You know you actually do make things easy for me " he continued, his voice was like a roar, like he was talking out of anger. " Whoa, so we meet at last Mr Serial Killer" I talked for the first time, " You know, you kind of make my job easier, You see , your sister wasn't met to die, she wasn't on my list, you were the one to die Gabriel. But that night when I came to take you, you weren't around. Your window was opened and through it, I gained access into your house. You weren't on the bed, you might have gone to look for me while I was also looking for you. Since you weren't around, death doesn't just pay an ordinary visit, I decided to take your sister in anticipation of you, and look at now, you are here, coming to me to get killed" He moved around, though he tried making his voice thick, I thought the voice sounded familiar. " why do I have this feeling that I know you?" I asked, " Whoa, you don't know me, I know you" came his reply. " I didn't come here to get killed, I came here to kill you" I told him still standing at the same spot. " You spies just think you have the power to defeat everyone you come across, no, it isn't your fault, I blame sir Ajan for this" He laughed, I wasn't much surprised, I knew it was someone from Newriton. " But you know we can settle this in peace, Why are you doing this?" I asked and he bursted into a long, loud laughter. " Peace? I know no peace. And as for why I am doing this, Life is all about the money bro. And I also thinks its fun you know?" He laughed on. " maybe that fun will end today" I told him. " Hey, should I tell you something?" He asked but I didn't reply. " Do you know why am wearing a mask?Dumb head, it not so that I can hide my identity, it so that the good guys wont know am smiling " He laughed again. " You see, I had wanted Adanna to go before you, but someone saved her, don't worry, I will soon find out who. As for now, I think you should go make a place for Adanna in the kingdom" he continued. " What about if I say I know who you are?" I asked, I dont really know the person behind the mask but it was one of those things we learnt from Newriton. " Hey, come on boy, I once use to be in Newriton, so you dont expect that to work on me" he said with a short laugh. " Now, I think we have talked enough, no…." He interrupted me. " Yes, we have made enough jokes, how do we say it again? Let's Die!!" He said as he pulled out his sword, " Sorry bro, I dont use swords" I pulled out my gun and released two bullets to his chest, to my surprise, he was still standing fine. " Sorry bro, I use bullet proof" he laughed the more and immediately advance towards me with the sword held tight in his hands, I stood where i was waiting for the movement of the sword, I wasn't trained with swords but nevertheless, I am a crime fighter. He swung the sword across my head, I saw it coming and quickly rolled on the floor and immediately brought out one of my knives, I held tight to it. " I have never seen a spy as dull as you are, a knife against a sword?" He asked me as he came closer, I watched his movement, I was breathing heavily. He flung the sword to my neck side but I quickly moved closer to him and guided his hand with my left hand, I immediately dished a punch to his face, he pretended like he was going to fall and shockingly he gave me a back leg kick. I fell to the ground and immediately did a Chinese get up ( A type of stance in which you help yourself up with your legs) . I was just regaining balance when he gave me a kick to my chest again, it pushed me backward and I hit a tree. He came forward with the sword towards my head, I bent down swiftly and the sword got stuck into the tree. I rolled away from him as he tried removing the sword, I then threw a knife at him. To my surprise, he weaved the knife like as if he had seen it coming. The knife also got stuck to the tree and he removed his sword. " Gabriel, is this all you have got?" He asked coming closer, I now wished I never came looking for him. " What? Am still standing " I also moved closer to him. I threw a punch but he simply caught my hands in the air and hit my head with his own head. I staggered back, I could now feel my nose bleeding. " He rushed towards me and gave me a spear ( A fighting technique when you push your opponent down by diving and hitting their abdominal region with your shoulder) I fell down immediately , I tried doing a Chinese get up but I fell back to the ground. I saw him walk towards me, he was swinging the sword with him. He bent down beside me and opened up my cloth, " Do you ever wonder why I cut people in their waist side?" He asked as he tried cutting me , I immediately gave him a kick to his head. He staggered up and I also got up, I gave him a back kick and he fell down to the ground. " Ask about me, I ain't that easy to defeat" I told him as I walked towards him with a knife. I threw it at him but he immediately did a back roll and the knife dug into the floor. " I think you should also ask of me" he said and gave me a kick to my jaw, I staggered and tried regaining my balance but he gave me another spear and I fell down helplessly. " I was trying to start a friendly conversation the other time but you weren't interested, I think I will simply go straight to business now" He pulled up my cloth again and brought the sword close to mg waist region. " I can't die like this" I thought to myself as I tried giving him a weak punch on his face, " Hey bro, be calm, it doesn't hurt much" he said and hit the back of his sword on my forehead, that's was all I could remember.
AS NARRATED BY MORGANA
It was already morning, Gabriel still hadn't returned. I was now getting worried so also was Israel, " What do we do now?" I asked israel who was sitting on the bed with his leg folded. " Let's act cool, that Gabriel is an idiot, he might be sleeping in the Bush now" Israel replied getting up. " Let's just act cool" I said and went out. Papa was already outside with chewing his stick, I walked to him smiling like nothing had happened. " Good morning papa" I greeted him, he poured the content of his mouth away. " Good morning my daughter" He replied as he put the chewing stick in his moth again. " Papa, have you seen Oyinbo, I haven't seen him this morning " I said looking worried, " is that why you are worried, he might have woken up early and gone out of the house" he poured the content of his mouth away again. " Okay papa" I said and reached for the nearest broom used for sweeping the compound. " Ah, my daughter drop it, I heard you people from the city dont do tedious work" Papa said and I bursted into laughter. " Papa I can do it, the city isn't as you people have painted it" I started the sweeping, " Okay, if you say so my daughter" Papa concluded and watched me sweep. As I swept, I thought of what might have happened to Gabriel, has Ani killed him for venturing into its forest?
• I walked alongside Israel to the stream, I was holding a water pot to fetch water, I was actually helping Mama to fetch it. Linda is dead and there is no one to help her so I decided to make good use of my stay. The people we met on the road will stop twice to look at me, maybe the way I was dressed surprised them. I was almost getting to the stream when a huge young man double crossed us on the way. " I am Mbe the cat, the one whose back as never touched the ground in any fight…" Israel interrupted him, " whoa, this is you? I had actually seen you once in Gabriel's phone,its nice seeing you real life" israel stretched his hand fort for a hand shake but the young man just eyed him. " I am the great wrestler of Atata,I want to you to leave us" Mbe pointed to Israel while I bursted out in laughter. What gave a village wrestler the courage to walk up to israel and order him around? " Why should I leave you?" Israel asked, just then Adanna came with her water pot from behind. " Mbe what do you want from them?" She asked Mbe, " Adanna, stay out of this, I want to speak with this maiden" Mbe pointed at me. " Mbe please, they are from the city, dont trouble them" Adanna pleaded. " They are from the city but this is my territory " Mbe said and made to draw my hand but israel blocked him. " You are rude" israel told him as they stood face to face. " Please hold your friend, he might get injured " Adanna whispered to me while I simply smiled, " Get out from my way" Mbe ordered but Israel stood still staring more intensely at Mbe. " Leave here" Israel told him but Mbe bursted into laughter. " Who are you to order me around?" Mbe asked him in between his laughter but Israel didn't reply. Mbe pushed Israel aside and moved towards me, " You are a beautiful maiden" He started while I smiled, it was actually a smile of pity. " I am Mbe, the…." He was interrupted by a slap from behind, Israel had slapped him. Mbe turned back slowly but angrily to face Israel, " Abomination " Mbe shouted as he made to slap back but israel caught his hand up in the air. Mbe struggled to get free but couldn't. " I don't just like to fight" Isreal said and pushed him away, Mbe fell to the ground heavily in shock, he stared at israel with his mouth wide open, I and Adanna bursted into laughter. " Fool" I said as I walked to the stream with Adanna, Israel followed behind.
• "Gabriel told me everything about your encounter that night with the man in black" I said to Adanna as we headed back home from the stream, "yes I was" She simply replied, " What can you remember about that night?" I asked her .
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I opened my eyes slowly and the first thing it caught was the palm frond made roof, I stirred to my left side and I saw a man in black short and shirt backing me, he was facing the left side wall. On the wall made with mud was the sculpture of a mark, it was the mark of Newriton. " You are awake?" he asked calmly with a thick voice and without turning to face me. I tried to sit up but I felt pain all over. My cloth has been taken off, there were bruises all over my body, I checked my waist region but the sword mark wasn't there. " Who are you?" I asked as I finally sat up. " Hey, I saved you, you should say thank you first, this would be the second time I would be saving you" he said still backing me. " Thank you, but who are…." He interrupted me, " I am Jason " He put in, i opened my eyes in amazement, at last I was in the same room with the much talked about Jason, but when was the first time he saved me? " Thank you for saving Adanna" I told him but he didn't reply, I looked around the mud room again and saw that the mark of Newriton was almost sculptured all over the wall. " you are a careless spy, how could you take such a dangerous move?going into the forest of Ani alone without backup" his voice echoed, " I know , I only wanted to end the mystery" I explained. " Jason please, can I see your face, I wanna know you, stop backing me" I added , " You already know me, I am Jason" he said again, " I dont know who Jason is" I countered, " Oh am sorry,better put, I am Jason Alvana" He said and turned, putting on a smile, and standing beside me Was ALVANA..