No Time!

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Fifteen minutes!

That was how much time the kidnapper had given Jake. Five of which he had wasted with the police and their ridiculous plans.

Ten minutes!

Here, his six-year-old daughter had been kidnapped twenty-four hours earlier, with her abductors just calling to demand.

"Fifteen million naira, in cash." The deep voice of the abductor had ordered during the call. "Put it in a dark blue bag and stand at the T-Junction. One of my people will take it from you."

"Okay, sir. , I will do it." He agreed, "just don't hurt my little girl please."

"You have only fifteen minutes. A second late, and I'll put a bullet into her skull."

Jake felt fear slam into his chest like a bulldozer, not for the first time since he got news of the kidnap. "I'll do as instructed I w.l get you the..."

"Involve the police and she dies also. Fifteen minutes... Tick tock..."

Unknown to the kidnappers, the police were already involved. In fact, they had been eavesdropping on the conversation. They had already been involved since Jake called them in panic, despite the kidnapper's warning. Thank God he had called them because he had nowhere to get fifteen million naira from.

"I promise you, your daughter will return home in one piece." The Inspector said, "we'll get you some marked naira notes and when you're on your way to the T-Junction, my men will be with you. But they will be undercover. I assure you, everything will be okay."

Getting everything set had cost Jake five minutes.

And now, less than nine minutes to go, he walked hurriedly towards the venue. The T-junction had been specifically picked for its proximity to Jake's residence, and also for the crowd always in that vicinity. It would be easy to make a drop unnoticed.

Five minutes!

Swinging the bag over his shoulder, Jake got to the T-junction, looking around frantically as he hoped to see his daughter.

The area was bustling with the evening traffic, the sound of horns and music filled the air, vehicles thundered to and fro, trying to race each other. He didn't see anyone.

Three minutes!

"Come on," He muttered to himself. "Show yourself please."

Just then, Jake saw a young man approaching him, a wary look on his face. He was dressed in rumpled clothes and his sandals were unpolished. He crossed the busy road. Then he stopped at the T-junction beside him.

"Give me the bag..." The man's raspy voice was cut off as he was tackled from behind, and ent flying into the tarred pavement.

Jake watched in shock as the police cuffed his only link to the kidnapper. To his daughter.

One minute!

"What did you just do?" He screamed at them in rage, didn't they know the man's boss could be watching them? He looked around for the Inspector, he was nowhere to be seen.

Thirty seconds!

Jake didn't know what to do... Before his very eyes, time went on. When the fifteen minutes lapses and the young man doesn't report, his daughter will be dead for sure.

Twenty seconds!

A loud horn sounded like a trailer load of cement barreled past them

Ten seconds!

"Please!" He prayed to no one in particular.

Five seconds!

"Do something!!!"

Four seconds...

Three...

Two...

One!

Jake's phone began to ring in his pocket. With shaky fingers, he pulled it out. Without looking at the caller ID, he picked the call.

"I have the money with me, sir. I'm at the T-junction, sir. I'll do whatever you ask, just let her go." He rambled like a possessed man.

"It's okay, Jake. Your daughter is safe with us." It was not the kidnapper's voice, but that of the Inspector. "We have arrested the kidnapper. You can talk to your daughter."

"Daddy..." That was all he heard as his legs folded underneath him and he dropped to his knees weeping softly.

"I want to come home, Daddy. I want to come home now."

The inspector took the phone from her once more, "your daughter didn't even know she had been kidnapped. The kidnapper is someone she knows. Someone you both know in fact."

"What do you mean? Who is it?"

"It will shock you." The Inspector said, "it will shock you."

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_{The End.
Thank you for reading.}