Carlos, the boy who was almost stumped to death by one of Mama's guys led the way. He navigated us through the maze Mama had turned this place into. Finally, we made it to a depot where she stored weed and other illegal drugs.

We all stood there staring at Dozens of stacked-up boxes, huge ones. Over five hundred of them filled the makeshift warehouse.

"These are her merchandise." Carlos began, pointing at the mountain of boxes.

"I wonder what's in them." Nurse Dima chipped in.

Carlos shrugged and danced his eyes around the room in a second, nodding. "Well, they are mostly heroin, cocaine, marijuana, tramadol, crystal meth....."

"OMG! You mean she deals with drugs too?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "She's way worse."

Carlos brought down a box and began digging through its contents, "If you like, I can check through them."

I lifted my right hand to stop the boy because the rest of the girls were mumbling. And because I'd heard enough, enough of Mama's cesspit of atrocious dealings. 

"There are more..." Carlos urged, his eyes watered as his head shook. "More killer drugs." He wasn't giving up.

But I shook my head and lifted both hands to signal that it was enough.

Just then he broke down and angrily kicked one of the boxes, making them clatter. His friends, the girls who previously fought on his behalf ran to him and gave him a warm hug.

"His brother died here just three days ago." Kene, one of the girls explained. Mama drugged him until he was wasted, just so that her perverted clients could rape him as much as they wanted.

Dima and I gasped, shooting daggers with our eyes. But the rest of the group didn't. Instead, they stared a heads, bodies restless. In my definition, nothing would quench their thirst for revenge.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Nurse Dima walked up to the boy, comforting him with a gentle pat on his shoulders.

I couldn't say a word. However, I glanced behind to gauge the emotions in the room.  Some of the girls wiping off tears and pitying their heads together.

It was an open secret that Mama drugged her victims, but only when they were on a mission. And no other person helped with such wickedness except her loyal cook - Ifechi.

Carlos wiggled his head up to suck in some air. Gently, he disengaged from the group hug and glanced at me. "We don't have much time. What do you want me to do?"

I thought for a second and imagined the whole camp in flames, but that action would give us away. "I say we portion ourselves in batches and find the others."

"What about Mama? Shouldn't we find her first?" The tall big girl asked. She was restless on her feet and waving a machete in the air.

She came off as one with so much anger and rage. All that mattered to her at this point was to get to Mama. Not one statement left her lips without demanding for Mama's head. I just couldn't imagine how much damage she'd done to her.

"Let's get ourselves in a group and then we match on." I finally said.

In seconds, everyone was in the groups. Just five groups, two people in one. I hoped that as we freed more people, our numbers would increase.

So we set out like that, paring Carlos with us while Ezinne, the ring leader went along with another fierce-looking girl.

"Do not set anything on fire until you have set the captives free. If worse comes to worse, escape and find a larger group."

They all nodded and walked away. "Remember," they stopped and listened. "Leave no one behind."

With one swift move, we stormed into the main settlement where Mama and her goons enjoyed the benefits of their criminal enterprise.

It was in this place that she ran a mini clean hostel where her clients took turns molesting underage teenagers. It consisted of ten rooms and a comfortable courtyard for relaxation.

It was also at the back of this building that Mama had her special abode. When she was not in her make-believe hut, she was here dining and partying with her very rich clients.

Carlos was ahead, in front of us while I trailed behind with the nurse in tow. We all stopped when we saw more guards with guns parading the heaven-like settlement within the camp.

There was a large doorway right in front. Two guards stood at each side of the door panel. Another four scattered themselves around the building. We counted a set of two at the back end.

We stalled and assessed the situation. No, Carlos did that while my friend and I listened to his strategy. "I say we go through the back and take out those two." He pointed at the guards hidden on each side of the building.

Dima and I nodded in unison. But it tugged at my heart to look at my weapon, so inadvertently I stared at the wood in my hand and raised my head to see Carlos's eye on my hand.

He turned his face away and tightened his jaw. "Can you shoot?" He asked, eyes wavering between Nurse Dima and me."

I went mute and searched for something on the floor.

"Yes." Came the reply from the left side of my body.

My head shifted quickly and pinned my gaze on my Dima, surprised. "You can shoot?"

"Yes." Her head nodded as her words confirmed it.

"Well, it's not that difficult." He pulled a piece and showed me how to straighten my hand and pull the trigger.

While he was explaining the two-minute lecture, my mind was taking quick pictures.

"Did you understand how to use this?" He asked and I gaped at him in confusion.

I'd never touched a gun in my life, how much more shoot? Yes, I saw all his explanations but I wasn't sure I could handle one.

As though he read my mind, he quickly shoved the gun into Nurse Dima's hands. The way she quickly took it from him and looked it over, checking the magazine gave me chills. "You really can shoot!" I almost exclaimed.

She smiled and nodded.

"Now listen, you will take out those two at the back while I take out the others. Then we can converge at the center and delete the rest." Nurse Dima nodded, holding the pistol straight up and darting her eyes through the sea of guards.

"So what am I supposed to be doing while you all play Jackie Chan?" I lifted my hands, almost tossing it up wildly.

Carlos pulled my hands down and searched my face. " You will be our lookout."

"Huh? Say what?" I protested. "That's not gonna happen! I am stepping in there and rescuing... "I gazed at him briefly and quickly stopped myself.

None of the kids knew that my sisters were in the camp, so I wasn't ready to put a target on their backs. Agreed, we all seemed to be on the same page, but I'd never trust anyone.

Nurse Dima suddenly spoke to us after watching us go back and forth. " She comes with us!" She deadpanned.

Carlos's eyes fell. "If anything happens to her, you'll take the blame." He said, pointing at Dima. He took out a dagger from a pouch in his thorn boots and handed it over to me.

I pulled myself up, grabbed my log, and waited for them to pave the way. Carlos, again, shoveled another gun out of his baggy lower pant pocket and crawled around the low-built rafia fence.

We followed him until he diverted and went the other way while directing us with his two thumbs to go to the left.

It was like something out of a movie, he just magically knew what to do. And his boldness never wavered. I was beginning to have my doubts about this Carlos boy. It was as if he was ever ready and had all the right equipment at all times.

Dima and I glided through an opening in the fence which was nothing but palm fond which Mama used to deceive the gullible that she was on our side. But beyond all that facade and drama, she'd made this place a community of the highs and the lows.

I followed Nurse Dima's footsteps as she slowly made her way to the first guard. She was about to shoot when I pulled her away and smacked another guard who'd sneaked up on us from behind. The guy went down with a thud. The others were alerted and came running towards us.

She let the gun go off and popped the first one. I lost my balance and fell into her because of a sudden ringing in my ears from the shot. Before she could aim for the next guard, it was too late, he was just mere feet away from us, so I braced myself and waited for impact, but none came.

The next thing I heard was a gurgling sound coming from somewhere around me. I first checked Dima as she was slowly rising to her feet.

The guard was choking on his blood. From his neck came a rushing fountain of red warm liquid. His right hand wrapped around it as his mouth continued to sputter out his life fluid without restriction.

My eyes caught smaller fingers wiping a shiny bloody knife on the guard's black shirt.

Her gaze and mine met and she turned away. I reached out to her but she shook her head and waved at us to follow. Dima and I rose on our feet and followed as she ran into the house. By my estimate, She was not less than ten, almost my sister Nma's height.

We both stopped at the back entrance of Mama's magnificent hostel lodge. It was beautiful, exquisite, different from what we had in the camp. It smelled of money.

The walkways were painted white, just like the entire building itself. There was unusual quietness in the air. Even though music blasted from the speakers, I didn't see another human walk by.

"What if she's leading us into a trap?" The nurse whispered.

"Then, it's what it is." I flat-lined my answer, there was no other alternative.

"What about your sisters?" She reminded me of my most important mission.

I waved it off and continued to follow the little girl. "Remember, Carlos suggested he would send a signal, maybe this is it."

We passed an empty kitchen and came to a stop right where the little girl stood. She pushed a panel on the wall and it shifted, ushering us into a glamorously decorated room. Large and dim.

There were occupants in the place, shaded faces, I really couldn't see. They all had ropes tied over their mouth and hands. Instinctively, I turned to run out of the room but the brick door was already closed.

"We are trapped," I whispered over Nurse Dima's shoulders. She didn't speak, her fingers fidgeted, and quick tears ran down her face.

Slowly, a face appeared in view, out of the shadows, moving towards us. "Nothing to be afraid of. We got them." He pointed at pot-bellied men and old mamas' with heavy makeup on their faces.

I searched his face and shared a surprising glance with Nurse Dima.

"All of them!" He almost leaped in excitement, teeth blaring.

I washed my eyes over his captives, but Mama was missing. "Where is Mama?" I asked, stretching my neck to have a clearer view of their faces. I didn't know these people, all that mattered to me were my sisters and Mama.

"These are the people behind lots of kidnappings in this country. Without them, this business will never thrive."

I looked again and none of their faces jumped out to me. Then I saw him, the General. His face was hidden behind a cushion as he whimpered at every word that came out of Carlos's mouth.

Closer, I walked, dancing my eyes all over him. It was certainly him, with dark curly confused hair.

"Ogwu, please help me!" He called to me, holding my black pants. His knees were on the floor while a snort ran across his face.

His words stung me as though I was surrounded by angry bees. "He...lp You?" I stuttered, fingers pointed at him.

He nodded, tears and sweat mixed washed his puffed face. "I always took care of you and paid you better than all the other girls.

My neck turned from side to side, his words made no sense to me. Or how could he have forgotten what he and his friends did to me? And even left me for dead.

I didn't know when my right palm met forcefully with his face. He yelped and cradled his face with his left hand. His other hand was on my legs, his face bowed to the ground.

"Please." He pleaded. "I don't want to die."

Swiftly my hands reached into Carlos's hip and pulled his gun in a flash. Without a thought, I pulled the trigger and delivered two bullets on his back.

Shocked, he lifted his head to gaze at me, but he fell short and instead, hit the floor.

He gasped, holding his tummy. The pool of blood immediately circled him. Fear washed across his face as he continued to whimper.

Full of seething rage, I walked over to him, placed my right foot on his tummy, and stared into those cold eyes. Quickly, I delivered another bullet in between his eyes.

With a loud hiss, I bent over and yelled into his face. "My name is not Ogwu! I. am. Linda!"

His hands fell on the floor as he sucked in his last breath.