TO KIDNAP A PRESIDENT - Part III

2:03 PM

The moment President Muleya Kapambwe walked into the Conference Hall everyone stood up. He got to his table and motioned to the choir to start with the national anthem.

Jordan on the other hand was wondering why there was no water on the presidents table. There was supposed to be water on his table. But he would give it a few minutes before doing anything about it. He mumbled a few words from the national anthem before falling silent a second later.

As soon as the choir finished singing President Kapambwe motioned for everyone to take their seats.

“It is always difficult for me to defend myself of all these allegations that are made of me. For once, I would want the accusers to prove me guilty. You know, the press, the opposition parties and what they have to say about me, about-” he was saying a few minutes later.

Jordan pretended to be listening but the way he was rapping his pen against a blank page on his notepad showed that there was something else on his mind.

Where is that water? Where is that water? Where is that water? He was thinking before he was interrupted by the walking into the room of a waiter. The waiter was carrying a tray with a carton of fruit juice, a bottle of mineral water and a glass cup seated on it. Jordan sat back in his chair, relieved. But a second later, he had new thoughts on his mind. He pulled out his phone and texted Bonnie and Imasiku.

Bonnie, any minute now. Get ready. Tell the boys in the back of the ambulance also. Imasiku, increase the heat on the AC now.

The engine is already running, responded Bonnie.

Sharp, Imasiku texted back.

“…these so-called Human, I don’t know what, I’ll tell you. Half of my life I’ve been living in trenches, not sure of living to the next day. I didn’t fight to be president of this country, never. It came by accident. I was fighting for my own rights. No one in this room could give me those rights and even now cannot give-” continued the president. He was starting to sweat and Jordan was watching him closely from a distance.

The president reached for the bottle of water on his table, opened it, and took a big gulp before placing it back. He then continued to talk but less than a minute later his speech began to slur and he began to look fuzzy. The Methylprylone that had been put in his water was working. He collapsed head-first on the laptop in front of him while his heavy hand fell on the table shaking it so hard that the bottle of water dropped and the water in it spilt to the floor.

The women in the room started screaming in panic while the men were gasping, their chests rising and falling. Jordan, despite all this, was calm and now had his eyes on the president’s body guard. The guard was trying to feel for a pulse on the man he was paid to protect. He was also yelling orders at the other guards but Jordan was waiting for him to call the hospital. As soon as he had his phone placed on his ears and was speaking to the agent at the call center, Jordan pulled out his and texted the team.

Bonnie, it’s time. Imasiku, turn that AC down. Now!

The ambulance from the University Teaching Hospital was not going to be here until after 15 minutes. Bonnie, in hers, would be there in under 5.

The confusion in the room was subsiding as the guards were trying their best to keep everyone calm. They also had to ensure that none of the journalists in the room alerted the public on what was going on. The presidents briefing had not been live so they could work to keep this from the public.

A few minutes later, Imasiku stormed into the room and shouted to the other guards, “bane, officers, ambulance yafika!” (“My friends, officers, the ambulance is here!”). No sooner than he had said that, than a stretcher rolled passed him. It rolled in the wrong direction at first in pretense of how a real emergency squad would not know where the president’s table was.

As soon as the president was in the back of the ambulance, he was connected to a ventilator and Elvis, a fake critical care paramedic started giving fake orders to the other emergency squad members. The president’s guard was heading for the ambulance when Elvis saw him and reached towards the doors before he could. Holding out his hand to keep the guard from getting in, he said, “staff only sir. Hospital policy. You can follow us from behind.”

“Excuse me sir! I am the presi-” the guard had started to say.

Elvis, barking in his face, interrupted him. “What is your name sir?”

“I am Major Mayaba Sililo!” the guard quickly responded.

“Okay. Major Sililo, I do not make the rules. Follow this up with management. In the meantime, I have a president to save!”

Immediately after, Elvis slammed the door shut and signaled for Bonnie to hit the gas. She turned on the sirens and seconds after the ambulance roared and sped off the exit of the State House premises.

02:21 PM

Along Independence Avenue two black Toyota Land Cruisers from the president’s security detail that had been following behind the ambulance had lost control because of loose front tires. One had driven into a drainage, smashing its hood and throwing dirt everywhere. The other one had collided with a truck that was oncoming, breaking off pieces of the vehicles’ bodies and windshields. But Major Sililo was still following behind them in a Toyota Camry to the surprise of the men in the ambulance.

“I think the tire will get loose once we turn on Nationalist Road,” said Elvis to no-one in particular.

Bonnie, on the other hand, had a feeling this was the car that Jordan had not entirely loosened last night. Upon this realization, she called Jordan.

“Jay! Where are you?” she said into the phone as soon as he picked up.

“I’m heading to the warehouse using Kabulonga Road. What’s up?” he asked.

“What do you think he’s going to do?” Elvis was asking her while she was still on the phone. “If you concentrate and drive faster instead of talking on the phone, we can lose this fool!”

“That car with the tires that you did not entirely loosen, what car was it?” Bonnie asked Jordan, completely ignoring Elvis.

“Uh, not a Land Cruiser, uh, one of the Camries I think. Something not right?” Jordan said in response to her.

“Yeah, its tires won’t let loose and now whoever is driving it is still onto us,” Bonnie said.

“Duke,” Jordan said, knowing he was listening to this and also watching everything from above them. “Look at my location and guide me towards the ambulance, fast!”

“Okay, you’re on Kabulonga Road-” Duke started to say before he was cut short by Elvis.

“He knows what road he is on Duke” he said.

Duke shook his head, ignored him and continued, “I need you to take a left and head onto Bishops Road. The only problem is that it is a second away from your position.”

Jordan hit the brakes and drifted onto Bishops road. “Come on Duke, I’m on Bishops now. Where to next? Keep the directions coming!”

Cars where honking at him from all directions while drivers hurled insults at him. He was driving at 110KM/H, mocking the road’s speed limit.

“Bonnie, how are things looking?” Jordan asked.

“Take a right and head straight on,” Duke said before she could respond to him. “The ambulance is about 30 seconds from your position with the Camry right on its tail.”

Gripping the stirring wheel firmly with his right hand while his left switched to gear four, Jordan floored the accelerator of the Subaru. Ahead of him was a T-junction that was heading onto Alick Nkhata Road, where the ambulance was. 35 seconds later, there was a loud bang followed by a huge cloud of a dark smoke.

Jordan had run into the Toyota Camry, sending them rolling and flipping before totally wrecking both cars.

Silence.

“Jordan! Jordan! Jordan!” Bonnie shouted into the phone.

“Drive woman! Drive! Jordan will be fine. Now is not the time for this. We have the president of the republic with us.” Elvis said.

Still, there was no response from Jordan’s end.

Her voice now cracking, “Duke! What is going on?” She asked.

Duke did not respond with what she would have loved to hear. “The plan is already in motion Bonnie. The plan!”

“Just tell me what has happened to him.” She pleaded into the phone.

“This is why I should have been the one to drive. I told you. Anyone could have done what I was tasked to do, but not breaking under pressure is a skill for the unattached. This girl will get all of us caught for the sake of one person.” Elvis said to the other men in the back.

Wiping the tears that were streaming down her face, Bonnie stiffened herself and drove the ambulance to a halt before turning off the engine. She reached for the glove compartment and pulled out a face mask and a cap. She put them both on, pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped out. Everyone in the back of the ambulance was startled.

Bonnie ran for the Subaru. Everyone along the road had their phones pulled out and were taking pictures and videos of what was happening. Drivers were parking their cars along the road to witness what was going on. Bonnie opened the door to the Subaru and with the help of two other men who had offered themselves, started to pull Jordan out of it.

The agony that Jordan was feeling was the only thing keeping him alive. Buzzing noises filled his ears. He sucked in cramped air and felt his lungs caving in on themselves. His neck was too fragile to move.

Bonnie and the men who were helping her carried Jordan to the ambulance. When they got to the back doors, Elvis and the other paramedics stepped out and took him from them. They let him lie on the chairs in the back of the ambulance while Bonnie let his head rest on her laps. She threw the ambulance’s keys to Elvis. He stepped out and closed the doors behind him and started walking to the driver’s door.

One of the men who had helped them called out to him, “hey! What about the officer in the other car?”

Elvis did not answer him. He started the ambulance’s engine and drove off onto Munali road, heading to the warehouse.

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