SHADOW OF THE PAST

20 Tobiloba Williams

---

Femi went ahead to held her hands and assured her that the memories will come in no time, that she just had to be patient and trust God completely for it.

Femi held her hands for seconds glaring into Tomisin's eyes, as if communicating with her non-verbally that all will be well. His gaze shifted from her eyes to her warm hands. His eyes caught the mole on her left wrist, and was fixed on the mole for some seconds. He suddenly recalled that his ex-wife also had same mole on her left wrist.

He looked up to Tomisin's eyes from her wrist down to her eyes multiple times in awe.

‘What's going on?’ he questioned within himself. ‘How come?’

••• ••• ••• •••

Tobiloba Williams is one of Zara's neighbour. He is a writer, and a journalist. Tobiloba had been having a deep feelings for Diana since she started living with Zara, but he was a shy type who finds it difficult to approach a woman.

On that fateful day, when Diana was kidnapped, Tobiloba was just arriving from work and was buying a bag of pure water from a shop few blocks away from the house. As he was waiting to receive his change from the trader, his eyes caught Dennis marching Diana forward to where his car was parked. He had a strange feelings within that Dennis must be a bad guy, so he left the shop in haste telling the trader he would be back soon to receive what he had bought including his change. He abandoned his car that was parked in front of the shop where he was buying pure water, because he felt it might be too late to caught up with the suspected car. He was opportuned to see a bike that had come to drop someone off at the street. He flagged down the bike and asked the rider to put a tail on the red Muscle Camry that has drove off ahead of them few kilometers away.

••• ••• ••• •••
On his arrival to the abandoned factory by foot, because he had stopped the bike man and paid him when he noticed the car was heading towards the end of the street. He had a feelings that the suspect's destination could not be far from there again.

He had carefully followed the red Muscle Camry by foot to the abandoned factory. He hid at a corner and watched how Dennis had dragged Diana down from the car and march her into the factory, threatening her with a rifle. He carefully followed them behind and hid himself so well each time Dennis looked back scanning the quiet zone with his eyes, trying to find if anyone is watching or following them. Tobiloba had pulled out his phone which he had put on silence before his arrival at the factory, from his trousers pocket and had recorded the whole scenario secretly. But, he mistakenly hit an iron that laid on the floor with his foot, which prompted Olanrewaju and Dennis to know they weren't alone.

He fled away from his hiding place and started dialing the number of his detective friend whom he had called earlier before arriving the abandoned factory. He was expecting the Police Officers to have arrived the crime scene since he had reported hours ago. But, he felt maybe they couldn't locate the place on time.

Dennis, who had the gun with him started aiming his shot at Tobiloba as he was running for his dear life. Tobiloba was so lucky to avoid the first gunshot aimed at him.

He prayed and hoped the police officers would arrive the factory on time, because he had sent the location to his detective friend by screenshoting the Google map when he arrived the factory. He had also pleaded to him to inform the nearest Police Station ASAP, because he knew how deadly the unplanned mission would be.

Dennis released another shot at Tobiloba, this time around the bullet hit him so hard on his right ankle, causing him to trip and fell.

“Is he down?” Olanrewaju asked in a fierce and scary voice.