The November Order

💎 XXX : The Pope

"So Mr Nzekwue it is,"  Torah chuckled as he turned to look at Marley.

Marley raised the gun and pointed it at the old man's head, he was grinning from ear to ear. He pulled the trigger and a portion of the wood of Torah's bedframe splintered. Torah sat there trembling on the bed, as Marley walked closer, "I recently learnt how to use a gun so my aim is a little bit off from such a distance.'

Ada frowned as he watched what was happening.

Marley closed the distance and placed the gun an inch away from the old man's temple, "you seemed so sure of yourself, where did all that confidence go?" Marley chuckled, he felt like he was Okonkwo in the ring about to knock out his opponent, no this was far more exhilarating.

His eyes roamed around the room till they settled on the knife strapped to Aisha's thigh, "can I have your knife?" Aisha looked at Ada and Zogie for they're reactions but Ada simply nodded still with his frown plastered on his face. She removed it from it's holster and stretched it towards him.

Marley grinned and walked over to Aisha, he took the knife and inspected it. "My uncle showed me the pictures of what you did to my parents before he died and that image has never left my mind since, it's haunted my nightmares. I have a question though, did you enjoy the screams of my four year old sister as you sliced her up?"

Torah got a hold of himself and exhaled, "have you ever killed before?"

"I asked you a question, don't answer me with one." Marley growled.

"I will answer it but just answer this first."

"No, I have not."

"You're not going to stop if you start with me in your current state. And to answer your questions, no, I shot them in their brains before I cut them up, it was more merciful."

Marley's wicked grin faltered and his hands trembled, what was he doing. He promised his uncle he wouldn't let vengeance consume him but he couldn't just let him go. "But I can't just let you go after everything you've done." Marley yelled.

Ada, Aisha and Zogie watched Marley mutter to himself as he pointed the gun at Marley, Zogie made to approach Marley but Ada held him back.

Marley calmed himself down and took deep measured breaths, "I don't want to kill you but I owe it to my family to kill you," tears ran down his face as he thought about how he had been living his life without ever thinking he'd get a chance to kill Torah. Maybe his life was better before he fought Zogie but Zogie had given him a path of redemption or was it a path to condemnation.

He wiped his eyes and gripped the gun with two hands as the knife Aisha had given him lay on the floor, "I'll give you a mercy killing too."

The sound of the shot reverberated through the large bedroom. Marley dropped the gun to the floor and turned towards the door.

"Mom?" Ada stared at the former pope holding a smoking pistol in her hand.

Marley's legs gave out and he crumbled to the floor with Zogie rushing to help him. While Ada tackled the woman with a hug.

"Hello my little one," the silver haired woman chuckled as she dropped the gun she was holding on a chair and hugged her son.

Ada reluctantly let go of his mother as he took note of the five people standing outside the door to the room, "can someone tell me why the hell my mother isn't sitting down inside an exotic car on her way out of this compound," his eyes zeroed in on The sheepishly smiling Efosa as he looked anywhere but at him.

"Why," Marley asked as he sat on the floor staring at the floor. He looked at the woman who had killed Torah and tears formed in his eyes, "why did you do it?"

Ida let go of her son and walked over to Marley she kneeled down and pulled him into a hug, "I did it because you still have a lot of years before you. I didn't want you to waist it wallowing in the darkness that comes after revenge for a heart like yours."

Ada sat down beside Marley and placed a hand on his shoulder, "this is the same reason your uncle never allowed you join the underground operations of his family. He didn't want to put out the little bit of light within you but he knew you also needed closure, that's why he made a deal with my grandmother that when we were taking down Torah, we would invite you to join us.

Marley just nodded as the tears rolled down his face. He understood what they were saying but the only thing his brain retained was leaving the compound and Torah behind, "can we leave?"

Ada chuckled and turned to Efosa, "where are the cars?'

"Downstairs, we drove them here."

Ada stood up, "okay people it's time to go, we need to be out of here before the sun fully comes up and the anesthesia starts wearing off."

The group nodded and walked out of the building.

*

Ada walked out of the kitchen with a large tray of roast beef on it, Reke was right behind him with a large bowl of yam pepper soup. They set it on the large dining table and rushed back into the kitchen to get the last set of dishes. Ida walked into the dining hall with the rest of the newly formed council. She grinned as the smell of roast beef hit her nose.

"Efosa, our son is even better at cooking than me too," she whispered under her breath and smiled. Ada and Reke placed the last dishes on the table and grinned as everyone took their seats. Ida watched as Ada sat on the right side of the table and shook her head, "you're pope now, you sit at the head," she grinned as the twenty four year old blushed. Reke was having a field day taunting him with whispers as she moved into the seat he was seating on before. She walked over to the table and sat opposite her future daughter in law while her daughter sat right next to her glaring at Zogie as he tried to crack a joke. Efosa sat beside Adesuwa talking with her in low whispers while Yomi seemed paler then usual as Kori smiled at him. Marley had eventually come to himself and was happy he didn't have any blood on his hands.

Ada stood holding his champagne glass filled with water, "I'd like to make a toast," the rest of the table stood up and raised their glasses, "to family."