CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The Arrival of Jane Okon

The morning sun had barely risen when the first alarm rang through the settlement.

A guard stationed on the broken watchtower squinted against the light, his rifle raised, heart pounding as a lone rider approached the shattered gates.

"Rider incoming!" he shouted.

Jace, who had been standing on the half-repaired walls, quickly grabbed his telescope. He scanned the dusty horizon and focused on the approaching figure- a woman on horseback, her face shadowed beneath a hood, her body covered in dirt and blood.

"She isn't one of them," Jace muttered.

Wallace Adams, the military leader, stepped beside him. "You sure?"

Jace watched her calm posture, the way she held her reins firm, her two-edged spear strapped to her back. She was no raider.

"I don't think she's here to fight us," Jace said.

The gates creaked as armed guards positioned themselves behind cover, their weapons trained on her. Jane pulled her horse to a stop just outside the broken entrance, raising her hands in a show of peace.

"I come with a warning," she called out, her voice steady. "I mean no harm."

Wallace nodded toward a soldier. "Bring her in. Slowly."

Inside the settlement, Jane dismounted as the guards closed in. A tall man with a scarred face took her weapons and patted her down.

"What's your name?" Wallace asked.

"Jane Okon."

Jace folded his arms. "Where are you coming from?"

"The museum," she said, her voice dark with urgency. "The stalkers have it now."

Kunle, standing behind Jace, frowned. "The Stalkers?"

Jane nodded. "Fast-moving, bike-riding killers. They don't just hunt, they track, they follow. And they have a leader who knows how to use the dead."

A murmur spread among the gathered officials.

Wallace sighed. "Great. Another threat."

Jane took a step forward. "They followed you back. That's why the horde was here."

Silence.

Jace's jaw tightened. "They sent the walkers on us... to see how we'd handle it."

Jane nodded. "They wanted to see if you were strong. Now they know you are."

Wallace exhaled, rubbing his face. "Which means they'll come back."

Reed, his arms crossed, spoke up. "Then we prepare."

Jace looks at Jane. "You risked your life coming here. What do you want in return? 

Jane shrugged, her expression unreadable. "Just a place to fight."

Wallace glanced at Jace. "She stays."

The next few days were filled with relentless work.

The broken walls were reinforced, concrete barriers and steel sheets welded together. Watchtowers were set up at every cardinal point, giving them a 360-degree view of the land beyond.

Jane, proving herself useful, helped train younger recruits in spear combat. She worked side by side with Jace, Kunle, and the others, earning their trust.

Kunle, however, found himself spending more time away from the walls, inside the settlement.

One evening, after an exhausting day, Kunle walked through the quieter side of the settlement, drawn by the sound of laughter.

In a small, candlelit home, Miss Okafor and her two daughters sat together, eating a modest meal. The soft glow of the lanterns cast a warmth that was rare in these times.

Kunle hesitated at the doorway.

Miss Okafor looked up. "You just going to stand there?"

Kunle chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Didn't want to intrude."

"Sit," she said, pushing a plate forward.

He stepped inside and sat across from her. The smell of warm food filled his senses. It was simple stew, but to him, it was a luxury.

"You didn't have to do this," he muttered.

Miss Okafor smiled. "I didn't. My daughters did."

The younger girl, Ada, grinned. "You always bring us extra firewood."

Her older sister, Ngozi, nodded. "And you fixed our water filter last week."

Kunle smirked. "Guess that means I'm owed a free meal."

They all chuckled.

For a moment, it felt like the old world again- not a dying civilization, but a home.

Miss Okafor glanced at him. "Kunle... What are you still fighting for?"

Kunle leaned back, thinking. "For people like you. People who still believe in something."

She held his gaze. "Then don't lose yourself in the fight."

He nodded, feeling something stir deep inside him- a purpose beyond just survival.

For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel like a soldier.

He felt like a man trying to build a future.

Jace stood on the walls that night, staring out into the silent, moonlit land.

Jane joined him, her two-edged spear strapped to her back. "They'll come," she said.

Jace nodded. "We'll be ready."

He turned toward the small bunkers and hidden escape routes they had built underground. Their backup plan was in place. But it hadn't been tested yet.

Jane exhaled. "Hope you trust the people around you, Jace."

He glanced at her. "I do. Do you?"

Jane's eyes darkened. "I want to."

Below them, Kunle walked away from Miss Okafor's home, a new sense of purpose in his step.

The city was fortified. The people were stronger

But the real test was still ahead.