“You don’t need to explain anything,” I said to Mellissa, after I had noticed the way she had looked at me since we had started the journey. “I already know what is going on.”

Sam leaned forward from the back seat. “What’s going on?” he asked, looking at Mellissa and then across to me.

I exhaled hard. “Last night I got word from the police that ‘he’ has escaped from prison. Well, that fool, the Crook – the one who told me – isn’t really a policeman but he was in the force…” I paused.

“Woah, Woah! Not so fast!” Sam said. “Who has escaped?” he asked with a scared look on his face.

I looked at Sam in the mirror.

“Four years ago. December 13th. Zali. It’s Zali. I wasn’t sure what his plans were until this morning, when I went to Thandi’s and discovered that she’d been kidnapped by Zali…” I paused.

The expression on Sam’s face changed a little.

The road was quiet. It was unusual for it to be so quiet on a Friday. I was also feeling unusually calm, knowing that I would soon be facing someone from my past who doesn’t like me much, who wanted me dead.

I noticed Sam was thinking to himself.

“Wait a minute,” Sam said, “you mentioned something about someone being crook.”

I smiled. “Yeah. The Crook… Well, I gave him his name,” I said.

“Who’s he?” Sam asked with Mellissa listening attentively.

“He’s a pretend police officer, who actually works for Zali. But we don’t have to worry about him for now as he is safely tied to my chair in my room,” I paused again. Mellissa and Sam just nodded their heads in satisfaction. “Plus, I’ve got his gun!” I said showing the gun to them.

“Hey wena. Watch where you point that thing,” Mellissa said.

“Oh sorry,” I said, putting it away.

I turned left onto the gravel road that led into the woods. I knew exactly where I was going. After a few minutes of silence, Sam suddenly started to laugh.

“It’s a good thing you went for your learner’s, otherwise we wouldn’t have had to walk to the place,” Sam said.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

Sam looked at Mellissa like he was seeing her for the first time. “How are you involved in this?” he asked.

Mellissa exhaled hard, misting up the window.

“Mr Khate, he is my father. He also works for Zali. I was sent by Zali to come and disrupt things between Bongani and Thandi again. Zali wanted to hurt Bongi by starting with Thandi. Killing Thandi was his original plan… but he changed his mind so he kidnapped her instead, knowing that that would bring Bongi closer to him and give him a chance to deal with him personally,” Mellissa said.

When Mellissa finished explaining, Sam sat back in his seat.

“Now I can see why he was so hard on you, Bongi,” Sam said looking angry.

Mellissa looked at me. “What’s the plan,” she asked.

“Yeah, what’s the plan?” Sam also asked.

“Dunno,” I said. “But I’m gonna get Thandi back. Anyone got a cellphone? I left mine at home,” I said, looking at Sam and at Mellissa.

“Got mine,” Mellissa said.

“Good, we’re going to need it,” I said.

***

“Wakey wakey!! Wake up!!” Zali said, laughing.

“What’s going on?” Thandi asked confused.

She wanted to jump off the chair but realised that she was taped to it and couldn’t move a muscle.

“Oh, nothing really… we’re just waiting for your boyfriend,” Zali sneered.

Thandi looked around. The room was empty, except for a table standing against the wall next to the doorway with a fishtank.

“How did you escape?” Thandi asked.

Zali walked over to the fishtank and pressed his face against the glass.

“The old fashioned way,” Zali said, laughing again.

Shorty was standing against the wall next to the window. He stood there with his arms folded, smiling.

“Bribe?” Thandi asked, looking at Shorty.

“Hehehe,” Zali laughed, walking back towards Thandi. “You’re a clever girl. I like that. I’m only giving your boyfriend another hour and if he ain’t here by then…” Zali paused, “…then its goodbye to you…” he threatened.

Shorty started to laugh. Then Zali started laughing.

“Oh, he’ll be here. You just wait!!” Thandi said.

It seemed as if they hadn’t heard her because they just kept on laughing.