Foxy_Rebirth:

Ehm.... No vex, I don hit concrete wall... Just hang on sha... My inspiration na just 50 Naira per wrap

Na so u smoke run enter well,sebi u say u no dey smoke again? Sha me go like kiss small

D stori mak brain sha, I sedon dey wait 4 mor

lapagegirl: D stori mak brain sha, I sedon dey wait 4 mor

Pour brain abi... Sounding like one from Kazaure....

Emeka piloted the speed boat until they were abreast with the giant ship which loomed over them like a drunken giant as the tide of the sea shook it gently. A black face peeped and soon a rope was tossed from the ship. With it Togo secured the speed boat to the giant vessel and waited for Emeka to make it up the ladder that had been tossed to them before following suit.

This is a different ship but the contact had been the same. Edet. The black man that had looked overboard the first time. Emeka wondered how he came to know so much white sailors willing to do business and why he conducts the business himself without having any other person to back him up. Edet led them on to a small door that was attached to the ship, the whole place was considerably silent but it did not move the hairs of Togo and Emeka as they had come prepared.

The door led down into the main cabin of the ship through a metal stair and a pathway with various doors that lead through different passages. They maintained going front until they came to a dead end and one of the door on the left opened, from inside came out a white man heavily armed with an automatic weapon and chains of bullet slung over his shoulders. H eyed the two newcomers slyly before speaking to Edet.

''Are they the businessmen we are expecting''

Edet nodded not saying anything. The white man snapped his fingers and moved from the door while three other men, all heavily armed came out and disarmed Togo and Emeka while Edet explained that the commander said no weapon should be allowed into the room where they are about to hold the business transaction.

''O boy, I no buy this issue wey these guys dey sell to us, the way no pure at all''

Togo spoke out to Emeka who maintained his cool.

''Guy, just chill. Nothing go go wrong, make we just run this business get out of here''

Emeka responded as they made their way through the door on their right into another passage that looked more like the passage in a hotel instead of a ship. As they got to the end, a bend led to a door carved out of mahogany which they made their way through entering into a spacious room which looked more like a conference hall. In the middle of the room was a shiny table with wines and spirits neatly arranged on it and glass cups turned upside down. By the side of the spirits are also covered dishes. Emeka and Togo took all this in as they moved closer to the table as Edet directed them to sit down on the same side while he sat on the other side, the heavily armed man remained at the door closing it shut as their Emeka had entered.

''Guy, na wetin we agree on be this, why e be say you just carry us come keep for this room. Why we no do the business for us?''

Togo spoke out, his eyes blazing at Edet who only smiled wryly and told him to be patient. Emeka looked round the whole place with disgust but held his tongue from saying anything.

''Na wetin we still dey do here, we look like ordinary messengers wey this white monkeys keep us here?''

Togo spoke out again impatiently after they had waited for twenty minutes.

''No be so Oga John, me ma I dey surprise say Mr. Smith never come outside up till now. No vex, just exercise small patience.''

Edet answered him this time not smiling but it could clearly be seen that he was also becoming worried. The sound of a bell was heard and a door which they had not seen before because it blended well with the walls opened and a white man stepped in. He was already old with snow white hairs which was bald but was covered with hairs brushed forward. His beards had a white and dark patches on it, his cheeks a bit sunken. He was putting on a gold rimmed eyeglass which he removed as he came to the table.

He sat down at the head of the table and looked intently at the two black strangers in the room and smiles at them revealing a perfect dentition but within him he was confused. They did not look like business men but fighters because of the way they were dressed, each of them adorning a sleevless west, their muscled arm showing tattoos which were only seen when looked at intently. Very rough drawing which he did not bother to decipher.

The first black man maintained a calm look while the other one clearly displayed rage as he was finding it difficult to sit, his eyes bloodshot and lips shaking from surpressed anger. Edet, the same black guy that Jeremy had introduced him to wore a far away look on his face, something he had come to discover as Edet's concentration. He smiled, rubbed his hands together, cleared his throat and spoke in a hoarse voice that had life even though he himself was old:

''May we eat''

Togo: Eat!?, we look like person wey dey hungry,abeg,abeg,abeg make we do business jor.

Damex333: Togo: Eat!?, we look like person wey dey hungry,abeg,abeg,abeg make we do business jor.

Come... You better hold your guessing na... I wan use element of suspense while thinking of joining the words together..... Anyway.... THat was the same thing on my mind. Nice one though

nice.

now is the time for my real comment on this story!i Know This Story Is....FANTASTIC and if u work hard,it wuld take u Places!i write too but my talent lies in ESSAYS But am nt ready to explore dat part of me yet!GOD'S TIME IS BEST!

Impressed....

I woke up that morning on my left side or as the adage indicated, I woke up feeling really angry. At who I did not know, I was just watching as Mustapha stretched his thing legs over Bueze's head. It looked really annoying because if he had done same to me I would have plugged a dagger into his anus. Mustapha is well known for his irresponsible way of sleeping that no one wants to sleep close to him so to avoid quarrels of where to sleep at night a roster was drawn for who would sleep closest to Mustapha and who would watch the door. Ekoja that night was to stand as the watch out while Bueze had the unlucky task to sleep close the rummaging bull.

"Phew... torororor"

It was Ekoja, I was not surprised, he always knew I was an early riser so he always wanted my company. I stood up, picked my M.16 where I had kept it the previous night and walked outside into the dew and early morning cold. The cold hugged unto my skin like a second garment but I shook it off by taking a deep breath whilst moving my bowels in and out as we had been thought in camp.

"Come, na which kind okpata be this na, you no know when person dey jellilize for dreamland?"

I asked Ekoja as I walked to his duty post.

"O boy, forgive my misconduct but this one pass where lizard dey fucckk rat wife."

He answered. It made my ear extend from where it had been hidden.

"Na so to ffucckk hungry rat wife reach?"

It was a hidden code.

"My eyes don pop up for the back of my head and I no like as my nyash look like"

Ekoja replied me.

"See, when preek and piss quarrel na nyash go get the end result as na purging get am."

I answered him.

"Nothing do you jor, e be like Emeka and Togo don return"

He spoke clearly for the first time.

"That no be news na, na wetin make you rob me of peace of mind?"

I asked him obviously angered at the flimsy news.

"That no be the koko of the yan, the main thing na say Emeka carry John Togo for neck"

Now that was news to me as immediately my eyes blazed or more of opened in surprise not anger.

"How e carry happen na, abi rope don do John Togo the thing?"

I asked a baseless question.

"You know say rope no get effect for we body, e be like na ambush"

Ekoja answered me anger clearly written on his face. Ekoja the warrior, he starts a fight and waits for a volunteer to finish it. I got my first real scar on the face because I had chosen the wrong time to plunge into a fight.

"Make we wait make butterfly begin decorate."

I answered as I squatted close to his standing frame removing the magazine from my weapon and proceeding to oil and dust it. Anything that had brought John Togo to his knees is really something to contend with and I don't want to be caught unawares as a jammed weapon is same as taking a stick to fight a man wielding a cutlass.



******************************************************************************

"Ororo... Ororo.... Eagle no dey fall from sky anyhow.... You no fit force fish make e swim because e dey water... Poverty no fit make lion beg hyena for food... Na pig know wetin im hide for inside dirty... Ororo... Ororoooooooo"

We were chanting this word but this time our weapons laid propped up by our side, their nuzzle to the ground as we waited solemnly for our leaders to come address us. Though our blood boiled, we were unable to express it by squeezing triggers and rendering silent morning a cacophony of gunshots. Death was looming and noise would make him take his victim quickly.

I looked at the faces beside me apart from Mustapha, Bueze and Ekoja. They all looked grim with some jaws sticking out as they proceeded to chew their teeth. If this was not a serious gathering I would have made a remark about the faces but making a remark could end me a place in the hole. Somewhere most people dreaded but not me since I found time to meditate there.

"Lalalalalala..... I no dey go market if money no go follow me come back.... I no dey go river if I no go see n'a'ked girls... I no dey go church if them no collect offering for my name.... Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh..... Even breeze dey respect mess that's why e dey always welcome am"

We were getting heated up, some people were already jumping their guns now in their arms while others shook their body. It was really a frenzy, no one wanted to be left out. Even Mustapha hopped on one leg, performing a funny Fulani dance.

"E don do!!!"

A voice screamed, this rendered the whole atmosphere calm as even the birds became silent to listen to when the owner of the voice had to say.

"How this thing carry happen?"

Tompolo was far from surprised, he was perplexed.

"Hmmm.... I need to rest my head, John just talk too much"

Emeka answered as he left the bed on which John was outstretched and went to the water pot to drink water. The medicine man had been summoned and they were all waiting for him to come. As usual they knew the man would make his entry in a grand style but the delays he makes are always unbearable.

"Na talk wey person talk make nearly murder am? Na those white baboons do am abi wetin?"

Tompolo asked like some other group of human beings would have the mind of attacking them.

"Just leave the talk, I go give you the full gist later."

Emeka and his way of doing things Tompolo wondered in his mind. He had known Emeka to postpone important matters for later dates not because he did not want to discuss it but he wants to be fully ready in also proposing solutions to the matter.

"Elenuala...!!! Ogojirode!!! Nobody dey know when lion dey labour, na only bird dey fit shit for even king head"

Baba had made his spectacular appearance. The white smoke that had appeared with him started to ebb away revealing the frail man they were all used to. On one hand he held a bald vulture while his other hand held a red-earth pot. He was dressed in raffia palm, his waist up bared and revealing ribs that were poking out. His cheeks were sunken and his hair coloured grey with age. From his mouth proceeded reddish smoke while his lips trembled in silent incantations. Even Emeka who never displayed emotions was surprised at the entrance of Baba, though it wasn't new but the way he was dressed appeared rare.

Baba took some painful step towards Tompolo, speaking gibberish and communing with the spirits in whatever way he was talking. He stopped at the foot of the bed just directly above Togo's head obviously unaware he was walking towards Tompolo. He peered into the face of Togo, belching the red smoke into his face, his eyes rolling behind his head while his upper body shook uncontrollably. Using the bald vulture, he touched the exposed parts of Togo's body, legs, arm, lower belly and finally his face. He allowed the vulture linger a lot on Togo's face before lifting the vulture high above his head and screaming in a voice that was inhuman. The sound of the voice seemed to have a serene effect on the vulture as it calmed, then all of a sudden gave a loud squeak before its head exploded, its blood gushing out and covering John Togo's face. John Togo was unresponsive, his chest only heaved up and down but every other part of his body seemed dead. Baba dipped his hand into the earthen pot producing a handful of black, dangerous looking scorpions which he dropped on the chest of Togo. Emeka and Tompolo just stood, mouth agape, eyes opened and breath held watching Baba as he had never performed this kind of ritual.

Baba bent down the second time, breathing the red smoke coming out of his mouth on the scorpions who all scrambled as if propelled by an invisible force to the chest of John Togo where they formed a circle before stinging him at the point closest to his heart. Their sting remained in John Togo's chest as they all softened and became wax, sipping slowly into the hole their multiple stings had created.

John moved him hand for the first time but his eyes still remained shut until Baba rolled in eyes came back, he looked at Togo's, smiled and in a poof, vanished. Togo slowly opened his eyes and smiled, he looked at room before closing his eyes again but not after using his tongue to lick the blood on his lips.

"This guy ma sabi talk, I think say him go waka."

Emeka finally said.

"Na now you get mouth to talk, hope say una mission succeed?"

Tompolo asked him.

"Yes na, all the catapults dey for where we dey keep and the stones many pass the other ones."

Emeka replied, smiling for the first time since he came back

"So how e carry happen?"

Tompolo was bent on hearing what had happened.

"See eh, everything go fine o, but as we enter na so John just dey miscap for the white men, I no know wetin enter im body self. But as soon as them offer food, na him first jump climb the food begin chop. Me I just maintain, just dey wait make we conclude business. Na when we finish stack the whole catapults and stones na im John just fall down hold him belle."

Emeka narrated. Tompolo shook his head, John Togo always had a weakness for food. He was just happy that nothing had happened to him since everything thing pointed to him being poisoned. Repaying was the next thing that remained and he knew that it means a fresh virgin from one of the numerous villages that surrounded them. He braced himself as he walked outside to address the warriors that had gathered outside. He knew that the task of getting a virgin would definitely fall on some of the warriors.

No. I will rather lock it until then

"Men, so na us them select to go hunt this virgin, na wa o"

Bueze complained.

"Why be say this man no dey even show say na Igbo him be, I no know say Igbo people dey fear o"

Mustapha made a mockery of Bueze.

"Na for my head you dey always get power, if na fight now, na you dey first bail"

Bueze fired back.

"See this man, them tell you say I resemble Ekoja"

Mustapha was laughing as he said it but Ekoja found it annoying.

"Come, make una play stop for una side, una no get elder for where una come from neh?"

Ekoja said, eyeing them profusely.

"Something enter you eye?"

I asked Ekoja making everybody to go into a fit of laughter. We were just talking to keep the forest lively as we had already left for the mission that was sent us. I was personally happy and so was everybody when Tompolo finally came out to tell us that all was well with Togo. We all looked up to him, though he gets angry quickly, he was kinder than Emeka who was deadlier because he never talks and when he does, venoms flows with each word.

"Come o, which village we wan enter na, e don even tay wey be say I straff"

Mustapha said as we came to a little river which was a tributary to the Atlantic ocean. Giant trees grew on each side of the river with their branches extending both sides of the river. This made it easier crossing the river by climbing the trees and following the branches than by wading through as the river was always turbulent due to the inclined nature of the earth at that point.

"Why be say Hausa people too like t'ot'o but na them dey release quick when e come to Bleep?"

I asked as I scouted for the easiest tree to climb. He looked at me before answering in a tone that sounded like he was choking.

"Na the same thing wey make Igala people dey marry second wife if them get small money"

I laughed, so did the others.

"But we still dey fvck wella na, unlike una wey to see woman lap akamu go just full una trouser."

We all laughed at that. Though Mustapha had come to the camp before me, he still respected me so he kept quite and refused to pursue the matter forward. I just smiled to myself as I found a tree that had many branches and could support my weight. It was also not far from the earth so getting injured from falling from the tree was overruled. I looked at the others who looked at me after each had found a suitable tree, we slung our weapons behind us and climbed the trees and in no time was at the other side of the river.

"Who are wa!!"

It was Ogonoveh the annoying Delta boy who thought we ran a cult instead of a camp. He was the point man that day.

"How many times I go tell you say na mistake I carry give your mother belle wey she born you?"

I asked him. He looked at me like he had swallowed a bee.

"Attai, na because of say na you o, normally I for show the person pepper"

He replied me before waving us through. I just shook my head, if there was anybody this man would show pepper, it would be a woman and not just a woman, a very frail looking woman and not just a frail looking woman, one who was sickly.

"Oya make we rest for here."

I said as we came to a clearing of grassland, the sun was up and the heat was already causing us to sweat through our shirts. Though the forest still stretched for miles, it was best to rest and wait for the heat of the sun to reduce since the first village on the map was still very far. We all selected a spot under an umbrella tree and sat facing different directions as we brought out the dried meat we had taken for the journey. At times like this, speed is needed so it was advisable to travel light and the kind of mission involved a package so we travelled lighter. I had already consumed my portion of the meat and was rinsing my mouth from the water cask I had brought along I heard a sound.

"O boy, una hear that thing?"

I asked in a hush whisper.

"Mustapha, you hear am?"

Ekoja directed the question to Mustapha who sat close to me but was facing the east direction.

"At all, I no hear anything."

I listened intently, hoping to catch the sound again but the wind whispered sounds into my ears. I relaxed and made to relax on the trunk of the tree when I heard the sound again but this time everybody seemed to have heard it as we all jumped up, our guns trained in the direction of the sound. Only Bueze backed us, he was watching the back while I acted as the point man as we filed slowly towards a thick brush, heart thumping and breaths drawn in.

The sound came again, this time more distinct than the previous one. I raised my hand indicating 3 fingers, I pointed one in a direction, the other in the other direction while I indicated that the third one should stay put. That was Bueze, he was to watch out back as we made our way slowly into the brush making the least of sounds. The bush parted slowly as I went inside more and more leading me to a destination that can only be distinguished by the sounds that was coming from there. It was the sound of men laughing.

"Ororororor"

I imitated the cry of a blue bird. I listened intently.

Mustapha replied from the west side of me while Ekoja imitated a dove, it means he had come in contact with the people. I imitated a bush fowl telling him to stay put and not move. Soon Mustapha cooed and I knew I was the remaining one that had not made any contact, instead of hastening my step, I eased it up a little bit, applying caution to the extreme. I was in the jungle and meeting rivals is always unpleasant.

"Llellellle"

It was Bueze indicating that he was restless, he wanted a part of the show. I whistled back telling him to hold on until the main action begins, we needed all the element of surprise.

"Duex ve la mue, casce leu veux."

It sounded foreign to me, I had never heard the language before. I wondered what foreigners were doing in our land even though I know that most time some do come to rest after staying on the sea for long. I wanted to find out what had brought them. I cocked my gun gently, not loud enough for the laughing men to hear, aimed it in front of me and stepped out of the brush.

I was taken aback by the sight I met, men were scattered everywhere, working hard and digging, I looked to my side and saw Mustapha, his weapon trained in front of him too, at the other side, Ekoja looked all ready for a showdown. The men held their weapons carelessly, maybe they were not expecting any form of confrontation. The wanted to bunker a pipeline. From the accents and manner at which they behaved, it all pointed to our neighbours, the Cameroonians. They had been coming to steal our oil and the government had been putting the blames on us. Even though we engaged in that part of the business too, we don't bunker pipelines, we had our own blocks where we work.

"Yehhhh"

The men were shouting, they had struck gold. I quickly counted them and discovered them to be around 50 with 20 armed men. We could easily take on them as they were not alert. I looked at Ekoja, signaled him, turned to Mustapha and pointed a direction to him. That was where the guards were concentrated. As silently as we came in, we returned into the brush preparing for the onslaught.

***********************************************************************************

"papapapappapapapapapappa"

Ekoja started the battle while I ran quickly through the brush, looking for a place to pull my own stunt as all the gunmen were now concentrated on the direction that the gunfire was coming out from. I stepped out and saw them firing at Ekoja's direction, I knew they were firing air as Ekoja had only shot into the air and moved from that place. Soon there was another blast of gunfire, this time 3 men dropped to the ground. Mustapha had started the killing. I aimed at the men, pulled the trigger but did not wait for the bullet to make impact as I turned and moved from that position to another place. I heard as bullets made contact with my previous position, the amount of bullets that landed there was enough to turn a man's body into a sieve.

"Ahhhh"

I heard as men dropped down both from the impact of the bullets from my gun and from the weapons of Ekoja and Mustapha. Bueze could not make an entrance as the fight raged on but he covered the external part of the brush. I peeped to shoot but discovered that the men had abandoned the fight and were running away but were cut short by a hail of bullets. Bueze emerged from the direction, he had joined in the fight after all. We all made our way towards their equipment and bodies, adding bullet to groaning men, making sure none was spared.

I did a body count and discovered that all the men were there. We gathered them close to the hole while Bueze entered into it, struck the opening of the pipe which made already refined petrol to gush out. We moved backward while Ekoja fired into the petrol lighting it. We ran as fast as we could from the raging flame.

Keep it up. u too gbaski..

Owkay make i comment. You dey make sense, u gud wella, but, na when v abandon am we go fight o.

----SOMEWHERE IN DELTA ----

Ibinagbo paced his office, his eyes blazing and confused at the same time. His head was in a total turmoil as nothing seemed to make sense to him anymore. He thought he had hired the best hands to do the work for him, how and why did the operation went wrong still baffled him. He had already make a mental calculation of how much would be in his account the moment the products were delivered. He was shaken when the phone in his office rang. He looked at the annoying piece of invention, why would the government still allow offices to have telecoms in them when all they needed was to set up a committee that would set a committee that will look into how much buying handsets for all the civil servants would cost. After all, all the farmers in the town have expensive handsets which they seldom use because it is always down. Electric supply was epileptic. He remembered how the initiative had been a windfall of money, he could not remember how much he made from the programmed but he was sure it extended to many zeros.

"Hello"

He spoke into the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Sorry Sir, there is a man here to see you."

His secretary said from the other end.

"I don't entertain ghosts in my office, since the person has no name, tell him to go and come back"

He all but screamed into the phone. His secretary maintained a calmed voice as he heard her asked the visitor his name though his reply was incoherent.

"It is Alhaji Musbahu Sir."

The Secretary said from the other end. It has been long he had been expecting his business associate.

"Send him in immediately. Anyone that comes looking for him, you know what to do."

And with that he dropped the phone and walked towards the door as he heard a light knock on it. He opened the door to reveal a slim fair man, average in height and sporting a moustache and putting on a flowing "babban riga".

"How are you my friend today"

Ibinagbo asked stretching his hand for a shake which the visitor shook firmly.

"It is only usual for me to answer that I am fine since courtesy demands it but we both know that I am far from being fine"

Alhaji Musbahu answered unsmiling.

"Take it easy Alhaji, fate plays cruel tricks on whomsoever it choses."

Ibinagbo was trying to make light the situation.

"Yeah, I agree with that. Ya'Allahu, kai ne mai girma (O God, you are the greatest)"

Alhaji Musbahu said resignedly. He settled down on the sofa that was at the side of Ibinagbo's spacious office. He smiled as he admired the various paintings and artifacts that adorned the walls and various strategic points. If he did not know Ibinagbo he would have wondered how a common civil servants with their unattractive salary package could have such an adorable office. He was thought was broken by Ibinagbo:

"Coffee or Tea?"

Alhaji looked at him before replying.

"Tea will be fine, no sugar please. I'm under medication for diabetes."

"Don't worry about that, I have the finest blend of tea all the way from the Arab Emirate"

Ibinagbo said offering Alhaji Musbahu a cup of black tea which Alhaji sniffed before taking a sip and smacking his lips in satisfaction.

"You really have the best things in your office"

Alhaji remarked as he dropped the cup on the saucer pan.

"Alhaji, I watched it in the news this morning, it had been on air since yesterday but only developed interest when the location of the fire was mentioned."

Ibinagbo said as he took a seat opposite Alhaji Musbahu wearing his business look.

"Yes, I wonder what went wrong, everything seemed foolproof."

Alhaji replied not quiet sure of what to say since something else was eating him up.

"I understand that, I was even in contact with the leader some moments before they went on the mission."

Ibinagbo said trying to sound as solemn as possible. Alhaji Musbahu looked at him all over noticing the unrest in his eyes before dropping the bombshell.

"My contacts in the Police Force said the fire was not caused by a supernatural force, it was ignited. All the bodies of the men recovered have bullet wounds in them."

Ibinagbo looked like he was about to faint as he went all pale, the room suddenly becoming too stuffy for him as he quickly made his way to open the windows breathing in hard the natural air that came through.

"Are you telling me the Army is now involved?"

He asked from the position.

Alhaji Musbahu stood from his position and walked to where Ibinagbo was standing before answering.

"No, the Army don't know anything about that location, it was the fire that attracted them and all the men were dead so the issue of them fighting amongst themselves should be dropped. They were killed, the fire started and nothing taken from them"

Ibinagbo immediately developed cold feet.

Updates continues later

oya i yaff commented. now contilue

That pidgin mehn! M kinda lost though, the second update, the Attai guy part, why are u telling it as a first person narration then the others as third person naration? And please try to use abbreviation marks.

Wow... Loving this.

Foxybone, come and continue o

Foxy_Rebirth:

Get it.... I will work on it. I just need someone to help me proof read the work

if it doesn't scare me I could do it for you. The reason I backed out of Unix's collabo was because the path the story was taking was way out of my comfort zone.