Ken was in a somber mode.
Hearing his father's sobs on the phone shattered something deep inside him. It was the first time he had ever heard the man cry.
His father, the unwavering pillar of strength in their family, reduced to tears.
That sound echoed in his head long after the call ended.
They couldn't afford the ransom. Even if they sold everything they owned, it wouldn't be enough.
As he was led back to the holding room, he observed the building more closely. It looked like an abandoned warehouse from the 90s; dilapidated, rust-stained, and isolated.
He counted two doors that remained securely locked, with a single main entrance. Outside, about seven armed men loitered, laughing and exchanging stories. Two more stood guard outside the door of the hostage room.
There was no obvious way out, but he knew he had to come up with a plan.
Inside the room, the other captives immediately turned to him, desperate for answers.
"How did it go?" Jessica asked.
"What did your parents say?" Someone else chimed in.
"What happened?"
"How much was demanded?"
He raised his hands. "Okay, okay, please. I'm not in the mood to talk right now".
Tears welled in his eyes, and despite his strong desire to hold it in, he broke down. The emotional weight, the sound of his father crying, the growing sense of hopelessness was too much.
There was no light at the end of this tunnel.
Then the door burst open, and Captain Scar stepped in.
"Where did we stop?" The man said, scanning the room. "Alright, next person. You".
He pointed at a teenage boy seated in the corner.
"M-my name is William," the boy stammered, standing up slowly. "William, sir".
"Good. Do you have any family or relatives?"
"Yes sir. My mum".
"Perfect. Give me her number".
"I… I don't know it," William whispered, panic creeping into his voice. "I can't remember it".
Captain Scar narrowed his eyes. "You don't know your own mother's number? You trying to be smart with me?"
"I swear, sir! I lost my phone during the ambush, I can't remember it!"
With a slow, measured motion, Captain Scar pulled out a G18 pistol and raised it to William's chest.
The room froze.
"For the last time," he said coldly. "What is your mother's phone number?"
"I don't know it!" William cried, trembling as tears streamed down his face. "Please sir, please… don't kill me!"
"You're useless to me then," Scar said flatly. "Give my regards to your family when you get to heaven".
He pulled the trigger.
Bam!
The bullet tore into William's chest and the boy dropped instantly, blood pooling beneath him.
Screams erupted from every corner of the room. Panic, despair, and raw horror gripped the captives. The brutal execution had shattered whatever remnants of hope they had been clinging to.
"Shut up!" Scar barked. "Not another sound!"
He turned to his men. "Pack the body and clean this mess up. I don't want blood staining my floors".
The silence that followed was suffocating. Reality had never been clearer; death was not just a threat, it was a certainty if things went wrong.
Captain Scar looked around, an eerie grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Anyone else here who doesn't know a relative's number?" He asked, voice laced with mockery.
No one answered.
"Good," he said with a nod. "You. Come".
He pointed to a young woman, who stood slowly, her face etched with fear.
One by one, the new inmates were summoned into Captain Scar's room to call their relatives and demand ransoms. Each return was met with growing dread.
When the last person returned, Ken felt an urgent need to pee.
I'm pressed. I need to use the toilet," he told one of the guards.
They exchanged glances before one of them jerked his head. "Lead the way. And don't try anything stupid, or I'll blow your brains out".
He stepped outside, two armed men flanking him. It was his first real look at the environment since they were brought in under the cover of darkness.
The compound was surrounded by bush paths and bordered by a narrow road barely wide enough for a vehicle. Parked nearby were several trucks, and he realized this wasn't just a hideout, it was the kidnappers' main base.
But something was off. The group of men who had been chatting outside earlier were gone.
Where had they gone?
As he turned his head slightly to look around, one of the guards struck him on the back of the head.
"Face front! You dey scan everywhere?" The man growled.
"Sorry, sir!" He muttered, rubbing his head.
He relieved himself in the bush while the two men stood watch, eyes locked on him. Just as began walking back to the warehouse, the rumble of engines approached. The missing men were returning, alighting from one of the trucks.
Where had they gone?
Back in the room, Ken waited for nightfall before speaking up.
"I noticed something," he said, drawing everyone's attention. "Earlier, there were about seven to ten armed men outside. But when I went to pee, they were gone. Then I saw them returning in trucks".
One of the older inmates, a woman, nodded. "Yes. I've noticed the same thing. Around 6pm, they usually leave in those trucks".
"They come back about an hour later".
"It's true," another older man added. "I overheard one of them say they go to eat in a nearby village".
Jessica leaned in. "Could this be our chance?"
Ken nodded. "We need a plan. If they leave every evening, there's a window, maybe an hour".
"This is an important discovery," the older man said. "Everyone, think of a plan tonight. Time is not on our side".
As night gave way to morning, a flicker of hope sparked in the room.
But just after sunrise, the door creaked open again. Captain Scar entered, followed by his men.
"I have good news for you, Mr. Justin," he said, pointing to the elderly man in the corner; Baba J.
"Your family was able to raise the ten million naira ransom," he said with a wicked smile. "You're a free man. My boys will blindfold you and take you to the drop-off point. Congratulations".
He turned and left.
Baba J stood slowly, his face a mix of disbelief and relief. As he bid farewell to the others, there was a wave of bittersweet emotion in the room; joy for his escape, as well as sorrow for their own grim fate.
Baba J had escaped death yet again.
He was truly the lucky one.