CHAPTER 28: Put A Gun To His Frown Part 2/2

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[continued]

Drum music thrummed throughout the outside area. There was dancing, laughter mixed with raised voices and the occasional Keffa chant from young trainees enrolled in the camp's formal education plan and classes at the Heritage School. These young trainees were my brother's pride and joy, it was them that had inspired him to join the movement back when the movement and its subsidiaries were still under Dylan.

All trainee students were under eighteen. Most were orphans, a few had failed their entrance exam into the Official State School. The only one in the West.

Some hadn't afforded anything else and if it were a few years back then they would have gone the entirety of their lives without ever having had to learn how to read or write. In addition to seeking an actual relationship with my brother, this was why I was a part of the camp, the gaffas, the Heritage School and the coming 'Coup De Tat' on the current President Kaplan.

Crocky and Zandile came and flanked me. On my right Zandile took her arm under mine and rested her head on my shoulder. "It had to be done." the apology was in her tone.

"I know."

I still didn't know how to feel about the abduction of a full blood and a statesmen's son at that nor the gold I had helped steal so I didn't lie and say I understood. We sat in tense silence all three of us, watching the joyful crowd, people around here weren't always smiling or joyful. But each time any of our missions was successful, this would be the effect. Even though it was good to see, it didn't feel good to me on the inside knowing the cost at which the joy had come. Especially that night.

Audrey approached us. "You're Zhavia right? I'm Audrey." She tried for conversation. "Your brother has told me about you, I feel like I know you already." She beamed.

"Take a walk Audrey." Crocky warned her.

She didn't listen "I didn't know you'd be part of tonight's operation. It's my third what did you think of my acting?" Her big bright eyes were shining, glimmering with the anticipation of a compliment.

But that's the last thing I'd give her, my hands tightened. At sensing my anger both Crocky and Zandile moved to give me an inch or two of space. "Explain this?" I demanded pushing from my pockets to her hands the ownership papers I'd found in the red satchel.

She just stood there looking at the paper as if it were foreign.

"Now!" I clarified.

She hiccupped; clammed a hand over her lips. "Are you trying to mock me? Shame me? Offend me?"

"That was not your mark's gold, it's not even his father's. It belongs to the Kaplans and they shoot to kill. Do you want everyone dead before even the Coup even takes off?" I took a step forward.

She took two back, swallowing thickly and looked at me with a soft tear-stricken face. "I can't read or write. I'm a walking Keffa tetistick!" she threw her hands up.

"Statistic." Zandile corrected, nonchalantly.

She huffed, "I'm not one of your students." She seethed, threw the folded certificates down and disappeared in the crowd. Before I could even collect my thoughts to assess the new information the drums seized playing. And once again Tiger was atop the tables, this time with Gunpowder beside him.

"Great news everyone!" he grabbed the attention of the multitude instantly. "We all know that tonight our gaffas brought us two beautiful gifts. Leverage and ammunition tools to liberation."

The crowd cheered for the captured full blood  who had been handed over to Elaine and the three vials of contained blood dating decades back in time that she was also in charge of.

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