Chapter 7: The black men

Collins, Max, Lyndia, John, Lissa, and Veronica sat around Vera, Vanessa's mother. They have been visiting her ever since Vanessa's disappearance. They decided to take over her responsibilities since they didn't know anything about her whereabouts at the moment. Lissa sat on the bed with Vera while Collins leaned against the wall beside the bed. Others took their seat except for John who was also standing.

"I wonder how long she has been here?", Lyndia said,

"I think for some years", Collins replied,

"What's is she diagnosed with?", John asked,

"We don't know, I think the illness is new but the doctors are trying, they're doing their research actually", Vero said,

"is it a disease?", Lyndia asked,

"It's more like that", Lissa answered and touched Vera's hand.

"Once it's the closing hour, Vanessa comes here every time immediately she leaves school and that's why she doesn't observe evening prep with us. I wondered how she must have felt seeing her mother in such a condition", Vero said as she was moved to tears.

"what of her dad? he has lost hope in his wife and paid more attention to his daughter, even though they were hardly on good terms but he sure dearly loves his daughter. She's the only one left for him and now she's nowhere to be found. It must have been so painful and hard for him", Lissa said wiping off her tears.

"that night was such a horrendous thing I've ever witnessed in my life, my girlfriend's birthday party was ruined, I nearly got killed, I lost my friends and someone people cherished can't be found. It's just so painful", John said sadly and bitterly.

"you guys should c'mon.. we're not here to do this so please let's not put this on, let's change the atmosphere, what has happened has happened, life goes on, we can't turn the time anti-clockwise", Max said,

Everyone accepted and they all decided to change the atmosphere.

"I heard the students gossiping about Collins being chosen as the most handsome guy of our set", Veronica announced,

"Whooo.....", they expressed but Collins scoffed instead,

"don't be so sure",

"Who is the most beautiful then?", John asked,

"I don't know, am not sure but I think it's Mary",

Max hissed," She doesn't even deserve it",

"that's true", Lyndia supported," but who then deserves it ?",

Max began to blush which made everyone giggle and laugh at his expression. Collins knocked his head off,

"ouch!!",

"why did you do that?", Lissa asked,

"I Know who he's trying to refer to",

"Who?",

"Vanessa",

"What!!?", they all exclaimed. Max felt embarrassed and shy at the same time.

"you're blushing over Vanessa?", Lyndia said not believing it.

"I am saying she deserved to be given most beautiful",

"and why?", Vero queried as everyone's attention was now on him.

"Of course, she's a unique lady, her voice is sweet and pleasant to the ear, her laughter blossoms her beauty like a star, and she is also a tall, sexy lady. She looks strong and energetic and also has the qualities of a good woman, her face when angry is like that of Tinkerbell and very funny. Subsequently, she deserves it",

Collins could bet his heart skipped a bit, he remembered the time he spent with her, her smiles and laughter, and also her angry face that always truly looks funny. He smiled to himself.

"Woah....all these for Vanessa?", Lissa smiled," I think am getting jealous", she giggled.

Lyndia smiled and made to place down her hand but mistakenly touched Vera's hand. She immediately had a vision of a man with a briefcase, turned to Vera slightly, and injected her at the back of her shoulder.

Lyndia pulled back her hand panting lightly.

"Lyndia, are you ok?", Collins asked. She shook her head and was about to talk when a man with a briefcase walked in. They all stood up to greet him except Lyndia who remained sitting, looking perplexed. The man looked at them one after the other without returning the greeting.

"Who are you guys?", he asked instead,

"We are Vanessa's friends", John replied,

"ho, nice meeting you all, I'm Paul Zedd",

"nice meeting you sir", they replied,

"you are welcome, see you guys later", he said and left. Lyndia ran out of the ward go went after him almost immediately. Others were surprised by this action and also followed her out. They caught up with her outside the hospital after she lost him.

"Lyndia!", Vero called angrily, "why did you run out like that?",

" I'm sorry, I had a vision",

"what's it about?", Collins asked,

"It's about that man",

"you mean Vanessa's dad? it's not that something bad is about to happen to him, is it?", Lissa asked worriedly,

"no, it's something different",

**********************

Time: 12:30 pm

Some black-dressed men sneaked into the hospital, it was so silent and dark. They were all putting on black dresses and black masks. They tiptoed into the surgery room, and store rooms and stole lots of drugs and injections before heading towards a ward. The first masked man went towards a patient and gently removed the drip before carrying her over his shoulder and left just as they came in, dodging the security as possible as they could. They dropped her in the back seat of a car before driving after a bike man.

(1:00 am)

A nurse switched on the ward's light to attend to Vera knowing this was the time she had to regain consciousness but on turning to her bed, she was gone. The nurse couldn't comprehend what was happening and went to check the bathroom and toilet but still, she was nowhere to be found. Realizing what was going on, she immediately called for help, alerting the doctors on duty. A few minutes after searching around for her, the contact police arrived, likewise the reporters. They began their investigation, examining the hospitals. They discovered the missing drugs and injections and asked for more details from the nurses and doctors. The broadcasters started announcing the incidents on air. There was an assumption that, with the missing drugs, the patient could have been kidnapped for an experiment. The hospital has to be shut down temporarily. Paul arrived at the scene a few minutes before the news got broadcast, he got down from the car and was about to rush into the hospital but was stopped by an officer.

"Where is my wife, tell me, what happened to my wife?", Paul yelled,

"Please calm down gentleman, we will find your wife",

"I just lost my daughter recently, and now you are telling me my wife is also missing? Is this a joke?", he fumed.

A few distances away, the broadcaster continues her broadcast," Right now, the hospital is in commotion as the relative of the victim is very furious. The kidnappers didn't only kidnap the patient but also stole lots of drugs and other equipment probably to experiment on the patient who had been detained in the hospital for years. The hospital is being locked temporarily till the police are done with their investigations".

Beth and Copy looked at each other and flashed away. Two policemen held Paul down as they tried to calm him down with the promise of finding his wife and daughter's whereabouts which are still unknown. This is the seventh day she has been missing.

"I want you guys to find her at all costs, and you'll be accompanied by some of my skillful vampires", he said and turned to Beth, "I want you to accompany them and bring her to me, alive",

"your wish is my command", she said with a bow feeling honored to have been sent on a mission by the lord. She went to the other assigned vampires and off they went. A servant then came forward with a glass cup of blood, not daring to make a little mistake if she still wanted to live.