Chapter 98: Nina


    A Month Later


    I sat in front of the television in the sitting room but I wasn''t really seeing anything. I couldn''t stop


    thinking about my kids ever since we found out that Deborah took them. I couldn''t help being worried


    about them. Is Deborah taking care of them? Have they eaten?


    A lot of things are going through my mind but there''s no one to talk to. Michael had been busy these


    days, especially after he found out that Deborah had tricked him.


    He couldn''t stop ming himself for not being vignt and I couldn''t add to his self-loathing by telling


    him about the calls I''ve been receiving and that from Deborah.


    I could still remember herst call which was a few weeks ago after we came back from the hospital.


    I had looked at the strange number scared because I knew it was from Deborah even before I picked it


    up.


    Her cold voice had called to me from the other side of the phone“ Nina. I need you to walk away from


    anyone present in the room. I want to talk to you in private” I had heard her say to me just as I nodded


    forcing back the tears from my eyes.


    I had stepped away from Michael, Lillian, Danny,and Inspector Peller who were having a meeting in our


    sitting room on how to catch Deborah with the excuse to ease myself.


    Immediately I got to the room, I ced the phone back in my ear and listened to her further


    instructions“ I am in the room now, Deborah. Can I talk to my kids?”


    “ Don''t you dare tell me what to do? I''m the boss here” She had shouted at me from across the phone. I


    couldn''t help the tears that streamed down my face especially after hearing my babies'' voices in the


    background screaming my name.


    “ I''m sorry, please can I at least talk to them. I promise I''ll do anything you ask of me, please just don''t


    hurt my babies. They are my life” I had pleaded at her but all my pleas had fallen on deaf ears as the


    only instructions she had given me after that was___


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    “ I don''t care what you want but listen carefully to me. I will call you back in a few days to meet at a


    ce if you want to see your kids alive. You must not tell anyone, if you do, you meet your kid''s lifeless


    body in front of your house. You understand?”


    I had nodded with tears streaming down my face before I realized that she couldn''t see me“ Yes,


    please don''t hurt my babies” I told her but the phone had gone dead in my hands and since then I


    hadn''t received any call from her.


    I can''t help being worried, has she gone back on our deals? She promised not to hurt the kids, was she


    just joking with me? No, she can''t possibly do that__ but Deborah Melton was capable of anything if


    she put her mind to it


    “ Nina!”


    “ Nina!!”


    “Nina!!!!”


    I jolted out from my thoughts as I dabbed frankly at my now wet eyelids before turning to see Lillian


    frowning at me. A sad Joey stood behind her looking worriedly at me.


    “ I''m sorry, what did you say?” I asked her, trying to smile to remove the worried look on her face but all


    I got was her more intense look.


    “ What are you thinking about so seriously that I had called your name all this while but you wouldn''t


    reply?” Lillian asked me as she came to sit beside me on the couch. She waved Joey up to his room,


    who dly obliged since he didn''t want to be reminded of the twin by my frequent tears.


    “ Nina. Please, you got to stop thinking, it isn''t looking good on your health. Look at what happened in


    the hospital thest time, ” Lillian told me as she pulled me into her embrace and sobbed into her arms.


    I wish I could stop but who would when her kids have been missing for a month now. I have gone to the


    radio station, media houses,and even the police but no one could find my babies. What am I to do?


    “ Please, Nina. I could understand your pain, I swear I do but____”


    “ Do you?” I screamed at her cutting her off from the rubbish she was telling as I stood up abruptly


    from the couch in anger.


    “Of course, Nina. I do and_____”


    “ No you don''t cause if you do, you won''t be here telling me not to think about my kids. I don''t even


    know what Deborah is doing to them this minute and______” I paused as I sob uncontrobly on the


    floor, I can''t even eat nor sleep without worrying about my babies. What is going on with them? How


    are they coping? Is Deborah being harsh on them?


    “ Nina” Lillian came over to where I was squatting on the floor crying, she wrapped her hands around


    meforting me.


    “ I understand but you need to be strong for your daughters. I''m sure we will find them soon. Michael,


    Danny and the Inspector are working hard to make sure that happens, okay?”


    I nodded at her just to get her off my neck and to keep her from worrying about me cause we both


    know no one could catch Deborah Melton.


    I mean she had been in the same city with us and we couldn''t find her. Even though she had watched


    us every day from her house across from us, we had shared the same parking space, the same


    elevator and no one could find her. Then tell me, why would this time be different?


    “ And please listen to the doctor. I can''t have you losing your insanity,” Lillian pleaded with me just as I


    glimpse the tears in her eyes. I couldn''t help being sad for her if only she knew what I''m hiding from


    them. Would she hate me? Would Michael or his parents hate me? Would my parents or brother


    despise me?


    “ Thank you, Lillian. Thank you for being there for me, I couldn''t have asked for anyone but you.


    Thanks a lot” I told her, forcing a smile on my face just to make her happy. I was d to achieve my


    aim with my words just as I glimpse her lips stretch into a tiny smile.


    “ I''m happy to have you too. Now, let me go check up on your godson, he has been crying all day. He''s


    missing the twin more than we are” I watched Lillian go up the stairs as I smiled sadly at her retreating


    back. I pity Joey, he and the twins had been so close that they became inseparable. I wonder how he


    was taking it.


    I was about to take a sip of the juice Emma had given me an hour ago when I heard my phone ringing


    from the room. I quickly took the stairs in two''s as I rushed into my room.


    A quick nce at the caller''s ID causes my heartbeat to escte erratically as I took the phone from


    the dresser with shaky hands.


    “ H_e_l_l_o” I stuttered into the phone with a shaky voice as my whole body shook in apprehension. I


    couldn''t help imagining what she wanted to tell me.


    “ Are you alone?” Deborah''s cold and distant voice greeted me from the background as I cringed in


    fear.


    “ Yes,” I lied hurriedly to her. I didn''t count telling her about Lillian and Emma being with me. I doubt she


    will be happy about it.


    “ I want you toe to thest ce where Austin and I had kept you hostage. Come alone, else you''ll


    meet your kid''s lifeless body at the door if you ever snitch on me” She told me before the phone went


    dead in my hands. I quickly got out of my dress while devising a n in my head on how to get past the


    guards Michael had got for me.


    I stepped out of the elevator and walked down to the Janitor''s room where I stole her clothes and


    changed out of my dress.


    I walk out of the gate with the waste in my hands pretending to go dispose of them. Immediately I was


    free from the guard''s scrutinizing gaze, I ran out of the gate and signaled the first taxi, giving him the


    address. I rxed in the back seat with an overly beating heart.


    ***


    The taxi pulled over at the abandoned cabin house the Walkers had always used as their vacation


    home but now it was dpidated since the Walkers had relocated to France following the death of


    Austin.


    As I stepped down from the taxi all I could remember was that night of the hunt and Austin''s cold and


    dark voice calling sinisterly at me“ Run, Nina, Run. Run, Nina, Run. Run, Nina, Run”


    I put my hands on my head trying to stop myself from hearing his voice but it became clearer with each


    step I took into the house. I thought I was free from the aftermath trauma with all the therapists Michael


    had got me but s, No here I was still scared of a dead man.


    “ I see you arrive just in time for the hunt” Deborah''s words cause my eyes to widen in shock as my


    eyes shoot up to stare into her eyes with fear in them.


    Deborah burst out into a peal of loudughter as sheughed before turning to re at me “ I see you


    still remember what the hunt is about but don''t worry I''m saving that forst. Come on”


    She paused to take a drag of her cigarettes which were in between her long painted fingers.  She took


    a step back as she stared into the distance, her eyes roaming around the surroundings beforeing


    to rest on me“ I see you''ve kept your part of the bargain by not bringing unwanted visitors. Too bad, you


    won''t be leaving here alive”


    My eyes widened as I took a step back in fear. What have I gotten myself into? Why did I trust


    Deborah? Did I think she would let me go after she saw me? Then I must be the most stupid woman on


    earth.


    “ What? Don''t tell me you thought I''m going to let you live after youe to me” Deborah re at me


    before turning to drag me into the dark house” Ain''t you stupid?”


    I whimper behind her as she drags me up the stairs into the darkroom which had be very familiar


    to me since it had been my nightmares after the death of Austin. Deborah dragged me on the floor and


    pushed me with her legs to a bundle while lying sshing on the floor.


    The little whimpering of the bundles caused me to shoot up in shock as I turned to pick it up“ Oh My


    God! Nora, is that you?” I asked her as I hugged her to my bosom as she searched for me with hands.


    “ Mom, oh mom! I missed you so much. Please, find Nadia. I can''t see” I couldn''t stop the tears


    streaming down my face as I listen to my little girl as she searches for my face with her tiny hands.


    “ I''m here now, baby. Please don''t cry” Iforted her as I tried to wipe her eyes which were now


    swollen with a dark purplish bruise-like she was punched in the face. Oh my God! Did Deborah do this


    to my baby?


    “ Hmmm! I''m sorry to interrupt the little bonding time” Deborah''s excited voice caused me to re at


    her with anger oozing out of me.


    “ Where''s my daughter, Deborah?What did you do to my children?” I screamed at her as I red at her


    in anger.


    “ Hey, watch your tone. I''m the boss here. And about your daughter, let''s say I''m teaching her manners.


    Manners that you failed to teach her” I watch as she smiles in between her words.


    I felt like going over and pping her across the cheeks for everying her filthy hands on my kids but


    I controlled myself. Anger won''t take me anywhere. I needed to find Nadia and devise a way out of


    here before it was toote.


    “ Good. I see you are finally behaving. I''ll let you have a good time with your other daughter but I will


    back and my nexting won''t be this easy” She called to me before weaving out of the room, I turned


    to wrap my hands around my baby carefully as I sobbed into her now dirty hair. I never wish this on my


    children!


    “ Please forgive, Momma”


    “ Please, forgive me” I pleaded with her as she sobbed onto myp holding tightly to me. I couldn''t help


    wondering how Nadia is doing. She had always been the strong one among them. I hope she will be


    strong for all of us.