A NAIRALAND NOVEL

TITLE: THE DEAD MAN WHO COULD LOVE AGAIN GENRE: ACTION THRILLER

PROLOUGE

THE X10 CLUB, LEKKI ISLAND, LAGOS... TIME: 11:43PM

The stench of cigarettes wafted in the air about him, booze accompanying in its rightful space. He dropped the glass on the desk with a gentle but firm thud, clinking on the glass for another shot. His face bore no sign - he was neither tired of drinking nor tired of smoking up, not after 8 straight shots of tequila and 4 sticks of cigarette. But his face seemed too gentle for the marathon of "contraband nutrients" he was ingesting into his system. Who was going to blame him? He did it, though he didn't mean to - he had forced his daughter. He had r-a-p-e-d her. The instant he realized what the trembling body of his little rebellious daughter on the ground meant, what he had done, he fled without looking back. He only wanted to teach her to respect him. He didn't mean to take it that far.

A sharp scent struck him in the plexus of his thoughts but he didn't turn to look back immediately. He didn't feel like. But the more the scent got stronger ... and closer, the more impulse he felt to stare in the direction of the source. He started by staring to his right at the left hand that had just rested on the table, fair-complexioned, rich, smooth, feminine and surprisingly, a ring on it. What could a married woman find in a place as this at this kind of time - this night? He peered at the wall clock by the side - 11: 46. Maybe she was as lost as he felt too. Maybe she came to find solace as he wanted.

"Quit staring at it", said the voice that possessed the admired hand. And oh my, he gasped. She was way pretty, like the rising sun painted so realistically on a bedroom ceiling.

"Pardon me", adjusting his gaze back to the glass that was now filled back again.

"Hey... no, not like that. I didn't mean it that way", she let out a chuckle that faded quickly as her smile.

He returned the smile only for an instant. "Obviously you're taken."

"Taken but not reserved", she said.

Staring at her bare-back dress... certainly she did dress to kill. "What? He offered divorce?"

She turned sharply at the remark but eased up when she met his gentle face. He knew it always worked. He had that face, that makes you think he couldn't hurt a dove, except you really knew what he did for a living.

"I caught him in bed - with my friend...", she said tipping her own glass against her red-glossed lips. When she brought the glass down, she didn't seem nerved for a woman who had caught her hubby in bed with another woman, least of all her friend.

"But you really don't look hurt, or am I misreading your demeanor?" he said.

"What's your name, hunter?" her gaze and smile suggesting confidence.

"Oliver...", he replied.

"Oliver... when you've been hurt 3 times by the one you love, nothing can surprise you anymore", she said.

"Oh, I get it... he's the type. Well, sh** happens, right?", he said with a half-smile.

"Sh** happens", she replied, gazing at the way one of her fingers played with the outer lining of her glass.

"Who are you here with?", she asked.

"Reserved but not taken", he chirped as they laughed it away.

"Reserved by who?", she insisted.

"Nobody really", he sighed... "Look, um, it was nice to meet you but I think I have to be on my way now".

"What? Am I being too forward?" she queried, looking hurt at his sudden rejection.

"No. I really have to go. I didn't plan to get hooked up", he said.

"Well, I DID come to get hooked up", she emphasized, "and I sure seem to be into you now".

"Look, I...", he was suddenly interrupted as her hands slid sneakily into his right chest through his unbuttoned shirt. Warm, feathery, slippery. God, who sent this lady?

"I like a man who knows how to be confident without being superior...", she said, tilting her right knee to jolt his crotch, not minding the stare of the barman... the stare of the barman at the glint of a blade taped to a hidden side of her lap...
*********************************************************************************************************

*grabs a can of chilled water and sits at the VVIP section* Waiting....

I guess u are a piece of art instrument! I hope ur story turns me 2 a writer bro!

Hannahamah: *grabs a can of chilled water and sits at the VVIP section* Waiting....

Thanks for taking a seat. You won't be disappointed...

Fatalveli: I guess u are a piece of art instrument! I hope ur story turns me 2 a writer bro!

Hmm, piece of art instrument... guess we'll have to find out. (Wears back humble hat)

Will be updated same time tonight... sit tight

TheWisest: Will be updated same time tonight... sit tight

if u fail 2 keep ur promise, I guess u will have 2 deal with me.... Lols....anyway I envy u writers sha ooo? All NL girls dey fall for ya'll

Fatalveli: if u fail 2 keep ur promise, I guess u will have 2 deal with me.... Lols....anyway I envy u writers sha ooo? All NL girls dey fall for ya'll

I wish I can say we do it for the girls... but truth is we don't. It's all for the love of the art. Catch ya tonight...

I hope these people actually forgive me for not inviting them earlier to the premiering of this story:

Royver

Firestar

UjSizzle

Texanomaly

Shugamania

Scaredsilent

Salvatore007

Sugarybelle

Lindalee

Caracta

LarrySun

Flytefalls

Gloriagee

lulu69

joywendy

brianromel

onegig


and a host of many others.

These are my primary oga and madam dem at the top whom I really admire and follow. Welcome guys and girls. Do sit in while pop-corn is being served

TheWisest: I hope these people actually forgive me for not inviting them earlier to the premiering of this story:

Royver

Firestar

UjSizzle

Texanomaly

Shugamania

Scaredsilent

Salvatore007

Sugarybelle

Lindalee

Caracta

LarrySun

Flytefalls

Gloriagee

lulu69

joywendy

brianromel

onegig


and a host of many others.

These are my primary oga and madam dem at the top whom I really admire and follow. Welcome guys and girls. Do sit in while pop-corn is being served

grabbing a first row seat . Abeg double my own pop corn. Na 1 litre eva water i carry for here.

Hmm,this kind story...I'm in.Popcorn please

onegig: grabbing a first row seat . Abeg double my own pop corn. Na 1 litre eva water i carry for here.

Boy are we goin entertain some nigerians here!... Lol... area shah! Plenty of love

SugaryBelle: Hmm,this kind story...I'm in.Popcorn please

Sit tight lady!

*****WHAT'S UP WITH THE STORY SO FAR?************

Essentially, the story of "The Dead Man Who Could Love Again" is a story of a man torn between loyalty to family and a life of crime. Oliver Godwin hasn't been a great father since he accidentally became a father at the age of 21. Now 35, and wanting to settle down for more in life, his one decision to leave the powerful syndicate that gave him new life, the life that gave his life some meaning, that made him somebody, is a decision that'll turn everyone's lives in a 180 degrees turn. Will he get out? Will he live? Stay tuned people.

*******************************************************************************************************

TheWisest: I hope these people actually forgive me for not inviting them earlier to the premiering of this story:

Royver

Firestar

UjSizzle

Texanomaly

Shugamania

Scaredsilent

Salvatore007

Sugarybelle

Lindalee

Caracta

LarrySun

Flytefalls

Gloriagee

lulu69

joywendy

brianromel

onegig


and a host of many others.

These are my primary oga and madam dem at the top whom I really admire and follow. Welcome guys and girls. Do sit in while pop-corn is being served

You seem to write well. I'm impressed. I cannot read anymore of this story. Thank you for the compliment. This storyline is not one I can continue to read.

texanomaly:

You seem to write well. I'm impressed. I cannot read anymore of this story. Thank you for the compliment. This storyline is not one I can continue to read.

why? got issues with dead men?

onegig: why? got issues with dead men?

I have issues with fathers who ra.pe their daughters.

texanomaly:

I have issues with fathers who ra.pe their daughters.

My bad. I have not read the story fully. Just skimmed through and saved for later reading later in the night.

texanomaly:

You seem to write well. I'm impressed. I cannot read anymore of this story. Thank you for the compliment. This storyline is not one I can continue to read.

Excellent economy of words that made me think a sec you're the Okonjo Iwela of the nigerian literati. Earlier surmising that you had an aversion for action thrillers, I thank Onegig for extrapolating the real cause of your worry. Lolz... I feel like a very stupid prof talking like this (all these verbosities!) Ok, down to earth, yes Oliver ra.ped his daughter and I hate both the act and the word. But, I am telling a story and I can't be biased. If I have to describe the action involved in that menial act, I will, with the kind of utter disdain I can't put on a page. That's my cross as a writer - to tell the story as it is, not as I want it to be. Besides I'm rooted in the Inspirational fiction genre. This Action Thriller is more like an experiment. The story's just begun. Give it a chance

Wow. I'm so following

TheWisest:

Excellent economy of words that made me think a sec you're the Okonjo Iwela of the nigerian literati. Earlier surmising that you had an aversion for action thrillers, I thank Onegig for extrapolating the real cause of your worry. Lolz... I feel like a very stupid prof talking like this (all these verbosities!) Ok, down to earth, yes Oliver ra.ped his daughter and I hate both the act and the word. But, I am telling a story and I can't be biased. If I have to describe the action involved in that menial act, I will, with the kind of utter disdain I can't put on a page. That's my cross as a writer - to tell the story as it is, not as I want it to be. Besides I'm rooted in the Inspirational fiction genre. This Action Thriller is more like an experiment. The story's just begun. Give it a chance

You have enough followers. My appraisal will not be missed. Good luck.

Well, this is nice. I'm curious about this armed vixen.

UjSizzle: Well, this is nice. I'm curious about this armed vixen.

Just about time Uj...

CHAPTER ONE


Earlier that night... 10:12PM


"I HATE YOU!!!", she thundered!

"You are the worst man alive to be called a father... you disgust me", she added with disdain.

Tobechukwu Godwin Oliver, AKA GOD O., being talked to this way by a little worm he brought into the world by accident?

She was right though. He wasn't exactly the father-material kind of guy. His thing only revolved around guns, women and chess. Smart, top-of-his-class graduating student from the University of Lagos, Applied Mathematics department, he could have deserved a better life. But not with the situation he found himself thrown into right after school. Even with a first-class degree, he couldn't get a decent job! Not that there weren't jobs scattered around anyway, but were they really to be called jobs? Garbage disposal collection. Security guard. Shop-rite sales attendant. For a first-class degree student? Impossible! There was no where he had to turn to except when providence shined on him - when he was invited into the League of Night Shadows.

"Jamie... listen. I know how you feel... if you could just listen to...", he halted in shock as she blasted again through her windpipe, interrupting him.

"YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL?! Daddy! You DON'T know how I feel! Being treated like I'm 5 years old. Do you even know how old I am? I'm 15 daddy. 15!", she stopped.

"Fine... that doesn't mean you will let boys sneak in and out of my house, even if you're 50. At least, till you get your own house", he replied.

"Burn in hell!", she retorted.

What impudence. Kids of these days can say anything, he thought.

"You've said worse things. Go to your room now", he said, picking up the tv remote while settling into the square sofa.

"You shouldn't have beat up him the way you did. He's always been there for me since I was 12", she said, like cracks of tears were forming in her voice.

"Go to your room. Now." he said again, sounding more serious time.

"What... 'DAD', or you'll beat me up as well? Like you did 2 years ago?" she asked.

He just kept mute. No need to listen to trash.

"I hate aunty for bringing me back to you. I hate that grandma died... if she didn't, I'd never be with you...", she kept talking, like she was reciting a poem to a wall.

"June, if I get up from here, you'll get something worse than what you got last two years. Go to your room." he nudged one last time. He was at his nerves' ends.

"Fu** you DAD!"

It was a flash. A hand swept in the air, the other body crashed to the ground.

The sounds kept raining like horses were falling from heaven... on a human body. Oliver was heavily-built, his hands large enough to cover the knee-cap of a fat woman's leg.

"Fu** YOU! Fu** YOU!!", she kept saying, unaware his rage grew with every utterance.

"You think you're grown, RIGHT?!", he bellowed, amidst heaving breaths like a fire dragon.

In minutes, her body was covered in bruises, in all sides. Something caught his attention - was this really his daughter? So big, so mature, so threatening... he slashed away her upper clothing, his eyes awed with the new sight.

He went in for it... devouring her with pain, the pain of not being in control, the pain of being on the verge of losing everything including control of raising a grown girl. He took control, the only way else he knew how to - by force!

She cried anew... just taking note of what she didn't know before - her dad's breath. Dad was drunk...

**********************************************************************************************

11:52PM ... THE X10 CLUB... SAME NIGHT

The glint didn't escape Oliver's eyes - the silver padding on the body of the desk did help him. He played along, moving in closer to feel her breath on his face, to extend his tongue into hers, to kiss her. Without a second's warning, he whirled her around, reached for her right thigh, withdrew the dagger, and put it across her jugular veins.

"Who sent you?" he howled into her ear.

Breathing excruciatingly with the pain exerted around her neck, she replied, "Wait, wait... just relax, okay."

"You don't seem to have any interest in my question. Who. Sent. You?", he enthused. "Speak or you'll get more than a broken heart tonight.", he added, with a short-lived grin.

She held onto his knife-wielding arm around her neck with one hand, pointing the other in the direction of a lonely man sitting with a black hat tipped to cover his beared face.

Oliver shoved her aside immediately, lunging in the direction of his new acquaintance. But he slowed down on reaching the table, taking into cognizance the man's unwillingness to look up. Who was this man?

"Are you the offending husband or the fool I should be strangling right now?", he chipped into the top of the man's hat.

"Sit down. Oliver.", replied the strange man.

"Says who?", Oliver asked.

"Sit down... Or you won't still have any legs to stand on in the next...", he stopped to blink at his diamond-crested watch, "3 seconds".

Oliver quickly deduced the man's left man which just twitched and was tucked under the table must be armed with a gun. No talk. He took a seat.

"What happened with the Deputy Governor's assignment? We weren't pleased to see his face on the evening news today. According to the news, he said 'God' saved him. Can you explain?" asked the strange man.

"I... I... I took a shot. I shot him... close to the lung area. I didn't get a close shot. Um, his daughter was really close to him... in the car I mean. I just couldn't get a clean shot at the angle I was.", Oliver muttered.

"Hushhhhh Oliver... When exactly did you start being a pedo.phile who falls in love with kids?", asked the strange man, rather amused.

"I'm not a pedo.phile...", the image of his sprawled daughter on the floor flashing through his mind, waving it immediately. "Look, I couldn't do it. I... just... couldn't... do it.", he managed to finish.

The man sighed. The strange man... his hat tipping upwards, slowly and steadily to reveal his full beard, perhaps in his late 60s. Oliver gasped! This must be the Vice-President of the League! Only way to explain why someone with such calibre and boldness could appear in an open place like this. The President would never go to see an operator... he'd always send someone. Was the Vice-President on an errand for Presido? A high-chained member of the League on an errand for the President? This wasn't a social visit... something isn't right.

"Your cell leader did notify us of your intentions to pull out of the League. He said you were adamant. Did you forget the law of the League concerning this?", asked the Vice-President, as he now presumed.

"I am aware." Oliver knew. One way in, no way out.

"I only asked for a pardon - an exception to my case. I have served the League perfectly well for 6 years. Done everything according to the book..."

"Except your last assignment", the Vice-President interjected.

"Yes... except that", replied Oliver. "I have been faithful otherwise... I just want to take time off, to put my life back together. It might not be something you could understand, but I really need to put things back in order... in my life."

Oliver's eyes glazed, begging for pity.

The Vice-President took his eyes down for about 3 seconds, then brought them back right up, as if already decided on a verdict.

"Listen up Oliver, the President has taken notice of you. And he just might consider your request. However we have need of you for one more assignment, one you could consider your last, a parting gift if you will. One only you can do for us.", said the Vice-President.

"You know the routine to get the details of your assignment. This meeting's closed. No more talk...", concluded the Vice-President, as he slowly picked himself up preparing to leave.

"And...", turning to complete his statement, "...never ask a married woman questions in a club, especially when she's still wearing a ring. She's always there for a reason. A reason, Oliver.", he said, turning back in the direction of the exit.

"Real advice kid. Real advice...", he said, his voice trailing off from Oliver's hearing distracting in his contemplation of doing his last job to freedom.

texanomaly:

You have enough followers. My appraisal will not be missed. Good luck.

Then I'm gonna miss you... well, the story comes first. THAT is my duty

Huh.

firestar: Huh.

What's wrong?

TheWisest:

What's wrong?

ur efforts is lauded! But can wait for more updates

The story is fantastic. Good write up. All the characters are lively. In fact, your dialogue technicalities is awesome. Good job.

But as a reader, i do not know what the club x10 looks like. The atmosphere. We only have one sense out of the five senses.
For instance, How does the the taquila taste?
U have a very good setting but you are not taking a lot of things into ur use. I'm hoping to see more of ur storytelling ...

Fatalveli: ur efforts is lauded! But can wait for more updates

Thanks a ton bro.

cisse7575: The story is fantastic. Good write up. All the characters are lively. In fact, your dialogue technicalities is awesome. Good job.

But as a reader, i do not know what the club x10 looks like. The atmosphere. We only have one sense out of the five senses.
For instance, How does the the taquila taste?
U have a very good setting but you are not taking a lot of things into ur use. I'm hoping to see more of ur storytelling ...

Thanks C. You make good argument about developing proper details with settings and props. I agree with the tequila, but the X10 was almost deliberate. It wasn't going to be an important or significant place or part of the story. So I just went right past all that. Thanks a lot. Looking forward to more corrections

***UPDATES***

So far, Oliver hasn't garnered lot of fans in you all out there (Gotten ALOT of HEATED reactions from Facebook too). Bezoos... I'm even a fan of the dude myself! But one thing we all don't want to forget is that Oliver is an anti-hero. He isn't really role-model material (just as he's been a horrible father) - except for aspiring thugs! Let's vote on it if we can: SHOULD WE CONTINUE THE STORY OR JUST END IT?