Dawn of Defiance

by Dempsey, Albert

  Nathan went over to the policeman tied to the chair. He was still gagged. His eyes scanned the room and focused on Hannes, who was at least a head taller than Nathan.

  "I snapped his fucking little neck," Nathan whispered into his ear.

  The Policeman began to brace himself for pain as he was sure his fate would now be the same.

  "Where I come from, Police protect and serve the people; they don't rape and murder," Nathan said while he walked around and stood behind him.

  Hannes was big but he was no brute. Perhaps it was his size that Nathan wanted to use to intimidate the Policeman. Walking around to face the man, Nathan paused for a while, just staring into the man's eyes.

  "So, Sergeant Gerhard van Staden, or so it says here," Nathan said flipping open his official Police ID.

  The officer just nodded.

  "I cannot find any ID on your partner, but then I suppose he'll never need it again."

  The officer remained silent, trying to figure out how best to answer. Nathan ripped the duct tape from the man's mouth in one painful movement. He winced in pain and took a deep breath through his mouth.

  "He's from the Special Branch, I was assigned to assist him in this investigation, as I know the area. We're looking for a missing girl."

  "Really? What's her name?" Nathan asked.

  "A white girl, Kathryn Baxter, she went missing a few days ago."

  Nathan shook his head in disbelief. Hannes looked at him in the same way.

  "Why this house and what has this place got to do with her?" Nathan leaned closer to the man.

  "This farm belongs to her boyfriend's father; we tracked him through the checkpoint where our surveillance cameras caught him with a female passenger on the back of his motorbike. He returned without her, so that's why we think she is here."

  "Interesting theory, but why the extreme force?" Nathan inquired, giving the man some relief.

  It now began to look like a genuine investigation. Nathan didn't trust Kate either, so perhaps he was telling the truth.

  "The girl is wanted in connection with drug-trafficking, and this is a very serious charge. That's why we're here; to arrest her."

  Hannes and Nathan just looked at each other, but it was Hannes who shook his head from side to side.

  "Go fetch her!" he said to Hannes. "Bring Chantel along; don't tell them anything."

  While he went away Nathan covered the dead Policeman's body with a plastic car cover.

  "You better let me go, you are in serious trouble." Gerhard said.

  Nathan looked at him in silence for a moment before the door opened. Kate and Chantel came in, visibly shaken by the day's events. Both girls fixed their gaze on the Policeman tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Nathan walked around with a hammer in his hands.

  Kate began to shiver even though she was dressed in something warm. She gasped when she saw the dead body at the far side of the room.

  "There you are. You're in serious trouble, Miss Baxter," the officer said.

  Kate looked at Nathan then back at the policeman. Chantel was feeling very uncomfortable and Nathan could see it.

  "I believe you deal in AKA," Nathan said, hitting Kate full force with the charges.

  She took a step back but bumped into Hannes, who stood as a sentry at the door. It was certain that tonight all her secrets would come out.

  "Is that true?" Nathan asked louder.

  Keeping silent was always a sure sign of guilt.

  "It's not like that," she replied.

  Kate looked away for a moment trying to gather her thoughts.

  Fuck, they found me, she thought to herself.

  "Yes, it is, and let me just say that harboring a fugitive carries a seven year jail sentence. Not to mention resisting arrest and the murder of a Policeman. You're all in serious trouble," Gerhard said as he looked around at Chantel who stood totally unresponsive. She had after all witnessed and experienced far worst treatment than this.

  The Policeman looked back at Kate who had gone into shock. He then looked at Nathan who leaned against the workbench, still holding his hammer.

  "If you do not release me immediately, then you'll be charged with kidnapping, stealing a firearm and obstructing justice. Which, let me just say, carries a long jail term. So, you’d better release me now!" he said to Nathan with all the authority he could still muster.

  It was true, they had done all that Gerhard had said, and Kate knew she was somehow responsible. Once again the dark clouds closed over her and she began to shiver, feeling her life was now over. There was no way she would get out of this. Hannes did not know what to do either as he swallowed hard. He liked Kate and wanted to protect her, but this was out of his hands.

  Nathan, on the other hand, was now beginning to fume, for Kate had knowingly mislead Nicole and the Kruger's by telling them only a fraction of what had really happened. She had put Nicole in harm's way. Yet, something still did not feel right to Nathan.

  "Mr. Policeman, please explain to me the excessive use of force once again, and the attempted rape of my girlfriend. Was that also part of your arresting procedure?" Nathan asked.

  "What!" Kate exclaimed.

  "Yes, it's true," Nathan said, as he looked into the Policeman's face. "They tried to rape Nicole."

  Chantel too had been threatened with rape before.

  "You tried to rape Nicole?" Chantel asked the Policeman as she stood next to Nathan.

  Nathan noticed something in Chantel, she had an anger he had not seen before.

  "No, not him, that one over there," Nathan said pointing to the dead body under the car cover.

  The policeman swallowed hard, knowing it could have been true.

  "I caught him trying to get Nicole's shorts off while she was handcuffed to the bed."

  Kate went over to have a closer look as something about this one seemed familiar. An old dirty car cover had been draped partially over his body and face, but his shoes stuck out. Hannes also went over and lifted the cover to see the face of a rapist for himself. After all, his own sister had been raped once and he vowed to avenge her someday if he ever found the man. Kate recoiled in shock when she saw dead man’s face.

  "Dmitri, what the fuck!" she shouted as she looked at him.

  "You work for Kazak, don't you, you lying, fucking asshole!" Kate reacted.

  Chantel recoiled a step back, away from the Policeman, as Kate confronted him face to face.

  That was the end of all half-truths. Kate confessed to delivering AKA for Kazak to his up-market clients to repay her debt. But the revelation from the captured officer that Kate had actually been sold into prostitution by Kazak to the Nigerians to pay off his debts, was a shock to them all. Nathan watched her move around the shed; she was looking for something to hit him with. She too had anger in her soul he had not seen before.

  "Fuck you! You're part of this; you're all the same!" She said.

  Nathan had to take control again, he had seen enough.

  "Right, this is what's going to happen," he said as he looked at Kate for a moment, then back at the officer.

  "This asshole is clearly a liability – we’ll take care of this, you two go back into the house and get everyone to meet down here. And tell them we're leaving."

  "Hey, what about me? What are you going to do with me?" the Policeman pleaded.

  Nathan turned around, holding the hammer. He looked at it for a moment then put it down on the bench to grab the Taser.

  "No, please don't, pl…."

  Nathan kept his finger on the trigger as the man shook under the high voltage that soared though his body. Releasing the trigger, the man slumped unconscious in his chair. Kate and Chantel stared at the man for a few seconds. It was not the first time Chantel had seen this effect.

  With that Kate and Chantel left the garage and made their way back to the house.

  "We have to move fast, we only have a few hours," Nathan said to Hannes as they quickly sprang into action.

  T
he plan Nathan devised unfolded as the evening progressed. Within half an hour they had loaded two bodies into the back of the police van, the one unconscious, the other not. Then off on a gravel road for about 35 kilometers till they found an auxiliary side road leading off into the deep bush. They followed it to a remote location and then pulled over.

  It was pitch black outside, only the stars shone brightly. Leaving the van idling with its lights on, Hannes and Nathan got out to release their cargo. Nathan stood holding the Policeman's own shotgun.

  Gerhard van Staden was now awake and he knew he couldn’t hide behind his Police badge anymore. Both men had been stripped of their uniforms. Yet only Gerhard had an official Police issue iBand and identification. They took it.

  Dmitri’s body was dragged out of the van by Van Staden, who followed every order Nathan gave him without question. The bush was thick all around them except for a small patch big enough to dig a grave. Nathan stepped forward, raising the shotgun to the Policeman's groin.

  "When we go, you dig a deep fucking hole and put that rapist in it. If you ever come back to the farm again, I will kill you myself, ok, and very fucking slowly."

  With that Hannes threw the shovel down at Gerhard’s feet. He actually wanted to bury it into the man's skull himself, but it was against his religion to kill. Perhaps God would turn a blind eye this night, just for once.

  With that they drove away, leaving the man in total darkness. He was lost in a world far away from his own, and it would be a two day hike for him to reach the main road, but he was alive and by all rights he shouldn't be. The last sight of him was as a barefoot, sad, semi-naked man, standing in his underpants, with a T-shirt and a shovel in hand.

  The drive back to the Kruger's farm was done in under half an hour. Driving a stolen Police vehicle with guns and equipment was an extremely high risk. But at this stage it didn’t matter, Nathan had far too many thoughts racing through his mind.

  The legal ramifications faded more and more as the need to survive grew stronger. Now they had to stay together and one step ahead of those who wanted to harm them.

  It was imperative that they relocate to the next safe haven he had already selected, preferably the dunes close to Lamberts Bay. Nicole had confirmed that it was an ideal location, remote but livable, if they had supplies and they could fish. He would miss her, but he could no longer place Nicole and her family in harm's way.

  Arriving back, just before midnight, the entire group had already descended the mountain and gathered around the pool area, relaxing. They had no idea what Nathan and Hannes had just done.

  "You cannot be serious, Nathan! Leaving now?" Nicole asked as he approached her.

  "We have to move, Nicole, you know that!"

  She did not like the idea but somehow began to accept the inevitable. He looked at everyone gathered around; they all had the same look of fear on their faces. It was the same look they had on the night they left Kibbutz Carmen in a hurry. The responsibility of survival placed on Nathan was beginning to bear heavily on his shoulders.

  "How is your father?" he asked Nicole, who had just returned from checking up on him.

  "He's awake now, but I gave him a sedative to relax. But all signs are good; he'll be ok."

  Nathan and Hannes were both on edge.

  "Ok everyone, we have a two hour drive and we have to get moving, so get your things together and meet me around the back."

  Nicole did not like this, why was he being so stubborn?

  "Listen, why don't you all get a few hours' sleep in the shed tonight? You can always leave before first light, if you must," Nicole pleaded with them.

  Perhaps she was right; they needed to prepare themselves properly before just fleeing away in the middle of the night. Anyway, he could not abandon Nicole now, she had also suffered much.

  "Ok, but we remain ready to go first thing tomorrow."

  They all seemed happy with the decision and a sense of calm returned.

  "I will see you in the barn shortly, and Riaan, please keep everyone together and ready to move out just in case we see any more blue lights," Nathan said as he followed Nicole and Kate inside.

  With Mr. Kruger now fast asleep they went to the kitchen where Nicole put on the kettle.

  "What about me?" Kate said.

  Nathan thought about it for a while.

  "Well, you have a choice; you can either stay here or go back to Cape Town to Nicole's brother. Either way, with an arrest warrant it's just a matter of time till they send someone else."

  Kate knew the cold truth about her situation, and if she stayed on the farm she would be arrested. Anyway, they had traced her through Warren so he was out of the question.

  Just then Hannes arrived at the kitchen door. Nicole jumped up to let him in. He was exhausted and struggled to regain his breath.

  "She’s gone; Chantel is nowhere to be found!"

  Nathan stood up.

  "What? No ways, you're kidding!"

  "No, Nathan, we've all been searching for her. Riaan even went back to the camp to see if he could find her, but she is nowhere, and one more thing," he said with concern, "the 9mm from the dead Policeman is missing."

  This was serious and Nathan new it. He just hoped she was not off to commit suicide. Chantel had that aspect about her; something was not right with her.

  "We'll wait till sunrise, and then we leave with or without her," Nathan said, now fuming. He could not believe she would do something as irresponsible as that.

  With that he stormed out of the kitchen to search for her himself. Nathan was sick and tired of Chantel always disappearing like that.

  He would need to get firm with her.

  Chapter 24

  "Politicians are merely carefully groomed leaders, promoting an accepted and branded ideology, promising a better life for those in poverty. Yet they drive in chauffeur driven cars with armed guards and live in luxury homes far away from those who voted them into power. They sell the lie until the next election then promise more wonderful changes that never truly liberate those who voted for them. Ignorance is the veil by which they rule, keeping the masses entertained and on the borderline of survival."

  Unknown

  The Presidential convoy of the UWN drove along Belliard Road towards Regent Boulevard, all the while Vargän and Lucia sat in silence within the black limousine. Vargän had suffered another diplomatic setback as his peace initiative with Israel looked as if it would end in tatters once again regarding the Temple.

  Lucia looked out of the window, Brussels seemed surreal this time of year with its old buildings and golden statues; the tapestry of civilization far removed from true reality. As of late there were no more ordinary days, as everyday they had to deal with one crisis after the next. It was a far simpler world back then when he used to be a younger man. So many fond memories of his days in Parc de Brusse with Dominique, a French girl his parents had disapproved of.

  Here it comes, he's about to explode, Lucia thought

  "Fourteen dead, thirty six wounded, is that correct?" Vargän had reached breaking point as this was the third attack in a week.

  No longer was there any contact made with the Israelis; the terrorists simply vented their outrage against the Temple Project via rockets and suicide bombers. Israelis were now too afraid to venture out on the streets again.

  "I want a meeting with Ahmad Nassar today, and I don't want any excuses," Vargän said, looking at Lucia who had already anticipated the request.

  Everyday had a catastrophe on some level, with the latest earthquake and political infighting, came the administration of the UWN office and the bureaucratic process of signing documents and showing face to a particular delegation, but it all took time and it kept Vargän from his main objectives.

  He had aged ten years since he became Chancellor; his side burns had started to go gray and he noticed tiredness in his eyes every time he looked in the mirror. There were very few moments to relax with his family, as it was meeting after
meeting.

  "The Israelis expect a response or they threaten to take things into their own hands," Lucia said, knowing full well Vargän was aware of the situation.

  "Yes, I know and that's the last thing we need right now, and fuck, the Arabs are looking for any excuse to declare their Jihad," Vargän said as he smiled at the crowd now waving at his convoy.

  "If we respond with a military strike against the terrorists, we will antagonize the Mukhabarat, and that my friend, will just add fuel to the fire."

  The Egyptian secret service was pro-Islamic and blatantly anti-Israeli.

  "Yes, we will, but still a clear message needs to be sent," Lucia declared.

  With time running out and the casualty count climbing, the Israeli radicals were themselves preparing for a strike against the Egyptians, which would only result in more hostilities.

  "That god-damn Temple is the cause of all of this. You know we have to honor our treaty; we have no other choice," Vargän said as the car descended below the massive office complex of the UWN.

  It was work as usual with a day full of meetings and diplomatic fallout. He was not in the mood for this anymore. Why could they not accept the Temple and give the peace treaty a chance to mature. Vargän was certain the Arabs wanted to keep the Israelis from completing their Temple as a sure sign that Islam had triumphed over Judaism.

  By allowing the two Temples to stand side by side would be the ultimate peace treaty. An objective he wanted to keep while still head of the UWN. Already respected as an exceptional peace facilitator, Vargän was determined to make this part of his everlasting legacy, before he retired.

  "Cancel all my meetings for this morning; I need to speak to President Omar Hassan Ali a.s.a.p.," Vargän said as he greeted Helen, his liaison officer.

  Walking at a brisk pace he made his way through the fortified office complex, past check points and office personnel. Everyone stood up from their desks as a sign of respect when he entered a room.

  Lucia still followed, but at a distance, observing how the staff went out of their way to greet him.

  Vargän had made much progress from the early days when he was still doing his internship at the United Nations. Those were such simple times. But now he had turned into a great statesman, and his age was beginning to show. The weight of Chancellor bore heavily on his shoulders.