Eddy returned an hour later to drive Runo and Dele to the school. Class was not in session and the principal, some of the school officials, along with Pastor Goodwill and other ministers, were in the church hall. Prayer could be heard from the small conference room.
Runo spoke with two uniformed police officers for a while and then joined Dele and Eddy, where they stood waiting for further instructions.
“The kidnappers don’t want anyone here when they bring Shakira,” she said. “If they see any of us, they will detonate the bomb on her.”
Dele groaned. “This is so unfair. These criminals.”
“They promise they will not harm her if we obey. The money will be dropped under the window thirty minutes before she arrives, by which time the school and church should be deserted. We can come for Shakira thirty minutes after she gives them the money.”
Dele’s heart pounded. “We have to do as they say. Please.”
“We don’t have much of a choice,” Runo muttered. “Everyone needs to stay calm.” She started to walk away, but Dele called her. She arched an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Joshua. He did it?”
Runo stole a glance at Eddy. “We don’t compromise an operation. And no one is a sacred cow where I work.” She moved to where Pastor Goodwill stood with his ministers.
Dele watched her go and wondered where he stood with her. From the first time she served as Shakira’s housekeeper, there had been a silent animosity between her and Joshua.
Eddy blew his breath through his mouth. “One has to be careful around this lady.”
Veronica approached the men, her fingers entwined. “I thought I should invite you to the prayers. We’ve been told we all have to leave by ten in the night.” She shrugged. “We can pray till then.”
Dele sucked in his breath. Ten! Another twelve hours or thereabout? He had never joined any prayers for more than thirty minutes.
“Huh, I may join later, but I believe I should stick around till the plans are finalized.”
“Okay, sir.” She pointed toward the end of the hall. “We are in the conference room.”
“Okay.”
She left as the two uniformed policemen welcomed two of their colleagues who had CCTV gadgets. The four entered Pastor Goodwill’s office behind the altar area.
“They want to fix cameras, though I don’t see the use. Those people are not coming anywhere close to this place. They will strap a bomb to her and remote-control it.”
Dele sighed. “I wonder what she must feel, knowing she could be blown to pieces at a madman’s whim.”
Eddy shrugged. “We see it every day. Some survive.”
“What do you mean some survive?”
“It’s our job, bro. Just pray someone doesn’t panic.”
Dele shuddered. He may not be important to anyone, but at least his life was safe back in Lagos. His home, or where he squatted with his sisters and referred to as home, was safe and secure. He didn’t eat as well as now, but he got a meal a day most days. Maybe he had wanted too much, but now he appreciated the little he’d had.
“Panic?”
“Yeah.” Eddy blinked. “The person with the remote. May see the money and get all excited. Boom! And Shakira is gone.” He sighed. “She too may detonate herself if she panics.”
Dele couldn’t hear anymore. “I think I’ll join the prayer team. Let me know when you need me.”
Eddy mumbled, “Sure.”
Dele hurried off. Now he had prayer points for the team. Eddy was right. As fidgety as he was now, he could press a wrong button and blow the building up. He wiped the sweat from his palms onto his new chinos pants.
This party would soon be over, and he would go back home. He decided on two things: if Shakira came out alive and well, he would turn his life around, serve God from the bottom of his heart, and get a proper job, any honest job. This experience had gone on longer than he envisaged.
He met ten people in the prayer team. To Dele’s consternation, the leader handed over the coordination to him as soon as he stepped in. If Veronica had been right, this would go on for another twelve or so hours. He didn’t know what to do.
When the room got quiet, and the members waited on him, he said with a hoarse voice, “Let’s pray no one will panic.”
The people stared, unable to understand the request.
“You see, these kidnappers do not have the Spirit of God, and they may panic, do something wrong. They may get excited and shoot, or like I said, out of confusion fire or detonate the bomb. Anything you can think of may happen and everything goes wrong.” He trembled. “We may all be dead by tomorrow morning if these evil people go on a rampage. Most important is the life of my dear wife.” He fought tears. “Pray nothing will happen to her.”
He wept while fervent prayers commenced.
A heaviness overwhelmed him, and he knew he couldn’t deceive anyone but himself anymore. Light entered his heart, and he fell on his knees, crying and seeking for God’s mercy and forgiveness.
“I am nothing. I am a liar and a thief, and I have not done anything to deserve Your mercy! Help me. Forgive me. I am sorry!”
The intercessors surrounded him and laid their hands on him. He couldn’t lead any longer beyond what he had. The supplication got more intense. The men and women mentioned his name and Shakira’s intermittently. They called on the Almighty to intervene and save with His mighty hand.
Dele knew something more had happened to him. His time to come clean was here. It didn’t matter if Shakira returned or not. His salvation wasn’t based on her rescue, it was now. He trusted God for her smooth release and the capture of the evil people behind it, but he wasn’t going back to Lagos to his old ways.
He stood amidst the raised voices and shouted, “Praise Him! He has done great things. He has set me free. He has set us free. I see freedom!”
Everyone in the room screamed with delight. They clapped and thanked their Maker, lifting holy hands up in the air. Tears streamed down many of their faces. Dele doubted they understood his cry of joy. He hadn’t seen any visions of deliverance as they might assume. His soul had been set free, and they never would guess.