The World We Want

Chapter 7: Pricked

One month after.

Mshapa, “I have received a letter from the government, office of the president  and am not happy at all”

Pepo, “Can we know the content of that letter so that we understand what is happening?”

“Yes, that is the reason I have summoned you here. The president claims to have intel about all our plans in place. They know we are operating under a registered company called PEAP group. He stated that the motive of our company is that of militia and threatens to withdraw our license and arrest all people involved if we never cease our operations.”

“Is that all they claim in the letter?”

“Yes, what do you mean?”

“Then they don’t know anything about our projects and goals.”

“How did they know about our company in the first place.”

“That is easy for them, they know you as their enemy and have dug about you for long, you need to stay low until we are ready to launch our project fully.”

The task force meeting is in progress and all members are present, Mshapa, Pepo, Tole, Brian, Sofi, Purity, Lucia, Mwasi, and Mwakio. A letter has arrived from the government and some secrets about them are out. They had registered a company by the name PEAP group which will be dealing in science, research agriculture, and technology in general. On the ground, though they were dealing with a totally different goal. They were executing a secret program called Planet Earth Action Project aimed at changing how the planet was run and how humans behaved. 

“No one was supposed to know about our objectives General,” Mshapa replied.

“Yeah, they have not confirmed if they know anything so far, they are just speculating, our company PEAP group deals in scientific research, agriculture, and technology. There is nothing we undertake here, related to the said militia, this is just empty speculation.”

Purity, “I agree with our general, they are speculating and this is because of the bad blood they have with you. They hate your zeal and fight against corruption and bad things happening in our country today.”

The technology guy Mr. Mwakio who is always silent said, “This letter from the office of the president has given us a heads up in preparing for the future. We need to have a private office for running sensitive projects and in this hall, we can run the general projects. No document belonging to our private project should be left here anytime because anytime the government can raid and have the information.” 

“Thank you guys for your dispositions, Mwakio has stated something very vital. We shall have a private office by tomorrow for our sensitive project. Thanks for your presence.”

One week after.

Mshapa is with Pepo in their private office, and he frantically fidgets some numbers on his phone. He is calling the governor for Taita county Mr. Maneno. Kenya is made up of forty-seven counties and Taita is one of them. Most leaders in Taita do not bother Mshapa with his undertakings but when the order comes from the national government they would have no option but to obey. When this happens there is always a conflict between the divides.

The other end of the call receives. “Hello, how can I help you? This is the governor's office” a sweet voice of a lady is heard at the other end.

“Connect me with the governor immediately, am Mshapa, a man of the people.”  

“Okay sir, am connecting you immediately, wait please.”  

“Next time I call, do not receive it, you should connect me directly, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir I will.” 

The governor is connected, “Hello Mr. Mshapa.”

“How dare you kidnap my wife from her home?”

“I was given orders by the president to grab her, it was not my call or any of my officers' calls but rather order from the above.”

“Where is my wife then?”

“I handed her to the president's men and they flew her to the city of Nairobi.”

Mshapa ended the call and tried to call other numbers. At this point, he was outraged; his love was taken away without doing any crime. As he pressed the numbers he trembled out of anger. He was trying to reach the president’s office, but the secretary claimed he is not allowed to talk to the president. This made him even angrier. 

“Gather me twenty men and follow me, we need to teach the president a lesson. He can not go around messing with people’s wives,” he told general Pepo.

Pepo did what he was told, twenty strong men, good fighters, and wise. Mshapa led the way up the mountain. A cave that is known to belong to their family faced the village gigantically. Here it is where all family private rituals and sacrifices were made. Mshapa was chosen by his late grandfather to inherit the powers his grandfather had. His grandfather was well known for his protection of the Taita villages. During attacks, he always gave soldiers powers to fight and they always won. When a pandemic came the powers were used to cast it out of the villages. The powers have stayed for long without being used because instructions were, the first son to Mr. Kibo would be the only one to use the powers. 

Times have passed and the powers were more convenient in the past, today it is modern life and will the powers be effective? So far Mshapa has been reluctantly using the powers.

“Come inside and stand to make a circle,” Mshapa instructed them.

The cave was naturally made, the stones were very big, no human could have moved the stones. Maybe they used the said powers to assemble the stones, the cave was well planned as if designed by a human. Maybe also God knew the world would need such a cave at some point in time. 

“We are here because my wife has been kidnaped by the president. We need to go and rescue her, I am just wondering what type of president kidnaps people. This guy does not deserve to lead this country. Come what may, soon I will be the one on his seat and I will lead this country the right way.”

“How are we going to find her and the president has full security with soldiers fully armed?” one of the fighters asked.

“Am going to give you powers, that is why we are here. No one will be able to see you. Your task will be rescuing her and Pepo and I will visit the president.”

“What about your wife, how shall we locate her, and she has not gone through this ritual that means she will be seen when we rescue her and may end up shot down.”

“Nice concerns, when we talk of powers bestowed to us by our forefathers nothing is impossible. When you reach her, give a touch and she will be invisible, also the powers will guide you to her location.”

Mshapa chanted some words as he lifted his hands in the air. A big pot appeared between them and had a concoction steaming as if where it came from it was being boiled. Mshapa and Pepo picked calabash pots, fetched some concoction, and made the men drink it.

“This concoction will make you invisible, and will add you tremendous strength, power, and ability. You will be able to appear where she is being held and come back here safely.” Mshapa told them.

After all, Mshapa and Pepo drank too. They all made a small round circle, held their hands tightly and they disappeared. The cave was empty, the pot and calabash pots were nowhere to be seen. The cave was very silent, just the crackings of the stones due to sunlight, and leaflets being blown by the wind.

In Nairobi city.

They appear behind the parliament buildings where the torture chambers are located. Mshapa and Pepo instruct them to go inside and get the wife as they go to the presidents’ office. Mshapa and Pepo dissipate again. 

The fighters go inside and head to the underground chambers. In each corner were soldiers taking guard of Flora. They had to be fast because she must be undergoing torture, as they try to get intel from her. They pass by the soldiers manning the chamber and reach where flora was locked in. 

“Hey, we need to break the door because it is locked. When breaking this it would cause alarm, so keep guard when anyone approaches to stop them, by hitting or cutting their throats. We need this operation to be as silent as possible. Go fighters.”

They take positions and the lead fighter and others break the door. Flora knew they had come for her and she was standing by for the run. The noise raised an alarm and soldiers came to check what was happening. Fighters slit their throat as they came, they could not see the fighters.  The door was opened and Flora was out and they were running out to gather and go back. As they were running a gun was fired at them, “Oh I am shot, my leg is in pain.” Flora screamed.

“I think she is not invisible because we did not touch her as instructed.” one of the fighters screamed. 

The lead fighter touched Flora and lifted her up and they quickly went out. The soldier who was pursuing Flora was confused because he could not see her anymore. One of the fighters threw a knife that went through his neck. Flora was in excruciating pain, blood was coming out profusely. This was a huge blunder, they could not follow the instructions and they did not know what was their fate when they went back home. The mission had to go on, they reached out circled around and ensured everyone was present. They hold hands together as they hold on Flora who was in pain. The soldiers came out very fast but they could not see anything, the fighters disappeared and were back at the cave in Taita village.  

“We need to take you to Mr. Kibo, I believe he will be able to treat your wound. The bullet went through your leg, it is not stuck inside. You will be fine, don’t be scared.” the lead fighter told Flora. 

“Am in too much pain, take me there so that he can stop the pain.” 

They went to Kibos’ house and explained what happened. The fighters helped Kibo to conduct a first aid to Flora to ease the pain. After some time, the pain eased and she calmed down, she stayed to her wound.