Seven Targets

Chapter three

By 11 a.m that Saturday morning Stephanie had gone to get her hair done while Robert was left alone in the house with Christine,whose friends had come to Visit her. So he quickly put on a black jean and a blue top.By now she would be playing with her friends so he doesn’t have to tell her. After dressing up he headed downstairs and then to Jason and Dave’s apartment.

Jason and Dave Dobson were brothers and they lived alone with their mother. Their father, Nicolas Dobson had left them  when they were much younger. Although their relationship with their mum had been putrid ever since then as they believed she caused their father’s absence. She however had assumed the role of both father and mother ever since then.

Robert arrived and stood at the entrance of their apartment. They had driven him home from school in their car the Previous day. He however did not enter the apartment but promised he would come to see them today. He paused for a while  and looked around for their car before ringing the bell. He softly pressed it once the first time and waited,listening if any one was approaching the door.After waiting for some seconds he sounded the bell again,this time twice. He looked around again and was about ringing the bell the third time when the handle of the door twisted and Dave came out putting on a purple pajamas and a white singlet 

“Look who’s here.”he said as he gave Robert a hand shake.

“Wassup Robert.”

“Come in.”

“ Thanks.”

“Welcome to our modest home”.”Dave said and called out Jason’s name to inform him that Robert was around.

Robert moved closer to the chair and sat down at the edge on one of the couches while at the same time rumbled his eyes around the apartment.

Looking at the Frame on the wall to the glass light and then the gymming equipment on one corner of the room facing the dining table. Obviously Dave had been gymming before Robert came. Minutes later Jason came downstairs and he was also putting on a singlet and a black pajamas. He came downstairs and gave Robert a hand shake then went into the kitchen to get him a drink.

“Are you guys alone?”Robert asked still looking nervously around the room.

“ Yeah, My mum’s not at home,she went to the mall to get stuff and will be Back any moment from now.”

Before their father left several years ago there was a sharp fuss between the couples as Nicolas the father had never told the wife the nature of his job or the source of his income. Although Billy the wife had always asked before they got married she didn’t put strains on it since she believed he loved her and had promised to take her to his office when the right time comes. It continued with the same line of promise and excuses twelve years after they got married. Nicolas would always be away for weeks on what he calls business trips and when he comes home he only stays for less than three days. she became fed up and insisted on knowing what the source of his income was . this brought a sharp argument between both of them as he stormed out of the house one morning with few of his clothes and never returned. After he left them it was very hard for them to take care of themselves and so  Dave, who was the first son, had to drop out of high school and started working as a waiter in a cafeteria to support his mum and brother while Jason continued schooling. He continued working at the cafeteria for about a year until one day some men came in to eat.They were drug dealers and had chosen that cafeteria as their meeting spot. Dave who was on duty that day was to serve them. The guys saw Dave and thought he would be fit to help them as their runner boy. He was given some cash and a card showing a strange  address. After closing from work the following day he went and tried locating the address he was given. When he finally did, it was a grand building which looked like a mall with plenty of rooms and doors in it . When he showed the hefty man standing at the door the card  and name on it he was led to the boss. Dave was introduced ,he would be their runner boy helping them deliver drug substances to different clients. This was however Concealed from him at first .Since his appearance and face looked innocent it would be hard for him to be suspected and since the pay was mouth watering(four times his payment at the cafeteria). He agreed to It,at least he could now go back to school.This was about seven years now and Dave had become a non-amateur in the job and also a drug addict himself.Jason on the other hand Had been expelled from two different high schools before getting to the university because he was always a tyrant both to the teachers and students.

Jason returned from the kitchen and handed Robert a glass cup and a juice drink 

“Do you have a brother?” Dave asked as he sat on the sofa opposite Robert 

“ No.”

“Sister ,yeah?”

“Yeah,younger ,I’m the eldest , it’s just the two of us”

“ What's her name?” 

“ Christine “Robert answered wondering why the conversation started in that line 

As Dave and Robert kept talking Jason came and playfully tapped Robert at the back shoulder 

“You stay with your parents, yeah?”

“Yeah,and sister too” 

“Oh,cool”

“Yeah”

“How old is she?”

“Just seven,” Robert responded.

“And you?”

Robert paused for a while before responding .

”Sixteen”

Dave and Jason were obviously older than Robert. Dave with Six years and Jason with three. After that, Jason took Robert upstairs to their room to show him some of his stuff. an hour later Robert checked his wristwatch he realised he had already spent an hour at their apartment he looked at his wrist watch, the time was past 1:20 and he had better start going home before his dad or mum returned.

Back at walnut street at the crime scene Detective Daniel had taken down some details from the neighbors and collected the fingerprints on the door which was the only concrete evidence they could gather so far. The fingerprints were taking to the lab and examined, they matched with that of the same individuals who carried out the previous crimes ,Which means only one thing . They were deliberate about killing the men and kidnapping the wife and children. But  still,they had no clue of their hideout. When they carefully examined fingerprints with the automated fingerprints identification system (AFIS) it matched with that of a man named Nicholas Bobson who had been charged with human trafficking several years ago but no traces of evidence had proved it to be true and so he was released. His whereabouts had been a mystery ever since then.

By the time Detective Daniel was through with the processing of the case file and taken down all the evidence and reports from those they interviewed it was already past 4p.m he should be heading home now.