Chapter 3: Enter the Hills, Enter the Darkness

After I receive the order, I carry my partner Musa, we rush go Okpoko Hills overnight. Army people come meet us, the journey go smooth. Because the place get confidential coordinates, dem blindfold us as we enter the hills. When dem comot the blindfold, we don dey inside army base for inside the hill.

The first air I breathe inside the base heavy with diesel and sweat. Soldiers everywhere, some dey guard with serious face, others dey play draft for corner. But everywhere, tension dey, like everybody dey wait for something.

The chief investigator for this case, Major Bala from army, no waste time, he just give me confidentiality agreement sharp sharp.

"Researcher Chima, abeg make we do the procedure first."

His voice get that gruff Hausa edge, no time for story. I see the way Musa dey look the paper—him eye dey talk say, "Wetin we enter so?"

I don work with government and army people before, so I sabi the rules. After I sign the paper, Major Bala carry us enter underground train go the underground palace.

As the train dey move, Musa dey hum Fela Kuti’s "Water No Get Enemy" under him breath, like say music fit drive fear commot.

For road, dem give us one declassified file. The file get all the information about the expedition team wey disappear thirteen years ago. The team na correct team wey gather experts from different fields—top biologists, historians, geologists, all dey inside. Plus, dem still carry battalion of elite soldiers for security.

I read through the file, see photo of each person. One woman, Dr. Adaeze, still dey smile for her picture. E pain me small—nobody hear from am again.

The reason why the operation big na because many archaeological findings and witness talk say the first ancestor, the Great King Oduduwa, dey for Okpoko Hills. Some people even believe say e still dey alive.

I remember one old Ifa priest say, "Oduduwa no fit die like ordinary person. E dey where you no fit reach." That talk begin make sense to me that night.

The expedition reach deep pass wetin anybody think. That team even find the underground palace with the twelve bronze pillars that year. Apart from the repeating radio message, the team send other messages three hours before dem disappear, and those ones still important.

July 4, 2012, 15:34:

[The giant bronze pillars fit be sacrifice objects, maybe get link with Oduduwa, we need confirm am.]

The handwriting for the note dey shake, as if the person dey write am dey fear. I fit almost feel the panic from the ink.

July 4, 2012, 16:29:

[We see mountain of skeletons underground, trees dey grow humanoid embryos, something dey watch us...]

This line hook for my mind like fish bone. Trees dey grow human shape? Wetin be this?

July 4, 2012, 17:48:

[We don sick, all of us don catch am, abeg come save us]

I imagine their faces, sweat and fear, maybe somebody dey vomit blood. E get as e be.

July 4, 2012, 18:11:

[No come find us, abeg no even try]

At that point, even the bravest hunter go think twice before e enter bush.

That time, the camp radio outside begin repeat warning on its own:

Humans no be humans again; dem dey right beside us.

For our side, we dey look one another with side eye. Even Major Bala wey tough, him fingers dey tremble small as he dey close the file.

When rescue team reach, na surprise dem see—no underground palace dey at all, as if na only for the team mind e happen. Nobody sabi wetin really happen for those three hours. Wetin make the team change their mind totally in just thirty minutes before dem disappear? Up till now, nobody get answer.

Some of the local hunters swear say the ground shift that night, say even the air smell like hot iron and palm oil. Nobody fit explain.

For the end of the file, I see one important information, I no fit hold myself, I ask:

"All the experts disappear, but one soldier come back alive. Who be that person?"

Major Bala look me well, then talk slowly:

"Na your colleague, Professor Okey Nwachukwu."

His voice deep, like he dey talk from inside well. Even Musa stop chewing groundnut for mouth.