Out of hand
"Aw my head..." Phuthuma says as she holds her head, waking up from sleep. It looks like she's just regained consciousness as she battles to sit straight on the bed. Everything looks blurry as she looks around the room, still holding her aching head. As her vision becomes clearer she realises that this is not her bed and this is definitely not her room.Where am I? What the hell is going on here, she thinks as she begins to panic over this. She looks around to see if she recognizes where she could be but nothing gives her the clue. This bedroom has no pictures of people on the wall, just paintings. It has a TV on top above the fridge and a side table with a kettle on top. Am I in a hotel? she thinks as she tries to shake off the blurriness from her eyes. She looks in front of her and there is a door. She wants to get up and walk towards it but realises that she is slightly dizzy. She must have been drugged. How did I even get here? she thinks as she looks around.
She remembers being in a lounge bar last night having a drink with a friend. It was a loud environment where some people were on the dance floor. She remembers her friend saying 'I'm going to the ladies, I will be right back' but can't recall much after that. As her headache persists she is trying to remember who was sitting next to them at the bar but she can't make out the faces of the people.
As she continues to have these questions in her head she hears footsteps outside the door. Someone is definitely opening and that very moment she starts panicking. Oh God, who the hell is that? she thinks as she begins to sweat a little bit in panic. As the door slowly opens she becomes wide-eyed in anticipation of whoever will enter through the door. Well, this isn't what she was expecting as she is shocked at the person who comes through the door. "Mthoko, wha...what...what the hell?" she shouts as she sees Mthoko standing at the door and approaching her.
"What the hell is this? Did you drug and kidnap me, Mthoko?" she continues to protest as she looks at her source in shock. This is the last thing she expected to see and it just doesn't make sense to her that a person who has been her source has turned out be her kidnaper. It just doesn't make sense at all.
"Shhh...please don't shout okay?" Mthoko whispers as he comes over to sit next to Phuthuma in bed. It's been a few days since the Taxi owners meeting where it was decided that the journalist must be compelled to give up the name of her source and it suddenly makes sense why we are here. "Like hell I won't shout" Phuthuma says as she shouts in frustration. She looks furious and enraged at the man. "I asked you...did you drug and kidnap me Mthoko?" as she looks at him with blazing red eyes. It looks like if there was any object close to her, she'd have thrown it on her kidnaper.
"Look, I didn't have any choice okay? If I hadn't done that others would have" Mthoko says with a low voice as she tries to take Phuthuma's hand but she pulls it away in anger. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Who is others?" she asks irritably. "Look, I will explain everything to you okay, but first, I need you to stop shouting okay? I don't want people wondering what's going on in this room" Mthoko says with a low voice and with a face that looks regretful.
"Where the hell are we Mthoko?" Phuthuma asks with a low and curious voice. "Uhmm...I can't tell you that but I can say that it's a safe place for you" Mthoko says as he stands up to go and stand by the window. He looks outside as if he is trying to spot something. "What do you mean a safe place for me? What is going on? Why do I need a safe place?" Phuthuma asks as she becomes curious and anxious. But Mthoko keeps quiet for a second as he continues to look outside through the window. He then comes back to sit next to Phuthuma and looks at her in the eyes.
He sighs deep before saying, "Look a few days ago I was at the Taxi association meeting where you were the subject of discussion" This statement almost sends Phuthuma to the floor as she panics cold. "What? Uhmm...wha...what do you mean I was the subject of discussion? What were you discussing about me?" she asks anxiously.
Mthoko thinks for a second as he looks at Phuthuma and feels bad to see her this way. He then pours a glass of water from the bedside table and gives it to her. She gratefully accepts and drinks to calm her nerves down. "Look, the association wants to know the source you are using to report on the ongoing Taxi violence in the South Coast" Mthoko says with a low voice as he avoids eye contact. He seems a little uncomfortable with this part but it is understandable since he is the source.
"So the plan was to compel you to reveal your source, torture you even. Whatever it takes..." he says but Phuthuma quickly interjects, "And you agreed with that too?" she asks in shock but Mthoko jumps back in, "Ofcourse not but I was outvoted so I had to get to you before they did. Otherwise who knows what they'd have done to you to get that information" he says as he makes eye contact. "Oh wait, so you kidnapped because you were afraid that I might reveal you as the source?" Phuthuma asks curiously as she looks visibly upset. "Well, would you have been able to withstand the pressure if they tortured you?" Mthoko fires one back.
"Or you would have thrown ethical journalism out the window and save yourself by revealing your source?" he asks as he stands up to go by the window once again. It doesn't look like Phuthuma knows how to respond to this question but she looks increasingly upset as she fixes her eyes on her source.
"Look, you still didn't have any right to kidnap me okay?" she snaps as she raises her voice a little bit but Mthoko comes back in, "Look, don't kid yourself okay?" he shouts as he comes back to sit down. "Who said these people were planning on letting you go even if you revealed your source? This is a Taxi industry, not some spaza shop somewhere. They'd have killed you and buried you in a hole somewhere no one would find your body, okay?" as he raises his voice just a little louder. He himself looks a little upset and regretful at the same time and Phuthuma can see that, so she calms down a bit.
"So what now?" she asks calmly as she suddenly feels bad about the situation she has put her source. "Well, uhmm...I'm not sure yet but I figured that you should stay here for a little bit while I come up with a plan" Mthoko says but Phuthuma quickly interjects, "What? For how long?" she shouts as she becomes wide-eyed.
"Look I don't know okay? Atleast until we figure out our next move" Mthoko says calmly. "You must understand that people are looking for you Phuthuma, okay? And we don't know what they will do to you whether you give them the information they seek or not. Or, is that a chance you want to take?" he asks as he fixes his on her but he doesn't get a response as Phuthuma shrugs her shoulders as though she is defeated. This is followed by a long silence as both of them seem to be deep in thought about what they've gotten themselves into. They both look regretful in their eyes.
"Uhmm...well it doesn't look like I have much of a choice, do I?" Phuthuma asks with a low voice but Mthoko quickly interjects, "I'm afraid not" he says calmly as he shrugs his shoulders. "But people will panic once they notice that I'm missing. Have you thought about that?" Phuthuma asks as she looks worried.
"Look, we'll figure something out okay? The priority now is to make sure that you are safe and no one finds you" Mthoko says as he takes Phuthuma’s hand. She doesn't pull away this time but lets him because she could use some comfort. "Anyways I was actually going to call you one of these days because my boss wants me to dump you as my source because she is not convince about the information you give me..." Phuthuma says as she shrugs her shoulders. "But before that, I really need you to be straight with me Mthoko and please don't lie" as she fixes her eyes on him. "Are these killings really just about turf wars or there's something else going on here?"
Mthoko really wasn't expecting this question, so it catches him off guard as he almost chocks on himself while drinking the water. "What? Are you now doubting me as your source? Why because your boss has suddenly said so?" he says as he raises his voice a little bit. He suddenly stands up from the bed but Phuthuma holds his hand, "No, no, no...I'm not doubting you okay?" she says calmly with a begging voice to which Mthoko sits down and looks at her.
"It's just that some of these killings don't make sense so my boss felt that maybe I should get someone else to collaborate your story you know..." Phuthuma says, still holding Mthoko's hand and rubbing it gently. "So I just wanted to make sure you are straight with me" as she tries to make eye contact with her source that's looking away. "Look, all I have told you is true okay?" Mthoko says calmly as he establishes eye contact. "Ofcourse some people will say it's not about turf war in order to cover their tracks. Why do you think I volunteered this info to you? I knew at some point someone may come up with a different narrative so I decided to go ahead of them"
This makes Phuthuma think for a second to try and makes sense of all that her source is saying but Mthoko continues, "territories are a big deal in this industry and it's not just about the routes but it's what comes with those territories, okay?" he says calmly as he sighs deep as though he is troubled.
"I don't understand, what do you mean?" Phuthuma interjects as she asks curiously. "Look I can't get into that right now okay? I have to go, I will come and see you tomorrow. Everything you need is in here, okay?" Mthoko says as he looks at his watch while standing up. "No wait, are you going to leave me here alone?" Phuthuma says as she also stands up. She looks scared and anxious. "Don't worry you are safe here okay?" Mthoko says with a smile but Phuthuma interjects, "But where is here exactly?" she asks curiously. "But I told you it's a safe place okay?" Mthoko says calmly as he smiles at her again.
"Please Mthoko don't leave me okay? Please, please, please" Phuthuma begs as panic sets in and her eyes becoming watery but Mthoko cuts in, "Come on Phuthuma, you know I can't stay here okay? I have a family" he says as he looks up to the ceiling as though he is regretting something.
"Oh, why do you get to go to your family while I'm stuck here, God-knows where?" Phuthuma asks irritably but that seems to annoy Mthoko who gives her an eye. That seems to do the trick as Phuthuma calms down. But she then advances towards Mthoko to invite him for a kiss. "Please stay, I beg" she begs with a soft and seductive voice and for a moment Mthoko accepts the invitation as he kisses her back. It gets passionate for a moment as it seems both of them are hungry for each other. They are this close to taking off their clothes but suddenly Mthoko snaps out of it, "No, I can't do this Phuthuma okay?" he says as he pulls out from the kiss.
"I will come see you tomorrow. Please don't leave your room okay? And I'm really serious about that okay?" he says as he quickly walks out the door leaving the lustful Phuthuma drooling over the intense moment they have just had.
***
Somewhere else it's a different tension from the sensual one Mthoko and Phuthuma had. Faroukh has been summoned by the arms dealers, in the same location as before. So he is sitting there thinking, this place hasn't changed from the time I was here a month or so ago as he looks around the walls. He is dreading to make eye contact with the same men he met with the last time. He made a promise then that he'd speed things up in order to ensure the arms trade happens as soon as possible, but it hasn't happened that way. So he can almost take a guess what today's meeting is all about.
"Mr. Faroukh, I think you can take a guess as to why you are here today" the short guy carrying briefcase says with a straight face as he sits on the couch across Faroukh who looks all nervous. You made a promise and you haven't lived up to it, I don't k ow if that's how you do things in your country Afghanistan" the man says fixing his eyes on the guest.
"Well, uhmm...about that, I'd really like to unreservedly apologize for the delay we've had very unexpected turn of..." a nervous Faroukh says but doesn't finish as the tall guy interrupts him, "excuses, excuses and excuses..." he says. "The last time you said the same and guess what...you promised to sort it out but here you are coming back with the same excuses. So, do better" The man looks really upset and scary so Faroukh can be excused for looking like he'll piss his pants as he nervously drinks the water on the table to calm himself. He is even struggling to make eye contact.
"Look, I know that there has been delays with regards to this deal but it has been a necessary delay" he says as he looks across the three gentlemen sitting in front of him, albeit nervously. "Explain" the man with a beard demands. This makes Faroukh think for a minute before leaning forward.
"We have encountered a few snags that could jeopardize the deal, so we had to take care of that first before we could go ahead with the plan" he says as he takes another sip of the water. "Do you care to explain to what us what kind of snags are those?" the shorter guy interjects with a calm voice. "Uhmm...we believe that there could be plans to try and sabotage the deal by outside forces" Faroukh says as he dreads the reaction from his hosts. "Have you been able to identify this force, atleast?" the guy that wears glasses asks with a straight face. He looks very annoyed at this.
"Well, uhmm...not yet but we are really looking hard to identify the force but..." Faroukh says but he doesn't finish as he is interrupted, "Well then how do you know it's an outside source if you can't even find out who it is?" the irritable shorter guy shouts at him. "Uhmm...that's because our rank is a closed rank so it can't be someone from within. It could be an interested third party" Faroukh says as he finishes the water in the glass.
"You must have been very thirsty Mr. Faroukh, do you perhaps need something a little stronger?" the tall guy says as he pours a double of whiskey and gives it to Faroukh who accepts and takes a sip with a smile. Hopefully this will calm his nerves as he is beginning to sweat in a very well air-conditioned room.
"So then, how do you know that this third force won't compromise us and the people we represent if you don't even know who they are?" the guy with a beard asks curiously as he leans back. "Well, that's uhmm...that's kind of the problem" Faroukh says with a nervous smile. "It's hard to tell who this person or people are or what they know, that is why I'm asking for a little bit of time to flash them out. We need to know who they are and what they know before we can proceed with the deal. The last thing we want is having your people and my people being compromised from a deal that might not even take place if it is compromised itself."
The men seem to find this very reasonable even though they still look very irritated by this whole delay. "Now look here Faroukh, you better sort this out very soon...you hear me?" the shorter guy says with a serious face. "This deal can't wait forever and the world is full of bad guys with itchy fingers ready to use the weapons we provide. If you can't live up to it then we can always move on...the queue is long outside"
This statements seems to wracked Faroukh for a second as he panicky finishes off whatever was left in his glass. "Uhmm...no, don't worry I will sort this out as soon as possible. I promise, I won't disappoint" he says as he tries to reassure the men with a smile but they aren't in the mood for smiles today. "Good" the tall guy says. "Oh and another thing...if you compromise us and the people we represent in any way, we will remove you and your people from the face of the earth, you hear me?" he says with a straight face but this seems to have Faroukh cold as he can't utter a word out of terror.
"Now go sort out your mess...and no more excuses after this" the guy with a beard says as he takes a sip of his drink. Faroukh doesn't utter a word but nods as he stands up and bows to the gentlemen in gratitude. He quickly walks out of the room as though he couldn't wait.
***
Later on at the Sibisi mansion Mthoko arrives to a rather sombre or tense mood in the house. He finds his wife Lindiwe and son Thula in the lounge watching TV. His daughters Londiwe and Mbali are in their rooms since it's already after supper. Well, this could explain why the house is a little cold this evening- Lindiwe doesn't like it when someone is not home on time for supper. She is very strict when it comes to that sort of thing. But Mthoko's mind is all over the place these days and this new Phuthuma situation isn't making things any easier. He is feeling guilty about this whole thing because he knows Lindiwe doesn't deserve to be treated with any disrespect.
"Hey love" he says as he comes to sit next to his wife, kissing her on the cheek. "Hey" Lindiwe greets back but she is a little subdued, not really looking excited to see her husband. "Where are your daughters tonight?" Mthoko asks curiously as he looks around the room. "Uhmm...I suppose they weren't interested in watching TV, they are in their rooms" Lindiwe responds with her eyes still fixed on the TV. It looks like she has something on her mind but doesn't know how to say it.
When Thula notices that his parents perhaps may need a moment alone to talk he stands up and says, "Well, that's it for me folks, goodnight" as he walks upstairs, leaving his parents with a bit of an awkward moment. They both watch him climb the stairs as though they want to make sure he doesn't eavesdrop on their conversation.
"So, where have you been?" Lindiwe jumps straight at it while looking at the TV. The question seems to catch her husband by surprise as he has never heard her asking like that before. "Whoa, where did that come from?" he asks with a nerveous smile as he tries to make eye contact with his wife who is not looking at him. "What do you mean 'where that came from'? I mean, I couldn't reach you on the phone and you weren't at the supermarkets or the garages. Nduna hadn't seen so you that's why I'm asking" Lindiwe says with a calm voice as she continues to avoid eye contact.
"Well I had some business to attend to" Mthoko says with a bit of attitude that seems to annoy his wife. "Okay then" Lindiwe says clearly unhappy with that attitude from her husband. This leads to a very awkward moment of silence in the lounge as both of them don't seem know how to deescalate the situation.
"Anyways, what did you need?" Mthoko asks as he breaks the ice. "Why does it matter now? That was earlier when I couldn't reach you" an upset Lindiwe responds as she gets up to walk away but Mthoko quickly jumps in, "Oh come on love, what is it now? I'm sorry that you couldn't reach me okay? My battery was flat..." he says with a begging voice as he realises that they are about to go to bed not on speaking terms with his wife. Lindiwe turns around and says, "Sibisi, do you even realize that these days you are hardly here to spend time with your family? If you are here, you are often distracted by something or come late when your kids are asleep. What's going on?"
This time Lindiwe looks into her husband's eyes in order to see if she can read him but Mthoko looks away. He is struggling to hide the guilt he is feeling knowing that he has to lie to her. So, he turns to the TV and switches a channel from whatever was playing and this reaction sorts of gives Lindiwe some idea.
"Since when do you keep something from me babe?" she probes with a somewhat sad voice. "You have always told me everything about your business and our business, since when do you have business to sort out that I don't need to know about?" she asks as her eyes look sad and terrified over what her mind is thinking and this makes Mthoko a little anxious because he probably has an idea what she is thinking.
Suddenly, Lindiwe storms out of the room and goes upstairs, leaving Mthoko by himself as he sits down. This is one thing he has always been worried about-the tense moments between him and his wife. "Damnit" he whispers as he looks annoyed at himself for having allowed this situation to happen.
***
Somewhere else at the police station, Captain Dube had called Mxolisi and Thoko into her office and he looks a little serious, which makes the two detectives a little nervous. He is sitting across them where they are wondering what this could be about as they keep looking at each other anxiously.
"So, Zwane...Ximba...where are we with the investigation?" Captain Dube asks curiously as he leans forward from his chair. This question makes Mxolisi and Thoko look at each other as they wonder who will answer first but Dube is looking at both of them with a straight face. "Uhmm...Captain, at the moment we haven't found any concrete leads yet" Mxolisi says nervously as he looks at his partner who quickly jumps in, "Yeah I mean, every possible lead we have had ends up being a dead end. So far we haven't found any murder weapons linked to any of these shootings"
This seems to upset the captain who interjects, "That's not good enough guys, okay?" he says as he raises his voice a little bit. "The commissioner is on my *** about this and I had assured him that you two are the best people we have assigned to this case but now how will I justify that to him if you have nothing yet?"
Mxolisi and Thoko look at each once again as they don't seem to know how to answer this question. "But cap, I think someone is covering this whole thing up" Thoko says nervously but Dube quickly comes in, "What do you mean by that exactly?" he asks curiously which leads to a pause from Thoko before saying, "Look, these hits have been so clean that it's hard to develop a pattern. It's hard to even tell that they were done by the same person if you consider how random they have been" as she stands up to stand to go shut the door that was opened all this time. She then goes t stand by the window.
"Captain...the only reason we are able to assume that these hits were ordered by the same person is because some of the victims are from the Taxi industry" she says as she comes back to sit down next to her partner again. Dube listens carefully without saying anything at all. It's hard to read what he's making this Thoko theory.
"Thoko is right..." Mxolisi adds, "It's hard to develop a pattern. There's no all out war from Taxi owners and there's no word on the streets that there are tensions amongst them. What has made things more difficult is that the two people who were suspected to be involved in these murders are now themselves dead. This leads us to believe that someone who ordered the hits may have silenced them. Now we have to wait and see if there are anymore hits in the same area since the suspects are now dead. If this indeed is about turf wars, then it's just a matter of time before we see chaos in South Coast" he concludes.
"Which is another thing we would like to find out, captain..." Thoko jumps in, "Who is the commissioner's source on the theory that this was about turf war? And how were the two recently deceased individuals identified as suspects? I mean, you assigned us to this case but we were never briefed about the two men being apprehended and questioned. So we feel that we were left or...we are being left in the dark about this whole thing, sir" she says as she looks at her partner who looks at her as though to say Did you really have to go there dude?
"Look, I think what detective Ximba is trying to say is that if there's any information that the Captain or the Commissioner have that we don't, we'd like to be briefed...so that we can be effective in this investigation, sir. Afterall, we are all on the same team...right?" Mxolisi says as he looks at her partner one more time.
Captain Dube takes a minute to think before saying, "Look as far as the commisioner having a source, I don’t know about that. What we said from the beginning is that it was our preliminary view that this could be about turf wars, not that there was a source to confirm it. So that view can change as we gather any evidence that suggests otherwise...that's where you two come in. Your job is to gather information and evidence that can make us understand exactly what happened or happening with regards to this case" as he goes to stand by the window as though he is thinking of something.
"As for the interrogation of the two recently deceased men...I didn't know that you weren't briefed but I will sure enquire from the Commisioner. But I absolutely do not have any reasons to believe that you have been deliberately left in the dark, okay?" he says as he continues to look outside through the window.
"And the media Sir? Is Police the source that the media is using on this story? They are also reporting this as just another turf war" Mxolisi asks curiously as he looks at his partner who nods in agreement. "Absolutely not" Dube says as he turns around. "The department is not the source for the media narrative on this. I don't know who gives them that info about this being about turf wars but it's not us. Maybe their source is within the Taxi association itself, who knows? But don't even think about going to that journalist and asking her who her source is. We are the police, we don't intimidate journalists. Understood?" he asks with a serious face as he once again looks through the window.
"Oh, captain...we were thinking of interviewing other Taxi owners like we once did with Mthokozisi Sibisi, just to see if we can get something out of them. Maybe they may give us a different angle to which we can approach this thing, Sir" Thoko says as she sits straight. This leads to Dube coming back to sit down.
"Well, I don't see anything wrong with that" he says as he sighs deep. "At the moment we will pursue any lead we have but now you must be careful. If this turns out to be indeed about turf wars then you may find yourself interviewing the master mind behind these killings. Also, keep in mind that these incidences could still turn up to be unrelated at all as you have said it yourselves that there is no pattern" he says as he drinks the water from his desk. Mxolisi and Thoko look at each and nod. It doesn't look like they can dispute the point that the Captain is raising.
"Alright then, that would be all guys" Captain Dube says as he leans back on his swinging chair. At that the two detectives stand up and walk out the door, leaving the captain to ponder on the conversation he's just had with his subordinates. He clearly has something on his mind about this.
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