He stopped the vehicle on the isolated road and dashed out of the van. All dressed in his army uniform, he opened up the back of the van hood and took out a green bag in which he filled them with sheets of newspapers. There also lied the rusted box in which he quickly left a stare but locked the van hood in the end.

                                    •••

Sandra was driving the car with Martin beside her, on their way to the railway station. Martin was looking out from the window when Sandra cut off the silence and asked:

"What happened after the station incident?"

Martin glanced at her when he explained:

                                   •••

"I want the file immediately..",Martin asked over the telephone while writing something.

"Martin!",he called out.

Martin quickly left his work when he saw the chief police officer coming towards him. All the other members of the police department were all standing, with their head down in respect.

"Have you lost your mind?",the chief officer asked, red with anger. Martin bent his head down with his two hands from his back and listened quietly.

"You lost 20 million of dollars of the police money!"

"Sorry sir, but we have the serial numbers of the notes"

"Means what? Until he doesn't spend the money, we cannot trace him. Till then, we'll all be sitting idle with our hands in our pockets!",he scolded.

"And now, you want the kidnapper to do the job for you. He has made a foul out of you all. Shame on you, Martin!",he insulted.

Martin tried his best to keep his silence but in vain:

"Extremely sorry, sir but we..-"

"I'm taking over this case! Put the entire unit to trace the money back. Raise an alen in the city, sniff the money out like dogs!",he ordered.

"You have made us look like a piece of shit.."

"Extremely sorry, sir but we should have a unit at John's home. What if the kidnapper-"

"Have you seriously lost your mind, Martin?",he interrupted.

"The kidnapper has the money now. Will he call back to say thank you?",he mocked.

"Idiot!. Martin, do as you are told, got it?",he said and finally made his exit.

Martin were stewed with guilt as he watched the chief going away. All the other officers murmured among them for awhile but quickly got back to their respective work.

Martin moved up his sleeves and left out a breath. He frowned and clenched his fist when he kicked his chair out of frustration and was about to throw some files when he stopped as he saw his two colleagues coming towards him:

"What are you guys doing here? Who is at John's house?",he asked and thrown back the file on the table.

"Chief on the wireless asked us to come back..",the guy said.

"You should have waited for my order",replied Martin.

"Who's there now?"

"There is no one. We just left the recorder at his house"

"Left the recorder?",Martin grapped his keys and was making his exit when the guy asked:

"But, what happened now, sir?"

"There's a difference between a recorder and an order, idiots. What can the recorder do"?,he hissed as he walked away to his way at John' house.

                                 •••

It's already 11 p.m and John was seated on his chair. He could feel his back aching and his eyes closing by itself but he kept staying awake as he was waiting for the call when all of a sudden, he was interrupted from his thoughts by the ringing sound of the telephone. He rushed and quickly picked it up:

"Hello??"

"You shouldn't have betrayed me. You shouldn't have called the police",said the kidnapper.

"I'm..I'm sorry, but now I'll do exactly as you say..Please don't hurt Angela..",a desperate John replied while Nancy was behind, eavesdropping the entire conversation.

"Fine, I'll give you another chance",he replied. John could feel Nancy eavesdropping behind him as he turned his back and glanced at her.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!",the little girl screamed over the phone.

"Angela..Angela", the grandpa was happy hearing her voice.

"I'm sorry grandpa. It was my fault. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have taken the shortcut",she cried.

"No..no..my Angela..you didn't make any mistakes. You'll be fine...you'll be fine",John reasurred her.

"Grandpa Grandpa!"

> The kidnapper snatched the telephone from Angela and locked her inside the van <

"Are you satisfied now? I will tell you where to bring the money",the voice said.

                                 •••

> Angela helplessly sat on her knees while tearing up when out of the blue, she saw a pen suspended in a document. She grabbed it <

                                  •••

John abruptly opened the cupboard where a bunch of dollars lied.

"John! It's Peter's money. We cannot take it",said Nancy.

"This was meant for buying the property for him",she explained.

"Peter would have done the same thing if he was in my shoes",John replied as he packed up the money in the bag.

"He's abroad. There's a 12 hour time difference between here and there. He must be sleeping now. It will take time to explain everything to him, Nancy. And I don't have enough time"

"We should have explained everything to him on the first place. It's not right to keep him in the dark, John. Please, at least talk to Martin, once",Nancy begged.

"Do you see any policeman here? Do you? It's their fault. They have left us alone, we must do everything on our own, Nancy. On our own",he said and quickly left.

                                   •••

Martin drove his car when he reached infront of John's house. He dashed into the house when he called out:

"John!"

Nancy rushed to him when she said:

"Martin! The kidnapper called again. John left alone"

"Crap..",he whispered and pushed an air of disappointment.

"Wait..",he went towards the recorder and turned it on:

"I will tell you where to bring the money. As you drive out of the city, you'll come across a dirt track on your right. Drive down that path through the jungle, then you'll find a signboard that read "Jenner Street 5kms. Just wait there"

John turned off his car at the right spot.

                                   •••

"Hello?"

"Yes, Martin speaking. I've some new information. Send the team at Jenner Street"

"Sir, we have tracked the marked notes in a mobile shop at new market"

"The kidnapper is misleading you. The exchange is happening near Jenner, got it?",he explained over the phone while driving carefully.

"Sir, you please talk to out chief. He is leading the units"

Martin cut off the line and angrily thrown the phone.

                                •••

"Wear the grabage bag over your head"

John obeyed the words from the kidnapper and wore the garbage bag, desperately waiting.

The black van made it's appearance a few moments ago as he drove past the creeky car beside him, where John was sleeping on the driving wheel with the garbage bag covering his face. The kidnapper glanced and was glad that the grandpa has obeyed his words. He drove the van straight, a little away from John's car and stopped in the dark jungle of the night.

                                   •••

At the same moment, a confused Martin made his entrance in his white car and was staring at the man with the garbage bag covering his face. But by the time he could continue his way--

                                  •••

"And then?",Sandra asked.

Martin stared at her, blinked, and came back to his senses.

"I..I think we have reached",he said.