"No!" Carlos shouted, retrieving the gun from me. "What have you done?"
My foot shoveled off the general's body slowly, my eyes glazed with unshed tears when I beheld the amount of red liquid on the floor. A sense of foreboding suddenly filled the room. I staggered back, arms dangling on my sides like a log.
"What have you done?" Carlos's words swirled in my head, again.
It didn't help that the voices of our captives filled the room with more wails and sniffles. Who knew that life was this precious? My head continued to nod as I took in my actions. These people who hunted us were now the hunted.
But I wished it wasn't me who pulled the trigger, I had no plan to kill. Hurt maybe, but kill? No, never!
I stared down at the floor, at the man who tormented me more than the others, he was still there, out cold, still staring at nothing.
"I'd just a taken a life! A human life." I heard my voice whimper. It came from me quite alright but echoed back at me from a distance.
"Life, Death?" I whispered to myself, counting my fingers as though I'd temporarily eaten the bread of madness. Those were two important words to any living thing, without those two realities, existence was useless.
And then, suddenly, I felt cold, chilled to the core of my being. My knees buckled and I wobbled to the floor right by the General. My chest tightened, stifling my breaths then forced a whoofed breath out of me. I was reeling, shackled by the guilt of taking a life.
"Up!" Carlos hissed and pushed me to my feet. "You must pull yourself together. I know it's hard but, I'm sure you have your reasons." His gaze went up and his eyes rolled, followed by a deep sigh. "But that's what we will discuss later, not in the middle of this battle." His focus was back on me.
I dangled like a piece of paper in his hands, staggering as if I'd drank a full Jerry can of alcohol. I could see him all right, but something had left my body...maybe my mind was also totally lost.
He shook me and snapped his fingers in my face. "Hey! Look up!" He barked.
His face came at me blurred, forcing my stomach contents to race out of my mouth.
"Hey, hey? Linda?" Someone was calling but I was passing.....away, maybe. I just didn't know. I'd never felt good with dizziness. It was one thing that overpowered me like nothing else.
"Are you there?" Carlos made a second attempt.
I mumbled something that didn't make sense even to me. "The deed is done okay? I need you to focus." He was still talking but I was out of it.
Another hand and another held me and engulfed me in a much-needed hug. I felt warm, relieved, and alive. Instead of hugging them back, I broke down in tears. "I killed him! I killed someone. A human life!"
"It's alright." Dima's soothing voice padded my broken soul and carried it to my heart. I breathed, snuggling into that hug.
"We don't have this time!" Carlos was restless, glancing over his shoulders. Those guards will soon be up here. He stared at us sternly.
Then one of the team spoke. "I understand how you'll feel, but this is a battle. Every minute counts.
I too nodded and disengaged from the rest. I was better now, I could wallow in my pain later. While we were still trying to re-strategize, Another four freed kidnapped victims joined us, bringing our number to seven.
But then, the remainder of the captured associates of Mama cried out in the room, pleading for mercy. Carlos had a military guard keep an eye on them. I hadn't even seen where he'd come from.
Yet, again, he led us to another room where Mama's captured guards sat in chains, others bleeding. I wondered how he had been able to accomplish so much in a short time. Banishing the thought, I reserved those questions for another time.
He dispatched the rest of us to search the rooms and bring out anyone hiding in there. After the search, we returned empty-handed but another group came back with some kitchen maids and bartenders. We secured them and proceeded to the next building which was Mama's abode.
As we approached, I counted thirteen heavily armed men standing around her house. I smiled within me and readied my weapon for a brutal fight. We hid in the shadows and waited till they were distracted. Then we ran into them from all angles.
"The gun?" I shouted at Carlos as we raced towards the guards. He tossed the weapon to me. I sighted a stick and quickly grabbed it off the floor. My eyes flashed around me they outnumbered us two to one.
Nurse Dima had already taken out one of them and was in fierce combat mode with the other. Her gun was hopeless on the floor and all she had was her fist. She punched him in the face, jumping high to knock him out, but he was taller, faster, and ready. He grabbed her and yanked her to the ground, punching her face severally.
"Dima!" I screamed, rushing to her side but it was a futile journey because strong hands pulled me from the back and tossed me into a trash can.
A groan oozed out of my mouth as I tried to get back up, but he was on me again, kicking me in my stomach. I felt air gush out of my mouth with speed. Pain radiated all over me as his boots made contact with my body.
I searched for my gun, but it was magically missing. "Where is it?" I mumbled, pulling myself up to find it, and getting the sand off my face.
But my assailant didn't give me an inch. He picked me up, lifted me high like the American wrestling sport, then he flung me ruthlessly on the ground. Something cracked, and I couldn't move. A loud wail escaped me, filling my ears with terrifying shrieks. I tapered the sound with my left hand and searched my surroundings quickly.
My stick in my state of haze, came into view, I grabbed it and swung hopelessly at the hulk standing above me. He leisurely kicked it away, bent over, and punched my face till I saw the glorious rainbow stars.
Of course, I cursed him out but my mind was Immediately thinking about what I was going to do. But before I could come up with a plan, I heard a sudden rush of footsteps, lots of them. I opened my bloodshot eyes and watched multiple boots on the ground.
My attacker lifted himself off me and grabbed something from his back pocket. "A gun!" I gasped.
Quickly, I pulled out the dagger I had in my shoes and slid towards him. But I was late, his gun went off and I heard multiple bodies thump on the ground. They were kids,
Kidnapped kids. Victims like me who were fighting for our collective freedom.
I almost screamed but I knew I needed to stop him before he did more harm. I pushed further, This time I was closer. Raising my body behind him, with a single stab in the back, I did him in.
Instantly, he fell. I grabbed his gun off him and began shooting at the many guards who had suddenly swarmed the place.
The rest of our team with the survivors were also in that space, fighting. Minutes later, We had subdued the guards and tied them up. I got off the floor and looked around me. Bodies littered the floor. So many were injured.
Dima and I, plus the rest of the survivors carried our people to a safe place and had some of ours attend to them. The rest of us marched on. This was not how I envisioned it, I just wanted these kids safe. Every one of us, but there was just too much bloodshed.
I only took solace in the fact that many of the militia guards fell, lots of them. I wiped my tears and followed the rest of the group towards an open door.
We all marched into Mama's main abode, but of course, there were many more guards inside her home. The fighting continued without us doing much. It was as though Someone was taking them out from the inside. When we finally cleared the place, everything went still.
From room to room, we scanned for the old woman. After searching through four rooms, we finally found her seated patiently on a very nice fluffy cushioned couch with Nma in her arms, A knife was firmly pressed on my sister's neck while tears washed across her face.
Mama was smiling wickedly. "Welcome!" She said as we all marched into the dimly lit room.
"Nma!" I screamed, almost rushing towards her. But Mama's voice stopped me immediately. "One step closer, and she's gone."
My steps halted halfway as my hands tried to reach out to my whimpering little sister. "Please, let her go. Take me instead." I begged.
She laughed like the Devil's wife. "I already had you," her eyes ran me over in disgust, then she hissed. "what will I need you for again?"
"Please...." I pleaded.
Someone pushed me aside gently. It was Carlos. "Where is Ifediora?" He asked, staring at Mama intently.
She hissed and cranned her neck sideways. "Somewhere over there with my men!"
"Ife! ...... Ifediora?" I called, letting my trembling voice travel through the almost quiet room. My footsteps were ahead of the others towards Mama who was beautifully dressed in a flowing black sequence dress.
Carlos's left hand stopped me again, keeping behind him. "Calm down!" He commanded coldly without sparing me a glace. His entire focus was on Mama. His face was a mixture of fierceness and boldness. He was moving directly towards her.
"Where did you say Ifediora was?"
Mama shifted and pointed the knife at him, while holding Nma in a choke hold, her left arm firmly wrapped across her little neck. "Stand back!"
But Carlos didn't stop. He kept moving slowly towards Mama. "I am warning you, I will kill her!"
The knife was back on my sister's neck. "Carlos! Please stop!" I yelled out in fear.
He stopped and waited. "Thing is, I don't think there's any more of your muscle men left." He tapped his chin and smiled. "I think you are all by yourself!"
Mama's eyes widened in horror and her head shifted across the room. I was horrified too. How could he make such a bold statement? Has he never heard that Mama was always one step ahead?
But something happened. The rest of the team began walking towards the old woman while I stalled in my approach. My sister was much more important than any show of strength.
Slowly.
Very slowly.....
.... they walked, forcing me to take fearful baby steps.
My eyes were suspiciously following Carlos's movements. I didn't know how he knew my sister and why he spoke so boldly to this very well-connected evil woman. So, in my line of vision, I followed every single move he made.
Just then, I saw his head shift upwards like he was expecting something to fall off the sky and true to his Intuition, and like the speed of lightning, A big log of wood came swinging on Mama's head, knocking her out.
Nma quickly scrambled out of Mama's body that was above hers and ran into my waiting arms. We were still cuddling and sniffling when someone jumped out of the ceiling and landed firmly on the floor.
To my absolute astonishment, Ifediora was standing there like this was a gymnastic competition. A small gun was tucked in her back pants and she acted as though it was nothing.
I stared at her wide-eyed, unable to comprehend who I was looking at. That certainly was not my sister. Yeah, she was the tomboy of the house but not that crazy to do something like this.
Yet, there she was standing as though she hadn't jumped from that height. Although she had cuts and bruises, she just didn't look defeated. Carlos just gently shook her hands and she nodded as though this was a boss-employee relationship.
Picking up Nma in my arms, I stood up and walked towards my other sister. She smiled softly and allowed Nma in her arms.
"How?" I asked, shifting a confused-inquisitive gase between her and Carlos.
My question met a very calm silence as she smiled and looked at Mama who was stirring on the the floor now. A groan escaped the old woman's mouth as she held her head where she felt the pain. I just couldn't understand why that blow didn't kill her.
The rest of the team surrounded her, multiple sets of eyes flashing red.
My children, She began. " Don't do this, please. Con...con..."She stuttered as a tiny line of blood dripped out of her mouth. "Please, consider my age."
Ezinne pushed through the crowd, clutching her sides in pain. Blood sipped out from her wound but she didn't care, her fiery gaze was on Mama. The other girls tried to help her, but she yelled at them. "Please, stop with the pitying!"
Slowly, she shoveled herself to the old woman. "Did you just call us your children?"
Her eyes danced through the room. She winced and closed her eyes as the pain washed over her.
"Ezinne, please, let me look at your wound." Nurse Dima pleaded.
The young girl didn't spare her a glance, but she had a swift response. "No!"
With eyes focused back on Mama, she watched her intently. "Before you die, here's the thing, I need to know who you sold my three sisters to?"
Mama's head shook, body jerked and tears washed her face. If I had not seen this movie play out before me, I would never have believed Mama could cry.
Mama stuttered, whimpering even more.
Ezinne got up, pulled her hair, and smacked her face to the glass side table in the room "Where are my sisters?"
Mama's gaze went up to her, "Forgive me." She wailed. "Forgive me, please."
Ezinne punched her in the face. "That's not what I asked you! Where are my three sisters?"
One girl stepped forward. "Yes, And mine.
More girls joined her where she stood, and the words kept coming. "And mine. And mine. And mine."
Mama let out a loud wail. "I sold them." She continued to weep, beating her chest. "I sold them all!"
While all these were going on, I took a minute to let my head travel around the room.
It was quite huge, so big I thought it was a two-bedroom merged into one. Photos of Mama's at every phase of her life hung on the wall. Another picture of her with Dozie hung there with a bigger frame.
Then another picture that had her and Dozie and a man whom I recognized flashed in my mind like a freight train. I moved closer, leaving the circle of vicious Avengers. I reached out and pulled the picture off the wall and looked closely at it.
Then, an understanding washed over me.
"Father!"