32

BURNING BLUE.
BY BELLA ROYALTY.
32.
SEASON FINALE.

[THAMSANQA TYSON MKHUNGO]
We have been on the road now for more than 2 hours and this guy keeps following us, we've checked the phone, we've checked her for a tracker because she's not wearing anything, so how does he know where we are?

Me: She's got to have a tracker somewhere!!!
Sabelo: We've checked her Ngamla, she's not wearing anything!!
Me: Then why do we still have that tail behind us? She's got to have a tracker!! Tell the boys to stall him, I need to check for this damn tracker myself!

He made the call and they formed a barricade behind us, trying to stall him while I made a stop in the middle of nowhere.

Me: Pull her out!

Sabelo dragged her out of the car, she was still unconscious, I grabbed a bottle of water and poured it all over her face and she groaned and then screamed because now she could feel the pain of the gunshot wound on her thigh.

Me: Where is it?

She didn't respond, she looked out of it.
Me: I asked you a question! Where is it!! Where is the damn tracker!!
Ntando(crying): I dont—
Me: Ucabanga ukuthi siyadlala lana?(You think we are playing games here?)

I pressed my gun deep on her wound and she screamed in agony.
Ntando(screaming): Ty please!!! I dont have a tracker on me I swear!!
Me: Then how the fuck does your boyfriend know where you are all the damn time? Is it in your hair? Hmm? Is it in your fucken' hair??

I asked while messing up her braids, Sabelo handed me scissors and I started cutting her hair looking for a tracker but there was nothing, the entire time she was begging for me to stop.

I threw the scissors away and tore her clothes searching for the tracker all over her body, I was getting frustrated because I wasn't finding the tracker. Instead I was getting turned on seeing the marks all over her body. It seems like she's into some dark shit as well.

Me: Let's do this one more time, otherwise I'm going to blow your brains out princess, where is the tracker?
Ntando(hoarsely): I… I don't have a tracker I swear, Ty I swear! Please don't do this! I need medical attention!
Me: The only thing you need is to tell me where the damn tracker is!! Then I will let you live!

I slapped her hard on her cheek and she spat blood.
Me: Where is it? Time is running out, we need to disappear but we cant if you wont tell me where this damn tracker is!
Ntando: You think we will ride off to the sunset and live happily ever after together after this? Ty he won't stop till he finds me! He has the skills! Just let me go! Please let me go! I don't even know why you're doing this! This is insane! Why are you doing this huh? What did I do to you??

I shoved the gun in her mouth out of frustration.
Me: You had my brother killed!

She widened eyes.
Me: Oh you don't remember him? Your boyfriend and his friends killed him and his friend over an iPhone and a little cash that they had taken from you!!!

It finally registered in her mind, I took out the gun.
Me: Do you remember him now? The bolt driver that fetched you from the airport 10 months ago?
Ntando(shocked): What? You're doing all of this because of a criminal? He mugged me! He pulled out his gun at me and took my phone and money!! If I didn't beg for my life, they would have done worse! He was a criminal!!
Me: So you sent your boyfriend and his friends to kill him huh?
Ntando(shaking her head): No! My boyfriend is not a murderer! He might have taught them a lesson but he is not a murderer!!
Me(roars): THEN WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY? IT'S BEEN 10 FUCKEN' MONTHS!!!

She broke down in tears.
Me: They have disappeared and the people who last saw them alive are your boyfriend and his friends!!!
Ntando(crying): Ty please just let me go! I've already been through enough please, I am begging you in the name of God to let me go! Why are you doing this to a defenseless 19 year old girl? Why are you not facing your mates?
Me: Because this whole thing started with YOU!
Ntando: So what was I supposed to do? I was not meant to tell anyone about what happened?

I chuckled a little.
Sabelo: Ngamla, he is on his way, he defeated our guys.
Me: Kanti what the hell is this guy? 10 men could not defeat him? Who the hell is your boyfriend?

I asked, pressing her wound and she screamed in agony. I pressed on it hard.
Me: Who the hell is he????
Ntando(screaming&crying): I don't know Ty!! He's just a hacker!!
Me: Just a hacker huh? How far is he, Sabelo?
Sabelo: 6 minutes out.
Me: That's enough time to chop you off into pieces princess!!
Ntando(shocked): No, no, Ty please!!! Please!! Don't kill me!! Ty I am begging you please don't kill me! I know you're angry—
Me: Angry is an understatement!
Ntando: Ty if you hurt me, Shaka will also hurt your sister.
Me: Oh you mean Sandisiwe? She's colored, and as you can see, I'm not, I don't really care what happens to her!
Ntando: Okay but… there has to be another way!!
Me: Another way?

I asked roaring which startled her.
Me: For 10 months I've been chasing these guys wearing masks which I found out were masks from some Korean show called Squidgame! This is after my brother Bongani Mkhungo was reported to bolt for robbery! Shortly after that he disappeared! So I started investigating and neighbors said that they saw 3 guys wearing these masks getting into Bongani's house and after that they walked out with him and his friend Thami, and they just disappeared into thin air! At first I didn't think it was related to the bolt report. I know my brother has a bit of a loose screw. I figured he had pissed someone else off, but guess what?

I pressed the gun on her open wound and she screamed in agony.
Me: The same squidgame masks were spotted in Joburg, this time they were 4 and apparently they kidnapped a guy and his sister and assaulted them! The sister ended up dying and the brother is in jail, so I visited the guy and he gave up one name, not willingly of course, I have people everywhere including inside, I gave him motivation to tell me the name and guess what? He gave up your name, Ntandokazi Ngema!
Ntando(shaking her head): He did not kill them! Thami he didn't kill them! I swear he didn't kill them!

That angered me, I slapped her on the cheek again and she kept quiet.
Me: I was like, a girl? But when I went back to the drawing board, the bolt report suggested that Bongani had robbed a client by the name of Ntandokazi Ngema, coincidence? I then checked this guy's story as well, and I found out that he had assaulted you as well. That's why your boys in masks went after him, they are your protectors right? If anyone comes after you they lose their shit right? That is why this is happening! I've been planning this for months, waiting for the perfect chance and one day you stumbled into my club! The girl you met? She's not my sister, she's just a girl I've had under me and she'd do anything for me!

Ntando(crying): Just kill me already!!!

I laughed and dragged her back inside the car and took out a cigarette and a lighter.

My phone rang and it was one of my guys, I answered.
Me: Thulani sho?
Guy: This is not Thulani, you already know who I am, I believe you have something that belongs to me.
Me(chuckles): Oh you must be the famous Shaka huh?
Shaka: Maybe, listen I'm going to give you a chance to make things right and I might spare your girlfriend Sandisiwe over here as well as your mother, Zimasa.

I covered the phone.
Me: Sabelo! He has Sandisiwe and my mother.
Sabelo(shocked): What the fuck!

I uncovered my phone.
Me: You think this is a game boy?
Shaka: I don't do games Tyson, you should know that by right now, so tell me how long have you been planning your attack? I mean I set your brother and his friend on fire 10 months ago, it has taken you that long to find me and you think you're a match for me? You're not a worthy opponent I'll tell you that, going after a defenseless young woman proves that, so why don't you let my girl go and face me like the man that you are? I'm the one you want, I am the one who hunted that criminal brother of yours and poured gasoline on him and lit the match, I assume you want to look at the man who did that in the face.

Me: You f***** set my brother on fire over a phone and some cash?
Shaka: Exactly, imagine what I will do to you for taking my woman!
Me: That's if you can catch me.
Shaka: Oh I will, you said to her that you always get what you want but guess what? When it comes to Ntando, I always tell the people who hurt her this:
Me: And what's that wena mfana?
Shaka: You chose the wrong girl to hurt!

I laughed, that's supposed to scare me?
Me: You're hilarious!
Shaka: Your friend over there doesn't seem to agree, ask him if I'm hilarious or not!

I heard a thud hit the ground and I looked over at Sabelo, he was down, I looked around and couldn't see anyone.

Me: F****!!!

I could hear cars approaching from afar as well as a bike.
Me: Where were we princess? Oh you asked me to kill you! Well, it seems like you're getting your wish granted.

I went to the trunk and took out a 5 litre of diesel and poured it inside the car, I locked the doors.

Ntando(screaming): Ty please don't do this!! Please!!! No!!!
Me: Your boyfriend just told me he set my brother on fire! I figured I'd return the favour as well!

I took out a lighter and I could see the biker first, I set the car alight and ran on foot.

[TUMELO MORAKE]
Oh you've got to be kidding me! Did this guy not set the car alight? I stepped hard on my bike and Prime picked up his pace as well, as we finally reached the burning car.

I could hear screams inside the car which meant Ntando was inside, Prime got out of the car and so did Sean, Lungelo, Sipho and Lindani, Prime rushed to the burning car.

Sipho and Lindani were trying to stop him from approaching the burning car but he got free from them.

Prime: Ntando!!!! Peach!!!!

She screamed from the other side and that broke his heart.
Me: I'm sorry bro!
Prime: I am not letting her die! She's still alive, Tumelo! Can't you hear her screaming in there!
Me: You won't make it out alive together!
Sipho: Prime, Tumelo is right this car is seconds away from exploding! You will not make it, the doors are probably jammed!
Prime: Then we will die together! I'm not going to stand here and watch her explode with the car!! Give me your gloves!

I quickly took off my gloves and he wore them.
Sean: Prime, please don't do this!!

He jumped inside the fire, we all held our breaths, there was no water nearby for us to put out the fire.

Lungelo started throwing sand on the car.
Lungeko: I am not letting them die! Help me throw sand on the car!

We didn't even wait for him to tell us twice, we started throwing sand on the car but we were disturbed by a loud explosion that sent us flying on our backs!

For a while nothing made sense, I was seeing double.

Me(screaming): Prime!!!!

Sean got up hysterical, running towards the car and Sipho held him tight.
Sean: Prime!!!!!
Lindani: They are gone!!
Me: No!!!

I placed my hands over my head, I couldn't believe this!
Me(smh): No! No! Prime man you can't leave us like this! You can't!! Ntando!!! Prime!!!

I went closer to the ghost of the car that was in flames and looked around it, I just couldn't believe that they were gone, they were not gone! I heard sirens from afar as I circled the car and I heard faint coughing from the other side and I ran there!

Me: Prime!!

And there he was, on top of her shielding her from the heat, they made it! Oh thank God! They made it! Thank God for leather! If he wasn't wearing leather today his clothes would have caught fire and we'd be saying something else.

Me(shouting): Somebody help!!!

I pulled Prime from Ntando and the sight was traumatizing. He groaned a little while I felt Ntandos pulse. I couldn't feel it or maybe it was faint, her clothes were torn and she caught the heat, her body was red! I took off my jacket fast and covered her with it, they had shaved her head, my heart broke into pieces.

Prime(coughing): Peach!!!
Me: Don't move Prime! You're alright buddy!

The other gents came to us.
Me(panicking): I can't feel her pulse! I can't feel her pulse! She's been shot!!
Prime(breaking): No—

I placed my hands on her chest, pumping her.
Me: Come on Ntando! Come on, 1,2,3! Come on Ntando! You can't do this to Prime! You can't! Come on!!!

I kept pumping her.
Prime(coughing): Do a mouth to mouth Tumelo! Don't let her die fuck!!

I did a mouth to mouth and pumped her chest again.
Me(crying): Ntando man!!!

I did it again and pumped her again and she coughed.
Me(smiles): That's a good girl! She's weak though Prime!

I picked her up, the back of her head was covered in blood, oh my God, she hit her head on the rock.
Sipho: Tumelo, give her to me, you're frozen!!
Me: She… her head… the rock!!

He took her, the sirens were close, I looked over at Prime and he was done for, covered in bruises all over his face, Sean and Lungelo also picked him up, Lindani helped me out as we walked towards the ambulance, they placed Ntando on the stretcher.

Me(crying): Please please… Please save her! She hit her head on the rock! Please save her!!!
Paramedics: Are you okay?
Me(crying): I'm okay damnit just save her!!!

The whole scene was chaotic!

More cars pulled over and our boss, Nicholas also arrived, we had called for help from them.
Nick: What the hell happened here?
Sean: Boss we uhm…

He explained while I went to check on Prime, they had sedated him because he was hysterical, wanting his Peach even though he needed medical attention.

I returned to where the boss was, he was getting an update from the paramedics as well as Dr Sipho.
Sipho: We've found a pulse, since this guy is still at large, we can't afford to put them both in a public hospital, we are taking them to the base.
Me: That's better.
Nick: I will have to take you boys to the safe house as well.

I nodded.
Nick: Is there someone we should alert, family?
Me: No, he wouldn't want them to know about this.
Nick: Okay, I will have our skilled agents guarding their families just in case this guy tries to retaliate with them.
Me: And him?
Nick: We will find Tumelo, I promise.

[SHAKA 'PRIME' ZWANE]
Every part of my body was painful as I opened my eyes, I scanned the room and I was in hospital.

Me: Peach!
Tumelo: Hey buddy! Shh! Peach is okay, she's okay! You're all okay!
Me: I need to see her.
Tumelo: Okay let me call the doctor.

He walked out and I groaned after I tried to move in an attempt to sit up straight, I remembered bits and pieces of what transpired, I just remember seeing that car covered in flames, Peach screaming for help inside the car.

I don't even know where I got the bravery, but at that moment I knew I would rather die with her in my arms than let her die alone.

Thanks to Tumelo's gloves I was able to grab the door handle and open it, Peach flew to my arms and before the car could explode I was able to jump to the other side of the fire and I used my body to cover her up because I was wearing leather pants and a leather jacket I figured the heat wouldn't get to me that much and it didn't.

Tumelo got in with Dr Sipho and it registered finally, where I was, I was the HOPA base.
Dr. Sipho(smiles): Prime hey, how do you feel?
Me: I need to see Peach.
Dr. Sipho: I will take you to him, I just need to make sure you're okay, you didn't sustain any burns that leather of yours must cost a fortune because it's the real deal otherwise you would have been a burnt steak.

We laughed a little.
Dr. Sipho: You'll be in pain for a while but you'll be okay, what you did out there was really brave Prime.
Me: I had to Sipho, Ntando is the love of my life, without her, I wouldn't be able to survive, where she dies, I will die with her and besides… she's in this mess because of me, that guy wanted me.
Tumelo: He wanted us.
Me: He wanted us for what we did to that bolt driver.
Dr. Sipho: We will find him, I promise.
Me: How long have I been out?
Tumelo: A couple of hours.

He finished checking me out, Tumelo grabbed a wheelchair at the corner and they helped me sit on it even though I could walk but I didn't want to argue.

Me: Are Sean and Lungelo okay?
Tumelo: They are okay. They are with Ntando, they've refused to leave her side even though she's unconscious.

I nodded as he pushed me all the way to her ward, Sean was sleeping and Lungelo was sitting on the chair by her side, man these are my brothers for life.

Lungelo: Prime!
Me(smiles faintly): Hey buddy, I'm okay.
Lungelo: Thank God! Don't ever scare us like that! Jumping into the fire like that! That was some James Bond shit!

I laughed a little, there was a doctor monitoring Peach, she was hooked on pipes, I can't believe that bastard shaved her head, He was probably looking for the tracker, she had a bandage on her head.

I felt emotional just thinking about what could have happened had I not jumped that fire to get to her.
Doc: Prime.
Me: Hey doc, how is she?
Doc: She's stable for now, but it was close. The bullet went through her left thigh, it missed the major artery by just a few centimeters. We managed to stop the bleeding and remove the fragments. She's going to need some time before she can walk properly again, but she's lucky it didn't cause permanent damage.

Me: And the bandage on her head?
Doc: She also suffered a head injury when she hit the rock. The impact caused a deep laceration on her scalp and a mild concussion. We've stopped the bleeding and stitched the wound, but we'll be keeping her under observation for the next 24 hours to monitor for any signs of swelling or internal bleeding.

She took a deep breath.
Doc: There's some smoke inhalation too. Her lungs were irritated from the fire, so we gave her oxygen. Right now, she's resting… sedated, but stable. She's a fighter. If there are no complications in the next few days, she should make a full recovery.
Me: Thank you doctor.
Doc(smiles): It's a pleasure, we will give you guys some space.
Me: Thank you.

They walked out, they left Sean sleeping, this white boy will sleep every chance he gets, I don't blame him though, today was very traumatic.

I stood up from the wheelchair and walked towards Peach, I ignored the pain I was feeling and sat on the bed and held her hand.

Me: Hey baby.

My voice cracked, I swallowed hard, leaning closer, my thumb brushing over her knuckles.

Me: You have no idea how sorry I am, Peach you shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have gone through any of this, I was supposed to protect you, but I feel like I failed Peach.

I took a deep breath as I felt myself getting emotional, I'm not someone who gets emotional easily, I don't even remember the last time I shed a tear, Maybe it was the day I punched the wall after Peach and I had to break because my father told her to end things with me after we made love for the first time, i was hurting that day but not as much as I was right now.

Me: I keep replaying it over and over, the fire, seeing the car in flames, hearing you screaming like that using your feet to push open the door that was jammed, I will never forget those screams Peach… and I swear, I thought I lost you. I thought I'd never get to tell you how much I love you.

In that moment I just knew that I don't ever want to do this life thing without her, I was willing to burn blue in order to save her life.

Me: I love you, Ntandokazi Ngema.

My voice trembled and I just let the tears flow.
Me: I love you more than I've ever loved anything in my life. If you hadn't made it…

I choked up, shaking my head.
Me: I wouldn't have, either. You're it for me.

I pressed a soft kiss to her hand, tears slipping down my cheeks.
Me: Please, just wake up and yell at me. Tell me you hate me, tell me it's my fault, I'll take it. Just don't leave me.

The sound of the machines was all that answered me, her fingers twitched faintly against mine, small, but enough to shatter me all over again.

I looked up through my tears, a small, trembling smile forming.
Me(smiles): That's it, baby. Stay with me, I'm right here, Peach.