Cover designer – Erhu Kome
BLURB
A fast paced post apocalyptic novella from Nommo award nominated author, Erhu Kome. Perfect for fans of Suyi Davies Okungbowa.
Years after the rains stopped mid downpour and returned to the clouds, leaving Earth a barren wasteland and society fractured into small groups, water becomes humanity’s only currency. Zane, leader of The Freeborn, strikes a deal with the Soldiers of Fortune, offering a prized prisoner for precious water. But when the exchange is ambushed by mutated creatures born of the disaster, the deal takes a deadly turn. Zane must choose: escort the surviving Soldiers of Fortune back to their stronghold through monster-infested wastelands for the promise of more water or protect his people from the perilous journey.
EBOOK : BUY BARTER FROM AMAZON
PAPERBACK NIGERIA : ORDER FROM BOOKPEDDLER
PAPERBACK NIGERIA: ORDER FROM ROVINGHEIGHTS
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE OF BARTER
They were to meet at what used to be a small lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley after sunrise for the exchange. A place once known for its thriving birdlife, now a graveyard of their bones.
A narrow mountain pass near the lake led to the dwelling place of the Freeborn, as they called themselves. That morning before the sun rose, Zane, the leader of the Freeborn, called a meeting with his council members.
Kali, his deputy, was the first to oppose the plan yet again. “I say we take our chances and go to Kiriga,” he barked. “If they could find water there, we can too.” He spat the words “the Soldiers of Fortune” with disdain, his tone dripping with contempt. “They cannot be trusted.”
He was supported by eager nods from the other three members of the council seated around the table who oversee the Freeborn encampment.
Zane clasped his fingers together and stared back at them as he considered what Kali said for a moment. He finally said calmly, “You know how dangerous it is to go to Kiriga. We don’t have enough guns, and we can’t get one of the trucks to start. Dealing with the Soldiers of Fortune is a better choice than dealing with whatever is now in Kiriga.” He turned to Kali and said, “This is not the time to be proud.”
Kali bared his gapped teeth. “Omari killed James in cold blood,” Kali replied. “He was just a boy. And he did it for the sheer pleasure of it. He deserves a fate worse than death.”
“Yes, I agree,” responded Zane. “But our people need water and food. We will not last without both. And we need weapons to protect ourselves. That is why I didn’t stomp on Omari’s head until his brains spilled out when we found him. It was for a day like this.”
Kali grunted and looked away. He had always been a hothead. He would fight first for what he believed was right, then ask questions later. But he was brave and honest. That was the reason Zane kept him close.
A strong wind rattled the tent they were in. The wind had been picking up speed since the start of the meeting, as though it was itching to rain. But it was only a fool who harboured thoughts of water ever coming down from the skies again.
Zane peered into the faces of each council member to decipher their feelings. He could see how deeply their pride was wounded and sensed their reluctance to follow his orders. His gaze eventually settled on Kali, and his frown slowly softened into an expression of resignation.
Kali ran a hand over his clean-shaven head before saying, “If you think this is best.”.
“If you think this is best,” the others echoed.
Zane nodded, coming to a final decision, and banged his fist on the table. “We prepare,” he said, standing up.
As much as Zane was confident in this decision for an exchange, he was also anxious. He wanted things to go smoothly. It did not help that the scar on his right hand was flaring up. A long white scar that ran from his wrist to his elbow, a stark contrast against his inky dark skin. The cursed rat-like creature he had a run-in with while in search of canned food almost took his arm.
The scar never flared to herald something good. The last time it did, two of his people died in their sleep.
Looking at it now as he walked through the Freeborn encampment, it reminded him of a river he’d seen on a map a long time ago.
The Freeborn had made their homes in the mountains while the Soldiers of Fortune had kept to the plains, taking refuge in an abandoned barrack.
Most of these people, like Zane, had wandered away from Nairobi and headed north after a disaster called ‘the end of the world’. They sought refuge from the relentless drought and the predatory creatures that had emerged from the depths of the earth—mysterious beings whose origins remained utterly incomprehensible.
Some of the few who were lucky enough to survive the disaster came to be known as Freeborn and Soldiers of Fortune. They never bothered each other. Even when they met scouting for water and food in the same areas, they kept to their own— that was until Omari, the son of the leader of the Soldiers of Fortune, killed a Freeborn. Zane ordered a manhunt, and Omari was soon captured and imprisoned. Both sides drew their lines.
The Soldiers of Fortune had immediately ordered for Omari’s release, but Zane refused. They sent a team to fight their way through the mountain pass to rescue Omari, but it was there that they all met their tragic end.
Infuriated but cautioned by this, the Soldiers of Fortune waited for the right time to resume negotiation. There was no use going through the narrow mountain pass again or climbing the steep mountain. It was suicidal.
A month passed, and just as Omari’s father was about to resume negotiations with Zane, he fell gravely ill. Soon after, he passed away. The Soldiers of Fortune, who had implemented a monarchy, needed Omari to take his father’s place and lead them. They elected an interim leader by the name of Issa, who came to Zane almost on bended knees.
After providing proof that Omari was still alive, Zane handed him a list of demands. The Free Born wanted weapons, two sacks of any available canned food, and a tank of water.
“But we don’t have enough water and food,” Issa told Zane. “We can triple the amount of guns, but we cannot give you water.”
“Then Omari stays with us!” bawled an irritated Kali, who stood beside Zane. He tightened his fists, but Zane gave him a warning look. Kali’s fists loosened.
Zane turned toward Issa again and said in a calm voice, “You have trucks and jeeps that can make the journey to Kiriga and back in three days. In three days’ time, we shall meet here again in this valley, and you shall have Omari. I want to believe you are a reasonable man, and I do hope you can bring everything we have asked for.”
Issa tried to speak but held his tongue in check.
“Three days,” Zane said with a threatening smile.
Three days after, and Zane, still unsure of what would happen, prepared for the exchange. He chose six able-bodied men armed with R4 and R5 assault rifles to accompany him. Among the men was Tau, who he had taken under his wing. Tau was almost eighteen and had proved himself more than once to be dependable. He held on tightly to his gun as Zane and Kali gave out orders.
The sun was barely out when they set out towards their meeting point. As they moved through the mountain pass, Kali gave a hand sign to the hidden men who kept watch over the place. They returned another hand sign to indicate the place was secure. Eight men in all, including Zane and Kali, hiked toward Rift Valley, shivering as a cold breeze descended. A quagmire kicked up dust, forcing the men to shield their eyes. Nevertheless, they pressed on, determined to complete the arduous task at hand.
The meeting point in the valley was beside a huge boulder shaped like a half moon. Its underside had a dark colour that reminded Zane of congealed blood. Something he had seen too much of.
The men fanned out, keeping an eye out for any sign of the Soldiers of Fortune.
As Zane watched the sun rise, he was reminded of the time he had spent at Amboseli National Park with his grandmother as a young boy. Just the two of them. A healing trip, the old woman had called it—for a woman who had lost her daughter, and a boy, his mother. Not that it did a whole lot of good.
He wondered what she would think of the man he had become. His heart warmed as he remembered her bubbly smile. She would certainly have a thing or two to say about my hair, Zane thought, as he tucked a stray loc back into his high bun.
They waited for almost an hour before Tau cried out. ‘’I see something.’’
From the east, where the sun blazed in full glory, the men spotted three vehicles approaching. One of them was a truck with a tank firmly secured to the back. They brought their guns forward to be easily seen and stood up straight. The vehicles reached them in no time and stopped.
Zane stepped in front of his men, keeping his eyes on Issa as he stepped out of the truck.
Accompanying Issa as guards were four men and a young woman with short dark hair. All of them carried polished R1 FN-FAL assault rifles. The young woman exchanged a brief, placid look with Tau and quickly put back on her tough, firm, frowning face.
“We have what you asked for. You will find that everything is in order,” Issa spoke without offering any greeting. “We see you did not bring Omari.” He eyed Zane and his men suspiciously.
“We wanted to be sure you heeded our demands.’’ Kali spat out, then sucked his teeth. “We will check to see if you have spoken the truth.” He turned to his men. “Ade, Tau, go and check.”
Ade was the first to move, while Tau appeared distracted, remaining rooted to his position. His eyes were fixed on the young woman.
“Tau!” Kali’s shouted.
“Sorry,” Tau apologised and moved toward the vehicles.
“It’s all here,” was Ade and Tau’s reply when Zane asked them if their ransom was intact.
Zane observed the Soldiers of Fortune. He could not tell just by looking if they had something sinister up their sleeve. He said to them, “You will come with us a certain distance until we tell you to stop. Then we’ll bring Omari out.”
“Sir, how do we know it’s not an ambush?” One of Issa’s guards asked him, eyeing Tau.
Zane replied to him instead. “Because an ambush would not benefit us in any way. It would be foolish to do so now. We are leaving.” Zane signalled his men to start walking.
“Nailah,” Issa called the young woman. “You can drive now.”
The girl grinned and took her place behind the wheel of the truck. The Soldiers of Fortune trailed slowly behind Zane and his men until they reached a place where thick, lengthy rocks jutted from the ground, reaching for the sky as if in supplication. There Issa and his escort were told to stop.
Zane kept four men at the mouth of the mountain pass, and the others followed him directly to the prison.
The Freeborn had chosen a cave carved out of the mountain as their prison. It was particularly hot with barely enough room to move, a place befitting of a murderer.
A guard brought out Omari upon command in chains. He was still a large man despite the arduous times, quite muscular and fearsome in appearance. His thick lips trembled in anger at the sight of his captors.
Zane wished he could be punished in the worst possible way instead, but nothing could be done about it. Releasing him was the only solution to their pressing problems of thirst and starvation.
“Are you sure we have to let him go that easily?” Kali whispered to Zane.
Zane moved his gun to his right side. “We are going through with this whether we have to face a confrontation or not.”
ErhuKome 