THE REVENGE OF SHADOW

Monday, 7pm. Harbor Club. Harbor Club is not like normal club. It's big, near the port, loud music, red lights, girls dancing, men drinking and smoking. But everybody in Black City knows - this club belongs to Razor, number 2 on my list. If you misbehave here, Razor's boys will beat you and throw you inside the dirty port water. I arrived at 7pm, 2 hours before Ghost's usual time. I wore black hoodie, black jeans, face mask, cap low. I did not carry g*n this time, I carried only knife in shoe and pepper spray, because club has security that checks guns at gate. I stood opposite the club, near suya spot, pretending to buy suya, but my eyes were watching everything. Mira gave me a small silver key for back door. I checked the back door from far - it is near kitchen, small iron door, always locked. One guard stands there smoking. By 8:30pm, a black Toyota Hilux entered club compound. Tall thin man came out, wearing black shirt, black trousers, black hat. Face sharp, no smile. He had a long bag - sniper rifle bag. It was Ghost. Real name Daniel. Number 3 on my list. He entered through front door. Guards saluted him. He did not talk to anyone. He walked straight upstairs to VIP room. Just like Mira said - he drinks alone on Mondays. My heart started beating fast. Old Joe told me about Ghost - "Ghost never misses. He can shoot a fly from 500 meters. If you face him with g*n, you will die before you raise your g*n. You must get close, very close, make his rifle useless." Ghost's weakness - he is too proud of his shooting. He thinks no one can beat him close range because everyone is scared of his rifle. By 8:50pm, I moved. I went to back door. The guard was still there, smoking. I walked to him and said in low voice, "Oga, Mira send me, for kitchen supply." The guard looked at me, confused. "Which Mira?" Before he could shout, I hit his neck with elbow - same Old Joe move - he fainted. I dragged him behind trash bin. I brought out Mira's silver key and opened back iron door. It opened with small creak. Inside was kitchen - hot, smoky, 2 women cooking. They saw me and wanted to shout. I put finger on mouth, "Shhh, I no be thief." I gave one woman 1000 naira from my pocket, she kept quiet and turned. I passed kitchen and entered small corridor that leads upstairs to VIP. VIP room is at end of corridor. One door, one window. Light was on inside. I could hear music low and ice in glass. I stood outside door, breathing slowly. My knife was in my hand now, inside sleeve. I knocked softly. Ghost voice from inside, cold: "Who be that? I say make nobody disturb me." I changed my voice small, like waiter: "Oga Ghost, na drink from Oga Razor." Silence. Then footsteps. Door opened small. Ghost opened door with pistol in hand, not rifle. His eyes looked at me. He is tall, taller than me, thin like stick, eyes deep like he never sleeps. He saw my face mask and knew something wrong. He tried to close door and raise pistol. I was faster. I pushed door hard with shoulder, it hit his face. He fell back inside room. I entered and locked door behind me. VIP room is small, red light, one table, two chairs, bottle of whiskey, glass, and his long rifle bag on table. Window closed. Ghost stood up quickly, blood from his nose. He pointed pistol at me. He said, "Who are you? You be police?" I removed my mask. I said, "My name is Kael Stone. Marcus Stone son. The boy in water tank. 15 years ago, you held the g*n when Kane shot my father. You were there." Ghost's eyes widened. He remembered. He said, "Small boy... you survived..." I said, "Yes. I survived to come back for you." Ghost laughed, cold laugh. He said, "You think you can kill Ghost? I have killed 50 men with this pistol, 100 men with my rifle from far. You are just small boy with knife." He raised pistol to shoot me. But I already threw pepper spray from my other sleeve - straight to his eyes. Old Joe trick. Ghost shouted "AHHH!" and covered eyes, pistol fired to ceiling, not me. Bullet entered ceiling. I rushed and kicked his hand, pistol fell. I kicked it under table. Ghost is tall but not strong close range. He tried to punch me, I blocked and hit his stomach with knee. He fell on table, whiskey bottle broke. He crawled to his rifle bag, trying to bring out his big sniper rifle. But sniper rifle is long, useless in small room. I laughed. I said, "Ghost, your rifle is useless here. This is my range now." He brought out rifle anyway and tried to swing it like stick. I dodged and stabbed his right hand with my knife - small stab, not deep, just to make him drop rifle. He dropped rifle and held his hand, bleeding. He was on floor now, back against wall, eyes still red from pepper spray, hand bleeding. He said, "Please... don't kill me... I was only following order... Kane ordered everything..." Same words Priest said. I said, "You killed Mira's boyfriend. Emeka. In front of your own sister and mother. Is that also Kane's order?" Ghost went quiet. He said, "That boy... that boy was poor... my sister deserves better..." I said, "You are monster. Not protector." I did not want to kill him fast. I wanted him to feel what my mother felt. I brought out small rope from my pocket and tied his hands behind chair. I took his pistol from under table. I said, "I will not kill you tonight. Death is too easy for you. I will take what you love most - your rifle, your pride, your shooting name." I broke his sniper rifle - I bent the long barrel with force using chair leg until it snapped. Ghost shouted "NOOOO! THAT RIFLE IS 5 MILLION!" He cried. That rifle was his life. Without rifle, Ghost is nothing. Then I shot his right thumb with his own pistol - small shot, just thumb. He shouted loud. With no thumb, he can never shoot again. Never. I wrote on VIP wall with his blood from his hand: "GHOST IS DEAD. SHADOW IS HERE. 3 LEFT." Then I took his pistol and his broken rifle pieces and walked to window. I opened window and jumped down to back compound - first floor, I landed on trash bags, leg pained small but okay. I ran through back gate, into dark port street. Behind me, I could hear Ghost shouting inside VIP room, "KAEL! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!" But he has no thumb, no rifle. He is finished. I walked back to my small room, holding his pistol. On my wall map, I crossed Ghost picture with red marker and wrote "DONE - Thumb gone, rifle broken, pride destroyed." 3 names left - BULL, RAZOR, KANE. My phone rang again. Unknown number. I picked. It was Mira, crying but happy. She said, "You did it. My brother is alive but he cannot shoot again. Thank you. You gave me justice for Emeka." I said, "Your brother is alive. I did not kill. Is that okay?" She said, "Yes. Living without shooting is worse than death for him. Thank you, Shadow." She cut call. I sat on my mat, cleaning Ghost's pistol. 2 revenges done - Priest crippled, Ghost finished. Next is BULL - the big fat man who held my father while Kane shot him. Bull now owns all the buses in Black City, very rich, very fat, always with 10 boys. Old Joe told me, "Bull is fat but his heart is weak. He has high blood pressure." Tomorrow, I go for Bull.