CHAPTER 234: MYSTERIOUS STRANGER IN THE WOODS.

...Reuben Joachim.

"Wa... wait, I think I’ve seen this face before," Augustine muttered, tapping his forehead lightly with his index finger as he tried to recall where he had encountered the man because Augustine is certain he had seen the face and heard the name somewhere, but he couldn’t quite place it.

"Augustine, I... I think I know who this is," Freda said after a few seconds of deep thought.

Instantly, Augustine rose from his seat and gripped Freda’s shoulders firmly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "Where?" he demanded, his voice cold and commanding.

"He... he was with Charles at the birthday party, and I think he’s Charles’s new friend. Besides, Charles mentioned him before, and..."

Freda couldn’t finish her sentence when Augustine’s phone suddenly began to ring.

Both Freda and Augustine turned their gaze toward the phone in his hand, and with a swift motion, he answered the call.

"CEO Augustine," the investigator said, his voice tight. "I’ve got a lead on a woman named Aubrey and she checked in at a downtown supermarket using her card. I accessed the store’s CCTV and just sent you a clip of a young man using Aubrey’s card at the register. The footage and the transaction are time-stamped and include the receipt that the person purchased gunpowder, bleach, a kitchen knife, some snacks, and several yards of robe fabric. I’ve flagged the transaction as suspicious and I have sent the footage to you."

Hearing the words of the man on the other end of the phone, Augustine pulled the device away from his ear and checked the video that had just been sent to him.

To his horror, it was the same man named Reuben Joachim whom Augustine had seen in the hospital’s CCTV footage.

From the supermarket CCTV footage Reuben had purchased several dangerous items and instantly, Augustine’s first thought was that Reuben was planning to harm Charles and Reginald.

"This... this is bad," Augustine stammered, his body trembling in fear as he pressed the phone back against his ear. "Can you... can you please trace Reuben’s location? I believe he’s working with Aubrey." Augustine’s words came out in a rush.

"I already did, but it’s taking some time," the man replied. "Reuben has switched off his cellphone and hasn’t appeared on any nearby CCTV cameras."

Sigh!

Augustine sighed. "Please, make it quick," he said before hanging up the phone and turning toward Freda, who was already on a call as she walked out of the room.

"Hey, you promised me on our date two years ago due to the fact that I paid the bills... that if I ever needed a favor, I could contact you," Freda whispered with a form voice but despite her words being spoken through the phone, the person on the other end seemed to nod in understanding.

"Yeah, I did make that promise," the young man replied. "So, how may I help you, my dear?" he inquired in a calm, curious tone while tilting his brows.

The young man is known as the Commissioner of Police, and two years ago, he had gone on a date with Freda.

On that day, he’d forgotten both his phone and wallet at home, leaving Freda to pay for everything which includes the meal and even the ride to the restaurant. In return, he’d promised to grant Freda any favor she might ask for in the future and today, that promise was being called in.

Exhale!

Freda exhaled deeply, summoning her courage to speak while silently praying he would agree to her request. "So... um, is there a way I can get some officers ready? My boyfriend has been kidnapped, and before I get the kidnappers’ location, I need to be prepared," she said, holding her breath.

"Alright then," the Commissioner replied firmly. "I’ll have my men ready. Send me the details of anyone you suspect that might be behind this, and I’ll have my team start tracking them immediately."

Stunned!

Freda froze. She hadn’t expected him to give her a positive response... so quickly.

"Hello, are you still there?" the Commissioner of Police inquired.

Freda nodded several times, even though he couldn’t see her. "I... I didn’t expect you to agree to my request so suddenly."

He laughed aloud as he rose from his seat. "I made a promise to a beautiful lady, and I’m a man of my word. Besides, catching whoever abducted your boyfriend is also the duty of the police." He explained.

"Ohh... Thank you. I already have a lead and I’ll send you his name and details shortly." She went on to utter as they both continued to speak for some few more minutes before Freda finally hung up.

Meanwhile, Augustine remained in the control room, pacing back and forth with his hands running through his hair which was a clear sign of frustration. Then suddenly, his phone beeped in his pocket.

With a swift motion, Augustine glanced at the screen.

The message was from Augustine’s private investigator and it read:

"CEO Augustine, Reuben cannot be tracked at the moment. However, I traced Reginald’s phone to its last active location near Kaloni Road. I recommend dispatching a search team immediately and also the area is mostly deserted, with only a few scattered houses."

After Augustine read the text message, he wiped his nose and nodded, allowing the information he had just received to sink in before stepping out of the control room in an hurry.

In the hallway, he bumped into Freda, who was already pacing back and forth, clearly restless.

"Is there any news?" she asked quickly.

Augustine nodded. "We need... we need to check Kaloni Road. That’s where Reginald’s phone was last active, and I have a strong feeling Reuben is keeping them captive there," Augustine explained, his words tumbling out in a rush.

Freda sighed in relief, then turned and began running toward the exit, with Augustine close behind her until they reached his car parked outside the hospital.

Swiftly, they both got into the car, with Augustine taking the driver’s seat. He started the engine and sped off toward Kaloni Road.

It took them about half an hour to arrive at the deserted area, and as soon as they reached the road, Augustine began scanning for any visible houses. He believed Reuben might have taken Charles and Reginald to an abandoned building to torture and kill them.

Meanwhile, throughout the ride, Freda was in contact with her friend, the Commissioner of Police, updating him on their progress.

After ending the call, she turned her gaze to the window, carefully studying the overgrown bushes lining the deserted road, hoping to spot something, at least... anything that looked out of place.

"Augustine... should we stop the car and walk through the woods? Maybe we’ll find something out of the ordinary," Freda suggested, her voice trembling with both fear and determination.

To her, the woods seemed like the perfect place for Reuben to hide because it’s quiet and far from suspicion.

But Augustine thought differently. He wiped the tears clouding his vision, his fingers trembling as they brushed against his chin.

"I don’t think so," Augustine said softly, his voice breaking. "If I were him, I’d choose somewhere no one would expect, perhaps an abandoned building. Besides, Reuben probably knows we’d search the woods first." He went on to explain.

Freda let out a shaky sigh. "I... I just don’t know what I’ll do if we don’t find them in time," she whispered, her voice breaking as she sniffled and wiped her nose. "I don’t understand why Charles’s friend would do something so cruel to him especially after how close they were." Freda whispered as tears streamed freely down her face.

Augustine swallowed hard. He wanted to comfort Freda, to say something that would ease her pain, but the truth was he didn’t even know what to say.

Augustine was just as broken as her so instead, he kept driving in silence.

After about ten minutes of driving downtown, Augustine suddenly caught sight of a house nestled deep within the woods.

The entire building was glowing with lights which prompted Augustine’s heart to skip a beat, and his breath hitched while his eyes widened in shock and anticipation.

"Freda, I think I’ve found something," Augustine said urgently as he slammed his foot on the brakes. The car screeched to a sudden halt.

Without wasting a second, they both jumped out and sprinted toward the woods, their shoes splashing through puddles and crunching over fallen branches.

The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth as Augustine and Freda pushed through tall grass, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

When they finally reached the old house, Augustine hesitated only for a moment before reaching for the doorknob.

The metal was cold beneath his fingers and as he turned it, the door creaked open slowly, releasing a thick cloud of dust.

Cobwebs hung from the doorway, swaying gently in the faint breeze that drifted from within.

"Pfft!"

Freda breathed out as stood on her toes and leaned toward Augustine’s ear. "Should I alert the cops that we’re here?" she whispered, her voice trembling with unease because she has a strong feeling that this was Reuben’s hideout.

But then Freda phone suddenly rang and the sound slice through the eerie silence of the abandoned building.

Startled, Freda flinched and quickly tried to mute it when all of a sudden, she heard a voice.

"Who’s there?" a deep, unfamiliar male voice called out from somewhere inside the dark house and the echo of his words sent a chill crawling down the spines of Freda and Augustine.