Chapter One

The gunshots roared in the darkness, breaking the silence of the midnight. The darkness, caused by the transformer developing fault, swallowed up any blink of light. Olanma held her breath. She had brought this house at Amen estate due to its location. A police station was placed in front of the estate. The estate was also surrounded by a high fence and each house had a giant gate in front of it. She hoped they will be enough to hold the storm of violence outside.

She heard a room door open and saw Moses, her three year old boy staring at her, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"Mummy, I can't sleep. Adaku said that the bush baby will carry me if I sleep?"

Adaku needs to stop such tales. "She is lying, my son. Go and sleep."

Another series of gunshots rang across the street. There was a loud bang and she heard the estate gates open.

"Mummy, what's happening?" This time it was Adaku who came downstairs. Despite the fact that she was nine years old, Ada was already looking like a fifteen year old girl and she was very beautiful. She looked sadly at them.

Olanma was about to ask her why she was scaring her brother when Jamiu, the gateman barged in the living room. He was soaked in sweat.

"Madam, madam, pack your children and yourself enter store oh! Those armed robbers don enter our estate!"

"What are you doing here? Go and lock the gate!"

"I don lock am, but the kind gun wey they carry strong oh!"

"Okay go outside!"

Jamiu looked at her and quickly bolted. Olanma imagined that he was going to run away. She turned to her children. What am I suppose to do? The estate had only one entry and one exit and the exit was miles away from the house. Even if she could run, she couldn't abandon her children, not after that episode with Emmanuel.

Emmanuel would have known what to do. The thought of her first son was disquieting. She can't afford such thoughts at the moment.

She braced up. Her children needs her. "Ada, take your brother and hide in the store! Don't come out, no matter what you hear!"

"Yes ma!"

Olanma stood up and bolted the door, then locked it with the house key. She can't afford to zone out. She was lucky that Adaeze was absent, deciding to stay in the university hostel. At least she is a bit safe. She hoped that the house gate will delay them a bit.

Her mind went to Emmanuel again. What happened was unfortunate. Evil, but unfortunate. What happened between her and Emmanuel was necessary for the family's survival. I had no choice. It was either him or poverty. The price was good and it would rid her of an unfortunate memory, a memory she never wanted to have. Moreover, Mr. Richards and DPO Salami assured her that he will disappear forever. She wondered why she remembered him now. She hoped it was not ominous.

The sound of the gate opening with a bang brought her back to her senses. She moved towards the three-seat sofa and started to push it in order to blockade the door. Jamiu was pleading with the assailants, speaking in Yoruba before his life was snuffed out with a shot to the head. Olanma carried the sofa and attempted to put it on the door, however, she was too late.

The door was flung open with violence, throwing her to the floor. The assailants walked in.

They were four in number, three entering at the same time while the fourth was giving instructions to someone outside. They wore black masks, but she could see that they were well armed, brandishing quality guns. Two of them were dark and muscular, one giving her a lecherous leer while the other looked at her like she was nothing. The third man was a fair-skinned, slim person who seemed to suffer from a skin disease and held a phone like it was the most important object in the universe. Then the fourth man walked in.

He was dark-skinned, more like brown beans rather than black,less muscular than the first two but with large hands, his eyes twinkled with light but his stare was angry and bitter. She felt his stare was specifically aimed at her. His eyes looks like Emmanuel's eyes.

"Ogo, Raiden, check if there is any other person in the house."

The two muscular men moved into the house while the fourth man, who looked like their leader spoke in low tones to the fair-skinned fellow.

Olanma's mind was in pandemonium. If they find Adaku and Moses....

She heard some noises and soon enough they came back, one of them carrying a kicking and biting Moses while Adaku was watched carefully by the second man.

"They were hiding in the store."

"Are these all? Did you check the rooms?"

"Yes boss."

The leader noticed the scratches Moses inflicted on one of them and pointed at him. "He is the only boy in the house?"

"Yes."

"Constant, what's our timeline like?"

"We have like twenty minutes here before another squad of police officers come here. Mosquito is on the lookout."

He smiled. "Good. Good." He looked at them. "Everyone, lie on the floor."

Adaku quickly went to the ground but Moses tried to fight Ogo, who slapped him to the ground. He then walked towards Olanma and slapped her buttocks. "Madam, move." He slapped it again and watched it shake.

She said his penis rise. "Oga, I want fuck this woman!"

Their leader eyed him. "Move them this way, Ogo!" He then walked to Olanma. "Where is the money in the house?"

My life savings! "Please there is no money." She lied. "We haven't....."

"Raiden, carry the young lady and bring her to me."

Raiden moved and dragged Adaku towards him. The leader brought out a sharp dagger and started to caress her face with it.

"The money..."

"Please, I don't....."

The dagger cut her left cheek, drops of blood falling out. He then flipped the dagger and cut loose her dress, exposing her nakedness and developing femininity.

Ogo's eyes opened in shock. "This girl get breast oh!"

The leader looked at Ogo. "You want fuck abi? Start with her."

"The money is my bank account. My ATM card is in the room, please leave my children alone!" Tears welled in her eyes.

He sneered at her. "So, you can protect these children, right?" The tone made her uneasy.

"Raiden, search her room and bring the card."

Raiden walked into the room and soon came out with two cards.

"Pass them to Constant. Constant, you know what to do."

"Yes sir."

"Oga, I still dey here."

The leader looked at him and smiled.

"Start with the girl."

"Please stop!" Please have mercy!

"Leave my sister alone!" Moses ran towards a frozen Adaku and the man called Ogo, kicking him. Ogo smiled and snickered, carrying the young boy and dealing him with two earth-shattering slaps.

"Have mercy, please." Olanma knelt down."Please. She is my only daughter."

He glared at her. "You lie. Your first daughter is not around. This one just entered secondary school and your boy here just started preschool. Am I wrong?" His eyes pierced into her soul.

How did he know that? "Please, leave her alone. I beg you, use me instead of her."

The leader laughed. A cold, bitter laugh. "A mother protecting her children, isn't it? However, how much protection can you give? Ogo, continue to do what you want to do."

Ogo dragged her to a corner of the house and soon he started to pump into her.

Her thoughts went back to Emmanuel. This can not be happening because of him. This can't be retribution.

She didn't know when she started to cry, but her tears dropped eagerly as she heard Ogo grunt and moan in sexual pleasure. Adaku was on the table, as naked as she was went she came to this world. She was stifling her tears with her mouth.

When Ogo was done, she picked her clothes, her eyes shooting arrows at the leader.

"Blame your woes on your mother, not me."

Olanma eyes shot in fury. "How dare you? How dare you blame me for this?"

"You are paying for your sins, woman!"

What sins? "What sins? What sins!"

He smiled and removed his face mask.

His face had some scratches, likely from the prison environment. He seemed to have a broken nose and what used to be a fine set of teeth now missed a few.

Yet it was his eyes. His eyes, dark, angry and defiant. Those eyes and the birth mark on the side of his face that gave him away.

It's a lie! It can't be! Mr Richards promised that he won't come out. He promised that he would disappear. Yet here he is.

His smile was dark and evil. "Hello, mother."