"...Read the inscription on the tome" Akpan replied smiling. His smile was a smile of liberation. Heck why won't I smile after all the god damn stress I have been put into within a span of three days. Akpan felt liberated,the kind of liberation he hadn't had in a long while. Thought of constantly being on the hooks where no more. He was free, no more scary comic relief again. He began envisioning what he will do for the rest of the day.
" In the time of the crazy attacks by the white men, a fearsome curse has been placed upon us. The city is cursed. Old men are dying, the kids, the youth, the men and even the livestock. I Have querried the gods but they appear to be silent. The city council has decided to abandond the city, Every step and street you can see a corpse. This is a never before seen curse. I had warn the villagers not to let the white men desecrate the village by steping feet here . No one listened
They let the white men in and even let them to began digging tunnels in the village in search of their white stone which they call gold. It first started with the white men after they dug a tunnel under our water source. They began dying. Their leader turn crazy saying our water source is contaminated. What contamination. Tufiakwa we have been drinking from here right from the time of our ancestors.
Though the city council is leaving. I will wait behind till the gods reply my querry.,for I cannot leave the shrine…". The write up ender there.
Saviour took a deep breath and sighed. Akpan looked at the tome clicking his tongue no one knew what was going through his mind. He was probably consumed by the euphoria of his discovery.
Then like a snake which was stalking it's prey for the opportuned time to strike and which had gladly found its chance, they was a sudden scream.
"Arrrrrrrhggggggggghhhhhh". Saviour was startled and Akpan' was shaken out of his Euphoria. What is the cause of the damn noise now.Saviour thought. Heaven, for God's sake he had gotten enough of this shit of a place. Before he could pull himself out of his displeasure and get a hold of what was happening, a mercenary was seen running towards them. He was panting and breathing, heck, god knows he would probably soil his clothes if he spent another second in this accursed place. Heavens, for God's sake if given a choice he would probably like to be somewhere in Europe now sunbathing at the beach.
"What is happening now?" Saviour inquired from the mercenary in anger.heck for every little thing this group would make unnecessary noise and scamper around like a bunch of kids and sheeps without a shepherd. The Mercanary took a deep breath to calm down. He lifted his finger and pointed to the direction he came from. His stoic and scare inducing face couldn't hide the fear in his face. Saviour sighed knowing that this man had lost it, he would probably need to free him from.his fear soon. He began running alongside Akpan to where the mercenary came from. Once the mercenary noticed their departure he began screaming in hysteria while running after them
".... don't leave me to this cursed place alone. I don't wanna die"..
The three soon arived at where the mercenary referred to, they saw the group of mercenaries keeping some distance from a man who was convulsing seriously on the ground. Saliva spluttering from his mouth and he was talking bla bla bla their doom to no one in particular. Saviour walked to where the man was lying on the ground and took a look. Behold it was Oy.
"What happened here?" He barked at one of the closet mercenary turning to face him in fury his back facing the god damn convulsing annoying prophet of doom.
"He just began convulsing and screaming 'curse curse curse 'they was nothing wrong with him prior to this. I don't know it seems that this place is seriously cursed and haunted"
"Shut your trash up" Saviour barked at him in anger. He turn to look at the convulsing man and turn back to look at the group and continued "just kill him . I don't want any dissension in my camp. Understoood?". The mercenaries noded in response.
"Ta ta ta" sound like gunshot was heard then three swirling bullet went pass dropping three mercenaries dead. The bullet was nocked into their brains. They where dead before a second not knowing how they died who or why they where killed.
"Shit! The fuck hide!"
"Who the heck shot that"
"Where we followed"
"Curse the coward"
The group of mercenaries ducked down, scampering for olaces to hide to save themselves heck no one was planning to die today especially not in this accursed place. They all thought. Everything was in chaos. No one noticed that the convulsing body had stood up and unarmed one of the now dead mercenaries and quickly tiptoed to where Saviour hid.
Saviour was confused and perplexed. How the heck did this even happen under his watch. Who was the shooter, why where they targgetted?. Was it the government. A lot of thought was running through his mind . He failed to observe the shadow that was quickly gaining up on him. A hand quickly clasped him from behind in a military move covering his Blindspot and preventing from unhoisting his Berreta Model 92 semi automatic service pistol. He felt the cold feeling of something at the back of his neck. He was badly startled. For heaven's sake what the heck had happened.
"Try anything funny and I'll shoot your brains off" . This was the voice that welcoed Saviour from his thoughts. Heck he thought for heaven's sake is this not Oy's voice. Wasn't he convulsing or something. . The voice continued " i wouldn't have known that you where this of a scheming person. Heck you even got me." The voice paused. "Give the instructions for your bunch of men to Stop firing at my man or I'll put you down first".
Saviour was badly startled till he soiled his pants. Heck he was bot trained in military tactics to handle any of this. The only thing that made the brotherhood put him in charge of this god damn mission was his scheming mind. He was in no wasy good at all the gun making noise. He was at a loss as regards what to do.
"Do it now" rhe the voice thundered silently. Pressing the tip of the gun more deeply into the back of his neck . Saviour shuddered at the thought of what could happen.
"Stop shoootiinnggg! " He thundered.