The brotherhood
1020 Words
A young man seated in the shadow of a dark hallway was having a conversation over his phone.
"I was successful."
"Good," the caller replied.
His words were as hard as the rock walls, rich with feigning crisp.
"Are you with the chemical?" The caller asked.
Tom's eyes glistened.
"Yes." He replied.
"Have you connected it to the camera?" The caller asked
"Yes," Tom replied.
"You have done well." The caller seemed pleased.
"Serving the brotherhood is an honor," Tom said with a smile.
The caller grunted in support.
"Phase two begins shortly, get some rest over there but don't take your eyes off the chemical."
The phone went dead.
Tom's eyes bulged out.
Tonight seemed to be a night of
wonder.
How will shakau enter Asum rock?
The device countdown had been reminding him he had been with it for thirty minutes.
00:29:59
00:29:58
00:29:57
He wondered what will befall him if it should reach its final zero.
Dead?
Disappeared?.
Yet he waited.
Let it not be heard that a son of his father run from unseen danger.
His past won't stop from jumping into his mind.
Born September 1985, six feet three inches in height and one hundred and seventy pounds in weight.
Oval-shaped head with curly hair and big nose in-between two bulgy eyes.
He is every lady's dream back in the days.
He passed out with good grades and was highly optimistic about getting well-paid and a white-collar job.
Five years of fruitlessly searching for a job change his mindset, he gave up, became a drunkard and chain smoker.
Months later, drunk and wallowing in self-pity when his phone rang.
"My name is Shakau, we are kinsmen of a kind. I heard you are looking for a job."
"Yes," Tom replied.
Then the caller told him, " I have a job for you..."
"Is this your idea of a joke," Tom asked drunkenly.
" You have heard of them?." The caller asked.
" Of course the district police are legendary."
"And yet you find it unbelievable for me to employ you and even post you as a guard in Asum rock ?."
Tom was dumbfounded, his drunkenness is now turning into madness, he can now hear impossible things.
"The invulnerable Asum rock?."
"The invulnerable demonstration of my power," the caller said.
"When you are fully employed, know where your loyalty lies.
Else you will find yourself back in the labor market faster than you think."
Tom's eyes went wider, an impossible offer!
Three months later, Tom's faith had solidified beyond the shadow of a doubt.
The brotherhood needed his service!.
Tonight he will set eyes on shakau, the man that changed his life.
So far he had served the brotherhood nobly.
Succeeded in smuggling the chemical into Asum rock, stole a camera, and hid in this godforsaken place.
Tom Wondered how shakau could handle such a staggering task of entering Asum rock.
The man had connections everywhere.
The brotherhood dominion seemed limitless.
Shakau, a code name, obviously a reference to the infamous shakau of the Boko-haram, or is it him? Tom thought.
Not that it made any difference, shakau wielded unfathomable power, he had proved that beyond a doubt.
00:05:59
00:05:58
00:05:57
The beeping caught Tom off his wandering mind.
More five minutes to go and then what?
Tom wished he won't be here to witness it, but shakau parting words had been commanding. 'Stay with the chemical.'
This he was born to do, to hell with fear, he isn't a coward.
The brotherhood called and he must obey.
Serving the brotherhood was truly an honor.
Tom still marvels at his immediate transformation.
Things were so toughed before that he can't afford more than an unbalanced meal once a day.
He can't afford to pay for house rent.
He became homeless and a vagabond when his landlord whom he already owed a fortune threw his property outside the fence and locked his room up.
Sleeping under bridges and inside markets when the shop owners have closed for days activities were his way out of miserable nights.
He mostly begged to survive and live at the mercy of the rich and generous people who give to people like him.
He had tried working with various organizations, both as skilled and unskilled labor.
In all, he had failed woefully.
He worked as an elephant and eat like an ant.
He has practically given up on life and at the point of suicide when Shakau called.
That changed everything.
Now he is living his life the way he wants.
He just bought a house and a new car.
His account is beaming with a huge sum of a million dollars, all for smuggling this small chemical inside Asum rock.
The task is as easy as breathing for him.
00:03:01
00:03:00
00:02:59
The beeping beeped louder now seizing Tom's attention immediately.
Where is Shakau?
Three minutes until the countdown. Perhaps he should give him a call. He brought out his phone, unlocked it, and started scrolling down when a question jumped into his mind.
Will Shakau be angry about this call?
He had never called him since they got connected but had always waited for Shakau to call no matter how urgent it is.
"But tonight is different, a call may safe my life." Scared Tom said with a low shivering voice.
He dialed the number and waited for some seconds, only to be picked by the answering machine
'Please leave a message as the caller is temporarily busy and unavailable right now.'
The machine boomed from the other end.
"Oh my God" Tom said scared now.
It practically makes no sense.
When will he leave this godforsaken place?
Perhaps mishaps had fallen on Shakau.
That seemed to be the only reasonable explanation.
Shakau had been known to keep his promises and why should tonight be different.
Tom cleaned the sweat forming on his forehead and wished for the tenth time today for a cigarette.
"Why did he I ever quit?" He murmured aloud.
Surprisingly, Tom never missed nicotine until tonight.
He watched as the countdown near its final zero.
- Writer
