Hurdles
When they arrived near the library Richard got down
fetching Redim and Frank remained in the car... watching
the kids playing in the church ground …
Richard came running shouting his name...Frank saw the
fear in his face and he got down... Richard said, ‘Redim is
not there … ‘
Frank thought, ‘ok I will call her ...’ But her cell was
switched off
Richard pulled his hand towards the library... They both ran
into the library.
The librarian was fallen face downs on the ground near his
table... Frank ran to him and turned him over...checked his
pulse near the jaw... thankfully the pulse was strong.
Richard brought a bottle of water and splashed on him... He
showed some life... his eyes rolled and he opened his eyes
and tried to focus… When he saw Richard he lifted his
hand towards him...so he sat beside him and asked him
gently ‘what happened? Where is the doctor?’
The librarian sat up; ‘two men hit me and pulled the doctor
in gun point’ he looked around hoping to see them...
He couldn’t tell anything more... He couldn’t even tell how
they came...
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Richard ran towards the boys who were playing in the
church ground and asked them if they had seen any car?
Yes they had seen a black car sometime back...yes they had
seen a lady getting into the car…
Richard came back to tell Frank about the car… Frank
regretted that he left the Link at home .. He thought of
calling his dad when he saw the grey bird perched on the
door, their eyes met and then it disappeared. He felt
completely at peace after seeing Zo.
He gestured to Richard to stay and moved a little further as
the soft voice said in his ears , ‘ the Seekers have abducted
her and we have sent reinforcement to rescue her so not to
worry…but take your car and move to the national
highway’
Frank pretended as if he was on the phone and he told the
librarian Redim is safe we will bring her now... Kindly
don’t tell the villagers as they would be frightened... I will
bring her here....’
He ran to the car...Richard came running along with him
and got in … they shot off towards the national highway...
Frank told him what Zo said and Richard felt so thankful to
those little ones and his affection became hundred folds…
They reached the NH45 in no time and he continued to
drive towards the airport route …After driving for some
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time, they could see a black car moving slowly and moving
as if they did not know where to go...
Richard said, ‘either the driver is drunk or the car is
drunk... Look at the way it is moving... Thankfully traffic is
less today...Look out Frank...that fool is stopping’
Frank just slowed down a little and to their amazement
Redim got out of the car and immediately the car took off.
Frank stopped the car beside Redim and Richard got out
and asked her whether she was ok?
She laughed and said, ‘when Re and group is there why
should I worry about my security?’ But it was scary...they
were not part of the The Seekers but they came to know of
a treasure through informer in Interpol and they had all our
photographs. They came into the library to ask about our
whereabouts but they saw me and thought if they could
kidnap me, all would be known... I started screaming when
I was told in my ears not to panic but go with them. I could
barely hear but I understood out guardian angels Re and
group were there. After that, it was a bad comedy as they
thought they were threatening and I was extracting all I
could from them...
Then suddenly the driver started moving in a zigzag
manner and he stopped altogether. He turned and said to
get out with such a fear in his eyes, I almost felt sorry for
him.Then I got out....’
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They heard a terrible crash like a thunder and just hundred
metres away the black car was rolling like a toy car and
burst into flame.
Redim was distraught and she said, ‘My God, Re’s people
were there ...’ but near by the voice came over ‘don’t
worry doctor ... we are all safe’
They got into the car then Richard just wanted to make sure
if any CCTV were there luckily there was none and they
returned back the way they came... They stopped to tell the
librarian that all was well and moved towards home.
Frank told them to rest for a while and meet him in another
hour...
When they met him after a while, Frank had his link and he
had written all the events that happened from the day he
met Re in sequence...
.
He was puzzled over one thing and he voiced it aloud,
‘Why we are watched so closely? Why they were not as
happy as they should in the discovery of the exit? They said
they lost some gadgets but why are they so important?’
Richard replied, ‘if we were stranded in another planet and
we had the ability to watch others, we would watch too! I
don’t think they watch us intentionally but the fear of
discovery is always with them I guess’
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Redim appreciated Richard, ‘Frank I wouldn’t give much
importance ... If they are watching us, it is to give their
protection ... you see we are the only humans who could
reveal their presence on earth ... Moreover they know you
both well but I am an new entity so naturally they are
cautious!’
Frank said, ‘perhaps the gadgets they lost must be the key
to the journey ...that is why they were not overjoyed to
find the exit..’ well .. Richard has personal good news to
tell you.’
Redim laughed and asked him if he is getting engaged...
Richard, ‘good news? Me? No doctor... Frank you mean
the gold?’
Frank said, ‘was it not good news? Lifelong you could
explore these mountain ranges without thinking about the
money!
Now even Richard laughed and said, ‘even otherwise my
parents had left me enough....’
He told everything that happened in the old man’s house
and went down to retrieve the bundle that he had left in
Frank’s car!
Frank said, ‘such a loveable person... Anyone would forget
a valuable legacy like this...’
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Redim was eager to check the gold blocks! It did not have
any markings but it was evident that they have been
moulded roughly, manually and not made by machines...
She finally said, ‘the answer is with our beloved
intragalactic friends... Anyhow, I want to ask them
something... Hope they appear now..!’
She looked around and taking the cue from her Re and Zo
appeared like eagles...
Frank welcomed them and pointing at the gold asked them
,
‘what is this Re? You have been hinting at a treasure for
some time... ever since you met and even you remarked
that you are keeping as a treasure but I never realised that
could be gold!’
Re said, ‘I beg your pardon. I would have hand over the
treasure but you did not show much interest in it... We trust
you... even now I can show you and the treasure will be
yours... We toiled over one thousand years to collect gold
from all over the world… from the gold mines or from
palaces or places of worship... we brought them here and
made into these round wedges... we had seen how the giant
humans killed each other to get this metal so we collected
them to use as the bargain..’
Zo continued from where Re left, ‘but our experiment with
the old man failed... we gave him these wedges and asked
him to kill your dad …’
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‘What!!’ all the three shouted in various modulations...
Zo went on, ‘ yes to kill your father as he showed lot of
interest in finding the treasure and he kept on quizzing the
old man..So we prepared a map deliberately showing the
wrong location. But the old man had some sense of loyalty
towards your dad...so he neither killed him nor showed him
the map... But Francis knew for sure because Oliver
described what he saw...
De nodded his head, ‘but the old man never gave much
importance to wealth...a simpleton really...He couldn’t
differentiate the reality from his imagination till last... In
fact that helped us safe from discovery...
Redim asked now, ‘so you have the treasure’
Re once again nodded his head... Frank had an idea...
‘We need to find a place for you in the space ...well. We
need to do it without attracting the media or public... We
will use the treasure as a decoy...when the whole world is
watching the discovery of the treasure we will send them
off’
Re flapped its wings to show its approval!
Redim went near Re and petted him and asked, ‘Re, I
would like to see your colony in the cavern... could you
take me? Now we have found the exit, it should be easier!!
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Re said immediately yes... the tunnel is easier... of course
you need to crawl a little... but on the other hand, the other
entry point has a sudden incline narrow ramp to go down
at least for a kilometre and not so easy to walk. The tunnel
makes you uncomfortable but not dangerous....’
Redim agreed...But Frank cautioned them... ‘Not in the day
time only when it is dark ... Otherwise unnecessary prying
eyes will follow us... tonight then..’
They all agreed to visit the cavern in the night.
*
******
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