(Eposide 8) JUMAI

 
“That is a lot of supply.” Jumai said, kicking up some dust with her heels.
“Well, Professor Tanko is a rich man, very connected too.” Mark said. “Your dad is not doing anything less.”
“Considering how much my dad is contributing, don’t you think you should treat me nicer?”
Mark stopped walking and turned around to face Jumai.
“I am sorry Jumai, alright? I’m not trying to be mean and it’s not because your father is a huge donor.”
“He is a donor alright, but my father is not huge actually, just a middle sized man.” Jumai said and smiled.
“What? I was saying…oh.” Mark smiled, she was joking. Was he taking this more serious than it deserved?
“So what is the problem Mark? Something happen?”
“What I’m about to tell you is true, embarrassing, a little sad actually.”
“Now, I’m even more eager to hear it.”
“Okay here goes. I’m the type of guy who doesn’t…” A crash sound from the distance stopped him.
“What was that?” Jumai asked.
Mark turned toward the direction of the sound and started to run. It sounded like it came from one of the trucks. He could not afford any trouble with the trucks or the content, his boss would kill him. He checked each truck as he ran past them till he got to the fourth. He stopped and opened his mouth. The back door was open, the chain that was supposed to hold the door together was loose. He had the keys with him. Had he left it unlocked? He was not sure.
Jumai arrived.
“What’s the problem?” She saw the open door. “Was anything taken?”
He had not thought about that. He looked in the back of the truck, it was dark, there was no way to be very sure everything was intact.
“What’s that?” Jumai asked, pointing.
Mark followed her pointing finger and saw a nylon wrapper behind the door. He picked it and looked inside. It was pack of toiletries; toothpaste and brush, tissue, a bar of soap. He was not sure what was originally in the pack so he could not tell if anything was missing. Why would anyone break into any of the trucks?
“Was anything taken?” Jumai asked again.
“I have no idea.” Mark said and looked around. “Something is wrong here.”
He looked around the truck, there were several footprints around. That was understandable. There was a footstep that looked a little deeper than the others. He moved away from the truck and looked for other footprints that had that much depth. He found one, then another and another, each moving away from the truck. The footsteps led away from where they stood, he had to follow it. He walked away from the truck following the footprints. The prints got deeper the farther he went, whoever it was had stomped harder as they moved along.
He heard a loud scream and stopped. It came from not too far away from him, behind one of the storage buildings.
“What was that?”
Mark turned around, Jumai was behind him. “I think you should wait here.”
“No way, something dangerous could be out there.” She said.
“That’s why you should stay.”
“No, what if the person is hurt or needs help.”
“Then I’ll call…” He looked at her and knew there was no point arguing. “Okay then.”
They moved slowly towards the storage building. Whoever had screamed was now quiet but was still out there, he could hear him or her moving around. They got around the building and for a few seconds he saw no one.
“Look.” Jumai said, pointing.
Mark looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a figure on the floor. He looked closer, it was man. A naked man. He lay with his face to the floor. His legs were thrashing weakly.
“I think he’s hurt.” Jumai said rushing towards the man.
“Wait.” Mark shouted.
She did not answer and was already kneeing beside the man. Mark walked over to them and helped turn the man face up. He gasped and took a step back. The man’s face was horrible, squeezed, as if it was pulled together.
“What is wrong with him?” Mark asked.
“I don’t know.” Jumai said. “I have never seen something like this before.”
The man looked very skinny, dirty, he was not likely to be one of the volunteers. Even if he was, he couldn’t have recognized him because of how distorted the man’s face was.
“Look at his hands.” Jumai said.
Mark looked, they were bruised. Had he been in a fight? With who? Where did he come from? Jumai brought out her phone.
“What are you doing?” Mark asked.
“We need to call an ambulance. And I need to talk to a senior colleague, I have no idea what to do right now.”

 Mark nodded. He looked around the surroundings, how did this man get into the compound? He looked at the storage building beside them and stopped. Some parts of the wall of the building had been knocked down. He stood and walked to the walls. He looked at the walls and the holes scattered across it. He looked at the man on the floor and back at the wall, did he do this? With his bare hands? Was that even possible?
“Mark?” Jumai called to him.
“Yeah?”
“He is dead.”
“What?”
Who was this man? What had just happened? Mark knew he needed answers to those questions and fast. He had a horrible feeling this was not random, it was the beginning of somethi
He prayed he was wrong.
TO BE CONTINUED .....