Meeting again 76 Taken 1

I slammed the breaks right outside Grey Mount School. No sooner had the car stopped did I came running to the school gate where a nervous looking Sam was talking to the guards brandishing something on his cellphone. On getting near I saw Sam holding Twen's picture in front of the guard and asking him something. I held Sam's arm and almost cried out the words,

"Where is he? Where did he go?"

Instead of Sam, it was the guard who answered, looking at me apologetically, "I apologise Mister but I am not aware where your son is. There are several kids who come and go. I can't keep an eye on everyone"

I glared at the security. What does he mean he can't keep an eye on everyone? That's precisely his job!! I said trying to keep my temper in check, "My son wouldn't have left the gates if Sam hadn't come to pick him up. I am sure of it. I hope you don't hand kids over to just about anyone!!"

"Tony calm down. Blaming the security won't solve anything. Lets check the security cameras on the school gates. We might stumble upon some clue!" Sam said holding me by the shoulder.

Though, I wanted to yell a bit more on the guard for being so careless with the kids, but right now searching Twen was more important so I nodded to Sam and we together made our way to Faculty office.

"Let me talk Tony. U r way too hyper right now!" Sam said outside the office just before we entered.

How can I not be?

Twen has disappeared and he could be in danger.

It would be weird if I am calm!

We entered the Faculty room to find only three people there. Two woman; one dark, curvy and with curly black hair, another bespectacled, skinny and stern looking; and one middle aged man, overweight, sharp eyes and bald. They looked at us blankly as we barged in. The skinny woman frowned and asked in dry pappery voice,

"Is there something we can help you with Mister?"

Samuel held me by the arm and spoke before I could utter a word, "Miss, my friend's son is missing. We have asked the guard at the gate about him but he seemed to have no idea. Could you show us the security camera on the gates so that we can check?"

All three of them frowned at the words. The dark woman got up from her seat and asked in a concerned voice, "When did all this happened?"

Sam answered again, "I am sorry but I have no idea!"

The skinny woman came forward and asked urgently, "Mister, are you sure he attended the class today?"

"I am absolutely sure, Miss. I saw him getting in the school" I said, my voice trembling.

The skinny woman frowned deeply, and turned towards the other two. The middle aged man spoke in a croaky voice, looking at the dark woman "Miss Keyla, we should call the security and ask them to bring today's gate camera recordings"

"Yes, Mr. Nibble, I am on it" she said as I saw her hand slip inside her bag and bringing out her cellphone to call.

"I think I'll talk to the gate guard" the skinny woman said turning towards the door where we both were standing

"We already spoke to him. He said he has no idea" Samuel said stopping the woman from leaving

"Che! How utterly useless!" she said, looking angry and gloomy

"Mrs. Tyler, we cannot be irritated, a kid has gone missing" Miss Keyla, said placatingly, then looked at us and nodded assuringly, "The security will be here in a few minutes. Misters please come in and have a seat" Miss Keyla gestured us towards the seat.

I was too hyper to sit down, so after entering, I kept walking to and fro to keep myself calm while Sam sat and I heard him answer some of the questions asked by Mr. Nibble,

"May I know the name of your son and his class teacher's name?"

"He is my friend's son. His name is Twen Hawker and his class teacher-" Sam dragged looking at me

I stopped and looked at them, "Mrs. Miranda is Twen's class teacher"

Mr. Nibble creased his brow, "She left for today and of couse her locker can't be invaded" he said more to himself than us, "Don't you think Twen might have just ventured around and got lost?"

"He would ne-" I started, agitated, when Samuel held out a hand to stop me and said patiently,

"Twen is a smart and obedient boy. He would never leaves the gate until I or Tony arrive. But just as precaution, I looked around the radius of half a mile. But neither had anyone seen him nor did I find him"

"Did you check around the school grounds?' Mr. Nibble continued questioning

Samuel remained silent. I stopped walking and looked at him, "Sam?"

"I was about to ask the guard to search round the school when Tony arrived" Samuel answered with a sigh.

"That means there is a possibility that he is in school grounds" Mr. Nibble said, then turned to look at Mrs. Tyler who nodded and went out of the room

"I can only hope that you are right" Sam said, while I silently prayed that he is found in the school grounds

After around another ten minutes, one man and a woman, both in a sort of blue uniform, entered the room followed by Mrs. Tyler and the gate guard. The man was holding something in his hand which looked like a usb drive.

It was Mrs. Tyler who spoke first, "Mr. Nibble we looked around the school, play ground, running tracks, washroom and cafeteria, we didn't find the boy"

My heartbeat started getting faster. I was having a very bad feeling about this. Where are you, Twen? Where did you go? I hope you are not in trouble and have just gone loitering around. Just be safe. My mind automatically started praying for his safety. Meanwhile, the man in blue came forward towards Miss Keyla and handed her the USB drive saying,

"This is all the recording of main and back gates of school since morning till now"

"Thank you John" Miss Keyla said as she took out her laptop from her bag and quickly started it. I, Samuel, Mrs. Tyler, Mr. Nibble and John, all gathered round her. Only the woman in blue and the gate guard remained standing near the door.

Miss Keyla started the clip of the main gate and put it on fast forward. We all bent down looking at it intently. I saw many of the kids entering the school, some waving at their guardian, some running inside without bothering to look back and some who immediately spotted their friends and got together with them. I saw several cars coming and leaving and I waited for my car arrival. I spotted my car after a while and immediately pointed it out,

"There...there is my car...and see that's Twen. He is entering the school" I said, Miss Keyla brought the video to normal speed and everyone focussed on Twen as he walked inside the school till he left the frame.

Click!

Miss Keyla stopped the video and said, "So, he definitely came to the school. Now, let's fast forward a bit more to see if he left in between or after the school was over"

She started it and the video was fast forwarded again. There was basically no activity near the main gate, only once did a little girl whose leg seemed to be injured, left with her parents. But there was otherwise no activity until the classes were over. Miss Keyla brought the video speed to normal once the bells, signifying school end, rang. There were herds of students going out. Some met their guardian, some took the school bus and some were picked up by the car. I couldn't see Twen anywhere. I looked through the video till end but Twen was nowhere to be seen. Just where on Earth did he disappeared off to? We looked through the video three more times but there was nothing.

Miss Keyla, then, started the back gate video which was reserved exclusively for teacher's entry. And as such we only saw teacher's cars arriving and going to the parking area. The video was in fast forward. There were around ten to twelve cars that came, two left around afternoon, one left in the evening just sometime before the school was over and the three more left after the school was over. There was nothing! No suspicious activity. No kid loitering around. No one carrying a kid with them. It was totally clean. I was feeling dumbstruck. What was going on? How did he disappeared?

"Hang on" suddenly Mrs. Tyler spoke looking at the back gate video with a strange look

We all turned to look at her. My heart was beating in my mouth.

"What?" Mr. Nibble asked gesturing Miss Keyla to stop the video and looking at Mrs. Tyler with a frown

"If am not wrong, Miranda had a grey hatchback!" She stated eyeing the car in the screen

"So?" Sam asked blankly

"But isn't that a silver hatchback on screen?"

Chapter end