CHAPTER TWO THE 12: The Vision Made Plain (Episode 8)

              The next morning, Lindsay came down stairs to serve coffee for herself then the phone rang as if it was waiting for her to come down. She held the thought of the coffee and went for the phone. She picked it.

“Twelve resident, who am I speaking with?”

“It’s Moscow,”

“Wow Moscow?” she was excited. “I’m so happy to hear from you. Guys Moscow is on the phone,” she shouted and they heard her and all came down surrounding her.

“I’m glad to hear from you too,” Moscow said. He was in his office. “How are the others?”

“They are all fine, they are here.”

“Okay go because I have some bad news for you kids,”

“Bad news,” Lindsay’s delight was counseled with a burnt face as the others asked her to put the phone on speaker.

“Yes, I saw your lawyer.”

“You did?” Lindsay was the one talking while the others listened carefully.

“But there’s a very big problem here and now?”

“What is the problem?”

“Listen kids, Jakes and his men have your lawyer hostage and they’ve sworn not to destroy that document even if he pays the money.”

“Oh no,” they were devastated. Only Lindsay was standing.

“Listen, they gave me this option. You guys will have to come for him. If you succeed, you walk scot free.”

“Okay, but Mr. Moscow you’ve got to help us. The launch is in three weeks,” Lindsay tearfully said. “And we are working very hard for it.”

“You won’t reach your promise land if you all don’t fight for it baby, but of course I will help. Meet me at the airport this night.” The phone broke off.

The twelve felt drenched.

“Okay,” Lindsay faced her colleagues now. “What do we do?”

“W e are going to that airport this night,” Larry told them.

“But it sounds dangerous Larry,” Michael said.

“Of course it is dangerous Michael, but he is right we won’t get to our promise land if we don’t fight for it.”

“Not this kind of fight Larry,” Shania said. “If Jakes and his men have Mr. Lennon hostage that means they knew he wasn’t dead from the start. He doesn’t want to free us, why?”

“All this sweating won’t change the situation on ground,” Cindy said. “We love each other, we have been fighting for each other, and we went through all the huddles with each other, why now will you think this will be difficult for us to handle?”

“Jakes and his men have guns to kill us with,” Shelly said.

“And we have our freedom to fight for. Okay let’s make a choice, in three weeks time we will be launching a great vision, the beginning of a dream come through in peace and harmony and freedom, singing and glorifying God or in that same three weeks we will be burying the man who taught us how to become and after that we will still be under Jakes suppression, living our lives to satisfy his selfishness,” Cindy looked at them. “It will take us this night to determine our success brothers and sisters,” When she was through they stared at her and burying Lennon was not an option.

“The twelve will be here soon,” Moscow told the others.

“How soon,” Jan asked.

“Tomorrow,” He replied.

“What about the plan?” Lennon asked.

“It is settled.  A little bit scared, I heard it from Lindsay’s voice.”

“They will make the decision to come,” Jakes said. “They won’t even care about the risk involved. All they want to do is prove their courage.”

“How actually did you bring them up?” Leon asked. “Because ever since you left we have been battling with them,”

“I’ve never seen kids that push full, inquisitive, courageous and very talk-active,” Harrison added.

“They never lack words to say,” Benedict confirmed.

Lennon smiled. “I’m not worthy to answer that question; I didn’t raise them….. I failed them. It’s true I taught them a few things but they let God have an upper hand in their lives, he trained them.”

“It’s great you know,” Rubel said. “Kids who follow the truth, obey earnestly and never walk out of their principles and values, it’s really proving God.”

“Yeah,” Jan nodded. “I can tell the boys have added a lot of color in the lives of those girls. The twelve has been a big blessing and inspiration to people.”

“So Jakes,” Chris said. He had joined the team leaving Duncan for a while. “What will you do with Randy and Duncan?”

“I’ll rather not talk about it right now,”

“But Duncan is in the hospital and very much not alive, Randy is still in prison.”

“Chris,” Leon looked at him. “We have helped this guys a lot but they were just trying to use our help against us. We better just forget them.”

“Okay,” Lennon. “So let’s start preparing to receive the twelve. I can’t wait to hold my girls again and to shake those boys and tell them well done.”

                7:00PM the twelve were ready to move to the airport as instructed by Moscow. Holding hands together, Michael led them to prayer.

“Father of creation, the great warrior. Sharpen your sword with your glory and guide us through so our enemies will tremble and surrender when they see you with us. In Christ name we ask, amen.”

“Amen,” they all said.

“Let’s go,” Michael told them and with all the courage they could afford, they walked out to their car, Ro and Jo weren’t there to drive them so the girls took on the responsibility. Shelly drove them to the airport in one big car. On arrival, they saw no signs of Moscow but neither wasthey familiar with the helicopter that was standing there but not steaming. They stepped out of the car.

“What do we do now?” Maul asked.

“There’s no sign of Moscow.” Zodiac said.

“I think we should call him,” Ben suggested.

“Yeah I will,” Shelly said bringing out her phone from the pocket of her jacket but before she could dial the number there suddenly two cars came rushing. At first they thought it was Moscow rushing to meet them maybe because he knew he was late but like a shadowy mist four men came of the cars dressed like assassins, mask with guns. The twelve became terribly scared; they gathered themselves together like chicks shielded by the mother hen.

“Hello twelve,” One of them said. “It’s nice meeting you all,” he bowed. “A pleasure indeed,”

“What is the meaning of this?” Michael managed to ask. “Who sent you?”

“I’ve always know you kids to be very bold but right now the picture is different because you are shaking.”

“Four men pointing a gun at us,” Shania said. “What do you expect?”

“Yeah you should be scared, say good bye to your old world.” The man ordered. “Blind fold them.”

Immediately the other men blind folded them all with him pointing his gun to keep them still. When they were all blindfolded they pulled them together to the plain.

“Why are you doing this?” Zodiac tearfully asked in that struggle to resist the men but they were too scared of the guns. They all got into the helicopter and one of them sat to ride it. With their blind folds on they couldn’t see or make out what was happening or where they were going. The helicopter had covered a certain distance and they twelve were stable now, they were tired and weak, reflecting on all the challenges they had faced since they discovered they had a purpose to fulfill and were fighting to trod the path of their destiny and accomplish their dreams. They imagined how much more of the challenges they had to face if they actually survived the journey that started that night. In that state, Maul began to sing:

Mummy and Daddy,

Your children, your family,

Those children, who cry every day,

Stretching their hands could just be me….

Maxwell: Cry no more, mummy and daddy,

Shelly: Just fight some more and I will be yours….

Michael: think of a way; think that God wants to help you…..

The twelve: But I won’t leave you there to fight alone…

Cindy: I was abandoned from my little age, my parents died for no sake……

Shania: But I want to live for someone’s sake and I’ve got to fight at the right hand of God.

Larry: Keep me save, keep me put…

Ben: Keep me nice right by your side…

Zodiac and Zed: I want to stay in the right hand of the lord….

Ken and Lindsay: But mummy and daddy will shed a lot of tears….

And they all joined in singing the chorus from cry no more……. The men listened carefully and were lost with compassion with the wordings of the song. When the song ended the men felt like a fire had been igniting in them, luckily the twelve could not see their reaction.

“I have two kids,” The pilot said. “And that song has inspired me as a father….. Someday I will pay you back trust me.”

“Then why will you kidnap us?” Ken asked and the men could not answer then one of the shouted, “Shut up and go to sleep!”

In the morning, the helicopter reached its destination. It landed in a field inside a mansion and the men were instructed, they took them out of the helicopter and led them to the front of the mansion. The twelve were scared because they didn’t know where they were taken to. In front of the mansion were Moscow, Jan and Rubel smiling at them but they couldn’t see it.

“Good job boys,” Moscow said. “Leave us now,”

The men bowed and left. That voice sounded very familiar to the twelve but they couldn’t believe Moscow will kidnap them.

“Welcome twelve,” he said and it registered in their mind that was Moscow no doubt.

“Moscow,” Lindsay called. “Are you here?”

“Yes,” he smiled again. “Welcome to my house,” he paused. “Take off your blindfolds.”

Immediately they all pulled the blind fold and were surprised and relieve to see the people standing in front of them smiling.

“Surprised?” Moscow asked.

“Wait, wait, wait……” Ben looked around while the others were mute.

“This was all a prank?” he asked looking at them.

“We couldn’t think of a better way,” Jan said. “The real thing awaits you all inside. Come let’s go in.”

In that state of wonder, trying to figure out how it all happened, and the twelve followed them inside. Moscow’s house was three times larger than theirs and extremely beautiful and luxurious but that wasn’t their concern. They brought them to the living room where they saw Lennon, Jakes and the three directors, Chris, Ro and Jo waiting for them and they were surprised at what they saw. Lennon stood up feeling ashamed and unworthy to even speak to them; the twelve didn’t know what to say either.

“You see the hostage stuff, the kidnap and all that drama was put together by us all,” Moscow explained.

The girls had tears in their eyes now and that was a reaction neither of them expected.

“This is surely very difficult for you take right now, seeing your lawyer here and Jakes too.”

“Why are we here?” Michael asked.

“For a reunion,” Moscow was straight. “He paid what he owed and Jakes signed you out of the company so you are free now,”

That was supposed to excite them but it didn’t, just seeing their lawyer again after three good years of thinking and moaning the fact that he was dead hurt them so much and the boys could understand their pain.

“We told you we didn’t want any of this right,” Lindsay spoke with tears. “You told us you were going to help but we didn’t want this kind of help,”

Jakes lowered his head; he felt bad knowing that the girls had grown to hate him already.

“I am deeply sorry for what I did; I don’t have any excuse to give.” Lennon said to them. “I was a selfish coward; I should have allowed Jakes to ruin my life instead of selling you out to him. I had to disappear because I couldn’t stand the shame; I couldn’t face you girls after what I did.”

“What gave you the courage to show your face now?” Shania asked

“I thought Jakes was treating you right, I thought he was giving you girls the life I always wanted you to have but when I found out it was different, I couldn’t keep still anymore, I had to show up even if it meant just freeing you and maybe you never want to see me again I will be assured you’re in a safe place and doing well too.” He sobbed. “I am sorry, I almost died missing you girls and I’m so proud of you boys, thank you for filling that void I left in their hearts. I met the kids that came from your organization and I felt so proud of you kids….”

After hearing Lennon’s apology speech, the girls were calm now. They saw no point in holding a grudge against him but the one thing that was gone and could only be built back with time was the connection they once had with him.

“I don’t even know what to say to you kids,” Jakes said. “If you decide not to forgive me or you never want to see me again I won’t blame you….. I did you wrong and should be punished but I am sorry,” and truly he was. The twelve looked at them all, looked at Moscow who equally didn’t have as much to say. Within a split second something happened that changed the atmosphere, Maul rushed and hugged Lennon. She called him daddy and Lennon held her tight with tears streaming down his eyes.

“My baby, I missed you so much….. I am so, so, so sorry for what I did.”

“Common girls,” Maul turned to them after releasing herself from Lennon’s embrace. “Don’t just stand there as if you didn’t miss him.”

Then one after the other, they walked and hugged him even though some of them like Cindy and Shania still had little anger towards him in their heart but they still hugged him and the sight of the reunion pleased everyone except for Jakes and his men who wished they were a part of it. Lennon couldn’t stop apologizing to the girls and after that they gave way too for the boys to hug him, the great father they always told them about.

After all the hugging and crying Moscow said, “I know you kids must be very tired and hungry, I will ask the maids to show you to your rooms, take a shower and come back for breakfast.”

“Thank you very much Mr. Moscow,” Michael said. “We really appreciate it.”

“And thank you Jan,” Cindy walked and hugged her, she held her tight and she couldn’t hold back the tears that watered her eyes. Her dream had come true; the twelve now trusted her and saw her as a friend. Chris was happy for her.

“Thank you so much for all your help,” Cindy told her after the hug and the others smiled at her then she knew she had won something big.

“It is what I’ve always wanted to do and to know you guys consider me your friend; is a dream come through for me,”

“Yes Mrs. Jan,” Maul said. “You are our friend and you proved that you really care about us. Thank you all for going beyond yourselves to do this for us.”

The twelve smiled at Chris, Ro and Jo and there was no speech directed to Jakes and his men.

“Common superstars,” Moscow said. “It’s time for a change, hope those guys didn’t hurt you,” he said as he took them away.

“No they didn’t,”

“But we were scared of their guns,”

“It was just a toy gun; I wouldn’t dare give them real arms to play fake kidnap,”

“Who are they? They looked like real assassins,”

“No they are my staffs; they had masked their faces so you wouldn’t recognize them.”

“Oh…. Your house is so big,”

They all laughed as he handed them to two male maids to show them to their rooms.

Few hours into the morning back in New York at the hospital, news came to the doctor that Duncan was regaining consciousness. The doctor that was assigned to him left what he was doing and ran to check the patient. When he got into the room, Duncan’s eyes were opened. The doctor immediately checked his vitals with the help of the female nurse and that went on for some time without talking to Duncan.