CHAPTER 11: LOST
The council was going to announce its decision soon. Ada's thoughts were to be kept in mind as well as the reputation of the natives. It was probable that Ada had to stay but with equal powers like the other leaders.
It was not yet decided when another issue made the news. Children had gone disappearing, especially in the west sectors.
Being not as much developed as the rest, unrest laid around here. Adana went there for a few days for inspection. Sadly, she found nothing.
Regina felt more and more worried as the children had begun disappearing a lot. But where to? Fear had followed that some wild animal had found a blind spot at the end of the stream. Rumours spread around as some calling it a leopard while others recalled seeing a mythical monster. Many investigations were sent into the jungle but found nothing. The hounds too circled around the stream helplessly.
The decision of the council arrived. It was as supposed by Ada. She was still a main member and that some traditions had to stay alive as a part of securing of the traditions.
She would have a team of four new members that would have to have her sign in all of the official duties they were ever going to accomplish. Hence, all work went under Ada's eyes before approval.
The council had begun doing its work. They were a group of competitive people who strived hard for the progress of the Naraba village.
One such man was an outsider, Shiekh Otieno. He was a remarkable man. He would usually move among the communities, easily wearing shirt and pants like an ordinary person. "I find it easier to run around in these", he would say, as he would go visit an elderly couple in the area.
"It's a social visit", he would say. "They feel very happy when I go meet them". With a huge bag of foodstuff with him, he would say, "Just some gifts one should always take with him when visiting people".
He was very kind and made sure all neighbours of the West were well looked after and no one went hungry.
Sadly, he too had issues and had never spoken about them. He had a close friend from among the natives, Omar. Omar was always by his side whenever he was out looking for people who needed assistance. Always jovial, smiling and a joke on his lips, Omar too was a humble person. They both used to teach other all the time.
Together, they had managed to raise funds and dig wells where needed. They built classrooms and madrassas as well as linked children for sponsorship for education. The West was a fearsome place. It was only due to them that no smudge ever lasted long to defame the area.
They soon made it to Grandpa's education council as they had been doing the greatest number of works people could ever imagine. Grandpa appreciated Sheikh Otieno's mind and his policies.
Sadly, the disappearings continued and one day, Regina thought of visiting the place herself. She went to Andrew if he could come along and help her. This would make her feel John was always around. Ada could not be disturbed from her official dealings. Andrew agreed to help.
They set out with their belongings and reached the western sector at the time of sunset. They would have to begin the investigations from tomorrow onwards. They did realize that as sunset had arrived, majority of the people had made it to their cottages and huts. Almost no one could be seen outside.
It was surprising that Otieno's sector had kept inside so much fear. Regina was shocked as she and Andrew entered the tents that had been prepared for them.
In the morning, they opened their eyes to see Sheikh Otieno had arrived and had come with a breakfast prepared for them. His hospitality was of a lovingly remarkable nature. Regina felt the immense love as people had begun to believe in her struggle. Their people would soon give up materialism and greed. She had hope that things were finally taking a spiritual turn towards healing.
After the breakfast, Otieno left for official duties. Regina stayed behind and wandered all day in the area, visiting families. The people truly were of an odd nature. Regina had not imagined her dream of spiritual healing inside people would be accomplished so wholeheartedly. Why would God punish such people for being so extravagantly nice and loving, thought she as children of small ages ran around her in circles.
Regina had to help these people. She and Andrew began their search looking for clues. They searched far and wide. They tried venturing deep into the forest but found nothing. They stayed in wait at the stream but no beast arrived. Once Regina stayed awake all night, with her head dozing but still looking straight towards the point of entry at the stream. She still found nothing.
Days were passing by. They still had not found any clue. The only clue that they had found was that Sheikh Otieno used to go for a walk at sunset into the wild. It was strange but come on, it was Otieno, thought Regina. Poor guy must be thoroughly tired of his official duties and needed fresh air. However, the disappearings remained constant.
It was until one day, Regina came up with a bold step. "If I can not see a child being taken away, then I will have to become one", said Regina. After sunset, she wore a colourful dress like a playing girl and stayed as the bait in wait. She wore a tracking device in her necklace. Andrew kept an eye close on her, hidden in a dense bush. She sat with a ball like any normal child would.
In the distance, Sheikh Otieno arrived. He had with him two guards for keeping him safe.
Regina noticed the blind spot. These were the guards on patrol that day at the point of the stream. Where was Otieno taking them. For whom was the spot created? She lay like a child on the ground.
It had gotten darker. Suddenly, the air began to grow denser. It had a stupefying aura. It was gas. Someone was about to fish her. Andrew saw two men coming from amongst the trees as his artificial eye's heat vision showed them in the dark. The men came near to Regina and picked her up. She had fainted.
The air was quite heavy, thought Andrew as he too lost consciousness.
Regina woke up and saw everything was dark. She had been blindfolded. She heard the screeches of tyres. She was being taken somewhere. It was a kidnapping!
The vehicle went from thumps and bumps to suddenly a plain road. It was a smooth road of some city, thought Regina. Where were they taking her? She just hoped Andrew had not lost her signal and had followed them through.
Andrew woke up dazed. A fear ran through him as Regina was missing. He reached for his radar in his pocket. Regina had gone by kilometres far away. Luckily, her tracing device blinked. Andrew at once got up and ran towards his car.
Before leaving, he saw Shiekh Otieno return back with the guards. The smell had gone by now. Andrew quickly started the car and made it after the radar's map. He hoped nothing bad had happened to Regina.
The vehicle had stopped. Regina heard the voice of the shutter go up as two men entered.
"What? Is this the girl that you have brought today?".
"Yes, sire. It was a hard catch".
The man slapped him saying, "What have you done? It is that girl who is fighting up for new Naraba. She can be troubling for us. Get rid of her body, right now!". The man went away in anger, "Throw her to the wild animals".
Regina felt her heartbeat increase as the shutter went down and the vehicle started again to leave for a new place.
Andrew had gotten nearer as the path lead him out into the old city of Naraba. It was a disaster. All the lights had gone. The city was given up to nature to reincarnate and so nature had. The abandoned city had become a new nurturing forest.
As he was about to close in on Regina, her mark on the radar began to move. Andrew silently followed. He came to a point where her point stopped. Stealthily, he made up to that point. Regina was laying flat on the ground. She had been thrown away from the running truck and left for wild animals to feed on.
Andrew quickly stopped the car and got her up into it. He opened her blindfold as Regina happily breathed for air. She had been saved.
In the dark, they dimmed their headlights off and silently went again to the location Regina's tracker had first been located. It was a compound facility. Lights had been lit around and guards patrolled on the street.
They were an easy shot. They had to bring reinforcements. They had to go back to the village and inform everyone. Andrew sped up the car towards the forest as Regina had found the facility where the children were probably kept. They just hoped they were not late for anybody.
"What sort of story is that?", asked Adana. "Trust me, I have been kidnapped to it", replied Regina. "Andrew was the one who made it in time and saved me. Or else, I was for sure a dinner for some beasts".
Ada looked at her and comforted her, "It is such a relief that you are saved. Adana, if what she is saying is true, we must hurry to bring the other kids", said Ada.
Adana went out of the tent to assemble her men. They had to wake up one of the Elders. He pointed towards a man who was a driver of one of the buses that had been bringing the government's aid.
He was brought forth and told about this secret mission. Adana took a score soldiers with her on to the bus as Andrew lead the way with Regina.

© unexpressed