MOST WANTED MAN IN THE WORLD

CHAPTER FIVE

Miriam sternly tapped her mom, dad and siblings all over, vainly trying to wake them up. She still couldn't believe that they were dead. All around her where countless other people crying beside the body of their loved ones.

Not long, wail of sirens sounded in the distance, as ambulances and police vehicles sped to the park.

Minutes later, the Five ambulances and three police trucks screeched to a halt before the cinema. Dozens of armed police men jumped from the trucks and ran towards the scene. The medic team also joined them and they began the tedious evacuation process.

The attack had been a deadly one. The space before the cinema was a slaughterhouse. The whole scene was horrific and bloodcurdling that even some of the toughened officers were appalled by what they were seeing. Nevertheless, they began the repelling task of carrying the bodies to the ambulances.

By the time they got to where Miriam lay beside her family, the overall of the two medic men were already drenched in blood. Knowing the pain she must be feeling at such a drastic loss, one of them gently touched her on the shoulder.

"Let's take them". he said in a low compassionate tone. But Miriam hadn't even stirred. She knelt, still, head dropped low, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The medic man touched her again. " Miss, let's take them". He said again.

Again, Miriam made no notice of the men behind her. She had cried her eyes out and now has no strength to cry again, so she just knelt, in silent agony.

The men waited patiently behind her. They clearly know the type of overwhelming emotion she must be feeling inside. No one would suffer theoss of a loved one and be unfettered by it. Talk more of four family members, ones whole family. They just couldn't bring themselves to speak harshly to her. No, that would be inhumane and quite cruel.

So they just patiently decided to talk it out with her.

"I can't bring myself to say I know how much pain you are feeling from what happened tonight. No, we don't know and we are not praying for that to happen to anybody". Said the first man. " Because it is painfully incomprehensible. But I am telling you that the nation grieves with you and countless other people that lost their own here tonight. But one thing is for certain, your loved ones don't deserve to just be lying around on the dirty floor like this. No, they deserve better. So we're pleading with you to let us take them to a better resting place for now.". continued the man, peeping at her face from behind. " But I assure you, the security agencies will make sure that those who committed this heinous crime would never go unpunished ". Finished the man, and he waited anxiously for Miriam's reaction.

The heartwarming speech ticked off something in Miriam's body. The full extent of what happened came surging back with full momentum like a violent Atlantic wave. She would never see her mom, dad or brother and sister ever again. She would never see any of them ever again. She melted down into aow muffled cry as she slowly placed her hand on her knee to rise from the ground.

One of the me. walked towards her, offered her a tissue paper to clean her face with and then led her towards one of the police hiluxes to give her report.

Miriam had sat at the back of the hilux and watched as the medic men carried bodies to the ambulances. First it was her sister, grace. Then it was her dad, then mom, and finally her brother. She watched as the back of the ambulance was shut close.

After a brief conversation between the ambulance team and the police officers, two officers were told to escort Miriam to her home. They were to drive her there in her father's Jeep, while the other men were to stay at the park while the ambulance team went on their work of taking the bodies to the mortuary, and the wounded ones to the hospital.

Miriam had slowly trudged to where her father's Jeep was parked in the parks garage, with the two officers right in tow.

They boarded it, and one of the officers drove the trio to the Okah's house.

That night had been the first time that Miriam spent the night alone at her family's huge mansion, without anyone at all to keep her company.

Even though the two officers had been if great help and had really tried to make her feel better, she really appreciated their well meant efforts, but they were not her family and could not fill the vacuum in her heart.

The next morning, her two paternal uncles, maternal grandparents and aunts came to the house in hasty arrivals. They had all been contacted by the police the night before.

That same morning, the news of the attack had been broadcast on all the major news outlets in the country. With the massive explosion of the news, came a overwhelming public outcry. Many blamed the corruptness and lackadaisical attitude of the government for the attack, while most blamed the ineffectiveness of the security agencies.

When the details of the attack began to emerge later, it became more clear the horrific magnitude of the attack. It has left 58 dead and 262 critically wounded. Among the dead were 22 children and 36 adults. The death toll was also rising each day as those in the hospital gave in to their injuries.

The events of that had brought a lot of things into questions, and with it came a great change in the operational mindset of the security agencies in the country.

Before, they had been using a proactive approach, waiting to be attacked first before they can strike back, even though intelligence gathering had given them clues of who the bad guys. The constitution had made it such that they can do nothing, until there is no doubt that they suspects are not just suspects but enemies.

But the amusement park attack, the president gave a confidential decree, kill them first before they have a chance to come at us. Wherever they are, whoever they are, whatever it takes, strike at them first.

This came into existence the subdivision Henry and Miriam are working for