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The past story; THE NIVENGER (A POLITICAL ACTION THRILLER)
The continuation is here with the tittle ( Retribution)
****-*—****season 1 link >> https://www.coolval.com/forumsss/topic/the-nivenger-a-political-action-thriller-episode-3/
Links to available episodes
PAST
Alex Rolland was only sixteen years of age, yet
he had the body of a full grown wrestler with
rippling biceps. His body was well built—forged
in the dusty halls and gloomy rooms of the
Institute. The Institute’s creed was simple: to
rear one man armies, not from the Super Soldier
Serum projects the Americans were pumping
billions into, nor from the Enhanced Soldier
project that the Brits were spending time and
resources on. No. The Institute’s way was
through hard work, toil, and sheer brute force.
It had been more than ten years under the
tutelage of the Institution, and Alex was now the
perfect fighting machine, ready to rip and rend
flesh, with the necessary cunning to carry out
the job.
Alex was crouched in the back of a small
moving van. There were four other young boys
with him, who were members of his group—the
Alpha Pack. The Institute currently had about a
hundred teenagers, of a narrow age range,
undergoing training to become skilled assassins.
These boys, and a few girls, were divided into
different groups. The Alpha Pack was the name
of the lead group, and the members were the
most highly skilled and most powerful and
resourceful among the entire students.
It was night, and the wintry air penetrated Alex’s
joints in spite of his heavy winter clothing,
woolen garb, feathered head gear, thick parkas,
leather boots, reaching up to his shin, thick
clothes beneath the outer layer of protective
clothing, and the reassuring nudge of a small
concealed Swiss Blade. The van smelled of
engine fuel and made an annoying, incessant,
and atrociously loud noise, yet Alex enjoyed the
bumpy ride. He took a deep breath of the chilly
air and breathe out through his mouth, the air
exhaling as white smoke.
The night Alex Rolland had killed the wolves and
gained entrance into the Institute was the last
time Alex Rolland had smelled the air outside the
walls of the Institute. He hadn’t as much as
stepped foot outside until this day. Ten years he
had been holed up in the Institute. Ten years he
hadn’t seen the outside world. And even now, he
was crouched in the van unable to see the
outside. But even if there were windows in the
back of the van, Alex knew what he would see:
nothing. Absolutely nothing but desolation, ruin,
and sadness. Because they were currently
traversing the wintry wastelands of Siberia, en
route to infiltrate a terrorist stronghold and
assassinate its leader Al-Hassid Farooq Bin
Laden, the infamous and terrible.
Alex closed his eyes for a moment as panic
flooded his heart. Against his better judgment,
he removed his thick gloves and rubbed his
palm in the freezing cold. Right now they were
quite warm, but he knew within a few seconds
they would become rigid as a result of the cold.
If he left them exposed for more than five
minutes, he would begin to develop frostbite,
and if he didn’t cover them for up to thirty
minutes, his fingers would break off his hand like
biscuits—he wouldn’t even feel any pain.
“You scared?” said one of the boys directly
opposite him in the van. It was more of an
accusation than a question. A test to see if Alex
should still be the leader of the Alpha Pack; to
see if he was really weak. If Alex had learned
one thing in his stay in the Institute, it was never
show weakness, regardless.
Alex kept his eyes closed. It was only a taunt. A
show of strength demanded that he ignored the
taunt. It demanded that he treat the taunt with
the levity it required. Alex added a smile to his
silence, and he could almost feel the fumes of
anger emit from the one who had dared
challenge him.
The truth was, Alex was petrified. Beyond that,
he was mortified at the idea. Back at the
Institute, Alex was the first person to have
finished the first phase of his training. He was at
least a couple of months ahead of all the other
students because of his determination and
dedication to avenge his parents. As such, he
was the only one going for this mission. The
mission was an exam. If he failed, he would
most likely end up beheaded or, worse, a
permanent prisoner of terrorists, torturing and
all. If he succeeded, then he would begin on the
next leg of his training.“Alex Rolland,” called the driver of the vehicle.
“We are almost there.” And at that, the van
pulled off the main road and began a very
bumpy and steep climb off road.
Alex Rolland opened his eyes to see his mates
look at him with hardened expressions and envy
— backstabbing envy. The Institute was
structured in such a way that it obliterated
virtues like compassion, forgiveness, and love. It
promoted stiff-necked competition, betrayal,
distrust, and fury. In more than ten years of
these, Alex had managed to maintain his
humanity—nobody knew this of course, because
if they did they would think him weak.
The van came to a stop.
“Alex?” said Alpha Pack’s instructor, whom they
knew simply as Vector.
Alex craned his neck to look through the metal
mesh protector that separated them from the
forward compartment. Vector looked at Alex with
a softness that Alex didn’t know he was capable
of. Vector was naturally cruel and dismissive. It
was an arduous task to please the man, yet Alex
had effortless done so. Maybe it had to do with
the grace and class with which Alex fought and
killed, which none of the other students had. Or
maybe it was because of the situation under
which he had been abducted—Alex was the only
student who had been abducted at the crash site
of his parents’ car.“Yes, sir,” Alex said, putting his gloves back on.
His hands were already rigid and bitingly cold.
“What’s your plan of getting past the guards?”
Alex shrugged. “Stealth?”
Vector shook his head. “This is unknown
territory. Without knowing the base plan, you
can’t effectively use stealth. You know this,
Alex.”
Alex nodded. “I do, sir. But it’s my best option.”
“Why not walk through the main gates?”
Alex looked at the man as though he had
spoken heresy. “Sir?”
Vector sighed and said, “Some days ago, we
intercepted chatter about a group of terrorists
that went to Moscow for a mission. It went bad.
Some died; some survived. But the mission was
a failure. The surviving terrorists are making it
back to this camp in trickles, because there is a
manhunt for them. You can gain entrance as
one of these terrorist.”
Alex thought about this for a moment. Then he
realized there was only one problem. “Wouldn’t
they be able to tell I’m not one of the terrorist
sent out?”
Vector said, “Maybe, maybe not. The base is
pretty big, and people come and go all the time.
If you have the code word, then you would be
allowed in.”
Alex tried considering Vector’s proposition.
However, he could not get past the question,
why was Vector helping him?
One of the other four boys said, “Sir, is this
allowed? Telling Alex how to accomplish his
task? Isn’t that against the Institute’s rules?”
Vector ignored the accusation and said, “Look,
Alex, it’s your best play, but you can go ahead
with stealth if that works best for you. If you
choose to go through the gate, the code word is
May The Enemy Burn In Hell . You may proceed.”
Alex only nodded. He patted his right abdomen,
where the Swiss Blade was secreted before he
climbed out of the van. His boots crunched on
semi solid snow. For as far as the eyes could
see, in every direction, the world was white with
snow and barren. It was bitter cold. Alex was
already freezing, in spite of his clothing—they
were proving to be ineffective.“ Dasvidanya ,” said Vector as the van turned and
drove down the slope towards the road.
Goodbye .
Alex stood with his hands folded underneath his
armpits and watched as the van faded into the
darkness. The clouds were thick overhead, and
there was no moonlight or stars. It was a cold
and dark night, and it was filled with terror.
The van had dropped Alex near the top of a
small ridge. He walked the remaining few feet,
slowly crouching to his knees as he came to the
crest. He peered over it. A little ways past the
foot of the hill a small settlement spread across
the white surface. It blazed bright with firelight
everywhere. It was surrounded with a tall,
interlocking metal fence, which was patrolled by
men in twos, hefting AK 47s and moving around
with war dogs. Alex spotted several SAMs
spread across the settlement, as well as RPGs
and Machine Guns mounted on Humvees.A dog barked at him, and the guards the dog
was with turned to look up at him. Alex pushed
away from the crest, falling on his back. He held
his breath, his heart pounding, as he listened.
The dog kept on barking for a few seconds
before it fell quiet.
Alex swallowed hard and tried to gained control
of his terror. This settlement didn’t look like a
terrorist settlement. It looked like a goddamn
army installment! It was either this was a secret
army base or these terrorists were well funded
and highly trained. In Alex’s mind, the threat
matrix shot up several thresholds.
Alex stood to his feet, s----d in a deep breath,
and banked the crest, headed straight for the
main gates.
There were about seven, heavily armed men at
the gate and all of them aimed their weapons at
him as he descended the slope towards the
gate.
Alex raised up his hands. He wanted to tell them
not to shoot, but then he wondered what
language the men spoke. Was it Russian? Or
was it Arabic? A returnee would know the
commonly spoken language; if Alex was going
to impersonate a returnee, he better get the
language right.
Alex kept on approaching the gate. When he was
about twenty yards away, one of the men
stepped forward and said, “ Allah ‘Akbar …” Allah
is great .
Alex relaxed a little. They spoke Arabic. Instead
of replying, he spoke the code word, “May the
Enemy Burn In Hell.” He said it with all the
hatred and anger he could muster.
For a few seconds, the man in his path glanced
at him with mild shock, which immediately
melted into fury. Alex held his breath and began
to calculate how he was going to kill all the
seven men and make a run for it.
Then suddenly the man let go of his gun,
slinging it behind him and said with a cheerful
air, “ Shaqiq ! ‘Ahlaan bik !” Brother. Welcome .
Alex and the man hugged, while all over the
place, the aims of the men fell and they
continued their patrol.
“Ma ‘asmk, shaqiq?” asked the man. What is
your name, brother .
Alex said, “Mohamed.” And he began walking
into camp. He didn’t want the gate master too
ask too many questions that would compromise
his position.
He was almost nearly though when he heard
behind him in English. “I can’t remember a
Mohamed going on the mission…”
Alex came to a stop, even as he heard the guns
beginning to aim at his head again. Straight
ahead, men, women, and children went about
their businesses. The camp was warm, what with
the fires everywhere. Tents dotted the landscape,
however far away in the center of the camp was
a huge tent, which Alex assumed was where his
target was. If he could get through this
predicament…
Alex felt a hand on his shoulder and a gun
muzzle poking into his spinal column. He made
sure to keep his heartbeat steady and his
breathing nonchalant.
“What nonsense is this?” Alex replied. “I was
sent out with the rest! Is this how you treat your
brothers who are willing to die for the cause?”
“Don’t be furious with me, brother,” said the
gate master, his gun nudging deeper into Alex’s
spinal column. “It is for precautions. I will have
to take you to see our leader. He will know if
you were sent or not.”
And then Alex felt it: panic .
The man nudged him forward towards the center
of camp.episode 2
My name is Alex Rolland. When I was a toddler,
I watched my parents get murdered by a man in
a hood. I was then kidnapped and smuggled to
the USSR, where I was made into someone else
… into something else. Now I am back to Nigeria
to avenge all those who have suffered, like me,
at the hands of cruel, corrupt politicians. I am …
The Nivenger!
Breaking News: We the armed forces of Nigeria
are now in control of the Nigerian Government,
and we are legally in control after the President
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria declared
martial law and ceded authority to us. Do not try
and stop us because we have zero tolerance for
deterrents. We have only one purpose in mind;
to bring law and order back to major cities of
Nigeria that have been ravaged in unlawful
violence and destruction. Once we achieve this
aim, power will be returned back to civilian
hands. Nevertheless, note that anyone caught
harboring the Nivenger, who is a pariah of
justice, shall face the same punishment as he,
and this punishment is death by the firing
squad. As of this moment, the Nivenger is the
most wanted man in the entire African continent.
He is considered armed and extremely
dangerous. Any useful information leading to his
capture will be rewarded by a $1,000,000 cash
gift. Keep your eyes sharp, and beware for the
Nivenger may be coming for you…
PRESENT
Alex Rolland remained low in the bushes just
outside the one story bungalow, watching. He
had been in this exact position for close to two
hours, and in that time not even a muscle had
twitched. Soldiers roamed the grounds. Any one
of these soldiers were given the order to shoot
at the sight of any intruder. There was a small
compound surrounding the house and high
fences with barbed wire hedging the house in.
The house was somewhere in Ikeja.
It had been two weeks since he had received the
call from Lexie, since he had almost been shot
to bits on that roof with the LCDA Chairman dead
behind him. Since that time he had been on the
run. He had lived on the streets and in
abandoned houses, moving from one end of
Lagos to another. Alex had ditched his gear in
the Eko Lagoon, and now moved around wearing
plain clothes to reduce the chances of him
getting caught. Nevertheless, the Army, at least
the higher ups, knew who he was and were
particularly gunning for him.
Sometime last week, he had returned to his
house to find it in a state of dishevel. The DSS
had stormed his place and ransacked it, looking
for him. It was in the cover of dark that he had
come, nevertheless, he had seen the clue that
Lexie, whom he hadn’t spoken to since the night
on the roof, had left him. Lexie had managed to
clear up every evidence implicating Alex Rolland
as the Nivenger and fled from the house in time
before the DSS or the Army or the Police
showed up.
Alex now knew where Lexie had set up shop, but
the problem was getting there.
A light came on in one of the rooms upstairs.
Standing in the middle of the lit-up room was a
tall, pretty lady. She wore a red dress and she
was looking in the mirror. Alex could only see
her side, nevertheless he began to feel blood
flow down south. He held his breath even as a
group of four patrol soldiers passed him by.
Then he began to countdown from forty, which
was the exact time he had to make his move
before they passed again.
He waited for a few precious seconds, watching
as the lady unhooked the straps of her gown and
undressed. Alex shot to his feet and skipped
across the grounds, the darkness covering his
approach and his feet light and nimble on the
paved floor. He leapt into the air just as he
approached the wall. He landed on the wall, and
pushing against the wall as he leapt higher. Both
his hands caught the ledge of the window of the
lady’s room, and he pulled himself inside.
The lady was about to scream when Alex looked
up at her and placed a finger on his lips in a
sigh gesture.
Recognition filled the lady’s eye and then
extreme embarrassment for her semi nakedness.
She grabbed her dress and ran into her
bathroom, locking it.
Alex went for the lights and flipped the switch.
Then he moved towards the window and peered
down. The guards were coming around again.
He watched as they passed by the window and
continued on. He had successfully infiltrated the
house of the Officer Commanding of the Nigerian
Army Regional Command in Lagos.
Alex waited for about ten minutes before the lady
came out again. The light from the bathroom
partially illuminated the room.
Ola waited on the threshold of the bathroom,
looking at Alex. At first, Alex couldn’t tell what
she was thinking or how she felt. Was she mad
at him for sneaking into her room the way he
had done?
Without warning, Ola ran into him and hugged
him fiercely.
“Oh, Alex…” she sobbed. “Thank God you’re
alive! I was scared when I saw what they said of
you on the news.”
Alex hugged her back. The feeling of her soft,
succulent body on his sent sparks up and down
his body. He felt an urge to kiss her, but before
he could act on this impulse, Ola broke the hug.
She took a few steps back so they weren’t in
each other’s air. The electricity between them
was tangible. Alex was now panting. And he
could see the desire in Ola’s eyes as well. He
took a step towards her, but she took a step
back, raising her right hand to stop him.
“No, Alex,” she said. “No. You made your
choice.”
Alex said, “I’m sorry, Ola…”
“What do you need, Alex?” Ola said, folding her
arms. “It’s not that I am not happy to see you.
It’s just that, you’re a wanted man. If you’re
found here, I and my family can get into a lot of
trouble…”
Alex nodded. “I need your help, Ola. This
military government is a hoax. The President
was misled into declaring martial law. I am
going to topple it and restore civilian rule.”
Ola said, “What do you mean a hoax? If it were a
hoax, the international community would not
have praised the President’s decision. The US
would now be sending in troops to restore
civilian rule. And so on.”
“That’s what I’m saying, Ola. It’s all part of the
plan. The world has been deceived. The Cabal…”
“The Cabal is a hoax, Alex,” Ola said with a
slight laugh. “Don’t believe everything you hear
on TV.”Alex felt hurt sting his heart. This must have
shown in his eyes because Ola became rigid.
“Alex, what are you not telling me?”
Alex said, “The Cabal killed my parents.”
Sadness flickered across Ola’s face. She
wavered for a moment even as tears filled her
eyes.
“So, they are real…?” Her voice trailed off. Then
she said, “I’m so sorry.”
Alex said, “The Cabal perpetrated the violence
that ensued the night I killed The Colonel so that
they can enact Military Government. The Military
Government is a puppet for the Cabal, and they
would stop at nothing to stop their secret from
coming out.” Alex didn’t tell her about the
Lazarus Protocol. She didn’t need to know at
this point.
Ola thought about what he said for a brief time,
before she said, “What do you need from me?”
“I need you to use your dad’s car and drive me
to the private section of MMIA.”
Ola frowned. “What? Why?”
Alex said, “I can’t say, Ola.”
Ola’s frowned deepened. “You’re going to have
to do better than that, Alex. I can’t just drive you
to the airport with my dad’s car. If you kill
someone important there, my dad will come
under investigation. Also, I told you that I don’t
want to be involved in your escapades. It’s
against my Faith.”
Alex surged forward before she could think and
kissed her on her lips. Ola fought it at first, but
then she wrapped her hands around his neck
and kissed back. And for that brief moment, their
pent up passion exploded around them. Alex’s
hands roamed her body, even as their tongues
merged in an indescribable ecstasy.
Then it was all over as Alex withdrew. He
remained in her space, breathing her scintillating
air. Everything in him was screaming for him to
kiss her again and carry her towards her bed,
but he mustered the last of his shredded will to
resist. He had a mission to do. He had a people
to save from the horrors of Military Government.
And he will not fail this country.“I promise you, Ola,” Alex said. “I will never do
anything to endanger you and your family.”
Ola looked in his eyes for a long time. Alex
could see her struggle with his request. He knew
he was asking her for much. He had not spoken
with her since they broke off their relationship
about four months ago. Now he was showing up
in her room out of the blues, when he was the
most wanted man in Nigeria, asking her to risk
her life and that of her family for him.
Alex sighed. He was asking a lot, and he was
wrong in doing so.
“Okay, Alex,” Ola said with resignation. “Wait for
me outside the house. And don’t get caught
leaving.” She leaned into him and kissed him on
the cheek.
Alex watched her leave the room. He went over
to the widow and waited until the guards passed
before he leapt through the opening and landed
with a crouch. He dashed into the bushes and
scaled the fence, using his jacket to defeat the
barbed wire. The street was deserted this time of
night, nevertheless, Alex remained in the
shadows of the flowers lining the fence of the
house and waited.
Ola didn’t drive out the house for another thirty
minutes. During this time, Alex heard her
arguing with her father about leaving the house
so late in the night. Then she was having
troubles getting past her mom’s scolding
remarks about disobeying her father. During this
time, Alex felt nothing but compassion and
anguish that he was putting Ola through such
emotional pain.
A green sedan with hidden license plates drove
out of the compound and headed up the street
towards Alex. Just before she passed by him, he
jumped into the road. She came to a halt and
waited for him to enter the back before she
continued on her way.
They didn’t speak the whole journey, mostly
because Ola was frowning and Alex didn’t want
to worsen the situation. She was probably still
upset about arguing with her parents. There
were several check points on their way to
Murtala Muhammed International Airport. In fact,
as they approached the check points, the
soldiers came to attention until they were
passed before they became at ease.
They drove past the last checkpoint without any
problem and entered the airport via a private
gate. Ola drove him through the airport grounds
to another gate marked Private Wing. The gate
was open, and there was no one around. She
parked by the gate and stopped the car.
The cool, silence stretched for a minute. Alex
didn’t know what to tell her. He didn’t know how
to make her feel safe or good. All he knew was
that he was consumed with the desire to make
her feel okay. Furthermore, he didn’t know what
their kiss meant. He hoped to god it meant they
were getting back together; he wanted her back.
He needed her back.
“Thank you, Ola,” Alex said.
Ola nodded.
Alex waited for her to say something. She didn’t.
So, deflated, he began to climb out, when she
held his left arm and pulled him back into the
car, towards herself. And she kissed him. This
time it was slow, deliberate, and intense. Alex
grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer,
but then the seat belt resisted and snapped her
back in her chair, causing their kiss to stop
prematurely.
They both laughed at this.
Then Ola unhooked her seat belt, leaned into
Alex properly, and Alex kissed her.
When the kiss was over, Ola whispered, “Be safe,
Alex. Come back to me safe.”
Alex replied, “I will. I promise.” And he was out
the car.
Alex stood by the gate and watched as Ola drove
back the way they had come. He waited there
with his arms folded in the chilly night until he
couldn’t see her taillights again. He had a smile
on his face, and a little bubble of pleasure in his
heart. He was definitely going to see her again.
He was getting his baby back.
Alex sighed and said into the air, “Lexie, how
bad is it?”
There was no reply for about thirty seconds,
before a voice came from behind him. “How did
you know I was here?”
“Lexie, I am the Nivenger. No one can sneak up
on me.”
“You knew I was here the whole time?” There
was a tone of incredulity in his voice.
Alex snickered and turned to face the lanky
genius. He was wearing a T shirt and a pair of
jeans. He was now standing on the other side of
the open gate, looking at him with a happy
smile.
“I saw you sneak up to the gate, when I and Ola
were…”
“Kissing?” Lexie’s smile broadened.
Alex smiled back. He walked through the gate
and gave the tech wizard a brief hug. “How bad
is it?”
Lexie said, “Bad.” He began leading him to their
new hideout and narrating just how bad things
have gotten for Nigeria. Tales of human rights
violation had all but destroyed the economy.
Corruption had revived with renewed vigor.
Military propaganda airing on TV and radio.
Public opinion for the Nivenger on an all-time
low.
“People are saying you’ve abandoned them,”
Lexie said as they approached a small hangeron the west most corner of the private wing, near
the fence. It looked abandoned and even had a
sign that declared it a hazard and marked for
destruction.
“I’ve not abandoned the people, Lexie, if that’s
what you’re asking,” Alex said. “We need to
overthrow the Military Government and restore
civilian rule.”
“And forget the Librarian?” asked Lexie. They
had stopped by the side of the sealed hanger.
There was no visible entrance. The closest
hanger was about a hundred yards away, and it
looked deserted as well.
“We are not forgetting the Librarian,” replied
Alex. “We will find the Librarian just after we
restore civilian rule.”Lexie nodded. “Good. Because you’re going to
Abuja next.” Then he brought out a fob key and
pressed a button. Immediately, a door appeared
on the side of the hanger just before them and
slid away, revealing a beautiful interior. Lexie led
Alex in, and as soon as they were past the door
the door slid back closed.
“What am I going to do in Abuja,” Alex asked as
he looked around at the huge space. There were
lights and gadgets everywhere. To one corner
was a stand with a newly designed suit. Next to
it was a weapons stand with a new bow that had
buttons on it. There were arrows with different
heads and different sizes.
Towards another end were rows of high speed
computers and equipment that Alex didn’t know
what they were for. There was a staircase that
led to an upstairs compartment.
“What’s upstairs? Alex asked before Lexie could
answer his last question.
Lexie was already tapping away at his computer.
He answered halfheartedly. “Living quarters and
a small holding cell.”Alex was amazed. “How is all this possible?”
Lexie sighed and looked up from his bank of
screens. “Look, Nivenger, I could spend hours
telling you how I made this place happen, or I
could tell you how we are going to defeat this
military regime and restore powers to our
president. You choose…”Alex cocked his head, a smile tugging at the
corner of his lips. “Alright. Tell me…”
“Your next target is the Special Assistant to the
President on Military affairs. His name is Mr.
Lawal Adesan. He is presently holed up in his
mansion in the FCT.”
