THE NEXT TWO DAYS

Part Three

    
      CHAPTER THREE

  All thoughts about her safety vanished with Jason’s statement.
“What do you mean we are being followed?” she asked also coming out of the car.
She immediately went to stand very close to Jason.
“Get back in now and put on your seat belt” Jason said in that kind of voice she always obeyed.
Jason had started the car before she closed the front seat door and the car was already in motion before she could belt up. Jason was on top speed by the time she finished belting up.
“Jason slow down. You are running one hundred and eighty.”
“There is a car I’ve been seeing since we got to Ring Road and that car is on our route now.”
“But it’s dark how can you tell it’s the same car?”
“By the headlights, pattern and the way the car is being driven.”
“Jason I’m scared” she said not sure if the fact that Jason might crash the car or their followers might get to them was what was scaring her.
“Listen to what I’m going to say. Our lives depend on it. Right now I’ve lost them but they will soon meet up. When I bring this car to a halt, you and I are going to jump down and you are going to run after me. Don’t stop till I stop.”
There was silence. She was gripping wherever permitted her hand to grip. The car must be flying…
“Cynthia, did you hear what I just said?” Jason shouted
  She immediately understood the seriousness of their situation. Jason never called her Cynthia except when he was angry, no mad at her and that rarely happened.
“I heard you. Do I even have a choice? I don’t even know why you are angry. I’m the one that should be angry.”
She was not expecting any response from Jason so she was not surprise when he did not answer but increased the speed of the car making her wonder why a car should have the ability to run that fast.
About a minute later, Jason slowed down, then brought the car to a halt. It was better than last time. Before she was out of the car Jason had already opened the back seat, taken out a very big back bag and her laptop bag. Just when she closed the door and was about to ask where they were running to, the car was back in motion. For a second she almost believed Jason had abandoned her. But she saw Jason opposite her controlling the car with a remote. Before she could comprehend what he was actually doing to their only means of transportation, Jason was by her side.
“Run” he said already running towards the direction of a bush. The only thing that made her follow him immediately was trust. She knew Jason would never hurt her and if he said they should enter the bush, there might be a secret passage to a secret house. 
           The night was almost pitch black, except for the half-moon light which looked like it was being forced to shine. She could barely see Jason. She was following Jason with her auditory organ. The bush was not that thick. From the way the path was a little clear, it could be a farm land, probably a cassava farm. Jason ran and she followed. This continued for a while before Jason stopped at a tree. She was on the ground immediately, panting vigorously. She just ran a race that would be difficult for Blessing Okagbare to beat. Jason held her from behind. He gently pulled her to his chest. He was on a sitting position and it looked like he was resting his back on the tree.
“Cindy I’m sorry. If I had known that you will be involved in this I would have rejected the assignment” he said after a long silence.
She was now breathing normal. She was silent for a while. She just allowed herself to feel that sense of safety she always felt around Jason.
“And I was never angry with you. You are in danger because of me. That’s why I’m upset” he continued.
“I believe you” she said after thinking of how to respond.
“I need to set camp because it’s going to be a long night” Jason said standing up and raising her along with him.
   “So there is no secret passage to a secret house?” she asked.
Jason did not reply but she swore he smiled at what she said. It might be funny to him but not to her. She had never walked through a bush path in daylight, but thanks to Jason she was in a bush she did not know and about to camp in whatever Jason was about to set. Jason moved a bit further from the tree. She immediately followed Jason’s movement, the closer the better.
“Here, wear this” Jason said giving her a spectacle.
Everywhere was looking blue after wearing the spectacle. But she could now see Jason and what he was doing. Jason was wearing one too. He measured a distance with his leg, dug a hole and repeated the action three times. Next he filled the holes with short poles that were at different locations at the end of a big bag after which he covered the hole. He inserted something that looked like a pump into a hole in the bag, he started turning the pump and the bag started swelling up. Within two minutes, Jason’s camp house was ready. Jason unzipped one side of the bag and signaled for her to enter.
“After you” she replied Jason’s signal.
Jason did not enter immediately. He brought out something from the big back bag. It was a toy bird but it looked real. Her idea of it being a toy bird lasted a few seconds when the bird started flying after Jason had pressed a button in another device he was wearing.
“What is that?”
“This is my eye and it’s also a sound detector. I need to know what is going on around me” Jason replied inserting something into his left ear. That was the first time Jason’s answer did not confuse her for the past one hour. But that did not mean the device and the fact that Jason, a Nigerian had a device like that did not confuse her. The spectacle she was currently wearing was no exception, then the car…
“Wait Jason, the car. Is it still in motion? Are they still chasing us?”
“No” Jason answered.
“Just no? Can you please explain?”
Jason did not answer. He brought out a bag from the big bag, picked up her laptop bag from the ground, bent down and crawled inside his tent. That pissed her off. She followed angrily. It was as if Jason knew she would follow because he zipped up the tent as soon as her whole body was inside.
“Jason you have not answered my quest…..”
It happened so fast. She was on her knees facing Jason but within seconds, she was spun back to the way she was sitting down under the tree, her back resting on Jason’s chest, her head touching his neck.
“Like I said the less you know the better” Jason said with a tone of finality.
She would have argued with him and gotten all the answers she wanted but she felt exhausted the moment her back touched Jason’s body. She decided to play along. She would get all the answers she wanted very soon. She relaxed her body as Jason rested his jaw on her head. She closed her eyes and used her ear to observe her environment. She could hear the hooting of an owl, the craw craw sounds of frogs indicating a gallop of water was nearby, she could also hear the whistling of crickets. She felt chilly and pushed herself closer to Jason who responded by holding her closer. Luckily for her, she was still moody and had not yet worn her night gown before the invaders entered her room. She would have been frozen by now. Jason released his hold on her to open her laptop bag. He came out with her sweater and helped her to wear it.  His hands went back to holding her. This time around she was not relaxed. Even when she tried closing her eyes to sleep, she could not. She could no longer keep the secret she discovered. She could not tell Jason before now because she was worried Jason might not even be aware. But since the night was already unusual she decided to take her chance. She breathed in, counted one to ten before opening her mouth.
“Jason I know the secret, I’ve discovered the truth…” she paused hoping Jason would respond.
“How long have you known?” Jason asked after about two minutes.
She heaved a sigh of relief.
“About eight months now. I was arranging Mum’s things after the burial when I stumbled upon her diary of twenty years ago. She wrote about my father and my real mother.”
“How long have you known?” she asked after Jason did not say anything.
“Since you were sixteen” he answered her this time.
That made her pull away.  Jason did not hold her back.
“You knew about this for four years and you never told me. Nobody told me. Why Jason.”  Jason was silent but she needed him to talk.
For the past two years she had been thinking something was wrong with her. A year ago, she had confessed to her priest in school that she had feelings for her brother and had gone through series of counseling. She had been a little relieved of her guilt when she discovered that Jason was not her brother eight months ago. She had believed he wouldn't be aware or maybe would have discovered the secret after the accident. But now, she was getting to know Jason had been aware all this time….
“Cindy…”
“Don’t touch me. You have no idea the…..”
Once again she was interrupted mid-sentence when Jason covered her mouth with his hand.
“Ssssh Cindy, something is very wrong. We have people coming straight at us. I can hear them. They know where we are and they are close” Jason said releasing her.
“Tracker. They are tracking us” he continued.
“But how?” she asked with a shaky voice.
“Did they have any contact with you?” she shook her head.
“Wait…..your phone. Give me your phone.”
Jason took her phone, removed the phone pouch and there inside the pouch was a tiny red blinking device.
“Oh my God Jason. What do we do?” She said already hyperventilating.
“You do nothing Cindy. I fight” he said bringing out weapons from his bag.