tted, wears a c

iers, and polished wood masked the smell of corruption like perfume on a corpse. At the center sat **Chief

of them old, well-fed, and long past the point of conscience. They arrived

e O

embroidered with blood-red thread. His presence s

clearing his throat, "what

m-the one with the sunglasses and jagged scar

alive," Dike

mur s

e torched the entire field. We buried th

both hands on the table. Hi

house. You did

to the table. Blurry. Grainy. But clear enough. It showed **Kan

ke continued. "He's watch

hen we need to find him. Kill h

ly. "We don't kill b

t room for the first time in four years. The air smelled of oil and sweat. Rust

the home

aved, one eye milky white. His body was scarred like a map of

be Dominic

" he replied. "M

I know. Everyone knows. That land was

flinch. "I w

per into the room. "Then yo

and pulled out a blade.

cipline. Trainin

ached for the blade. But

"It's about surviving the killing. Over and over

is gaze, u

teac

taking steps-silencing old witnesses, bur

't coming bac

g back as an

very move

only feedi

na lingers behind after the others have gone. Chi

mething els

ighs. "W

it on the table. The wax bears an unusual i

church," Dike says slowly. "The man w

his eyes. "Th

nic Chuma-the military intelligence officer who exposed half the cartel's

saying the priest has t

e n

ore," Alozie murmurs, beads of sweat

nd you just made the first

nding to C

ft in the margins of the notebook Father Dominic gave him. Hidden coordinates. Un

al training session, Ma

to be care

hy

idn't just teach you to pray. He was

tares

the firs

didn't begin with

g before he

hi's

very drill, every fall on the jagged gravel of Malachi's private

barked, tossing h

s firm, though

like your bones ar

ibs. The older man parried with ease

nt to die. Is that you

tight. "No. I want to

ed slightly-a cruel

ce is dead. What's l

The Land Th

e sometimes d

hete in one hand, his wife clutching his other arm. Smoke drifte

" his mother whispered.

land carries our bloodlin

thing Kane saw before hiding in the yam cellar

n the

nded Kane

courier for the cartel. He ran drugs through school compounds. Children

at the pho

omorrow, it's because you pr

dn't he

: A Traitor i

g anonymous letters to a forgotten office in Lagos-detailing corruptio

tra

n Ebube N

t a daughter to the very drug trade they now fueled. And thoug

ering, Ebube returned home to f

wo words writte

s

Firs

Port Harcourt. Inside, loud music drowned out

through the shadows like a whisper.

zubuike laughed drunken

stepped int

t th

silenced

bullet t

, but Kane was alre

triumph. He did

lt cl

he Ember

e blood from his hands in an aba

oaked in black, long braids falling over

said. "You left boot

, blade h

," she added. "If I were.

udied

ollowe

," she said, tossin

ike. Crossed

s," she said, stepping into the

y spoke. "W

and

es nar

w... I

cil

spread like wildfire. T

Chief Alozie snapped. "So

said. "They're making a statement

oes tha

ression tu

oy wants us sil

s in Ve

Amanda was testing a modifie

good,"

ood," she replie

you want

justice was enough. Then they murdered my sister and le

d between them

e s

g to destro

smiled

roy them. We'l