"I heard nothing!" He needs to get his ears checked, and why is he looking at me like I'm insane or something.
"Adeemah!!!" She called again, she sound closed by, really close.
"Don't tell me you didn't hear that," I sent a glare in his way "Bel!!!", I called out to her " Bel where are you?? Bel!! Bel!!"
"I definitely did."
"What a nice tiger you've got there." One of the guys said, eyeing the tiger.
"Yeah, its a big one, isn't it?" In all honesty, this is the first time in my life I'm seeing a real life tiger in all my life.
"Yes, its huge." Of course it is, it's a fully grown tiger dimwit.
"Did you happen to see a little girl swimming around in the waters?" Jeff asked warily.
"Actually yes, yes we did."
"They have her, I know they do." I whispered to Jeff.
"Can we see her? Maybe she is the one we are looking for."
"Sure." He motioned for one of his guys to bring Bel, he brought her, her hands were tied behind her and her mouth was gagged, o my!
"Bel!!", my eyes teared up, a huge feeling of relief washed over my chest, it's really good to see her again " she is ours, send her here please." Bel said something but I couldn't make out what it was because of the gag over her mouth.
"Of course but on one condition." He had a ugly smug on his face I wish I could wipe off.
"What?! Just give me back the girl." I don't have time for these stupid games.
"Why do you want her? She is not yours now is she?"
"Yes she is, she is my daughter."
"Really?"
"Yes." I swallowed a lump that formed in my throat, she isn't my daughter but I'm her guardian so in a twisted way she is.
"So how come we found her drowning without anyone nearby?"
"Our boat turned over during the storm and the water washed her far from us."
"And you want me to believe that little story, why?"
"Because it's true, now give her back!!"
"You are yet to hear our condition."
"What is your condition?" Jeff asked calmly.
"Yo—"
"Shh," He cut me off "what is your condition?" He asked them again. I can't believe he is about to play the little game they are playing, well as long as he brings back my Bel.
"Don't shush me!" I mumbled.
"Give us the tiger and we'll give you the girl." He demanded.
"Okay," I agreed almost immediately "come take it."
"No!", Jeff disagreed " we are not giving you the tiger."
"What!! Are you insane?" He us definitely crazy, it's a simple offer, Bel for the tiger.
"We do not know why they want the tiger but for some reason they do, so don't you think it's because the tiger is valuable." He whispered.
"So what if it is valuable to them? Bel is valuable to us and I want her back."
"You will get Bel back, leave it to me." He is trying to do nothing but complicate this matter, just give them the damn tiger.
"Why do you want the tiger?" Jeff asked, like that matters, who cares why they want it just give them the damn thing.
The tiger is currently sitting at a corner without a care in the world.
"Why do you want the girl?" The stupid guy retorted.
"Because she is ours."
"You can have her after you give us the tiger."
"You can't have the tiger."
"Okay." He simply said.
"Okay?" I asked surprised.
"Yes, if we can't have the tiger then you can't have the girl either."
"What??!!!", I yelled " you can't be serious."
"Let down the sail, let's roll."
"Wait!! Wait...." Jeff said. He better knows what he is doing if not I'll kill him.
"We'll give you the tiger."
"Now you're talking." They pushed a plank towards our boat and it landed on the edge of our boat, they walked over to us on it, bringing a weird kind of gun, a kind of mat and Bel.
"What's the gun for?" Jeff asked in concern.
"This one is a tranquilizer gun, we'll use it on the tiger, and this other one...." he pulled out a gun from behind his pants "is for if you decide to be smart." He held up the gun.
"We won't try to be smart."
"Just in case you change your mind," he smiled at me, ew "tranquilize the thing." He ordered and the guy holding the tranquilizer gun shot the tiger, it let out a loud growl that caused us all to move back.
"Now pass the girl." Jeff ordered. They did so, they passes her to me and pointed the gun at us.
"Don't move an inch." They put the tiger on the mat and carried him to their boat while the other guy kept the gun on us just so we won't try anything.
The tiger was safely on their boat and the guy holding the gun also walked back to the boat, they withdrew the plank and was out of our sight in no time.
"Damn it!!" Jeff exclaimed slamming his fist on the boat.
"What?" I asked as I began to untie Bel's hands.
"That tiger could have been valuable to us too."
"In what way?" I removed the gag over her mouth after that and examined her for any injuries.
"I don't know, in any way."
"You're not serious."
"Ugh." He went to sulk in a corner.
"Are you alright dear?" I asked in concern, she had no bruises.
"Yes."
"Did they touch you or hurt you?" Its not beyond them to violate a little girl.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," I sigh in relief "I missed you." She said.
"I missed you too." I pulled her in for a bear hug.
"Can we start going now? Its almost night fall."
"Sure." He said. I let down the sail and we were on our way again, I sat Bel down, her dolls are gone, she has nothing to do anymore, from the corner of my eyes, I saw Jeff take one of my shirts.
"What are you doing?!"
"I need to rewrap my wound, this shirt is perfect for it."
"You won't use my shirt t—"
"Please." He begged.
"Fine."
"Come help me please." I walked over to him and help him redress his wound. I removed the former clothe that was tied over it gently and tied it with my clean dry shirt.
"Ugh." He groaned in pain.
"Sorry, better?"
"Yes, thank you."
"You need real medical attention."
"I'll get that once we reach land."
"Okay." I removed my clothes from the rope as they are dried already and folded them back inside my box, it was also dried.
"We are almost there, I can see Niger's coastline from here."
"About time."
"I'm hungry." Bel said.
"We are almost home okay, once we reach land I'll get you something to eat."
"Okay." That reminded me of the money I dried, I went to where I dried them, packed them together, they were dried already and kept them in my purse which was also dried.
Three hours later.
"We are here." Finally, Bel and I got down from the boat.
"See you next time." Jeff said.
"Aren't you coming?" I asked confused.
"No, I'm going back."
"But you said you'll get medical attention once we get back on land."
"Yeah, I meant California."
"Oh."
"Yeah, the car you are to enter is down the road, you can't miss it, you'll know it once you see it."
"Okay." Bel and I with my things started walking down the road.
"I'm really hungry."
"I'm sorry sweetie." We kept walking but I eventually had to carry her, her legs were tired.
We reached the car afterwards, I just knew it was the car, but I don't know how I knew, we got in and drove off.
I turned on the GPS location to guide us back to Nigeria, the car had a full tank but I don't think it can take us all the way to Abuja, I don't know where I can find food for my sweet little Bel.
There are usually a place where we can buy snacks in petrol stations so I'll get something there.
"Bel?"
"Hmm." She answered weakly.
"You'll have to hang on a bit okay, why don't you take a nap first?"
"Okay." I used the car charger to charge my phone, it's past 8:00pm now, we'll later need to stop driving, we can't drive all through the night.
Seven hours later.
I can't keep driving non stop, I'm tired and hungry, I googled the nearest petrol station and went there, they were still open luckily, it's 3:00am in the morning now.
I took some money from my bag and walked to the shop in it "Hi." I greeted as I walked in, the woman there just ignored me.
I grabbed some oreos, chips, juice, water and other eatables, I went to the cashier and paid, I left there and was on our way again.
A couple minutes later, I stopped and took some rest after eating a couple oreos and drinking an orange juice.
Two days later.
We are at the outskirt of Abuja, this could be equivalent to a road trip, we'll reach home in a couple hours, I spoke to my parents yesterday filling them on all that happened including Bel and asked them to tell Dinela and Alero also, my phone rang, it was my mom.
"So when will you be here?"
"In a couple hours, about five hours."
"Okay, drive safely."
"Bye."
"Take care."