"That's good, we know that, and what about the last Kibbutz, the Ark?"
"Still nothing, Sir. I'm not sure he can hold out much longer," Lucas answered.
"What do you mean? Is he resisting the interrogation, putting up a fight?"
"No, Sir, the medics are trying to save him, I think the man had a heart attack."
Steenkamp leaned against the railing looking down at the prisoners housed in the steel pens below. There was a stink in the air from human breath and sweat; their unwashed body odors were unbearable. Large cages to house the human prisoners, a concrete floor with blankets and no pillows. Armed guards stationed at their posts kept watch.
"It doesn't matter, Chantel will tell us. Have you selected those for rehabilitation yet?" he inquired.
"No, Colonel, I've been waiting for you to view them first," Modisa answered.
Moving over to the wire fence, Steenkamp looked down at the women and children below.
"The old men and women we do not rehabilitate. You should have sent them for processing."
Counting with his finger, Steenkamp got to nine.
"There are five male youths; aged between seventeen and twenty five?" Modisa inquired.
"No, not at all, we cannot take the risk," Steenkamp answered.
Taking out his pen he opened the file, scanning quickly through the list. Steenkamp ticked those he thought they could rehabilitate. Their photos had already been taken during the tagging process. With extremists, Steenkamp had the final say, social workers dealt with the normal cases.
"There you go," he said, handing the paperwork back to Modisa and began strolling away. Still standing, Modisa looked at the selection.
"No men, only the women and children, sir?" Modisa asked again as he looked at Steenkamp's signature and date, 3.04.2028.
"See that it's done," Steenkamp said as he activated his iBand to read a message.
Modisa looked down at the file once more, wishing he could take some names off the list. But his future was at stake and he had to followed orders.
Finally catching up to Steenkamp they walked together towards the newly painted building that housed the wardroom where they could relax and catch up again. They had spoken briefly a few times over the last few days, but with all the unrest in Cape Town, Steenkamp had been far too busy. Lucas had struggled at first to adapt to the new conditions; it was very difficult making friends with the security contractors from the UWN.
Finally, sitting down at the mess table in the officer's wardroom, they felt human again.
There was no stink from the prisoners or screams from those being interrogated. In the distance some classical music could be heard over the air-conditioners.
"So, have you been to any of the executions yet?” Modisa asked the Colonel as he took a sip of beer.
Steenkamp nodded.
"Yes, but I don't bother anymore, as you know there's really nothing to see - except when they get into the lift."
As an old mine, it had some of the deepest shafts in the world, descending almost three kilometers into the earth's crust, the perfect solution for unwanted problems. Prisoners thought they were going into a medical building to be examined by doctors before being sent away to a Community Rehabilitation Centre in George, a few hundred kilometers away.
Once securely in the lift with the doors sealed, the floor simply dropped away, sending them into a shoot that spilled them down the mineshaft and on their way three kilometers down to the bottom. It was estimated that each shaft could take millions before it would start filling. Every two weeks they threw a four meter concrete floor to seal the bodies and the odor. It was the cheapest and fastest way to get rid of so many.
Many other UWN complexes around the world now adopted similar methods of disposing of so many undesirables. Within the two months that Staaldraad had been operational, it had already disposed of thousands upon thousands of unwanted problems. As the prison complex was designed to work in a compartmentalized structure, those who processed one batch of prisoners had no clue as to where the other batches of prisoners were going, or their final outcome. Once the paperwork was signed, it was handed to another department who took care of the extermination.
The few who did make it to the Community Rehabilitation Centre were paraded to the media, giving others a sense of hope. It was true propaganda, Nazi style. However, most in the higher circles of power knew the solution and the final outcome.
"You want another one?" Steenkamp asked Modisa as he signaled for the steward who came with another brandy and coke.
The fate of those he had just signed off to the shaft had no bearing on his soul at all. Modisa could not believe how cold and callous the Colonel had become.
"So, how many are arriving by train next week?" Modisa asked Steenkamp.
He didn't care. His thoughts cantered around his next target, the American Jew, whom he could not wait to interrogate. There was so much he wanted to find out about the Israeli Defense Force.
"Apparently, two trains from Johannesburg; probably a few thousand, I think, not sure of the exact amount as they always cram a few in at the last moment," he said as he took another sip of his Brandy and Coke.
Modisa felt sick inside, he did not have the stomach for this anymore. His new pay-grade did not compensate for the bitter taste in his mouth.
The rank was nice though.
Chapter 22
"The most potent weapon against the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed"
Steve Biko
It was an afternoon like none other; a full moon hung over the Cederberg mountain range, majestically for all to see. Chantel marveled at how beautiful it looked and that mankind had achieved so much in the last century alone; the greatest of which was no doubt walking on the moon. That conversation turned into a full scale conspiracy debate, facts versus theories. However, it was the dangers of the Van Allen radiation belts that Nathan brought to their attention and the lack of a blast crater on the moon that caused Chantel to question all she had been told. Some in the circle could not believe that NASA would do something like that and fake the Apollo moon landing.
"Cops! They’ve just arrived," Emma blurted out, beating Taryn to the campsite by a few seconds.
Both girls had raced back from their lookout, a rocky outcrop covered in trees with patches of sunlight which was the perfect place to overlook the farmstead. Just then Nathan answered the two-way radio and from Nicole's voice he heard that she was concerned.
"I will go see what they want…. but just stay out of sight, ok?" Nicole said.
Nathan was about to say something when Nicole blurted out "fuck" and was cut off.
For a girl who very seldom swore, Nathan was now alarmed not by the word, but by the tone of her voice. A cold shiver ran down his spine. Something was wrong. Riaan and Chantel, who stood next to Nathan, both had the same feeling and heard the fear in her voice. She was in trouble.
Two gunshots, clear as day, rang out across the fields and reverberated against the koppies. Nathan recognized the caliber: 9mm, definitely. Turning to Chantel and Riaan he told them to get everyone off the koppie and to the meeting point.
Shit was going down today, no doubt about it, he thought to himself.
Within minutes they had most of their belongings together, but by then Nathan and Hannes had already descended the koppie and made their way through the fields and towards the Kruger house. He needed to see firsthand what was going on.
Exhausted from the run, Nathan and Hannes hid behind the wooden fence that bordered the Kruger house. The flashing blue lights of the Police vehicle had now been turned off and a ghostly silence hung over the farmhouse. All they could hear was the pool pump and the radio. Nathan then spotted them through the slats in the wooden fence. Two policemen were searching the house, shouting out to each other as they cleared room by room.
Taking out the Taurus 9mm Nicole had lent him, he checked it thoroughly. Hannes looked at it in surprise.
A secret fro
m the tribe no more!
"You stay here, I'll go look," Nathan said.
Both had the same concerns.
"If the cops had come to investigate something, why the gunfire if nothing was wrong?"
Hannes agreed; things seemed out of place. They had to find out what was going on.
Just then a rustle behind them sent Hannes into a state of fright as Nathan swung around instinctively, pointing the gun at Kate who had just crept closer. She was shaking, visibly frightened and in a state of shock.
"What's going on?" Nathan asked her in a whisper as she crouched down besides Hannes.
"I don't know; I just heard Nicole say the Police are here."
She was still in her swimsuit, dirty with a few scratches from hiding in the bush, and her foot was bleeding from where she had banged it against a rock.
"I spied on them first from the kitchen window. Then all of a sudden they shot Mr. Kruger with a stun-gun. When Nicole ran outside to see what was going on, they shot her too. That's when I ran," Kate said, still in shock.
The use of extreme force by the South African Police was very concerning, but this was by no means an isolated case, many corrupt officials had become a law unto themselves. Everyone knew the rumors; they just hoped it would never happen to them.
"Hannes, take Kate to the meeting point, there’s nothing you can do here. And get everyone ready to move out. If I'm not back in time, Riaan knows what to do," Nathan said.
"But what about you. You cannot handle this by yourself," Hannes replied.
"Just do it, ok! I can’t abandon Nicole and her father."
They hesitated.
"Go now," he said again as he began making his way around to the other side of the house.
Within seconds Hannes and Kate had slipped away into the fynbos and towards the mountain.
Now he could focus all his attention on removing the threat. Looking through a side window he managed to get a glimpse of the kitchen passage and noticed a body lying on the floor: Mr. Kruger, who had been handcuffed to the stove. Creeping along the side of the house to the next window, Nathan noticed Nicole's body slumped down in the entrance hall.
Coming out of the TV room a Policeman came into view; a stocky man in his early thirties who Nathan could tell knew how to handle himself, there was something different in his level of confidence. Turning around, Nathan raced back to the previous window to get a better look.
This man spelt danger. Nathan watched as the Policeman stood over Nicole - he was in no rush, feasting his eyes on her athletic body as she lay immobilized, wearing only shorts and a T-shirt. She was still alive. Taking her by the arms and without effort, he lifted her up over his shoulder and carried her towards the bedroom and out of sight.
With the other Policeman searching the garage and tool shed, it was time to strike. Nathan made his way as fast as he could over the patio, and through the sliding door towards the lounge.
It was the muffled scream that came from the bedroom that stopped Nathan in his tracks. Anger engulfed him as his blood turned cold. Within seconds he was at the bedroom door. He looked around the corner and saw Nicole's hands cuffed to the bed-frame as the Policeman held a pillow over her face. With his other hand he began to work at her shorts, trying to pull them off.
He was larger than Nathan had first expected, a heavy man not quite six foot. Nicole suddenly stopped struggling, much to the delight of the man who removed the pillow to look into her eyes. Putting his finger over her lips, he smiled at her to keep quiet. She no longer looked into his eyes, but past him to the doorway.
As he turned around, expecting to see his colleague, he was greeted by a blow to the side of his head. Nathan struck him with the pistol but was not fast enough to land the second blow. The Policeman ducked and counter-attacked, landing his own blow to Nathan's abdomen. He then launched himself at Nathan, as they exchanged blows and fell backwards into the cupboard.
Nicole screamed as she saw Nathan and the man fight.
But Nathan held on as the big man tried to use his superior strength to subdue him, but it was Nathans training in Kav Maga techniques that turned the tide. Nathan bit into the man's collarbone, as hard as he could, until he tasted blood.
The man pushed away from Nathan, grasping at his neck.
Now with both men on their feet, Nathan struck first with a well-placed kick to the man's groin, and it worked superbly, bringing the big man down to his knees, writhing in pain. Then, with all his might, Nathan punched for his larynx. With his air-supply now badly damaged, the Policeman grasped at his throat, unable to breathe. Nathan then kicked him in the side of the head, knocking him over. While the man struggled to recover, Nathan was behind him, locking his arm around the man's neck. He did a classic twist-and-snap-maneuver that severed the man's spinal cord.
Lifeless, he fell to the floor. He would never get up again.
Hearing a sound coming from the kitchen, Nathan dashed out of the room, gun in hand, as quickly as he could. He was prepared to kill again; all his training now returned so easily. Within a few seconds Nathan stood in the kitchen, watching the Policeman scavenge through the fridge. He froze when he heard Nathan, eyes fixed to the 9mm now pointed at his head.
Without any resistance he knew that Nathan had already taken out his partner.
"Down on your fucking knees," he commanded as the man dropped to comply.
"Hands behind your head," he spoke with venom.
Nathan walked towards him until his barrel touched the man's forehead.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" he asked.
"We have a search-warrant," he answered, still focused on Nathan's stare.
The officer was a white man in his late forties, and he was scared shitless.
"A search warrant gives you the right to do this? You fucking idiot! Do you think I'm a fool?"
Nathan pushed the barrel of the gun hard against the Policeman's forehead.
The man closed his eyes, waiting for the click.
"Your friend is dead; I killed him."
The policeman opened his eyes.
"Yes, I did. He was trying to rape my girlfriend. Is that what you Policemen do? Rape innocent girls, hey?" Nathan asked, demanding an answer.
"I know what you thinking, don't try it!"
Nathan could see the policeman was trying to sum him up, as it was probably his American accent that confused him.
Nathan looked to the left at Mr. Kruger, still unconscious and cuffed to the stove.
"If he dies, so do you," Nathan said.
"Is my dad ok?" Nicole screamed from the bedroom.
"Turn around and put your hands behind your back."
The police man turned.
"On your knees," Nathan commanded him.
The man sunk down to comply, as the blow struck him at the base of his skull. He slumped to the floor, out cold.
After retrieving the keys from the Policeman, Nathan released Mr. Kruger and secured the Policeman to the stove instead. He then dashed to Nicole to release her.
"Your Dad's alive, but you better go check up on him, quickly," Nathan said as she dashed to the kitchen to her father's side.
"Daddy, Daddy!" she cried, but he did not respond.
Nathan, however, returned to the handcuffed Policeman who had begun to regain consciousness. The man froze as he saw the Taser in Nathan's hands. A full blast from the weapon made the Policeman's body twist in pain and then collapse unconscious. He kept the current pulsating through the man's system, just to make sure.
Dark memories returned of his days in the IDF. It was going to be a long night and he needed some help.
Someone strong, who had a taste for tequila and a little revenge.
Chapter 23
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid is so confident while the intelligent is full of doubt."
Bertrand Russell
The sun had not even set on the day's events yet, when Kate arrived back at the house with Chantel and H
annes. She had dressed in something warm but still struggled to walk since she smashed her toe on a rock. Nathan had already moved the Police vehicle around to the back of the house and out of view.
The disheartening task of removing the bodies of the two dead German Sheppard’s, he accomplished on his own. Their bloodstains were still visible on the ground where they confronted the Policemen. He dug two holes under a willow tree, and buried them side by side. They deserved to be with each other in the end.
Nicole was still in a state, as her father had not regained consciousness yet. The blast from the Taser had been too much for him, he had always suffered from a weak heart. His vital signs were concerning but not life-threatening. However, her anger had swelled to the extent that she wanted to shoot the Policeman herself; now safely secured to a chair in the old garage.
"What's going on?" Kate asked as they came into the living room.
"You two stay here and help Nicole if she needs it, ok? Make her some coffee and help her clean up the mess they caused in the lounge."
"Let's go, quick, Hannes, I need your help with something," Nathan said while walking down the corridor towards the bedroom. Hannes noticed the 9mm tucked into the back of Nathan's trousers. Hannes froze when he saw the dead Policeman slumped to the side.
"Grab his legs," Nathan said.
This was the first dead body Hannes had ever touched; the lifeless weight in his hands was daunting. They struggled with the dead Policeman all the way along the corridor, out through the sliding door, and past the pool towards the garage, dropping his body once along the way and then by the door.
After Nathan opened the door they dragged him inside and past the second Policeman, who was tied to chair and stared at them in fear. Nathan had made it obvious that he was not finished interrogating the man, and soon he would plead for his life.
From the terror in the Policeman's eyes he was ready to talk, as he watched them dump his friend's lifeless body at the far end of the room. This was the first time he had seen the body, and realized his fate if he did not cooperate.
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