Shadow: The Grey Line

By Itunu Ajao

Christopher Odum spends his life in search of redemption. He had made a vow to the dead, a promise of revenge which leads him to Ibadan where he decided to stop and live a little until the killer appears on his TV screen.

He is thrown into a web of violence, politics, corruption, deception, and love at the oddest of hours. No one man can survive these alone except he wasn't a man, except he was something more, a Shadow, a being hidden behind a mask.

His journey into becoming a vigilante, a beacon of hope unearths evils that had laid dormant.

This is his cross to bear.

The Shadow.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publiseer Publishing
• Release date: Feb 20, 2018

Book preview

Enjoy.

Book 1

Destiny’s world spun around her. She feared the very shock of it might run her insane. Her mother had died when she was but a toddler. She could not even remember her though she dreamt of her. She often told herself that her dreams were just memories lost in her subconscious.

She sat in the small room arms and legs tied, in a chair. There was not a way in the world that the woman before her was her mother.

Yes, it is me flesh and blood. A chair was brought in for the woman to sit in. The woman before her was a carbon copy of the woman in the photo her father kept in his room. He had never spoken much about her mother while she was young, pampering her with toys and treats that she might not bother about the gap in her life.

When she was old enough to understand, her father had told her the truth not the mummy is not here, mummy loves you or the mummy is in heaven with Jesus he had told her when she was little. Her mother had died in a car accident.

It cannot be. You were burnt, everyone on that bus died, Destiny stammered. She felt her mouth dry up in disbelief. It was just another dream, she told herself. The woman before her stared at her with invading eyes; it was as though she could read her mind. She had often wondered where she had gotten her darker complexion since her father and brother were both light skinned like most people from the eastern part of the country.

Burnt beyond recognition, meaning mistakes in identity could have been made, the woman said. Her voice was passive showing no emotion whatsoever.

If you were alive, why did you stay away from your family? Where were you all these years, with another man? Destiny found herself angered by the indifference of the woman who was claiming to be her mother. The woman crossed her legs and put her hands on her upper knee.

I found my purpose, she said with a smile. The smile seemed more of a regular facial feature than bright. Destiny didn’t ask why.

I sought to strike equity amongst mankind. Destiny snickered. It helped her keep back her tears.

So you became a preacher? The supposed late Mrs. Nkechi Odum slapped her thighs as she burst into laughter. It lacked vibrancy. It was cold.

You have your father’s sense of humor. I hear your brother has it too. No, I am not a preacher. I do promise I will tell you once you are ready. She got up to her feet with an office kind of smartness. She buttoned her suit, adjusted her skirt and walked towards the door.

We will get to you later. By the way, make yourself comfortable. The door slammed shut and she was all alone in the room, like it had been a dream, a very bad dream.

Chapter 1

Hello Shadow, we need you ASAP. There is a fire exchange at the Secretariat-. Truthfully, the ‘Shadow’ couldn’t hear much above the sound of the gun shots. As usual, they needed his help. The whole city needed his help. He was but a man, fair skinned, broad chest and thick biceps from disciplined workouts and the hard bones accustomed to his tribe-men. Two lines greased his face dooming him to barely old age before his forehead welcomed wrinkles. He towered over most people at about six feet and had a face most people’s thoughts lingered on afterwards. He was easy on the eye.

On my way, he said and cut the call. A lot of things had changed since he had saved the Deputy Governor’s life from a crazy assassin who was on a deadly spree to avenge the wrong done to his boss. Both were now safely in prison, though his boss Francis Odegbami was announced dead some months back. Back then, he used to be a masked man haunting people. Now, everybody knew his face, everybody knew the Shadow. Now, he was on the government’s payroll, working with the IRT, the police response team established by the new Commissioner as his first act in office. His father didn’t like the idea, but it pleased him to do well and fight crime.

He paid for his drink and rushed to his car, a green Peugeot 607. He made for the Secretariat as fast as he could. The drive was airy. There was no traffic from the Bodija market. He drove down the almost straight road to the Secretariat as the Ibadan people often referred to the area. Most areas around the city were named using Metonymy. The biggest building or establishment was used to name the area. The same went for other things like noodles, everything was Indomie be it Dangote, Chikki, Golden Penny or any of the others.

The bank was in plain sight by the road side, good for its patronage. Besides, most of its customers were going to be state workers because of its closeness to the Government Secretariat. The lieutenant met him at the road junction to the bank, the Stanbic IBTC Bank. Lieutenant Taiwo Ekehinde clearly had problems with him, but always kept things professional especially since they only made contact when there was trouble. He was a slim built man with a small protruding belly, the evidence of new marriage.

We could make out three armed men. My guess is there would be others inside too. We have surrounded the bank. There is no way they can get out unless they use the hostages, he said quickly as they came to join the parked police vehicles in front of the bank.

You are to lead the team in and take out the men at the entrance. There were about ten black uniformed officers posed by the fence. There was no other way to access the bank. The fence at the back was inaccessible.

Give me a gun. He hurriedly handed over to the new man an AK-47. Chris wasn’t a fan for rifles, but there were times- He bent by the metal fence and waited. Open the gate, he whispered to two of the officers. They pushed the gate inside and the robbers opened fire. The officers scattered but the need was met. The men showed their positions. He aimed and took out the hands of the two shooters. Luckily, they would not be favorable to both hands. The Shadow was probably by far the best shooter in the country.

He could feel the stare of marvel from the officers around. It always surprised them though they knew of what he was capable of. Everybody knew he had heightened senses. He dropped the rifle and took out his pistols from his holster; Shadow-1 and Shadow-2.

Follow me. The men followed and they breached the compound.

They are getting away, he said as we charged into the bank. The men froze in their strides and raised their hands up.

Get everybody outside, three of you follow me. The hostages formally dressed and the ‘local’ ones rushed out of the bank building. He heard a sound from one of the offices behind the counter. He could sense four people inside. They all reeked of fear. He kicked open the door. There were two armed men with two females hostages held before them. They had their guns pressed against the cold cheeks of the women.

Don’t come closer or we will shoot them, one of them said.

Drop your weapons or we will open fire, Lieutenant Taiwo ordered them training his gun on the vocal of the two robbers. They were both young men. Their eyes showed fear and a bit of the redness that came with alcohol. Chris could make out the smell of Sarz, a beer he was familiar with.

If you don’t let us go, we will kill these women, the robber said. The woman in front of him winced. She was trembling as was he. He was afraid of the Shadow. His frightened eyes were trained on him. He knew who the Shadow was, typical.

Chris, please do something, the other hostage said.

Joyce? He said. She was an old flame from a long time.

Leave the hostages or I will kill you, he warned them. The one holding Joyce pressed the gun harder against her slender neck.

Chris, please let them go, she pleaded. He knew he had the whole situation under control provided the alcohol didn’t change things, but he just fancied seeing Joyce begging. She never looked his way twice while he was still wooing her.

Drop your weapons or I swear I will shoot her, the one holding Joyce shouted. Joyce screamed trying to keep her hands by her side.

Okay, okay, the lieutenant said raising his pistol. The other two officers also drew down their weapons. There was no way the men could get out alive, but they had no idea.

You never gave me a chance Joyce. I am sorry, he said before he let out fire from his pistols. The men screamed as the bullets tore into their shoulders. The lieutenant and the others pounced on the men as quickly as they were hit. Joyce ran to Chris, holding unto him like she never had before.

Thank God you came Chris. Thank God, she said between tears. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest. He held her to himself. The lieutenant nodded his appreciation to the Shadow. He smiled back.

I knew you would save me, she said though the words were muffled with mouth against his black outfit.

I am not that wicked, he said inaudibly.

Another job well done Shadow, the lieutenant said close-mouthed.

It is my job, he replied.

You are a lucky woman, he said to Joyce before he walked away to join the other officers. People stopped by to take pictures and make videos for their blogs or friends. It was a normal thing to Chris publicly known as the Shadow. His father would have mocked all these. He was too demure.

How have you been? She asked him.

You know. She punched him playfully on his arm.

You boastful thing, she said.

It’s good to see you again Joyce.

You left without a goodbye, she said appearing wounded. He never understood ladies. They turn a guy down and they expect him to crawl after them.

I have no idea of what you are talking about, he said mockingly. She tried to hit him again. This time he caught her hands.

Can I get your number? She asked. They exchanged numbers. He waited by the car as she cat-walked away. She had always had this confidence about her.

Elizabeth Akinsola sat by her desk reviewing the notes she made while questioning her latest client. The old man was fighting for his land. Cases like that often annoyed her. She often wondered why people would want to rob others of what was belonged to them. She had assured the man all would be well in Yoruba. Hearing it in his native tongue, he had believed her. She worked under a friend of her uncle Mr. Solomon Olajire. Her uncle had gotten her the job immediately after she had finished in law school. She had been one of those Nigerian dreamers who believed ‘your talent would make way for you’. Some of her counterparts in reasoning were still searching for jobs now.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of heels heading her way. It seemed inside her ear. The sound got louder and louder like gunshots. She pressed her hands against her ears to suppress the pain. The door swung open and Ife entered. Ifeoluwa Orioke was her friend and a fellow lawyer though she was into criminal law. Elizabeth was into land and property.

I thought I heard gunshots, Elizabeth said as her friend walked in. Ife stared at her checking mockingly if she was okay. Elizabeth hissed when she saw she wasn’t being taken seriously.

Don’t be mad babe. Too much reading does that to you, Ife said as she took her seat opposite her friend.

You are not serious. Ife always had the humor of a man from their university days. Elizabeth blamed that on her masculine dominated family background. She grabbed her pen and hulled it at her friend. It hit her squarely in the forehead. Ife rubbed her forehead.

Ouch! I was just kidding, she said.

O jebi, Elizabeth said slyly.

Come on, let’s go for lunch. I am starving babe, Ife got up to her feet.

Another busy day, Deborah asked as her elder brother entered the house. It was rhetorical of course.

Yeah, you can say something like that, Chris replied as he sank into one of the sofas.

Deborah was his sister. He had saved her life and they had been family ever since for about seven years. That was more than his real family whom he had just met last year. Thanks to his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Akinsola, he learnt about his family. He was an Odum. He was the son of Petroleum millionaire Benjamin Odum and he got a biological sister in Destiny Odum. She had taken off earlier this year. No one had heard from her since. That new development had changed all his plans of revenge for the death of his first love, Deborah’s elder sister.

Just keep what you are doing and the boys would keep coming to the Shadow’s sister, me. She put her hand on her chest for emphasis. She joined him, sitting on the arm of the chair he occupied.

You are selfish, he told her.

Goodness, I am still young. You go out, kick bad guys to jail and get all the attention. I deserve something from all these too, she said. She was a skinny fifteen year old teenager, dark like her sister. She had the slim gymnast stature of her late sister.

If I get in trouble, would you still want a piece of it? She used her shoulder to nudge his.

Yeah, I saw Joyce today, can you imagine?

The only lady wise enough to say no to Christopher Odum. Where did you see her? Her ears were opened with keen interest. She was always wanting of a little gossip.

I saved her today at a bank. She has become more beautiful since the last time we had seen. I think she still likes me, Chris said.

I think it is normal effect. You know after the whole traumatic experience. She was off the sofa before he could hit her. She held her stomach as she giggled. He could not help but smile himself.

Somehow, Elizabeth found her way to his mind again. For some unknown reason, he felt as though he had cheated on her by finding another lady attractive. He had not been able to forget Elizabeth since she had broken up with him. He could not forget her smooth face, slightly divided chin and her dimples! She had very clear eyes. They always dared him to stay true to his cause which some thought a righteous one. She had found out he had been lying to her about his identity. He had had to keep it away from her, from everyone.

You are thinking of Elizabeth again, Deborah said sober.

She’s forgotten about me. I should do the same, he said to himself.

Maybe she wants you to call her. I am not good at these touchy things.

I doubt that, to the call.

You are still here because I told them you could be of use to us, Nkechi Odum said to her daughter. She had come to talk to her captive once every day for the past three or four days. She wasn’t sure.

You keep mentioning some people; they, them. Who are they? Destiny asked. Her hands and feet were unbound. It seemed her kidnappers didn’t think her dangerous anymore.

I was waiting for you to ask. Please sit, Nkechi bid her as she took her seat in one of the two metal chairs in the room. Destiny refused to and instead leaned against the wall. Nkechi didn’t mind her daughter’s stubbornness. It was one of the evidences that she was in fact her child.

We are an organization called Equity. They found me the day I had the accident about twenty years ago. I jumped out of the bus before it exploded. I could smell the explosive.

What do you mean? You didn’t have powers. Destiny got off the wall confused.

It’s DNA or blood related, I think. Your father apparently passed it to me since we were married and had to have sex among other things. I lost my powers after the explosion. I was brought in and briefed. I was given another chance in life for a purpose, Nkechi answered.

What great purpose was that?

To find balance among mankind; haven’t you dreamt of a world where everyone is equal, no one person greater than the other? That is what we are after. You were given a second chance as I was for the same purpose.

About a month ago, Destiny had feared she was going to die. She had had a bomb inside her abdomen and had had to run away from her family to save them from her impending doom. Equity had taken care of it.

You people are politicians? Nkechi laughed at her daughter’s ignorance.

No, not only politicians have the power to make a difference. We mean to balance the equation. Look outside, we hear of people with extraordinary powers causing havoc around the city. Someone has to stop it, we have to stop it.

How can I be of help if I am one of those people you want to erase from the earth? Destiny asked.

We don’t kill them. We imprison them. We have brilliant minds here at Equity who are very close to a cure of some sort. Soon, we will have our goal in hand. Destiny studied the woman before her. She believed whatever it was she was telling her.

I told them you could be of assistance. Destiny stared at the tiled floor in thought, pacing about the small room. It all sounded like a choice, but she knew it wasn’t. It was join or die or worse. She was a survivor. She raised her head and said yes.

Good choice, a very wise choice. So do you have any suspects, anyone you know with abilities?

Oh my father, Chris, everyone knows that and probably his girlfriend, Destiny said blandly.

We would check Elizabeth. Your brother has an act of being very contagious. We have had to put down three ladies because of him. You remember a certain Kolade while your brother was still working at the restaurant? Destiny kept her face passive as she nodded. Her mother or ‘they’ knew things that were creepy. She wondered how long they had been watching her family. The first time she had seen her eventual blood brother was at a restaurant about a year ago. She had found him attractive then. It was sheer luck that they hadn’t dated before his identity was disclosed.

The day she had seen him, there had been a lady making a scene. It seemed she had had an affair with Chris and was accusing him for the theft of her money. It had probably been a one night stand.

I do, she replied.

Victims of association; we would talk more tomorrow and you would be moved to a much better place. Nkechi got up from her seat and walked to the door.

One last question before you leave, why haven’t you taken my brother? Destiny asked her mother.

They said it is not yet the time. Welcome to Equity, Nkechi said as she disappeared behind the door. Destiny sank on the mattress in thought. She needed to find out who ‘they’ really were.

Chapter 2

She never really liked hospitals, but who did? However, she had learnt to respect their importance. He grandfather had passed away because of this ignorance. Though he was quite old, he could have still lived about five more years.

The door opened behind her and the lady doctor walked in. A end of her stethoscope was still in her hand. She had probably just finished with a patient. Her forehead was greased with sweat and her eyes with fatigue. The ring on her hand said the stress might not be totally from the hospital. She probably had toddlers she had to care for.

Sorry for keeping you waiting. How can I help you? She said forcing a pleasant smile.

Doctor, I have been having headaches frequently. They come and go. Sometimes, things just seem to magnify before my eyes and there’s this pounding in my head, Elizabeth explained. The doctor tapped her pen on the desk as she listened. The pounding started again with every contact the pen made with the wooden table.

Do you feel these symptoms now? She asked her. Elizabeth pressed her hands against the sides of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut to ease the pain. Suddenly, it was gone.

Are you okay? The doctor asked.

I am now. I really need your help doctor. I have searched the internet and have not come across anything like this, Elizabeth pleaded.

How long has this been happening? The doctor’s impassive look assured her a little.

A few months back; it used to occur about six times a month. Now, it’s almost every day, she replied.

Why didn’t you visit the hospital immediately you discovered the repetitive pattern? The doctor was playing strict mother. It was a natural look on her. She probably had boys, Elizabeth observed. She stared at the calendar on the wall for some time before turning back to the doctor.

I thought it was stress, she said.

What kind of stress did you suspect, stress from work, relationship, family or other activities?

I was kidnapped some months back. Chris’ face flashed in her mind.

It might be post-traumatic stress, but I would like to run some tests first. Do you have the time? Elizabeth shook her head. She had to get back to the office. She was to present a case at the Magistrate court in three days. The doctor didn’t push it.

I will give up some drugs to help you sleep, but you have to come back. Elizabeth nodded.

You know I still can’t believe I am having lunch with Joyce Akpan, he said as the waitress brought their plates of fried rice and chicken. He had called her the day before and made a date. She was her own boss, she claimed so she could leave anytime. He didn’t ask further.

Awn, miracles happen Chris. She pulled her hair behind her ears and leaned forward. So tell me what has changed about you apart from your flirty attitude?

Well, my surname has changed. I now work for the government and I own part of a record label, he said with a sigh.

That is super. What about girlfriends?

None, he answered. She slapped his hand calling him a liar.

Okay, he laughed. I had this girlfriend, but she broke up with me when she found out I was the Shadow. She winked at him and he laughed.

She must have been unique. No ordinary girl would break up with the Shadow, she teased as she dug her spoon into her food.

Maybe, I said.

Well, I am single.

I am sorry, I didn’t hear you. She slapped his hand again and they both laughed.

I will try to keep that in mind. He picked up his spoon and started eating.

Abubakar walked down the crowded street of Sabo. Almost every state had its own Sabo, a place full of the northerners. It was a black market of some sort. People came to buy almost anything at lower prices, but especially to change currency. It was more affordable than bank rates. Sabo was a dirty place because of the closed buildings and heavy people to space ratio. The streets so close to the road were always busy.

Everything around him was in black and white. His elder brother had always told him to keep the shades on every time. Everybody knew him with the shade. The old thought it as children playfulness. The young ones like himself thought it as pride. It was a part of his life. The only time he ever took them off was when he had his bath. His brother had warned him that if he ever saw the world in colors, people around him would die. He believed his brother Saheed.

He