The Truth that wasn't there

Five

Armed with broken wood, knotted wrappers, and metal, the crowd of malnourished, angry women marched towards the room. As soon as the first woman entered, followed closely by the rest, Jera raised her hands.

"Guys, I'm sure we can talk about this," Jera said in Jiki.

"Like you talked to Clans Authority, yesterday?" Gift had climbed into the room through a window and was squatting on the pane, above the heads of the women who'd entered the room.

"There's no need to worry. I'm still loyal."

"No, you're not," one of the women in front said. "They offered you freedom and you've already agreed to whatever they want."

"They didn't offer me freedom."

"That's what you told me. Kajera, stop lying."

"You're going to go out there and expose every anti-clans group that has ever worked with you," another woman said.

"If you knew me, you'd know that's not true."

"Anyone would jump at the chance of freedom. Don't pretend."

"I'm not pretending. That's not even what they offered," Jera said, beginning to sound worried.

"You're their biggest asset, if you leave this place."

"Some of us have families out there in those groups."

"That doesn't make any sense," Owondiki said, stepping out. "If she agreed to their terms, then what's she still doing here?"

"Shhh, orabo nibi nibi," Gift said. "You've been in Ibesan for three seconds." She hissed. "Why are we even discussing this?" the women murmured, nodding to each other. "Jera's not one of us anymore. If she leaves this place, the clans will win. Look at where they left us." The women's murmurs grew to loud shouts of anger. "Can you imagine your family members in places like Ibesan? Your children? Your sisters and brothers. Your husbands."

"Wait!" Owondiki said. "Gift is lying to you. That wasn't the deal."

"How would you know? You weren't there."

"Listen–"

"Orabo nibi nibi, our beef is still fresh," Gift said. "Calm down and shut up."

Truth be told, if Gift had waited two more minutes, Owondiki would have gotten the location of the books and shifted out of their way.

"You'll just have to go through me."

Gift scoffed.

"Get her out of there."

They dragged Owondiki out of the way, as she screamed and fought to stay put. She saw three women pounce on Jera, who dodged two and punched the third one. She got in a few more hits before she was hit from behind and she fell.

Outside the room, Owondiki spun on the spot, hands digging into her hair as she wracked her brain.

Calm down, calm down, calm down. Owondiki, calm down.

She needed to get through those women and save Jera. There was only one person who could help.

Limping away from the window, she went to the gate. Two guards were lounging outside. As soon as they spotted her, she had their attention.

"Please, I need to speak with the warden."

"Isn't that the newcomer?" one of them asked the other. They'd been told to call the warden anytime she asked.

"It's her!"

As soon as his colleague confirmed it, the other one stood quickly and ran into the building behind them. It felt like an eternity, waiting for them to return, but within minutes, the warden was out of the other building, pulling his cap on.

"Officer, what is it?" he asked.

"We need to get Jera Franklin out of this place."

"I don't understand. The director said you were to contact me when you were finished."

"I'm not finished but the prisoners are about to kill her."

"What?"

"GET HER OUT OF HERE, DAMN IT!"

"This is a prison, Officer Owondiki. I can't just remove a prisoner from incarceration."

"Then call the director. Get him over here. But before you do, send your men in here to contain the situation before they kill Jera Franklin."

The man's eyes searched the ground, conflicted. In the background, Owondiki could still hear the shouts coming from the room.

"Sir, there's no time. We have to act now. Do you hear those women?" she paused for effect. "They mean business. She's not going to last any longer unless you do something."

He hesitated.

Then he snapped his fingers at his men.

"Ring the bell. Round up the guards and get your gear. We're going in."

One of them ran to the bell and began to beat it. As it rang out, there was a stumble and a noisy commotion inside the room as inmates began to disperse, rushing to leave the room. A group of armed guards jogged out of the other building, heading straight for the gate as one of them began to open the gate. Owondiki waited for the last prisoner to leave the room before she ran into it.

Jera was on the ground. Owondiki checked for a pulse. She was still alive, but she was covered in blood from head to toe.

"Jera, hang on," Owondiki said as the guards rushed into the prison.

She hadn't gotten the information she'd come to Ibesan to collect. But at least, she'd kept Jera Franklin alive. That had to count for something, right?

Right?