Chapter 4: Smile of Pain, Oath of Justice

"From today, anything wey we do, you must dey smile. If you stop, I go break one of your bones."

The boy dey laugh, im eye cold. Im boys dey circle the girl, dem dey clap hand like say na party.

The young man, fine clothes, just dey lounge for chair, dey chop foreign sweet, dey watch like say na play.

Some kind imported chocolate, the wrapper still dey shine. Im shoe dey shine, e dey swing leg.

One boy waka come, tear the farm girl belt.

Na so im hand rough, the girl scream, struggle, but the boys dey too many.

The girl scream, stagger back, face full of fear.

She dey shout, tears dey rush, but the room dey full with only boys voice and the evil laughter.

"No smile." The young man face change. The big bearded man behind am rush, hold the girl down.

The bearded man get scar for face, im eye dey red, im hand strong like say e dey break stone for living.

Im right hand press her shoulder—crack. The girl shout, fall for ground, pain wan kill am.

The sound of bone breaking loud, the pain make the whole room cold. Even one small boy for corner stop dey smile.

"Still no smile." The young man words cold like winch curse.

E voice low, slow, the kind one wey dey enter bone.

The girl quickly force smile, half face dey twist for pain, tears dey flow.

Her teeth dey show, but her eyes dey cry—Naija people sabi say smile no always mean happiness.

Na so e dey—tears dey roll, smile dey stretch. The thing pain reach heaven.

The twisted smile sweet the young man. E clap hand, signal make dem continue.

The evil in im eye clear, as if im soul dey feed on her pain.

The boy begin pull her cloth again. As she struggle, dem break her body like say na firewood, each crack loud, each pain new.

She dey force smile, dey beg, but na only the young man laugh she dey hear.

For that small room, only one laughter dey, the one wey go dey haunt her forever. Her scream low, her tears dry, but im own joy just dey grow.

After three boys use her finish, all her bones don break. Blood and tears full her face. She dey alive small, but the way she dey look the young man, hate full her eyes.

Hate dey burn from her soul, like fire wey refuse off. Even old men no fit describe am.

"You hate me?" The young man jump down, squat for her front.

Im smile soft, but im voice cold. E dey look her face, like say e dey see himself for mirror.

The girl no fit talk again, but she no fear anything again. She dey look im face, wan remember am forever. If hell dey, she go curse am forever.

Her mind dey snap picture, her spirit dey vow say im face no go forget. For her, nothing dey fear again.

The young man bend head, look sad small: "Why you hate me? I just like your smile, I wan see am more."

Na so im own sadness be—fake, full of madness.

"Young master, time don go. Make we go greet madam? Wetin we go do about her?" The bearded man bow.

E voice low, e no fit look up. For room like that, nobody get mouth.

"Idiot!" The young man turn slap am. "I look like winch to you?"

The slap loud, echo for wall. Nobody talk. The bearded man hold face, still dey kneel.

The bearded man na strong fighter, but e just bow, no talk.

Even if na him dey carry gun for street, here, e be servant.

"Treat her. Poison her so she no fit talk again." The young man waka, stop for front of the girl wey dey hate am. "Since the toy don spoil, make I spoil am finish."

The coldness for im voice go fit freeze water. E hand steady as e bring knife come out.

E bring out golden knife, cut the girl face sixty-eight times, like say e dey draw.

Every cut get reason. E dey count, e dey smile. The pain dey paint horror for her face.

After the last cut, the girl faint, blood everywhere. The young man laugh, the sound long.

The laugh dey loud, dey echo reach backyard. The boys dey fear to even look the girl face again.

Even the walls for that room dey silent, as if spirits dey mourn with her.

"Who be that person?" Wu Lie eyes dey shine like tiger, dey look Sirius.

Wu Lie heart dey pound. For police matter, this kind evil dey rare. Im spirit dey shake, but im face strong.

"Na the person wey you no get mind arrest." Sirius hand still steady as e pour another tea, no spill.

The tea smell like burnt ginger and old memories, steam dey rise small small.

The old man look Wu Lie straight, as if e dey size am, dey see whether im mind strong reach.

"Nobody dey this world wey I no fit arrest. If e break law, even if na chief pikin, I go carry am." Wu Lie eyes dey burn with anger.

For Wu Lie mind, e whisper small prayer: "God, no let me fail this pikin."

Im oath for police academy dey ring for im mind. E dey remember im mama prayer for justice.

"Good." Sirius drop the cup. "If you fit bring am to justice, my life dey your hand."

Im voice low, e words sure. The weight of many years dey im tone.

Seven Stars Brotherhood get three rules:

For every cult for Naija, rule dey. For Seven Stars, their own dey different. No friend, no mercy.

If dem collect death contract, the person must die, no matter where e dey.

Even if na inside shrine or palace, once contract enter, e must happen.

Without contract, assassin no fit kill anyhow—even if knife dey their own neck. If dem try am, all Seven Stars Brotherhood go hunt am.

Betray the code, die the same day.

Half money before, half after work.

No story. No negotiation. Even police dey fear their kind discipline.

Candle for table dey shake for breeze. Blade flash—Sirius use am cut im own left hand. E bite teeth, pick the hand, drop am for table.

The pain no show for im face. Blood dey drop, but e just dey look Wu Lie, steady.

"Na this be deposit."

If na old story, nobody go believe. But for Sirius, e mean am.

The speed, the angle, the mind—e shock.

Even Wu Lie eye open well, for im mind, e dey think how this old man fit get this kind heart.

If na Wu Lie e target, fit e dodge? Wu Lie think am, but e no get answer.

For small second, e dey wonder about fate. But im resolve strong—no shaking.

"That man na young lord of Chief Dingguo compound. The Chief get power. Even if government sabi, dem go cover am. Na why I find you. Dem talk say for police, na only two men remain—Lin Yang with pen, Wu Lie with sword. I believe am."

The matter loud. For Naija, if chief pikin do bad, who go fit arrest am? Sirius eyes dey beg justice.

The woman wey dey treat the girl tear wrapper, give Sirius. As e dey talk, e bandage im hand—like say e dey pour tea.

She dey cry, but no tears. Her pain na river. For her mind, na only justice fit bring peace.

For assassin, injury no be anything. To bandage na normal thing.

Dem dey teach am for Brotherhood—no pain, no complaint. Only duty.

"One last question. Seven Stars Brotherhood dey ruthless. Why you put mouth for this matter?"

Wu Lie voice gentle, but im eyes dey sharp. For im mind, e dey wonder why killer go ask for justice.

Sirius eyes dull. E gently touch the girl destroyed face. "No be say I put mouth. Na my pikin. My only child."

Im voice shake small, eyes red, but no tears—old men for Naija no dey cry anyhow.

Im hand dey shake small. For first time, pain show for im face. The kind loss only father fit understand.

"Okay." Wu Lie push door open. Breeze scatter im hair. "I dey go now. I go arrest am. I go find justice for you."

As Wu Lie waka comot, even the wind dey carry im promise—this fight no go end until justice land for ground.