14: THE SOLDIER’S GAMBIT (Kabir’s POV)
Chapter 14: The Soldier's Gambit (Kabir's POV)
The world is shifting. I can feel it in my bones.
I've always trusted my instincts—they kept me alive in the military, in the jungle, in the streets where men like me don't get second chances. And right now, my instincts are screaming that something big is coming.
Not war. Not politics. Something deeper. Something that will change everything.
That's why I agreed to meet him.
The man Maya spoke of.
A man with power, resources, and—more importantly—a plan.
I've served under generals, warlords, and men who thought they could control the battlefield. But this one? He doesn't think. He knows.
That makes him dangerous.
And I need to know if he's worth following.
---
The Road to Power
I spent years in the Nigerian military—special operations, covert missions, classified engagements. I've seen what happens when systems collapse, when order crumbles into dust.
I was there when entire villages disappeared overnight.
I've seen men turn into monsters long before desperation touched them.
That's why, after my last deployment, I walked away.
But men like me don't get to live in peace.
I became a ghost—hired for jobs that required silence and precision. High-value targets, VIP protection, black-market deals. I saw things the government pretended didn't exist.
So when Maya told me about him, about the things he could do, I knew I had to see for myself.
Because when the tides shift, you either find solid ground or drown.
And I refuse to drown.
---
Recruiting the Unbroken
The first thing any leader needs is people.
Not just any people—the right ones.
Soldiers who won't break when the pressure mounts. Fixers who see opportunities where others see problems. Shadows who can slip between the cracks unnoticed.
I know exactly where to find them.
The underground fight pits.
Lagos thrives on money, and where there's money, there's blood. The unregulated fight clubs are where ex-soldiers, criminals, and desperate men gather to prove they still matter.
That's where I go.
The warehouse is packed tonight—sweaty bodies pressing against each other, shouting, betting, drinking. In the center, two men are locked in brutal combat. No gloves, no rules. Just survival.
I scan the crowd, looking for the ones who don't just watch but study.
Then I see him.
Jide "The Viper" Okanlawon.
A former Marine, discharged under mysterious circumstances. They say he killed his commanding officer. They say no prison could hold him.
I watch as he sizes up the fighters, eyes cold, calculating.
I move beside him. "These ones are weak."
He barely glances at me. "You got someone better?"
I smirk. "That depends. You tired of wasting time?"
Now he looks at me, really looks. "Who are you?"
"A man with an offer."
He exhales through his nose. "Talk."
I don't waste words. "Things are changing. The smart ones prepare. The rest get swept away."
He studies me. Then, a slow smile spreads across his face.
"Now that sounds interesting."
One down. More to go.
---
The Strategist
Not everyone needs to be a soldier. Wars aren't won by brute strength alone.
I need someone who can think five steps ahead. Someone who understands people as well as they understand numbers.
That's why I go to the high-stakes poker games.
That's where I find Efe Ajayi.
A former financial analyst turned gambler. He didn't just play the game—he owned it. A master of deception, of reading people, of knowing exactly when to take risks.
I watch him for an hour, observing the way he controls the table without anyone realizing.
When he finally wins his last hand, I take a seat across from him.
"You play a good game," I say.
He smirks. "I don't play. I win."
I toss a thick envelope onto the table. "Win this, and you get more."
He raises an eyebrow. "What's the catch?"
"No catch. Just an invitation."
He picks up the envelope, flips through the stack of cash inside. "And if I'm not interested?"
I lean forward. "Then you'll regret it."
His smirk widens. "Now that's intriguing."
Two down.
---
The Ghost
The last one is the hardest.
Because I don't need a fighter or a thinker.
I need a shadow.
Someone who can move unseen, who can gather information, who can strike without leaving a trace.
That's why I go to the one person who's never been caught.
Halima "The Phantom" Sanni.
A legend in the underworld. Hacker, thief, infiltrator. If she wanted, she could erase someone from existence with a few keystrokes.
Tracking her down isn't easy. Finding people who don't want to be found never is.
But I have my ways.
She finally agrees to meet—on her terms. A rooftop in the dead of night.
She's already there when I arrive, dressed in black, her face hidden beneath a hood.
"You went through a lot of trouble to find me," she says.
I nod. "Because I need the best."
She tilts her head. "And why should I care?"
"Because when things change, even shadows need somewhere to stand."
Silence. Then, she chuckles. "You know, I almost like you."
I smirk. "Then you'll love what I have planned."
Three down. The core is set.
---
The Wings Take Flight
I bring them together.
A soldier. A strategist. A shadow.
Each of them deadly in their own way. Each of them with nothing left to lose.
We meet in an abandoned building, the city buzzing in the distance.
I lay it out for them.
"Power is shifting. The smart ones won't wait for the dust to settle—they'll shape it themselves."
They listen. They understand.
Because they're not ordinary people.
They're the ones who survive.
And together, we won't just endure what's coming.
We'll control it.