I didn’t know what to do; my heart just stopped beating and everything around me just disappeared. “What is it that these people want? Where is it?” I asked myself. Looking at the state of the house, it was clear that they looked for it and they didn’t find it. Whatever they wanted could be in one place… the car!
I went to the car and searched but couldn’t find anything. Then I remembered that my dad always opened the boot and would take out the spare wheel for us to push around the yard. I took it out and inside the ram was a small little USB stick. This could be the thing that they want but what does it have? I asked myself.
I went inside and inserted it in the computer. It had names and numbers and some kind of codes in it. Scrolling down, I saw General’s name on that list. I couldn’t believe it, he couldn’t be the one that had my family! I rushed out of the house with the USB to go find General. I was planning on asking him about it.
When I arrived there was no one in the yard. I got inside the house and found Lwazi
“Chris, what are doing here?” she asked.
“We need to talk,” I responded. “Your father has kidnapped my family and I think he has killed my sister. Where the hell is he?” I shouted at Lwazi.
“Oh God! We need to leave now!” Lwazi said heading for the door.
BANG! A gun shot was fired as we were about to head out. We rushed back into the house and went to General’s room.
“What was that? What’s going on Lwazi?”
“I don’t know, Chris!”
We heard voices coming from the living room heading for the passage which leads to the rooms. Nerves started kicking in. Lwazi went to her father’s closet and took out a gun. She handed it to me.
“I can’t use a gun,” I said.
“Chris, just take the thing toe,” she said putting it in my hand.
The only way out was through the door; the windows had blogger gates. I peeked at the door and saw one guy with a gun looking in Lwazi’s room. Without coming out, I pointed the gun at him. When he turned, about to shoot me, I pulled the trigger. I shot him in the chest and he fell down.
I was shaking; I had shot a human being with a gun and he actually went down. At the realization the I had just killed a man; I vomited. Footsteps sounded from the passage again and the person said, “Joe, u-grand umtholile?”
But he didn’t need an answer as he saw the guy lying down. He stopped moving.
“Oh my god, Chris there’s too many of them! What are we going to do?” Lwazi asked nervously.
I had to make a plan. I had gotten lucky with the first guy. What if I freeze and this guy kills us? I wondered in panic. I picked up a chair and threw it to the window. Then we moved to the side of the door. The guy came running in and I shot him in the back. Again I knelt down and just puked.
“Really now? Chris we have to go!” Lwazi shouted at me.
We moved slowly out the room and into the passage. We luckily got outside and went to the garage and took out the car and drove away.
“Your father and Mr. Hughley had vital information that would put my father in jail. Mr. Hughley did a job for my dad, with help from your father, but the job didn’t go well. Which led to them to having that USB in their hands. The police wanted that stick; in turn they would not arrest your father and Hughley. The night of your father’s death, my dad sent a couple of guys to kill Hughley, which would scare your dad scared so that he will not give the police the information. But he was also there and the guys just killed him,” Lwazi explained as I drove.
“What! So you knew about my dad and his killing? Why didn’t you tell me?” I responded angrily.
“I couldn’t, it would’ve led to my dad killing you on the very day we met. I am sorry Chris,”
“Fuck Lwazi! Where is my family?”
“I think they are at the old age home, but we can’t go there,” she said.
“Why not? They said I must bring the USB before sun sets. I have to give back the thing. What is istimela?” I said.
“It’s when two rival gangs meet in one place and they kill each other. No one lives! NO ONE!” she said.
We arrived at the old age home. I was adamant to get inside against Lwazi having warned me. Time was against me. I went inside and there stood General and his guys; three black bags on the ground armed with R-5s and 9mm.
“Chris, my boy. Welcome!” General said opening his arms.
“Where is my family?” I asked as I came to a halt just a couple steps from them.
“Where is my stick?” General asked as he signaled one of his guys to fetch my family.
I took it out and threw it next to his feet. The guy came with my mother; her eyes covered with a mask.
“Where is my sister?” I asked in frustration.
“Phola, Phola! All in good time. Let’s see if you brought the real thing,” he said as he opened a laptop.
“Oh, Paul shot her, had to make sure that you get the message,” he continued as he inserted the stick.
“What?”
“Hay voetsek wena maan, she’s alive. Ung’thatha njani?”
After scanning through the USB, he destroyed it. He told the guy to fetch my sister. They had shot her hand, but she was alive. They unmasked them and pushed them to me.
“You know Chris, I wish your father was as smart as you,” General said with a grin on his face.
I checked on Ayanda and she was weak and needed to get to hospital. I carried her as we were about to leave the building. The door opened and Lwazi was pushed inside, with six guys following her.
“GENERAL! Hawu sihle lesifebe sakho, fana no nyoko,” One of the guys said.
Lwazi just lay on the ground crying.
“SCORPION!” General said looking like he has seen a ghost. I had never seen him like that. “You are supposed to be dead, what is going on here?” he asked in disbelief.
“Hahaha, ja ne? Ushaye phansi devil. You really thought you would kill me?” Scorpion said.
“S’khumbuzo! Is it really you?” my mom asked looking at Scorpion.
“Rebecca! What are you doing here?” Scorpion asked in shock.
“Mama! Do you know him?” I asked in confusion.
My mom just burst into tears. Scorpion proceeded to us and held my mother. Still stuck in the confusion I asked, “How do you know my mother?”
The guy looked at me and smiled.
Tell us what you think: Who is mysterious Scorpion and what connects him to Chris?