CHAPTER 19
"Fine.....is it negotiable?"
"Why?"
"Because i wanna pay for my self and get the hell out of here! I can't continue to live like an animal anymore! This place is Despicable i could fall sick! I could even lose my job if i don't get out of this country very soon"
"Shouldn't you be more concerned about your husband and kids?" Mike desperately asked.
"I'm single and i had no kids" She said.
Hiding the relief her answer gave him, he asked. "So, what are you offering?"
"Fifteen million"
"Seventy million"
"Twenty five"
"Sixty nine"
"Thirty five" She quickly said and added. "Thirty five and that's final" She Swallowed hard. "That's almost all i have to spare or i would lose my job and probably go bankrupt and might lose my house if i can't pay the mortgage fee any longer".
He stared at her for a moment as he muse over her offer. "Fine, thirty five is it but only on the condition that your folks pay the ransom, not you"
"But that was not the deal" She cried out.
"Take it as part of my generosity. After all, i let you beat down the fee from a hundred, to thirty; a fair deal right?" He turned and started to walk away, when she quickly said.
"One more thing"
Mikel threw his head back and and groaned in frustration. "Now what?" He turning to face her yet again.
"Onome and her daughter do not have any one to raise or pay a ransom for them".
"And?"
"Maybe i pay on their behalf?" She asked.
Mikel was touched by how compassionate she was. "You don't even know this people and you are going to part with ten million naira for their sake?"
"We are like a family here and that little girl will be traumatized if she stays any longer" She replied.
"Fine, I've a word with Ahmad and he will get back to you"
"Thank you" She said.
He said nothing but turned and continued to walk away when she added. "And for rubbing my below abdomen when i had cramps"
He paused but didn't try to turn this time.
"I was aware of it all" She revealed. "Thank you"
Without replying her or turning, he walked away, turning out of view while she returned to join others in the camp who were already hungrily feasting in the cooler of food.
When Mike sat in the tree that night smoking, all he could think about was her. He couldn't get her face or the sound of her beautiful voice off his mind. She was confident and he like that even more about her. But how could he tell her that he didn't want her to have her freedom back, at least not yet? Her stay in the camp had made his life have more definition now and he couldn't explain the peace he have when ever he stared at her. If only she could understand that she was safer here with him more than she could ever be in the world.
Exhaling deeply, he decided that since he had confirmed that she is single and had no kids, he should just got ahead and make his intention known to her, even though he doesn't have to do it directly. He needed to break out of his isolation and spend more time with her so that he will get to know her better and if things worked out between them for good, fine, if they did not, fine still, he wouldn't delay her one day in the camp, in fact, for all the troubles, he was willing to forfeit her ransom and let her go.
*********************
Three Days later, he saw one of his men, Bosco, leading her to the stream to take her bath. He had had a meeting with his team with an exception of Sandra and had told the that since she was charged higher amount, she should be given certain privileges others didn't have but it should not be made obvious so that she didn't get too comfortable.
He had noticed that she had requested to take evening bath because she could totally go nude and have the stream to herself. Mikel had instructed that only Bosco was allowed to escort her for such purposes because beside Ahmad, Bosco was the second person he trusted more. Anytime Dorathy had her bath in the Stream, Bosco respects her privacy by staying behind the tree, backing her until she's done.
That evening, before the sun went down, Mikel decided to go to the stream. He couldn't resist it anymore.
"Not a good idea" Mike said and Dorathy whirled around at the sound of his voice, startled and immediately covered her hand over her chest to hide her breast from view.
Mikel gently stepped out from a large room, placing his booted foot on two boulders of an uneven size, standing akimbo with his hands on his hip. When he noticed Dorathy warily glancing around as if looking if there were any others with him. He quickly said with a smile. "Don't worry, am all alone. I dismissed the guard standing watch over you".
"How long had you been spying on me?" She asked coldly.
"Just.....a few minutes ago" He confessed.
"So, you're a pervert who doesn't understand that a women needs her privacy, uh?, to think that i almost thought highly of you before now" She gritted.
"Oh, c'mon, you had your back turned All the time, i couldn't even see your lower half under the water." He said in defense.
"Still not an excuse" She said, not convinced. Then she asked with a flustered frown. " what are you looking for a anyway?"
"Nothing. Just want you to know that you shouldn't go beyond that spot"
"Why not?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder behind her, wondering if something was lurking in the water"
"It's deeper and you could get drown"
"And what makes you think that i can't swim?" She asked.
"It's obvious, i can tell that you don't really like the water. i have seen how hesitant you were to vet into the stream several times.
"Well,I'm in it now"
"You only grew a little bit of balls, in as much as you try to mask it, you know very much you prefer to stay at the bank, beside, you are still in the shallow".
"It's been two weeks and i had no choice but to get used to this against my will. And if you'll excuse me and be a gentleman man which you are clearly not right now, I'll like to continue my bath please.
He exhaled, then lowered himself on one of the rocks, knees up and his hand resting on them, he took a small pebble and tossed it into the water not too far away from her and it skipped the surface thrice before it finally sunk with a small splash.
"What are you doing?" She gave him a puzzled look.
"What does it look like?"
He turned his head and squinted down stream. "Am sitting...and admiring the scenery".
"Did you not hear what i said earlier?, am taking my bath" she snapped.
He turned his head towards her. "Then, who is stopping you? Do go ahead"
Her friend deepen as she stared at him in disbelief. " i can't do that with you sitting there and watching over me! haven't you any decency?"
"Right now, am idle and this seems like the best place yo pass time" He said, unfazed by the tine of her voice and her angry countenance.
"You could go upstream, or down stream, why here?"
"Because this place has the perfect view of what i want" He answered, Picked a small rock and began to fiddle with it. When the intensity of her scowl wouldn't lessen, he said. "Okay..., i won't look at you, i promise. You just do your thing and pretend am not here".
"Easy for you to say?" She hissed.
"What? You want me to get naked and get into the water with you so that we can call it even?" He said.
"Don't even think about it" She quickly warned.
"Just what i thought" He said with a sly smile.
After hesitating for a while, trying to see if he will leave or not, he gave up while he remained on the boulder. Having no choice, she turned around and began to scoop up water with her arms, through it over her shoulder and arms, washing with a bar of soap she had kept in a small plastic container just below the surface.
Mikel Was watching her bath when he got a glimpse of movement from the other side of the stream, when he watched intently, he discovered it was a snake slithering through the boulder on the other side and then sliding into the stream almost steadily. Mike didn't panic. He just watched as the serpent began to slide towards Dorathy's way, maybe to just swim over to the other side.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone