There are many varieties of bananas in Africa. Besides those that can be eaten raw, there are also rice bananas that must be fried or cooked before eating, and their taste is somewhat similar to sweet potatoes.
Bananas are a primary source of calories for the locals, and due to their high yield, the surplus is used to make wine.
Due to the high pectin content in bananas, methanol is easily produced during the brewing process. Fortunately, the locals are not very proficient in distillation techniques, so even if they drink too much, methanol poisoning is unlikely.
Foreign tourists generally seldom drink this local liquor, known as banana beer, because unlike wine produced by the stomping feet of European and American women, the bananas are stomped by either black men or women.
On the road that Jack and Hannah just passed, approximately 100 Odebiaos roar by every day on their sturdy, durable 28-inch bicycles.
Each 28-inch bicycle carries nearly 400 kilograms of bananas, and when combined with the weight of the people, the load often exceeds 500 kilograms.
Tanzania isn't as mountainous as Burundi, so naturally, there aren't as many downhill slopes for the Odebiu to enjoy the thrill of speeding.
However, the economy is relatively good here, so while the round trip is nearly 200 kilometers, the earnings are much higher, even $10-15 on a good day.
Most of those working in this industry are young men around 20 years old. A hard day's work earns enough to support a family of several, but they usually save up to buy a used motorcycle as soon as possible.
Today, bananas are bound to be out of stock at a certain market because a wealthy American has arrived, offering $50 per person to all the Odebiu who are racing along the road.
Not only did those who had just loaded up their bananas rush to join in the fun, but even those who were already halfway through were called back.
Old Muto and his militia members maintained order effectively. Generally speaking, these Odebiu, their bodies smeared with sweat and covered in black, are relatively honest people.
After handing out his coins, Jack quickly received the information he was looking for. The morning before yesterday, someone had indeed spotted a group of dusty foreign tourists boarding a bus on the roadside. They were all wearing matching red T-shirts, and a white child, about seven or eight years old, was confirmed among them.
Although none of the Odebiaos knew how to count and couldn't pinpoint the exact number of people, Jack, through the frantic gestures of several of them, was able to determine that it was a long-nosed yellow bus that could seat at least thirty.
Tanzania's poor infrastructure was a welcome relief, as there were only a few decent roads.
Unless the bus could traverse the grasslands like an off-road jeep, Jack could easily tell from the last sighting that they were heading towards Lake Victoria.
"Are they planning to leave by water?" Jack pondered, poring over the map.
Tanzania owns about half of Lake Victoria's surface area, with the remainder belonging to Kenya and Uganda.
"Anyway, this is good news. You'd better report it as soon as possible. I heard someone up there is already impatiently preparing to send in the army and special forces for a large-scale search,"
Old Muto warned with a hint of concern.
Just as Jack and Hannah were debating whether to continue along the established route, Jubal received a satellite call.
They and Detective Pollino had successfully apprehended Pastor Tumo Makanni in a small village and had completed a preliminary interrogation.
Strictly speaking, the pastor's title was somewhat unworthy. In Jubal's view, Tumo Makanni was more like a religious leader, a self-proclaimed pastor, neither Catholic nor Protestant.
Tanzania is a multi-religious country. Aside from Zanzibar Island, where the majority of the population is Y-cult, the rest of the country adheres to either JD or a local, primitive form of fetishism.
With the introduction of foreign religions, these primitive local religions have evolved with the times, gradually giving rise to some bizarre hybrids.
Some of these doctrines are more radical and are considered extreme religions. Of course, this is an implicit statement. To put it more directly, they are similar to cults.
Tumo Makanni is a typical example. A skilled communicator, he leveraged his fluency in several languages to play both sides.
Foreign philanthropists viewed Tumo Makanni as a highly respected pastor with a large following, and they readily entrusted him with aid supplies.
However, this "kind" pastor would sell most of the aid, cashing in cash to purchase weapons and ammunition to arm his followers.
He would use the remaining supplies to win over the hearts and minds of the poor in the surrounding villages, forcing them to embrace his self-made, nonsensical doctrines and brainwashing them.
This "pastor" was undoubtedly a man of talent; given time, he could have potentially formed an extremist religious group.
Unfortunately, he had recently suffered a significant setback, and his dream of establishing a "heaven on earth" suffered a major setback.
Tumo Makani did accept aid from Jacob Bruce and embezzled a large portion of it. However, before he could transport it all, a large portion of his followers abruptly deserted him, taking most of the supplies with them.
Consequently, when Detective Pollino, a team of officers, and Jubal approached him, the unfortunate "pastor" offered little resistance and was captured alive along with his two remaining confidants.
Tumo Makani has been cleared of suspicion as a kidnapper, though the Tanzanian authorities will certainly pursue this con man and cult leader. However, the mysterious disappearances of his followers have drawn the FBI's attention.
Jubal believes the "pastor" may have encountered a higher-ranking player and been "taken over" by someone else.
While progress was underway in Africa, Rossi and Jiejie, back in New York, made their own discoveries.
After speaking with the families of all ten missing women, Jiejie discovered a common thread: they were all victims of domestic violence and had subsequently embraced certain faiths as their spiritual home.
Rossi met Sarah, the wife of Jacob Bruce, who was confirmed dead.
The couple wasn't just separating. Sarah revealed that their divorce papers had been mailed to Jacob Bruce a year earlier.
He refused to sign the papers, citing his vows to God, which he had made in his wedding vows, and his reluctance to break them.
While Rossi was questioning her about the Brunswick Mission, she noticed a tinge of unease, particularly around Elijah Ward.
After some consolation, Sarah finally revealed the truth: Jacob Bruce and Elijah Ward weren't simply partners, but more like master and servant.
Jacob Bruce privately revered Elijah Ward, calling him "the agent of loyalty."
"So they weren't the partners or partnership we initially thought they were. Elijah was the true leader, and we should focus on him," Rossi suggested.
Combining the clues from New York with what Jubal and his team had uncovered, Jack easily came to a conclusion.
"So we were misguided. To the women, it was indeed a kidnapping, but to the others, it was a long-planned act of extreme religious devotion."
"All the men were complicit, which is why they had very little carry-on luggage and never used social media." Hannah suddenly realized.
"Elijah had pried off the 'pastor's' followers and turned them into his own team in Africa, posing as kidnappers and holding everyone on the train hostage.
The men present were all privy to the situation, and with their cooperation, the women didn't dare to resist and obeyed. It was a disguised obedience test, a common cult tactic."
(End of chapter)