Shadow War

by Chuks Gerry

  Yea it was.

  Someone died. He is one of those who collapsed during the jugging. I think his name is Lawal or something—tall lanky dude.

  Wow! That Jafar is a ruthless fellow,’Aliyu sigh shaking his head.

  That’s right; I even heard he’s in talks to incease the propensity of the exercise already.

  Where did you hear that from?

  Don’t bother however it’s from a reliable source though I don’t think he’s likely to get his way given today’s tragedy.

  Please they shouldn’t agree o, unless they want us to go the same way as Lawal. Right now I doubt l’d have regained enough strength before the evening routine becaused I’m damn tired.

  Me too,’Rabiu concurred,’anything more than what it is already then I’m finished.

  They were both discussing as they headed back tiredly when someone yelled Rabiu name. They paused, turning to see Rasaq approaching with brisk agile steps.

  The routine stays at it’s for now but I doubt it would be for long,’Rasaq said directing to Rabiu. And as such you men better agile up because we need more troops in the frontline ASAP. The look of exasperation on their faces was overwhelming but they had no choice either.

  Hmmm I can see the both of you have strike a bond. Alright Aliyu you will leave that pig sty where you sleep and take up residence at the manstral where Rabiu and the others live with immediate effect. Rabiu see to it that he gets a good bunk and everything else he needs in between.

  Thank sir, I’m truly grateful.

  He nodded and left.

  Aliyu hurried off to his squalor to get his little belongings to join Rabiu who couldn’t bear to step inside rather choose to wait outside, to take him to his new quarters. After gathering his belongings into a sack and was about living he saw a covered flask which he couldn’t remember seeing earlier before. He opened it and saw there was food inside, underneath it was a written note. As he picked up the note he heard footsteps, raising his head he saw Rabiu approaching with an impatient stare, coming to find out why he was delaying. Quickly he stucked the note in his pocket, wrap the flask with nylon and placed it inside the sack afterwhich he was set to go. He followed Rabiu lead towards the west end of the camp until they arrived at a section of the camp where the buildings like most other structures was built from bricks and hardwood only that the structures were arranged in an orderly pattern and the landscape gave it an eclectic view. The building blocks were built parallel to each other, six in a row with proper ventilation intersperse by giant trees which provided additional shade and breeze for a cool relaxation.

  You’re highly welcome to the lower manstral,’Rabiu spoke reliving him from his observation.

  It is cool sort of in a recreational kind of way, you know. It’s like a home away from home,’he said basking in its serenity.

  Yes it is. This section of the manstral is reserved for junior officials and fresh recruits of the brotherhood. The great manstral located further south is meant for top ranking officials and in most cases special guests,’he said leading the way. Over there is the mess where we assemble to eat. The first block by the left is reserve for daily prayers but on Fridays everyone gathers at the square for jumaat prayers. Come let’s find you a bunk.

  They went inside one of the rooms in the middle block. There were about half a dozen double decker bunk properly aligned with enough space at the middle for free movement and a large locker divided into different equal compartments, to be used for the storage of personal effects.

  This is where I sleep,’Rabiu said bouncing on top one of the lower bunks.The upper is now available, you can sleep there.

  Thanks,’he said graciously

  Though it’s previous occupant was killed in a recent confrontation with the army.

  Then I’ll pass. I prefer this other one if it’s vacant? He inquired pointing to the adjacent lower bunk.

  Rabiu nodded affirmative but pointed out that all the bunks have been previously occupied by persons of which most are now dead. He went ahead to tell him about the dude who sleeps where he now slept. How he had to drink poison to avoid beheading after it was discovered he was snitching.

  That is not at all assuring because it makes it all the more weird,’ Aliyu shudders not at all comfortable.

  Hold on a minute,’Rabiu said getting up to ransack throught the content of his wardrobe. He took out an old bedsheet and proceeds to wrap the mattress in it.

  What do you think; it definitely looks and feels less gothic.

  Quite better, thanks once again. I can’t express how grateful I’m.

  It’s no big deal,’ he said smiling, walking back to sit on his mattress. I like you and I know you’re a good guy, just try not to get yourself killed.

  Aliyu, who was fitting in paused brieftly before replying,’I wasn’t planning to. Why would you say a thing like that?

  I don’t know but taking your history into cognizance it’s only natural for someone with your tendencies to want to rebel, which will surely lead to the inevitable.

  What do you even think you know about me, my background, family and antecedents? Please change the subject,’he said bristly.

  I’m sorry, didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that I’ve seen a few good persons go similar way for the flimsiest reason. Let me reiterate that I like you and believe we can be good friends. Please don’t play smart and become a victim.

  Then you must forgive me when I say I rather not be friends with someone who doesn’t feel any remorse killing innocent people under the pretext of faux religious doctrine. My Quran doesn’t justify such senseless act.

  In life certain choices are sometimes enacted for us which we can’t influence but rather submit to. Life they say is unfair however one thing you should know is there will always be a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel which you can only experience by staying alive. In this situation think with your head not your heart. I’m going to take a shower,’he said grabbing his towel.

  At the mention of a bath, Aliyu hastily stuff his belongings into one of the empty wardrobes, took his towel and joined Rabiu outside at the back of the block where more than a dozen tanks lined serially on top a large concrete platform. Rabiu provided buckets which they filled with water before proceeding into one of the detached mini block with no roof that serve as the general bathroom. Inside people were either showering or about leaving. Aliyu was familiar with a couple of faces he saw, of which some of them were in the training earlier. When they were through with their bath and dressed up, Rabiu suggested they go to the dinning for lunch even though they were ten minutes early, elightening him the earlier the better since it was done on a first come first serve basis. They sat close to a group of guys where the conversation flowed freely. Aliyu having nothing to contribute listened on talks about the sect latest conquest, war strategies, sports and politics. From what he deduced, the brotherhood have capture large communities in Cameroun and Niger republic with further plans of expansion in the pipeline. They also mention about smaller camps in Chad and Mali with the former being a favoured and preferred choice for a new administrative headquater for the brotherhood by the authorities. What crushed him the most was when he heard the sect had scored another great victory against the military in a community not too far from his maternal home. He has relative there and was greatly perturbed for their safety. The sect troops are expected to be back with their loots before the end of the week. His mind was set ablaze, inundated with sad thoughts that left him flustered but felt a succor when the meal finally arrived. After a long noisy lunch, they headed back to their quarters for a quick nap before the evening drill. Tired and fagged out, he stretched out on his mattress which was a huge relief from the grumpy crabby stockpile he slept on, making him recall how much he misses home and the comfort of his bedroom. This will definitely be his first good sleep since being here which he intends to enjoy to the fullest, he thought covering himself up with a blanket. Then he remembered the note and went for it. Mar
iam wanted to know how he was faring and when next they could meet. He shredded the note throwing away the pieces, skeptical about seeing her anytime soon with these recent changes. Tossing to face the wall, he slept off.

  Val lets out a guttural laughter on the bed where he lay almost nude with only his boxer short on, having a nice phone conversation with Ahmed. Sarah his girlfriend was in his tiny kitchen flipping through its cabinet for spices to add to the tomatoes sauce simmering on the stove. She was preparing dinner his favorite, jollof rice, fried chicken and plaintain. Eversince the recent happenings that have been occurring in his life, she’d thought it wise to spend more time with him, to assist in coping with his apparent increasing anxiety. The sudden disappearance of his good friend and room mate Aliyu, constant attacks on his state of residence and most recently the bomb explosion that rocked Mogo park close to the popular five junction took a toll on him but thankfully no life was lost according to the media but many people sustained varying degree of injuries including another good friend of his Ahmed. Though his was minor relative to some severe cases, he has since been discharge from the hospital. The bomb was planted in an isolated section of the park where crappy broken down trucks and old vehicle were abandoned, either to be sold off or left to rot.

  Curfew has since been imposed on the town for a second time, police checkpoints can be seen on every major junction. The mercurial state of the town troubled Val a lot, fearing for the safety of his family. His mother, true to form had remained adamant, refusing to close down her shop even temprorary. He knew it will take a shipload of conviction to uproot her from her comfort zone given the fact she’d worked her butt off to attain this level of sustenance and won’t willingly let go to start afresh just because of some silly bunch of hungry good for nothing folks as she termed them. She’d intimated him of the discussions she had with an assistant commissioner of police who is a good pal of hers. The man had duly informed her more troops are currently being deployed to the state and as soon as they arrive Garuba and the entire state will be purge of criminals, their hideout sniffed out and exterminated. By the time they are through with their operations, Garuba will definitely be one of the safest places to live in so it will be folly for anyone to be so hasty in their decision to pack up and leave he’d assured her. But Val wasn’t convinced, terming her decision diversionary and premptive, an attempt to forestall their previous agreement. He went ahead to give her a piece of his mind even though he knew it would infuriate her and it did, their last conversation ended in dissent.

  From time immemorial, history has taught that violence in the northern region of the country have killed and rendered many homeless mostly people from the southern and southeastern regions. Their maternal uncle whom isn’t a fan of the north was always worried about their safety because such violent attacks which could be spontaneous stems from various factors ranging from political, social or cultural always almost ends up on religious grounds making one wonder why the constant religious rivalry. Unlike the southern regions where the conflicts are either inte-tribal or inter-tribal with little or no harm befalling non indigenes and strangers who go about their business unperturbed. A religious conflict only rises out of spite, mostly in retaliation against the northerners for the killing of their brethren.

  Ahmed was dishing him some inside scoop on the latest on Aliyu’s case. It was reported there were sightings of him at the central mosque as late as eleven pm prior to his disappearance. He further disclosed there is an ongoing investigation in the central intelligence unit of the police concerning the alledge impersonators who came to the Danbaba’s residence to arrest Aliyu that eventful day. Sketches of the alledge impostors have been made available and distributed to all stations within and outside the state. The police believe if they can get hold of any of them, they will have gotten a lead on Aliyu’s case.

  Their discussion drifted to lighter subjects which made him laughed, that was the first time she’d seen him smiled in recent times, she thought after placing the tray of food on the floor beside him, leaving to fetch two glass cup and a jug of water. When all was set and done, he insisted on showering before eating complaining his body felt foggy from the day’s activity so she waited. His bath was swift and brief, the worms in his stomach made a rumbling noise upon the salivating aroma that have enshroud his condo, gosh he was famished. As they ate she proceeded to recount the recent discussions she had with her aunty whose husband is a colonel at the defense headquarter in Abuja. Going from what she told her, the story corroborated with what the assistant commissioner of police had confided in his mother concerning more troops being deployed to the state with a promise to flush out insurgency within the shortest possible time. But how soon, no one know as the military have issues plaguing it that needs to be resolved before the president gives his final approval. Sarah encouraged him to remain positive in the light and no harm will befall his family or love ones after which she cleared the dishes and hop into the shower.

  Val was glad she was staying the night over as most night tends to be longer and lonlier with only his thoughts which aren’t always nice to keep him company, so having her around was a huge relief. He delve into his study and was still at it when she came out, with only a pink towel tied across her bosom, her body still moist and glistening as the aroma of her bathing scrub eclipsed the room. It smells of rose petals and honey which immediately took hold of his senses, but when she remove her towel to begin applying moisturizer she got his full attention, pausing to take glimpse of her caramel brown skin in its full glory. She puts on a silky translucent night, bade him goodnight which he acknowledge, slidding under the sheets. Instantly he knew this was the end of his study even if he has papers to write the next day, but thankfully he didn’t because all concentration has gone with the wind. So he bade his book farewell, switched off the table lantern and slid under sheet next to her. He went into action immediately caressing her back softly down to her abdomen continuing to her ample backside where he impacted a little more pressure, eliciting a deep soft moan from her. She turned to face him responding with a kiss, slow and gentle at first but soon transcended to something deep and passionate which he responded to eagerly. He took it downward, to her neck and earlobe eliciting more fervent gasps from her, tingly a nipple while nibbling on the other made her scream in estacy, her legs parted even more. By the time he felt her underneath, her juice gush freely and she begged him to take her but he dally a little to nibble on her knob taking her moan a notch higher. Thereafter he mounted her slidding into a pleasurable ride, their body glued together moving in unison to soft beats playing on low tune which also did a great job of dousing all the pleasurable moans they exuded.

  Two weeks into the training, Aliyu progressed gradually and became exceedingly efficient as he delve into the rigorous drilling, using it to overcome his spluttered emotions so that when nightfalls he will be so fagged out that there won’t be any strength left in him to think other than to sleep. The motive of the training which is to build their stamina has taken a toll on his physique, helping to tone and muscularize his slender frame. On the third week, they will be lectured on physical combat and gun handling which is of essence to their survival.

  Aliyu deep his sore feet in salted warm water, letting out a painful sigh in the process. Part of that day’s activities included climbing the highest peak bordering the camp barefooted as instructed by Rasaq. The journey up was one of the most gruesome yet they had undertaken since the training commenced. Popularly known as mount Histar by the brotherhood, it was a magnificent centerpiece on the plain and partly rocky by nature.The rock was brittlelike and sharp which can be found mostly at the base of the mountain, which alongside the steep slope where many dangerous creepy creature and insect lurks makes the journey up one of the most undesirables ever.

  Rasaq lead the way, properly kitted from head to feet while the rest tagged along under the scorching sunlight, blistering heat, pestering insects and sharp rocky edges searing and tearing at
their feet. Failure to undergo this looming task spells doom for that poor soul. However for reasons beyond their understanding not everyone was destined to see the end of this task. As it were from the beginning, from folktales mount Histar has surmounted a penchant for sacrifice. Of which soon to join the list was a vivacious young lad named Umar, in his mid-teens who had become quite close to Aliyu. During the course of their training they had become fond of each other and became pals. He was a good and loyal friend, someone he felt he could trust in due time. But all that came to an end when halfway up, he caved clutching his ankle screaming alerting the others towards him. Rabiu was the first to see it slithering underneath some rock rubbles, he shouted pointing at it. They picked up sticks and stone and beat it to death, it was a carpet viper. Aliyu was by Umar side all the while trying to steady his head on his lap as he convulse rapidly in pain, muttering incoherently. Rasaq who was way ahead ran down to see what the fuse was all about, after a brief inspection of the the wound ordered they continue with on their journey. Aliyu wasn’t willing to let go of Umar who was gradually slipping into unconsciousness even under Rasaq menacing roar.

  Are you deaf,’Rasaq yelled for the second time

  No sire, but we can’t just leave him here to die,’ Aliyu insisted. There must be something we can do to save his life.

  Rasaq grunted pulling out a pistol, Aliyu cowered upon sighting it. Two shot were fired.

  That will put him out of his misery. Does anyone have something otherwise to say? Rasaq asked icily.

  They all kept mum. Aliyu face downward to see Umar’s blood soaking the rock. He raised his head to see the pistol pointed at him.

  Do me a favour by keeping your opinion to yourself because next time it might just send you to an early grave,’he warned gravely, putting the pistol back into its holster, continuing upward with everyone following suit. When they’d reach the apex it, the humidity was very inviting and refreshing; everyone relaxed on the floor enjoying its serenity. At the top the entire view of the plains lay bare for their perusal. There were other mountains but none as high and majestic as mount Histar. The river which was rowdy and furious at one end becomes calm and subtle at the other end with the mount boldly sitted at the middle. Water was shared round between them, as they relaxed Rasaq proceeded to engaged them on a little tale of the region.