The familiar chill of fear brushed over Gia.
“You know anything about it?” Mantjies glanced at her. “What’s got her so mixed up?”
He had such an open, uncomplicated look of concern that Gia relaxed a little. “I— I think I might know why she’s upset,” said Gia at last. “I said something to her the other day. Asking about when she was younger, you know? I think it may have stirred up some stuff for her. Reminded her of things.”
Mantjies nodded, very serious. “Yes. She’s got a lot of things like that, but I’ve never seen her quite this bad.”
They were approaching the Annex now and Gia could see the guard waiting just inside the glass doors.
“I’ve been trying to find a chance to talk to her again,” she said. “Maybe I can figure out what’s bugging her.”
“Well, I hope so,” said Mantjies. “She won’t talk to me, I’ve tried.” He raised a hand in greeting at the guard, who opened the door. “Hey, Pikkie, how you doing?”
“Hey, Mantjies,” said the guard. “What’s up?”
“Could you let Grobbelaar here in? I know it’s only seniors after hours, but she’s just going up to the common room. Got a message for Lee.”
“Lee’s up there, sure,” said the guard. “No problem.” He held the door for Gia.
“I’ll go back then,” said Mantjies. “I think you’ll do better if I’m not around. Girl-talk, all of that.” He smiled, but Gia could see he was still concerned.
“Thanks,” she said. “Appreciate it.” She ignored the little wrench of disappointment as he turned and walked away from her.
-oOo-
Lee was sitting on a windowsill at the back of the seniors’ common room, her face towards the window. It was dark enough outside that Gia could see the cadet’s reflection in the black glass. She hesitated in the door.
There was no time to waste. Just now it would be lights out and she’d have to be back in her bed. Every hour that passed made it more likely she’d be found out. And tomorrow would be full of preparations for the Mere Delegation ceremony. She had to act now, plan or no plan. Which is how you got into this mess in the first place, but she pushed that thought away.
“Hi there. Um. Mind if I come in?”
Lee shook her head slightly. She seemed even paler than usual and there was something brittle about her as if it hurt her to move.
Gia walked closer feeling even more than normally awkward. She chose a chair then changed her mind about sitting in it. “I’m sorry if what I told you the other day upset you.”
“I’m okay.” Lee didn’t look at her. “Just had a rough day.”
“I just thought— I didn’t know if you knew about what the captain was doing. With Joseph. And it didn’t—it didn’t seem right. I didn’t know who else to go to.”
“I’m glad you told me.” Lee was looking at her now. “There’s a part of me that didn’t want to know. Can’t deny it. And maybe I’ve made myself blind to what’s been going on.” She crossed her arms and Gia noticed she was no longer wearing her bracelets.
Gia drew out the chair and sat in it. “The twitch?”
Lee winced at the word then nodded. “He promised me that he never would use it again. I thought—” She looked down. “He used to use it on me, you know. You’ve probably guessed. But he told me that it was because I’m so strong, in this.” She touched her forehead with one white-gloved finger. “He had to do it. That’s what he said. There was no other way to control my talent. And it worked.” A mere breath of a laugh escaped her, a laugh without the slightest trace of humour. “You know what’s funny? When you told me he’s using that machine again, on Joseph, I was jealous. It’s like there’s some part of me, deep inside that thinks— That it was proof of how— That I was special, or something.” Lee put her hands on her knees and spread the fingers wide apart, staring down at them. “It’s like I still believe all that stuff he used to tell me. ‘I’m doing it for you. Because there’s no one else quite like you. The pain is a door and I’m the only one who can hold it open for you.’ I wanted it to be true.”
Gia sat still. The slightest movement, a single word, might push Lee over the edge into the unknown. The cadet was still speaking, but softly now. “Maybe he’s right. He taught me how to be human, after all. His methods work. I got control. Closed my mind to all that unwanted input.” Her eyes found Gia’s again. “It was like coming out of a cage. But it’s different, with them. The little ones. I don’t care what he does to me, but I don’t think I can let him do the same to them. Do you understand?”
“I think so.”
The two girls looked at one another for a long moment. Then Lee straightened a little. “You came here for some reason, didn’t you? Not just to hear me whine.”
Now for it. Too late to back out now. “I found something you should see.” Gia reached into her shirt and brought out the folded printouts.
“What is this?” Lee took the papers from her, frowning.
“Just— Read them.” Gia’s heart was beating fast and she felt slightly dizzy. She watched as Lee read through the printouts, paging through them, scanning quickly at first then slowing down. The cadet’s face was shuttered, focused on what she was reading. Then she lowered the pages.
“Where did you get these?” Her eyes widened. “It’s you, isn’t it? This security breach they’re all going on about. It’s you.”
Gia nodded and Lee slid down from the windowsill. “I don’t understand.” Then more sharply, she said, “Explain. Where did you get these? And how?”
“I— Uh.” Gia felt herself beginning to tremble. The blood pounded in her ears and she wanted to turn away, block out the cadet’s accusing stare. “Before I came here—” Careful, now. Don’t tell her too much, or it’ll all fall apart. She took a breath and tried again. “Before I came here, I met a man.”
Lee stood over her. “Go on.” She was calmer now, but still with that frightening intensity.
“A man who used to work here. He was one of the—you call them brakke. Used to be a werewolf. When he heard I was coming here, enrolling in the Youth Brigade, he told me about the Children’s Unit.” The words came a little easier now. “He gave me a piece of paper, with a number of passwords on it.”
Lee’s eyebrows went up. “Why would he do that?”
“He used to work on the computers here. And he knew that I would want to— That I would not like—”
“This has something to do with your brother, doesn’t it? The one that Mrs Solomons was so sure would be talented, but who turned out to be straighter than a candle.”
“Yes,” said Gia. Careful, now. “He—I think—I was so worried about what might happen to him here, if he tested positive. It made me realise that there were other children who weren’t so lucky.”
“I see.”
“So, when I got a chance, I used those passwords. People don’t change them when they’re supposed to, you know—” You’re babbling. Get back to the point. “I got into some accounts. The more recent letters, the ones about Mienkie and Lungile, those were from Mrs Solomons. And the other one—the one about—you. That letter’s from the captain’s files.”
Lee tapped the printouts. “And what were you planning to do with these?”
“I don’t know.” Gia shivered. “I didn’t really know what I was looking for. I just wanted to find out what was going on, with the children. Maybe find some way of— I don’t know. Getting them out of here.”
There was a long silence. At last, Lee nodded. “I see.” She folded the papers slowly. “And why did you decide to show them to me?”
“Because you had to know.” The words came rushing out of her. “Because it’s wrong. What they did to you. They lied to you. They made your parents think you were dead. Or as good as dead. They made you think your parents just— Gave you to them. That’s wrong! And they’re doing the same to Mienkie and the others. And making you part of it. And—” Gia had to stop, get her breath back. “There�
�s nothing more I can do here. I’m going to have to get out and I couldn’t just go, without—maybe—” She looked at Lee. “You’re the only one who can do anything.”
“You think I can stop it all?” Lee ran a finger over the printouts, now neatly folded. “Get them out of there? Mienkie and the rest of them?”
“Yes,” said Gia. “I think you can.”
Gas
The next morning Gia kept expecting a hand on her shoulder, a voice challenging her. She told herself that even if Jooste took the pills to Doctor Scubbe, that would just cast a general suspicion over anyone who had access to the girls’ toilets. Not her in particular.
But what about fingerprints?
And then there was the computer security. From what she’d seen, Special Branch knew which computer had been used. They even knew Brakman was involved. What if they brought him in and he told all he knew? Or if Abrahams remembered Gia had been using that machine? But it seemed as if the Mere Delegation ceremony might buy her some time. All the senior staff, including Doctor Scubbe, were involved. It dominated the conversation at breakfast and, to her dismay, Gia found herself the centre of attention.
“You going to shake hands with them?” Motsepe wanted to know. “You better be careful. Those selkies they like to drag you under the water and then pin you down with a stone ’til they rot.”
Vetkoek laughed. “That’s crocodiles, Motsepe. Get it right.”
“Is your uniform ready?” Cadet Mayer looked her critically up and down. “You better polish your shoes too. You can’t go looking like that.”
Jooste and Govender seemed content to glower at her from a distance, which suited Gia. She didn’t think she could handle any more stress that morning.
A new worry had occurred to her. It seemed dreadfully likely that whatever it was that Mandla and the doctor were planning, it would happen today, at the ceremony. It fitted with everything she knew about their methods. A public gathering with hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. Lots of media attention. And Luxulo Langa was involved. The perfect setting for a foiled terrorist attempt to make Special Branch look good. She’d sat up late into the night holding the die, whispering Nico’s name, but the die had never stirred.
Gia went through the daily routine hardly knowing what she did. There was some free time after lunch, as data capture had been cancelled for the day. Nobody explained why, but Gia guessed it must have something to do with the security investigation.
At last it was time. She showered and put on her newly ironed uniform and her now highly polished shoes. Out in the parking lot, Cadet Mantjies met her, tugging uncomfortably at the collar of his formal shirt. “The car’s not ready yet,” he said. “We’re to wait here.”
The parking lot was buzzing with activity. Rows of trucks stood, engines rumbling. Constables lined up to get inside, orders were barked, radios crackled. Gia spotted Constable Robertson and, seeing him smile in recognition, went over to him. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Is this all for the ceremony?”
“Sort of.” He hitched a bag higher on his shoulder. “There’s been some kind of a tip-off. Something’s going to go down on the Parade side and we plan to be ready for it.”
“Belle Gente tricks,” said one of the other constables. “We’ll deal with them, no problem.”
Gia felt the blood drain from her face. Robertson touched her arm. “Hey now, take it easy. We’ve got it all under control. Nothing’s going to happen, we’ll stop them well before they get a chance to do anything, okay?”
Gia nodded and backed away. I was right. It’s happening today. She looked around, trying to see either Doctor Scubbe or Mandla, but too many people were milling about. They’ve got Billy and Spyker to do some stupid thing, plan some attack and they’re going to—
“Grobbelaar!” Mantjies was waving at her. The car had arrived. Gia got in, still looking around her at the crowd. There. Doctor Scubbe, getting into another of the Special Branch cars. But she could not see Mandla anywhere.
“Afternoon, cadet.”
“Oh! Afternoon, sir.” She’d not noticed Warrant Officer Naudé in the front passenger seat. “Is the doctor coming with us, to the Waterfront?” she whispered to Mantjies, who was trying to find room for his long legs behind the driver’s seat. “No,” he said. “Grand Parade. Doctor’s going to be on the stage with Mr Langa. Helped him write his speech. I wish I could be on that side of things too, but I can’t wait to see those delegates.”
The car moved through the ranks of policemen, weaving its way among the trucks and then out through the gate.
-oOo-
Gia did not have much time to worry on the way to the Waterfront as Naudé kept her and Mantjies busy reciting their part of the ceremony. The radio was on, but the newsreader was just repeating information Gia already knew, about the history of the ceremony and the names of the various participants.
At last they reached their destination, the parking area near Nobel Square where a group of Waterfront security guards met them. They waited for Captain Witbooi’s car to arrive, then set off past the back of the Alfred Mall, with the security guards walking ahead through the already considerable crowd. There were many people with cameras and microphones—the news crews, Gia supposed.
As they neared the pierhead the crowd thickened and they had to wait while the security guards cleared the way. Gia had never seen the Waterfront like this, not even on New Year’s Eve. This was not the usual crowd of tourists and shoppers. At first she couldn’t decide what made the difference. Maybe it was the intent way everybody watched Gia’s party. While there was a murmur of conversation, it seemed subdued and somehow, expectant.
Then she saw the troll, leaning against a hotdog stand and eating something out of a paper bag. Trolls were legal, of course, but she’d only seen them working. Guarding banks or nightclubs, or doing roadwork. Never just hanging around in a public space.
Now she noticed similar figures throughout the crowd. A man, or what seemed to be a man, bundled up in layers of jerseys and scarves despite the sunny afternoon. Only his eyes were visible and the stubs of horns on the pale strip of forehead between the scarves. An old man leaning on his wife’s arm, ordinary enough in his faded tweed jacket, but with scars where his ears should have been and the tips of teeth protruding over his lower lip. A little further along, an elegant woman held a parasol to shield her paper-white skin. Her eyes were hidden behind enormous dark glasses, but her thin-lipped mouth was far too wide. There were small people too, like a group of tiny, lumpy men and women who appeared to be made of crumbling soil, as well as quite a few catlike creatures. These reminded Gia of Paddavis, the tricky little hob-goblin she'd discovered hiding in her own home, although that felt like a lifetime ago.
Gia had never seen so many magicals in one place, out in public, in broad daylight. Yet they seemed peaceful enough. At the pierhead there was a temporary barrier that had been erected to keep the crowd out. The guards let Gia’s group through and they were shown to the area where the Mere delegates were expected to come ashore. An open space with broad, wooden steps that led down to the waterside, where usually, the Robben Island ferries waited for their customers. Now it was nearly unrecognisable, decked out with streamers and slender flags that snapped in the breeze.
A small stage had been set up in front of the African Trading Post building. It had a painted backdrop depicting Table Mountain and a big electronic sign with the words “Cape Town Luvs the Sea” scrolling in red letters across its length. Loud music played through the stacks of speakers on either side of this stage.
A small woman in a navy blue suit rushed up to Captain Witbooi. “Captain. Thank goodness. The delegates are approaching. We think they’ll be exactly on time. If you could take your places here—”
They were brought to the top of the steps, where a red carpet had been set. It led down the steps nearly to the water’s edge.
“And now we wait,” said the captain. “No, man,” he said to Naudé, who
seemed set to go over the details yet again. “I’m sure these two know their stuff. Let’s just relax and enjoy ourselves now. Right, Grobbelaar?”
Gia returned his smile with an effort. Where was Nico now? Was he here, somewhere, with his captors? Or were they at the Grand Parade? It seemed likely that whatever was to happen, would be there, at the Parade, where Doctor Scubbe had gone. But she still had no idea what Mandla’s trick was, and what Billy and Spyker were up to. Nico had tried to explain it to her. He’d showed her two cards, she remembered, one of a painting, the other of a light bulb. But what did that mean?
The music stopped and an announcer’s voice came on. The sound was distorted and Gia could only catch some of the words. Something about the size of the crowd at the Grand Parade and the fact that Luxulo Langa and Kavitha were expected to appear on the stage there at any moment.
“What’s going on there?” said Mantjies. Somebody was talking loudly to the Waterfront security guards and it looked as if they were trying to force their way through the temporary barrier.
“It looks like Doctor Scubbe’s lot.” Captain Witbooi put up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. “But he’s supposed to be on the Parade side.” He strode off towards the barrier, where Gia could see a small group of Special Branch constables. They turned at the captain’s arrival and after a few moments the security guards stood back and allowed the constables to pass. The Special Branch group was armed and wore more than the usual amount of protective equipment. Helmets and body armour instead of the bulletproof jackets they usually wore on patrol. Doctor Scubbe walked just ahead of them, talking intently into a radio.
“I’m in position now at the pierhead,” Gia heard him say as he drew near. “You just stay where you are. It may still go according to plan and then it’s essential there is somebody on site there.”
Wolf Logic Page 28
