For Peter the month of July had started in the warm Karoo. Half desert, the days were still hot, but the winter nights were extremely cold.
He had visited with a well known farmer in the area. He was looking to buy land to establish stables where he could breed with horses and teach children the pleasure of horse riding.
Bill, the farmer, was well known for his knowledge on horses and would be a valuable source of information. The neighbouring farm was for sale and was the perfect location for his planned venture.
While out in the pen the doorman came to announce another visitor. Bill stepped around the house to greet the newcomer. A few moments later Peter heard angry voices and decided to investigate. He had previously been recruited to the special operations division of the marines and therefore had received intensive training in various ways of combat. He was prepared to defend Bill if need be.
As he stepped around the corner he saw the unknown visitor and two burly men jump into their Jeep and speeding away. Turning towards the porch, he saw Bill lying in a pool of blood.
Suddenly the doorman came out the front door. Aghast he exclaimed: “You! You killed him! I am calling the police! I saw you!”
Peter went after the doorman, trying to explain that he had just found Bill in that state and that he had seen who the real killers were. The doorman would not listen. He insisted that he saw Peter killing Bill and was informing the police. Peter decided to get away from the farm before the police arrived. He knew trouble when he saw it!
The next day all the headlines were proclaiming that he had brutally murdered the well known farmer and was on the run from the police. A reward for any information that would lead to his capture had been set at R100, 000. Quite a hefty sum for any average person. No wonder that the radio later reported that many leads to his whereabouts were being followed up.
He would have to disappear for a while until he could prove his innocence. If he were to be captured and thrown in jail, it would be impossible to collect evidence to clear his name.
He quickly packed all his things and on his way out dropped an envelope with the hotel room key and money to settle the account in the key box in the lobby. As he hopped into his SUV he noticed a black sedan with two scruffy looking men intently watching him. As soon as they noticed him looking directly at them, they glanced away. He was certain they were going to follow him. Today was the day when he would have to use every skill in evasion he had been taught.
He pulled away slowly, turned left at the traffic light and accelerated at the last moment to make it through the next traffic light. He noticed that the black sedan had followed him through the traffic light, nearly hitting a school bus filled with students. That was the confirmation he needed. He was definitely being followed.
At the next traffic light he turned right into a one-way street, directly facing the oncoming traffic. As expected other drivers flashed their lights, honked their horns and generally had no good remarks directed at him. He kept his cool, making calculated decisions and turning the steering wheel as needed to avoid the vehicles.
In the middle of the next block he noticed a parking garage. He turned in, pressed the button to have his parking ticket release and drove in just as the boom had lifted far enough. He saw the boom closing down again as he turned the corner. He frantically searched for an empty parking space and saw one close to the entrance to the office building.
He parked, quickly got out, yanked off his number plates and replaced them with a spare set he had in his trunk. He rushed into the office building, chose the stairs to the ground floor and exited into the street.
Moments later he entered a coffee shop opposite the office building, sat down and ordered a glass of water and a cup of coffee. Tipping the waiter in advance he requested the water and coffee to be brought immediately. A few moments later his tip paid off as his drinks were set in front of him.
He downed the water, set the glass on the table behind him and prepared his coffee with milk and two sugars. As he picked up his cup for a first sip he saw his pursuers exit the office building looking up and down the street. One was dressed in khaki pants and a brown leather jacket. The other was dressed in a faded blue jean and tweed coat.
As the two men split to search the street he got up from his table, located his waiter and paid his bill. Hastily he entered the kitchen and went out the back door. Moments later he was flung to the pavement as the earth shook with a loud rumbling noise.
Dazed he sat up, wondering what had happened. Looking at the ash and concrete pieces raining down around him, he realised that a bomb had been set off… He returned through the coffee shop and, looking out the front window, saw the office building crashing to the ground. He was certain his SUV had been blown to smithereens.
Stepping out of the coffee shop he studied the street up and down, but could not locate his pursuers. They had vanished leaving him no clue to their identity.
Quickly summing up his situation he decided to return to the back street through the kitchen. As he did so, he heard the first sirens approaching. As they came to a screeching halt, he stepped onto a bus, sat down and stared at the action pretending to be as astonished as the other passengers. No one even noticed him…
*********************
The following morning very early he got on a passenger liner bus leaving for Cape Town. He had no luggage with him as he had decided to buy some things when he arrived. This way he could move around faster.
During the eight hour trip he dozed off in a deep sleep. No one even noticed his dishevelled appearance. Everyone kept to themselves.
Half an hour before they arrived in Cape Town the hostess woke him softly. Smiling she asked if he would like a cup of coffee. He accepted gratefully.
While sipping his coffee he decided to find the nearest mall to buy a few sets of clothing and the necessary toiletries. He had no idea what to do after that. He would simply take it one step at a time.
As the bus pulled into the station, he got up and was the first passenger to step off. At the information desk he asked directions and went to the nearest mall.
*************************
He located a large clothing department store and began browsing for suitable clothing. He needed some comfortable sets of trousers and shirts, but also something formal. Shoes, underwear and socks came next. At the till he requested the cashier to pack everything in the back pack he purchased along with the clothing.
He noticed that the cashier was studying his face, seeming a little unnerved. He smiled at her, handed her the correct amount of money, swung the back pack over his shoulders and stepped into the hallway.
He realised he needed to get a source of information, someone who could keep him informed on the daily news and headlines. He also needed someone who could help him make arrangements and track down sources. He needed to stay undetected for as long as possible. He knew that the simplest innocent question asked to the wrong person would draw too much attention to him and could land him in jail.
He had never been to Cape Town and knew no-one there. He would have to ask a stranger to help him.
Strolling down the hallway, he studied the shoppers. From time to time he would pause at a window, pretending to study merchandise, seemingly lost in thought.
Pausing at a book store window, he noticed a well dressed young woman browsing books on nature. She had long curly blonde hair tied back loosely at the nape of her neck. She wore a long flowing dress and some fashionable, yet practical sandals. She seemed graceful, yet strong and athletic.
She glanced up from the book she was flipping through, paused for a moment, and then smiled at him. It was a slow, warm smile that reached into her sky blue eyes. He immediately felt drawn to her; therefore he entered the book shop and strolled to a section with self-defence books next to the books on nature. He realized she was studying him, so decided to make contact.
“Hallo! I’m Peter. You seem quite interested in wildlife?” He needed to know if he could trust her. Would she immediately sell him out, or would she be willing to help?
“Hi! I’m Emily. Yes, I am quite interested. I am daydreaming of a trip north into Africa, but that dream is still a far way off. Say, you somehow look familiar. Have you been on television lately?”
“As a matter fact, I have been. I hope you will not be frightened, but I have been accused of murdering a well known farmer in the Karoo.”
“Oh! You certainly do not seem the murderous type, though. Why were you accused?” Emily seemed sincere in her question; therefore Peter decided to tell her everything. They strolled out of the bookstore as Peter went into detail about the past days. He kept an eye on the people around them, not wanting to be noticed.
While walking with Emily, he realised they were being watched. He scanned the hallway and noticed three armed men pretending to be interested in the shop windows while actually using the windows as mirrors to study him and Emily.
Realising he had put her in danger; he grabbed her by the arm and started running to the fire exit. She did not resist, making it easy for him to search for an escape route. As they burst through the fire exit, he hailed a cab and they both jumped in as he told the driver to simply start driving around on a sightseeing trip for tourists.
Looking intently at Emily he mouthed the question: “Trust me?” She nodded her reply. Glancing back he saw the doors to the fire escape burst open. He took Emily’s face between his hands and kissed her passionately.
Only after they had travelled for 15 minutes and he was sure they were not being followed did he let go of her. She looked at him bewilderedly with questions in her eyes. He requested the driver to take them to a motel on the outskirts of the city. “I’ll explain later,” Peter whispered in Emily’s ear.
Peter paid for the room, received the key and collected her from the car. As he closed the door behind them he uttered a sigh of relief. He had to keep a clear mind while explaining the situation to Emily. He did not want her to get confused forcing him to repeat anything.
Starting at the day he visited Bill’s farm, he told her in the finest detail of everything that had happened. When he finished she sat quietly thinking for a very long time. As he was getting uneasy due to her quiet, he got up and made them each a cup of coffee. She accepted hers thankfully and then looked up at him.
“I believe you. You seem sincere and kind. You most probably were at the wrong place at the wrong time making you an easy scapegoat…” Her voice trailed off.
“I am so sorry I dragged you into this mess,” Peter apologized. “My intention was to find a contact that could help me gather information. I never intended to put you in harm’s way.”
“Why did you kiss me back there?” The question caught him off guard. At first kissing had seemed like a good cover. People would think they were just another couple madly in love. Then he realised he did not want to stop. It just felt right. How would he explain without scaring her off?
“I understand it was sudden, but I thought nobody would give us a second thought if we seemed to be just another couple,” Peter tried. Should he tell the truth?
“It did seem to linger longer than necessary, don’t you think?” Her reply was only a whisper. She hid her eyes behind her lashes, not wanting him to see how moved she was. She felt safe with this man she had only met hours before. This was new to her as she never trusted strangers. She had a few good friends she could trust, but was not interested in getting involved as she had been hurt severely in a previous relationship.
Emily had been engaged a few months earlier. A few days before the wedding she found her fiancé in bed with another woman. Her fiancé was sick in bed according to his office manager. She decided to check in on him and bring him some soup. She was so shocked and torn apart that she had withdrawn from the world in general and only kept in touch with her close friends.
This was her first day out in public. She was trying to get back her adventurous spirit. She had always wanted to venture into Africa for a few months and now she had the opportunity. She was gathering information to start planning her trip, when Peter had engaged her in the bookshop.
Peter sank down on the couch next to Emily, took her hand and looked her deep in the eye. “I agree and I apologize for that. I got lost in that kiss and did not want to return to reality. I did not mean to take advantage of you or of the situation.”
“Thank you, Peter. I am willing to help you. It’s not as if I have any other responsibilities at present. A change may be good for me. What exactly did you want me to do?”
Peter ordered pizza which was delivered 30 minutes later. They relaxed in each other’s company and talked well into the wee hours of the night. Finally, after discussing all possibilities they retired for the night to get in a few hours of sleep.
The next morning they felt refreshed and ready for action.
Peter called a taxi to take them back into town where he bought two cell phones. He gave one to Emily and kept one, making sure they had each other’s number on speed dial. Then they separated with the promise of calling at midnight.
************************
An hour later Peter drove away from the dealership where he had just purchased a new SUV. He did not want to do that with Emily accompanying him, as he did not want to make her feel inadequate. For many people it was difficult to accept that some people had no cares at all about money and where it came from. He had been fortunate to be sole heir to his grandfather who had passed away when he, Peter, had been sixteen.
His grandfather had specified that Peter should receive training in financial and business management before the funds were to be released to him. He did himself proud when he passed the final exam cum laude. The next day he was surprised to see that the whole sum of his inheritance, including all properties, had been transferred into his name.
He had taken immediate action to invest a large sum of the funds and spent some time visiting the properties all over the world to meet the maintenance staff, review policies, salaries and employment agreements and to take stock of exactly what he owned. He had ensured that each project had a highly recommended project manager.
When all was set, he travelled the world for a few months and thereafter he applied to the marines where he was accepted.
He had served for many years during which he received Special Forces training. After retiring from the Force he decided to buy a farm to breed horses. A contact introduced him to Bill and the negotiations regarding involvement started.
They were supposed to discuss the final detail regarding their involvement on that fateful day when Bill had been murdered.
Focussing on the present, Peter stopped at an electronics shop and bought a laptop and other equipment which could possibly come in handy during the course of his investigation.
***************************
After he enjoyed a pasta dinner he connected to the Internet to start investigating Bill’s contacts and business.
Hours later he realised that it was time to retire.
He had gleaned as much information from the Internet as possible. Tomorrow the footwork would begin.
******************************
Emily was lazily soaking in a hot bubble bath reviewing the events of the past two days.
The day before she had met Peter under questionable circumstances. She had jumped in a taxi with him and allowed him to kiss her. She had spent the night in the same room with him and then searched information for him.
What she had learned that day woke a longing for the man with the strong arms… She would feel much safer if she could be beside him at that moment.
In South Africa today security plays a vital part in any business or private home. This book and the volumes to follow, will guide you step by step through the essential precautionary measures to be taken in protecting your family and valuables. From employing security guards, evacuation of your site and security measures to burglar bars and alarms in your private home.
a Book compiled by me from experience gained after 10 years in the security industry as Industrial relations officer with Nosa qualifications, 1st Aid, fire protection and also S.O.B. grade A.
Print this short story
Show the next latest work
