"NO!"
Boot cried out from his sleep and suddenly he hurled his pocket knife into the wall opposite the bed he was lying on. Sitting upright to steady his heartbeat, he realized he was alone and no one was killing him. Same nightmare that had been haunting him for weeks now. He sighed, stood up, and removed the knife from the wall.
For the past three weeks, Boot had been residing in a hotel in Kenya to take out a member of The Celestial Council, Tunde Ogunbiagba for violating their most sacred precepts. Boot was able to track him from New York to Kenya because he tortured one of Tunde's men for the information he needed.
According to the information he got from the man he tortured, Tunde was going to Kenya to be sworn in as a full member of the "The Blackburn Titans," and a ceremony will be held in his honor. Boot planned to get to him before he was sworn in and carry out his mission but Tunde's men have been an obstacle to him. They are smart and Boot considers them like him but with an unyielding loyalty to Tunde only.
Boot had spent the past couple of days planning his next move and he needed to get to Tunde without killing his men. It was Tunde he wanted, not his men. Was Boot regaining his humanity and regaining his conscience?
Boot was lost in thought when his computer pinged, jolting him back to reality. One of his bugs had broken through and gathered vital information about one of Tunde's men. With the information, Boot was able to pin-point where Tunde would be the next day and so he prepared for his mission immediately.
24 hours later
"Ah! I received your letter, Boot, and it piqued my excitement. I should be afraid, but I am not. I am not afraid of death," Tunde declared with a firm and calm tone, devoid of any fear.
"Then you know I have not choice but to kill you" Boot replied.
Tunde responded, "It's okay. I knew this day was coming, but give me some respect and remove your mask. I deserve to see the face of my killer."
Boot removed his mask and said, "How do you want to be killed?"
Tunde let out a hysterical laugh, stood up from behind his gigantic mahogany table and said, "I will tell you how I want to die, but I want to ask, have you gone soft?"
"No. I didn't kill your men because it is you I want. I have no business with them" Boot replied in a cold and detached tone.
Tunde smiled slightly and Said, "Hmmm, you say that but I read a different vibe from you. I see you Boot and the council will haunt you down when you eventually leave"
"Are you ready to die or not Because I have more people on my hit list."
Tunde proceeded quietly to a shelf full of books, behind the shelf, he brought out two classic African-made cutlasses and handed one to Boot.
"These cutlasses are laced with African magic and some sort of venom for which I only have an antidote. If it cuts you deep enough, you will die within twenty-five minutes."
Boot swung the cutlass and said, "It's heavy and blunt, how do you fight with this?"
"Well, Boot, you see these cutlasses were used during war back when my forefathers were colonized by your race. I want to die by this cutlass as some of my forefathers did then"
"If I get cut, where is the antidote?" Boot asked
"I'll tell you where it is when I'm sure I'm dying," Tunde said as he began unbuttoning his shirt to display his strong upper body, which was adorned with a traditional cowrie necklace.
"I'll make sure it's quick," Boot stated as he shifted into a fighting position.
Tunde held his cowrie necklace to his lips, mumbled some words to it, and then swung his cutlass expertly. "Let's go" he said.
Boot initiated the initial attack, as he swung his cutlass 180 degrees horizontally and aimed at Tunde's head, but Tunde evaded the attack by lowering his height. Tunde struck a powerful hit to the center of Boot's chest with the hilt of his cutlass when his torso was exposed. Boot's stamina was shaken when the strike caused his diaphragm to contract.
Not letting the hit immobilize him, Boot went in with his cutlass as he swung it in various and precise directions to cause harm, but Tunde, being skilled with the cutlass, met him with the same energy.
Tunde stated, "You are good and you learn quickly."
"I'm learning quickly so I can kill quickly and move on"
Tunde exclaimed, laughing, "and you think I'll make it easy for you?"
This time, Tunde initiated the first attack and collided with Boot's cutlass, giving himself the opportunity to get closer to Boot. With the close body contact opportunity, Tunde gave Boot a swift and deep cut with the cutlass on one of his thighs.
"Your time is up, Boot! Tik tok"
Grunting, Boot mutters a curse….
To be continued...
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