!" Peter Cho exclaimed.

"Yes, Dad, the Nigerian Police told us the arrested kidnappers confessed that to them."

"No wonder! Nanite kotoda! (Oh my God!) He resigned from work two days ago. And he never showed up at the send-off party held in his honor. I sent one of the drivers to check his apartment, and he found the place empty. He had moved," Peter Cho now had the full explanation for why Felix Iyanga had resigned and absconded.

"There's a lot more to tell, Papa, and I'll tell you when I come over. But let me tell you the big one," Jane looked at Timi and smiled.

"I met someone special!" she added, giggling.

"Wow! You don't mean it! Please tell me something!" Peter Cho was excited.

"Tell me more. Is he American or Japanese?" Her father added with eagerness.

"No, Papa, a Nigerian. Someone who made my trip to Nigeria worthwhile. You will like him. He's a good man, unlike your Felix," Jane giggled.

"I can't wait to meet him. Please bring him over after the lockdown. Oh! It could be earlier than that. I forgot to tell you that the government is sending a plane to airlift all Japanese who wish to leave Nigeria and Ghana in ten days. So, if he likes to come, I could talk to some friends in the government to get him included in the airlift," Peter Cho said.

Like a child given candy after a long denial, Jane couldn't hide her excitement. She couldn't wait to regain her complete freedom, and this time, with the love of her life.

"Alright, Papa, I will talk to him and let you know what he feels about it. Bye, Papa," Jane replied and ended the conversation.

Timi watched her throughout her phone call. There was a three-meter gap between his bed and hers. He watched her leave her bed, smiling, and walk towards him. She reached him and jumped on him, giving him a long, deep kiss. Timi held her and kissed her back.

"What's the good news, Madam?" Timi said, still holding her close.

"The government of Japan is sending a plane to evacuate its citizens in Nigeria and Ghana, and you're one of them," Jane laughed.

"Of course, you're not one yet, but with my dad's connections to the Japanese presidency, you could be Japanese soon. Dad is arranging for you to join the trip if you'd like. Will you go, please? Please!" she pleaded.

"That sounds great. Let's see how it goes. I think I'm in," Timi replied, kissing her forehead.

"I love you, Jane, and I can't deny it," he said.

With a blush, she winked in reply, "Me too!" her head still resting on his chest.

"This is against the rules of this center, Mr. Timi and Miss Jane," Maggie, the jovial nurse, said when she found them in each other's arms.

"We are sorry, we won't go against the rules again," Timi released Jane, who continued to giggle as she walked back to her bed space.

"There's a possibility that you'll go home soon. Therefore, exercise a little patience to play love," Maggie said, smiling.

She was loved by everyone, and her personality was naturally friendly. She possessed an aura that could calm a raging sea. It was clear she loved her job and enjoyed her profession, evident in her demeanor whenever she was on duty. And as Timi once said, it was obvious she was born to be a nurse.

The COVID-19 Isolation Centers across the country were reaching capacity, and more bed spaces were urgently needed. The government had begun constructing new centers, but with several new cases discovered daily and an alarming number of people having direct contact with carriers, urgent measures were being implemented until the new facilities were complete. One such measure was the government's plan to only admit those who tested positive into the official pandemic centers.

Those who had direct contact with carriers but had not yet tested positive were advised to self-isolate at home for fourteen days, provided they could assure the government of their adherence to established rules and instructions. The government believed this would free up existing COVID-19 Isolation Centers for new positive cases.

Timi heard the news from Maggie and opted to go home with Jane to self-isolate. Jane agreed to the idea, and they both awaited the medical crew's decision regarding their situation at the center.

It was the morning of their third day at the center. They eagerly awaited the nurse's word on whether they were cleared to leave. Timi was on the phone with his mom, who was concerned about his well-being and longed to see him, when the nurse entered. He watched her attend to Jane as usual, but this time, Jane was given some forms to fill before the routine drug administration.

"Mom, I'll call you back in a few hours; my attention is needed here. Love you," he quickly ended the conversation so he could address the nurse.

"Good morning, Maggie," he greeted the short, jovial nurse, whose name he'd learned from her name tag.

"Good morning, Mr. Timi. You'll be released to go home today. But you'll need to fill out those forms before you're discharged. Some of our team members will take you home and note your address, so we can follow up on your health status," she said.

"Good news!" Timi exclaimed, and Maggie laughed.

"At least, you and Miss Jane will have the liberty to hug and smooch," Maggie said, with a surprisingly serious expression.

Jane and Timi looked at each other and burst into laughter. What made Maggie's statement so amusing was her deadpan facial expression, as if she hadn't intended to be satirical.

She eventually joined Timi and Jane in their laughter, genuinely happy for them. She was aware they had found love in captivity, and she believed that after all they had endured, they deserved complete rest and freedom.

"Take the pills," she moved closer to Timi with his daily portion of drugs.

Turning briefly to look at Jane, all she could see written on her face was pure joy.

"Hello, Terry," Peter Cho said as he stepped out of the elevator onto his office floor, met with greetings and salutations from his workers. He responded to each greeting with a wave of his hand.

"The boy has been caught by the police in Okinawa. He's currently being flown back to Tokyo. The police chief, Kaito Riku, called to inform me moments ago," Peter Cho's friend, Terry, said.

Peter Cho didn't let him finish. "Hee! Sore wa yokatta! That's really good news. I'll call him myself when I settle down in the office. I've just arrived. Doumo Arigatou (Thank you so much)," Peter replied, pleased with the news. He put his cell phone back into his pocket and approached his office door.

Happily, Timi and Jane stepped out of the vehicle that had brought them home. Timi's apartment was on the first floor of a six-flat, two-story building. Two health center officials accompanied them. They had been at the police station with him, where he had parked his taxi since escaping the kidnappers' den. He was there to retrieve his apartment keys from the car compartment and wasn't allowed to enter the vehicle until it was sanitized and certified safe.

The four of them climbed the stairs to his door. It was an emotional moment for Timi, returning home after days of struggle in his abductors' abode.

One of his neighbors, who lived on the second floor, met him at his doorstep while descending the stairs. As if seeing a ghost, he ran back upstairs and greeted Timi as he ascended. News of Timi's abduction and suspected COVID-19 status had been widely reported. Timi saw him run back, as did the medical officials with him. They were amused by his reaction, and all broke into laughter. Internally, Timi acknowledged it might take some time before his neighbors, family, and friends would believe he never tested positive for COVID-19 and would interact with him without fear of infection. He opened the door to his veranda and entered the living room.

"This is where I live," he said from behind his face mask.

The health officials exchanged glances and then announced their intention to return to the Isolation Center.

As for Jane, she sat and surveyed the room from where she sat. The living room was modestly cute and decent.

"Do you care for a glass of wine?" Timi asked the health officials, who, instead of accepting, announced their departure.

"No, thanks. And please keep in touch if you feel strange. And make sure you take your pills for prevention as prescribed," the female health official handed a paper bag of drugs to Jane.

The health officers walked out of the living room to the veranda, and Timi followed them. He walked them to their vehicle and thanked them for their care and support while he and Jane were quarantined at the center. There were some parting words exchanged, and then their vehicle sped off.

Before Timi returned, Jane's phone rang, and she answered.

"Hello, Papa," she said.

She lay on the couch and pulled Timi back when he almost walked past her.

"Daddy, talk to my friend Timi," she said, handing him the earpieces.

"Hello, sir, good to meet you, sir!" Timi greeted Peter Cho, excited to speak with him for the first time.

"How are you, Timi? I am pleased to hear your voice," Peter Cho gulped some wine from the glass in his hand.

"Me too, sir," Timi sat beside Jane, who remained relaxed on the couch.

"How is the situation with COVID-19 in Nigeria now?" Peter Cho asked.

There was a slight break in the connection.

"What did you say, sir?" Timi asked.

"I asked about the situation of COVID-19 in Nigeria as we speak," Peter Elichi Cho repeated himself.

"Not as devastating as the rest of the world, sir. Africa is blessed with everyday sunlight, so the heat, I guess, has reduced the strength of the virus here," Timi held Jane's hand, which rested on his lap.

"That is good to know. I look forward to meeting you," Peter Cho gulped the last liquid in his wine glass.

"Me too, sir, thanks, sir," Timi responded.

"You are truly a Nigerian," Peter Cho laughed.

"Why did you say so, sir?" Timi wasn't sure what he had said to amuse his girlfriend's father.

"I have Nigerians working for me here, and you talk exactly like them. 'Sir, yes sir.' 'What did you say, sir?' 'Okay, sir.' 'I am alright, sir.' And 'I will be there soon, sir,'" Peter Cho laughed again.

"It's the culture, sir. It is our way of showing respect to an elderly person, sir," Timi explained amidst laughter.

"I know. And it's good. Thanks for taking care of Jane. She told me about you, and I can't wait to meet you. Please give the phone back to her," Peter Cho said.

"Hello, Papa, what did you say to him? He hasn't stopped smiling," Jane asked.

"Don't worry, he will tell you. He sounds intelligent, and I like that. By the way, there's good news," Peter Cho told his daughter.

"What news, Papa?" Jane asked curiously.

"Felix Iyanga has been caught, and he is in the hands of the police as we speak," Peter said.

"Sore wa subarashī kotodesu! That's really great, Papa!" Jane exclaimed.

"Yes, let me know when you are able to get a visa for your friend so that I can make arrangements for his inclusion in the airlifting. I've got to attend to something here. Talk to you later. Watashi no ai, my love."