THE WITNESS

Chapter 7

  Authors Note
Hello readers!  I know it took long for me to update THE WITNESS. sorry for that. Please vote and comment. If you have any ideas please tell. It is highly appreciated.

Ben had entered into his apartment and was about changing and freshening up when his phone rang. He put aside all thoughts of showering and went to answer the call. He checked and saw it was Malik.
"hello!", he said,
"hello!", his friend replied,
"what's up?",
"um....um",
"what's the matter?", concern evident in his voice,

"I need your help with something",
"okay",
"I can't say it on the phone",
"where are you now? I will come over",
I am on my way home now",
"meet me at the bar",
"okay",
He put back on his shirt and headed out to meet Malik. He opened the door, went out and locked it. Unknown to him, there were people outside watching him. Then he saw a vehicle coming towards his direction. He couldn't see the vehicle clearly because it was night.

It was dark. He only could see the headlights. He even didn't know if it was a taxi or a truck. But he decided to take his chances and started hailing it down. Then a car pulled up in front of him; the gang members vehicle. Before he could blink twice, the vehicle door opened to reveal some men with guns pointed at him. One of them ordered him into the car. He was scared. He didn't know what to do. His mind went blank for a moment.

"Get in",came the order from the gangster,
That brought him back to reality.
He looked ahead at the oncoming vehicle. It wasn't close enough for him to call out for help. He felt the gun at his back. His heart started beating frantically. He looked at the gangster. He was given a look that said ' get in or I put you down'. He got in the car reluctantly. After he got in the car, a handkerchief was placed on his face. From the scent he knew he was being drugged. Then everything went black.

***
The next morning, the cop went to Ben's house waiting for him to come out. Two hours went and he hadn't seen him. He went to the house and checked. The door was locked. He guessed it was locked from outside. He wasn't sure. He knocked the door expecting Ben to come out but there was no answer and no one coming out not even a fly. He then saw a passerby.

"would he know Ben", he asked himself,
He decided to ask anyway. He wouldn't know until he asked.
"hello sir", he said to the stranger,
The man was slightly apprehensive when he was called, probably because he didn't know the caller.
"yes how can I help you?",
Derrick didn't know how to ask him without being suspected, he decided to ask anyway,

"I am here to see my friend", he started saying, "but I think I lost my way",
he lied,
The man relaxed a bit, cause then he asked,
"what is his name?",
"he is Ben......Benjamin",
"Benjamin.....oh Ben",he said as he knew the said person, "I haven't seen him this morning but you can check him at home",
Derrick kept looking at the man without moving,

"you don't know where?", he asked,
Derrick shook his head,
Another lie,
Then the man pointed at the house behind him, Ben's house. The man was wondering how it was possible that he didn't. Then he recalled that he said he was lost. Derrick feigned ignorance and asked 'where?',
"Behind you",
Derrick looked back, then back at the man,
"where?",

"the house right behind you",
"oh! ", he said, "thank you",
He then went towards Ben's house just for show. The man was still behind him. Derrick looked back and saw the man staring at him. He knocked once then twice and gave a slight bow saying thank you. The man went on his way leaving him there.
When he had seen that the man had gone, he decided to break in.
That was a crime. He wondered what would happen if people saw him and called the police. But he was the police. So he went on trying to break in. With two set of pin, he succeeded.

He went in and searched the apartment and saw that no one was there. The place looked as if no one had been there since the previous day. Something was wrong; he knew. So he decided to call it in.

***
Detective Samuel was in the station, alone thinking about the case and how to go about it. They still didn't have any leads; significant lead. They had the video recording but it didn't show who the killer was. It only men beating the deceased up. All they had left to do was to round up the people shown in the recording. He was about calling his partner for assistance on that issue when his phone rang.

"who could it be?",he asked himself,
He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. He checked and saw that it was Derrick so he answered.
"hello Derrick? ",
"hello sir", came the reply, "there has been a new development",
"what is the matter?",
"I lost him",
"who",he asked, "don't tell me.....Ben?",

"yes",
"your job was to keep an eye on him",
"I know sir",
"then what are you telling me",he shouted at him,
"I didn't lose him actually", he began to say, "I came to his apartment today and couldn't find him anywhere",
Samuel couldn't understand what he was saying,
"you mean you haven't seen him?",
"yes sir. I even broke into his apartment - I know it's not right - but didn't find him there",

"that is strange",
"I have asked around and nobody has seen him",
His instincts told him that Ben might have been taken by the gang members but he could be wrong.
"Go to his work place and check",
"okay sir",
"and also all the places he usually goes to",
"alright sir",
Then he hung up,

"we've been able to.....", Jane was saying as she coming in but stopped halfway when she saw the look on his face.
"what is the matter? ",she asked,
"it is concerning the case",he said shrugging, "what were you saying before?",he asked with full seriousness,
"we've been able to track one of the suspects",
"that is great", he said,

Jane noticed that his mood didn't change so she asked,
"what is the problem?",
He sighed and looked at her before talking,
"remember I assigned a bodyguard to the witness?",
She nodded,
"well....the witness can't be found",

***
Ben awoke somewhere he didn't know. He couldn't know because he was blind folded. All he knew was wherever he was, it was the hide out of his abductors. He thought of shouting but he was gagged. He tried to stand up but he was tied to a chair hands behind him. So there was no escaping from there. He heard movement somewhere around him, he couldn't be sure where. He then heard a door being opened and someone walking into the room.
"hello Ben", he heard a voice say,