“We’ve made contact. Are you ready?” Xirsi asked.
Grabbing the tablet, Tubeec tapped against the screen several times, then handed it back to Xirsi.
Turning to face them, Tubeec made a point to look at each of them in the eyes. Stopping to her right, Tubeec straightened his shirt and swiped dust from his pants, before looking directly into the camera of the tablet.
Xirsi mouthed a countdown, and then Tubeec spoke. “Mr. Lagat, I am disappointed that we could not reach an agreement. I gave you a simple request, which you have ignored, and now your wife and two of her staff are in a very uncomfortable situation.”
Wangari stepped closer to Mena, leaning into her. Mena was grateful for the reassuring touch. A sign of solidarity. They were in this together, and they’d hopefully get out of this together soon. Mena gave Wangari a small smile, then looked over at Isaac. His expression was haunted and stoic, a sadness gripping his features.
Tubeec continued, “Mr. Lagat, there are consequences to your actions. Consequences that will forever be on your conscious. Blood that will forever be on your hands.”
Xirsi walked away from Tubeec and pointed the tablet toward Mena. She looked into the tiny round camera lens and tried to convey courage and bravery, despite the tremor in her legs. She reached her hands around her wrist to feel the charm on the bracelet Julian had given her. Willing herself to be strong, she maneuvered the rose gold loops until she could feel the heart-shaped charm between her fingertips. The guard lingered in front of her for a minute before side-stepping to stand in front of Wangari.
Repeating the same action, he allowed the camera to pause on Wangari’s tear-stained face several minutes longer.
Then he moved to Isaac. Shoulders slumped, his eyes downcast, Isaac refused to look into the camera.
A loud gunshot rang through the air.
Mena watched in horror as Isaac’s head exploded in slow motion, sending a spray of blood across her face. Blood and brain matter coated the back wall as his body fell.
Wangari stumbled backward into Mena, screaming as they toppled to the ground. Dizzy from shock, Mena couldn’t take her eyes off Isaac’s headless body. He’d been alive, and now he was gone. Her mind was blank, unable to process, or comprehend what was happening.
She focused on the words of Tubeec, growing faint as Rahim lifted her, half carrying her out of the room, away from the death and devastation.
Tubeec said, “You have eight hours to reconsider the simple request that we discussed earlier today and meet me at the location we discussed this morning. If you choose to ignore me for a second time, more blood will be shed, and you will know that another death is on your hands.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Staring into the deep brown eyes of Mena Nix, Julian’s heart almost stopped. Her thick lashes were damp with unshed tears as she looked defiantly into the camera.
Her hair was disheveled and dirt-stained the white button-down shirt she wore. The camera moved back, revealing her bound hands. Coarse, thin ropes locked her wrists together, but she could still move her fingers. He watched as she slowly turned her charm bracelet around and around until she found the heart, her fingertips holding on to the small piece.
She didn’t know he was watching, staring into her stunning eyes, prepared to move heaven and earth to get her out of Tubeec’s clutches. He wanted her to feel the full strength of his love through the camera, giving her hope until he could rescue her.
Julian was jolted from his thoughts as the camera cut away from Mena and focused on Wangari Irungu. A slow burn of yearning settled within him. He was desperate to see Mena again. Julian’s eyes drifted across the background of the room where the hostages were, searching for clues or any sign of their location. The plain walls behind them and an open entryway to the side suggested an abandoned house or compound. Tubeec was smart. Keeping the camera view tight from head to waist, ensured that the hostages’ location wouldn’t be compromised.
Tracing the video feed would give the ASF the best chance of finding the hostages. Julian could help the ASF narrow down Tubeec’s location, as long as the video feed continued for several more minutes. Julian took a step toward the IT specialists—
A gunshot reverberated through the air.
Julian stopped in his tracks, staring as Isaac’s head exploded live on camera, staining the wall with chunks of skull, brain matter, and blood. His headless form slid down, out of view. Screams and cries could be heard as the camera focused on Tubeec, issuing new instructions and a warning to Okeyo Lagat.
Honing in on the terrorist's words, Julian looked at Okeyo.
The video feed ended, leaving the room in an eerie silence.
Okeyo shook visibly, a trembling hand raised to his mouth. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I never thought so many lives would be lost …”
“We need the truth if we are going to have any chance of rescuing your wife. It would be unwise of you to withhold any information you have,” Reggie’s voice was calm, but his hands clenched in tight fists near his side.
Nodding, Okeyo stumbled across the room, slumping down into an empty chair. His head partially obscured in his hands, he said, “Do you recall a leak of highly classified documents that occurred about a year ago?”
Reggie said, “Those documents were thought to contain proof of illegal activities perpetrated by Deputy President Kipsang Rono. Your office conducted an investigation that proved inconclusive.”
“It was in my best interest to dissuade powerful forces from knowing what we’d uncovered. My office has been quietly gathering damning evidence against Rono. Evidence that will lead to an indictment on charges of election tampering, conspiracy, and murder. I have definitive proof of Rono’s involvement in organizing and funding attacks on election sites in the last presidential election,” Okeyo explained.
“Hundreds of Kenyans died in those attacks,” Reggie said.
