Heist - Element of Surprise

Q wondered if Thando was right. Would Steve return in three weeks? Was he really involved with the Godfather? She didn’t know. But she couldn’t explain away the transfer of money to an offshore account. She tried to be optimistic for her friend’s sake, but she didn’t have a good feeling about this.

She heard a knock at the door and she looked up. Khaya Luvo, Q’s high school sweetheart, was standing on her doorway, wearing a full security uniform complete with a bulletproof vest. He was wearing a belt holster with two guns in it. Fortunately, he wasn’t carrying a machine gun, like many armored trucks security guards usually do.

‘Don’t tell me, you were in the neighbourhood and you thought you’d come by and say hi!’ Q said.

Khaya walked in. He closed the door. ‘It’s nice to see you too, Q.’

Q pointed at the chair in front of her desk. ‘You’re gonna scare my colleagues with your gear or worst you gonna make criminals think we have money in our offices.’

He sat down. ‘I don’t have much time. I have a problem. Well, it’s not really my problem, but for some odd reason I’ve inherited it.’

Q was silent, listening.

‘You know I drive armored vans now,’ he said.

‘I heard.’

‘I just found out that there’s a group of people who are planning a cash-in-transit heist.’

Q stopped him by the wave of her hands. ‘Have you contacted the police?’

‘I can’t.’

‘Why not?’

Khaya shifted in his seat. ‘The guy I usually travel with seemed a little fidgety, a little worried, nervous even. So I confronted him, but he wouldn’t tell me what his problem was until I threatened to report him to our boss. Then he told me that someone approached him and forced him to be part of a cash-in-transit heist.’

‘Forced him?’

He nodded. ‘They threatened his family. But he still said no, so they kidnapped his wife. That’s the reason we can’t tell our manager because he’ll change the route, maybe cancel this trip, even fire him.’

‘And you thought I would do what?’

Khaya took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. ‘I don’t know. I guess I needed some advice. And please don’t say the police, because they’ll involve our bosses and if this cash-in-transit heist doesn’t happen Tim’s wife is dead.’

‘How do you know he’s not lying?’ Q asked, raising her eyebrows.

Khaya took out his cell phone. He opened a video, pressed play, and placed the phone on the desk in front of Q.

The image on the screen came to life. A white woman sat awkwardly on the floor. She was gagged and blindfolded with soiled cloths. Her hands were tied behind her back. A man appeared on the screen and removed the gag. Q couldn’t see his face; he had his back turned towards the camera. He instructed her to state her name. When she didn’t obey, he struck her on the face with the back of his hand. She screamed, fell on her side and struggled back to a sitting position. The man instructed her again to state her name. The man had a thick accent that Q couldn’t place. Perhaps from Eastern Europe, she thought.

‘Ann Jacobs,’ the woman on the screen said. On the screen, her voice came out as squeaky mechanical sound. The video was not of good quality. Q guessed that it was shot with a cell phone camera. After the woman said her name, the video came to an end.

Khaya reached for his phone.

‘That was the first video they sent him.’

‘You mean there’s more?’

‘On one of them she was tortured.’

Q leaned on the desk. ‘You can’t go through with this; you could be killed in the crossfire. You see what they’ve done with Tim’s wife. You have to think about your wife and children.’ She lifted her handset.

Khaya ended the call by pressing the switch hook and he kept his hand there on the cradle of the phone.

‘If you tell the police, the news will reach the Godfather and then there’s nothing you could do to save Tim and his family.’

The mention of the Godfather arrested Q’s attention. She placed the receiver back to its cradle.

‘What does the Godfather have to do with any of this?’

‘Everything.’ He stood and paced around the office. ‘You know Vojta?’ He turned and faced her.

She nodded. ‘Of course I know him.’

‘He’s the one who approached my friend. He works for the Godfather.’

Emil Vojta was a South African citizen originally from the Czech Republic who’d been linked to the Godfather on numerous occasions. The other reason they were often linked was because they were both former Czech Republic citizens.

‘You have to contact the police! These men are dangerous.’

‘No I can’t. The Godfather has so many police in his back pocket.’

‘This is bigger than you. This is bigger than any of us!’

Khaya walked to the window and looked out as if he was scanning the peripheral for something or someone. He closed the blinds and just stood there.

‘Is someone following you?’ Her chair was now turned around, facing Khaya.

He turned to her, still leaning on the wall. He didn’t respond. The way he looked at her sent chills ridding up her spine.

‘Oh my gosh! Really?’ She stared at the window as if she could see through the blinds to whomever could be out there staring through her office window with binoculars.

‘We’re just gonna have to be careful, that’s all.’

Q nodded. ‘I know someone who can help us.’

‘Can we trust him?’

‘Absolutely,’ she assured him. ‘When is this cash-in-transit planned for?’

‘Two weeks from today.’

‘I was hoping for more time.’ She felt a sharp panic that had developed somewhere within her gut rise up to her chest.

Khaya walked around until he stood in front of the desk. ‘Thanks, Q. I didn’t know who else to turn to.’

Khaya clearly has no inkling that she was panicking. She forced a smile. ‘Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t done anything.’

Khaya gave her a weak smile and started leaving.

Q called out to him. He turned.

‘I need the copy of the video.’

He nodded. ‘I’ll email it to you.’

Q watched him go. She placed her hand on her chest and took deep breaths in and out, in an effort to calm her nerves. She had no idea how she would help him. She was no superwoman and she knew nothing about guns and hijackings and kidnapping but she had a friend who did and she knew she could trust him. He would be able to help them. She reached for her phone and dialed Craig’s number from memory. Even though he was with the police, Q knew there was no way on earth he was in the Godfather’s back pocket. No way at all.

Dead or Alive

As soon as Agent Forster left the building, Q picked up her phone and dialed Craig.

‘Thank you very much, Craig, for throwing me under the bus,’ she said, as soon as the phone was picked up.

‘I have no idea what—’

‘Oh please, don’t pretend you don’t know what you did,’ she said cutting him off. ‘I had a visit from Agent Forster.’

‘Oh…’

‘Explain yourself!’

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice. They threaten to suspend me.’

‘You couldn’t warn me?’

Craig said nothing.

‘Start from the beginning.’ She took a deep breath and leaned back on her chair. ‘Is Steve in trouble?’

‘While I was doing the background check on your friend Steve—’

‘He’s not my friend,’ she said, interrupting him.

‘I had a visit from the Hawks who were asking me all sorts of questions about him. They told me that they would report me to my station commander if I didn’t tell them why I was snooping around their case.’

‘Their case? I don’t understand.’

‘Steve is in trouble. He’s involved with the notorious Czech businessman that the Hawks have been trying to nail for years now without any luck. And from what I could find out, Steve cut a deal with them so that he won’t be charged.’ He paused. ‘But now he’s disappeared.’

‘Excuse me? What? What do you mean he’s disappeared?’ she said in a whisper as if afraid that someone might be listening in.

Craig took her cue; he also lowered his voice. ‘Yep. No one can find him. The Hawks don’t know whether he’s dead or whether he’s skipped the country. All they know is that they cannot find him.’

Q was silent, assimilating it all. Steve involved with the Czech mafia? No, she corrected herself, the Czech Godfather. The most dangerous man in the country. Anyone who double-crossed him died and the police could never link anything back to him, hence he’d never been charged.

She began to worry. Steve’s disappearance was cause for concern, especially if he was involved with the Godfather.

She wondered if Thando knew anything about the disappearance. She had not said anything to her about it. She shook her head. Craig must be mistaken, maybe—

‘Did Forster say anything about me?’ Craig asked, speaking normal again.

‘What?’

‘Forster.’

‘He didn’t say much. I think he was trying to intimidate me.’

Craig laughed. ‘Intimidate you? Really? He should have asked me how to approach you. You’re not easily intimidated.’

‘You still owe me for throwing me under the bus, but thank you for this information.’

‘Does that mean you’re no longer gonna set me up with your hot friend?’

‘Exactly.’

She ended the conversation with Craig and called Thando. She asked her where Steve was. Thando told her that Steve left the country two days ago on a business trip oversees. He won’t be back for another three weeks. Q took down the details that Steve had left. The country, the hotel name and the business he was visiting. She ended the call with Thando who clearly had no idea of what was going on. She was about to do some investigation on Steve’s trip when her phone rang. She lifted the handset.

‘Q, Steve has left the country with all our money.’ It was Sbu, he spoke before Q could even say hello. ‘The company is bankrupt. He transferred all our money to an offshore account.’

Q didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know why Sbu had decided to call her with all of this information. Maybe it was because they were now friends. She  didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the challenge she had been presented with. No one asked her, but she knew that if she didn’t do it no one else would. So she decided she would find Steve. Wherever he was, whether he was dead or alive she would find him.

50 Shades of Brown

Q woke up with an uneasy feeling that morning. She’s not one to worry, so waking up feeling as if her world was coming to an end was cause for concern. She tried to dismiss the feeling, but it just lingered on. As a result, she woke up earlier than usual. She wanted to call her mother and find out if everyone was fine back home. She picked up the phone, but put it back down when she noted the time displayed on the screen. She didn’t want to wake up her mom for nothing. She swung her legs off the bed and sat there for a moment, trying to think back to the previous day. What could have happened that gave rise to this anxiety? Her mind drew a blank. As far as she was concerned, she had no reason to worry.

By the time she left home, dressed in her favourite Zara yellow tight-fighting suit and powder blue peep toe Prada heels, the feeling had disappeared. She even forgot about it. But it returned when she got to work and found a man she didn’t recognise, wearing an ill-fitting suit waiting for her. He was an average man, nothing memorable about him. Nothing at all. He was of average height and average weight; he had brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a three-piece brown suit with a khaki shirt and a striped tie with different shades of brown. Q knew there was no way he could be from her past and there was no way he was in the entertainment industry. So who is he and what does he want, she wondered. He sat at the waiting area outside her office.

‘May I help you?’ she asked, opening the door to her office. She switched the lights on and placed her Louis Vuitton handbag inside her cabinet. She’d owned it for little over a year. She’d received it as a gift from her friends on her birthday. There was no way she could afford one on her salary.

The man followed her inside her office and closed the door behind them.

The uneasiness grew. ‘May I offer you something to drink?’

The man shook his head. ‘I’m not gonna be long,’ he said. ‘My name is Agent Forster from the Hawks.’

Q raised an eyebrow. She wondered what the Hawks wanted with her.

‘I heard that you were asking about Steve Pule,’ he said.

She wasn’t sure whether to be honest with him or lie. After all, it was illegal to do a background check on someone, especially when you were not part of law enforcement.

‘How do you know him?’

‘He’s my friend’s boyfriend,’ she said.

He noted this on his tiny notebook. ‘Does this friend have a name?’

‘Why are you asking this? Is he in trouble?’

He was silent for a moment. He was considering how much to tell her, Q could tell.

‘Steve is involved with very unsavoury people,’ he said.

‘That’s it? That’s the reason you came to my office so early in the morning? Come on, detective, I’m not dumb.’

‘Agent.’

‘What?’

‘Agent not detective.’

Q rolled her eyes. ‘Just tell me what’s going on. I don’t want my friend to get mixed up in whatever Steve’s been up to. She’s an innocent bystander.’

‘What has Steve been up to and how do you know that your friend is innocent?’

‘How the hell should I know what Steve’s been up to? You’re the detective here?’ She paused. ‘The agent here.’ She continued, ‘And Thando is innocent; she’ll never be involved in anything shady. Trust me.’

He noted something down. ‘So her name is Thando,’ he said.

Q could have kicked herself for letting that slip. She had to be more careful, she told herself. ‘If you’re not gonna tell me anything about Steve, then I’ve got nothing more to say to you.’

‘Just tell me why you were doing a background check on him. You had to have a reason,’ he said.

‘Am I under arrest?’ she asked.

He shook his head.

‘Then I’ve got nothing more to say to you. If you have any more questions you can contact my lawyer.’

Agent Forster said nothing. He didn’t move. He was sizing Q up and it made her feel uncomfortable. He drummed his average fingers on the desk for a second, then he slowly stood. ‘That won’t be necessary.’ He placed his notebook on the inside pocket of his jacket. Q thought that all he was missing was a pocket watch and he would look like the detectives in those black and white movies.

‘A word of warning, if you know something about Steve, you better tell me. And if you are involved with him, be careful,’ he said. He reached into his pocket for his wallet, peeled one of his business cards and handed it to Q.

‘If you think of anything else or suddenly feel an urge to talk, call me.’

Q studied the business card as Forster left her office. There was nothing memorable about it. Nothing at all.

A Silent Cry for Help

People ask for help in many different ways. Some scream their lungs out for the entire world to hear. Some ask quietly, hoping to keep their unfortunate situation only between friends. Others ask for it without uttering a word. That was the feeling Q got from Steve. She’d detected a silent cry for help.

Q couldn’t stop thinking about the way that Steve had looked when he entered Sbu’s office. He’d been covered in sweat. He’d kept on looking over his shoulder as if he was suspecting a tail. And the words he’d uttered had scream “HELP!” to Q. He’d been nervous about something. That was for sure. She wondered what.

She picked up her desk phone and dialed Thando. She hoped her friend could shed some light, as she was Steve’s partner. And partners know everything about each other, don’t they? She asked about Steve as soon as she picked up the phone.

‘Why are you suddenly so interested in Steve?’ Thando asked. ‘You don’t want to steal him away from me, do you?’ she joked.

‘Don’t be silly, Thando. I’m being serious.’

‘He left early this morning. When I woke up, he was already gone.’

‘You didn’t notice anything strange last night?’

‘Hmmm… No. He was his fine jovial self.’ She paused.

‘What?’

‘Well, there was a call that he received around midnight. He stayed on the phone for quite some time. I thought that was a little strange, but nothing to worry about.’

‘I see,’ Q said.

‘What? You think he’s cheating on me?’ Thando said, concern in her voice. ‘You think there’s another bitch out there trying to wreck my home?’

‘No, of course not,’ Q said too quickly. She didn’t know what to make of this. Was the call Steve received the reason he was a nervous wreck? Now her interest was piqued.

‘I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. It was probably business. What are you up to?’

‘Shopping a storm,’ she responded. ‘And later, I’m meeting Gert for a fitting. He’s designing my dress for the Long Walk to Freedom movie premiere.’

Q would also be attending the film, but she’d be working on the day. Gail had tasked her with interviewing the stars of the film on the red carpet. She was especially looking forward to interviewing Idris Elba, Naomie Harris and of course the gorgeous Terry Pheto.

‘Guess what?’ Thando said, hauling her back to the present. ‘Steve bought me a Louis Vuitton luggage set. There’s a large suitcase, a hand luggage case, complete with a toiletry bag.’

‘That’s very nice of him.’

‘I think he’s planning a vacation for us. I can’t wait!’

After chatting more about the details of her dress, what shoes she’d pair it with, and about possible destinations Steve could be taking her to, they ended the call.

Q couldn’t shake the feeling that Steve was in trouble. But she didn’t know him well, and she decided that was part of the problem. What if Steve was involved in some shady business with some shady characters? And Thando would be caught in the middle of it all. She had to do something. She rummaged through her desk drawer looking for a business card she hadn’t used in a while. She picked up the phone again when she found it. She dialed the number.

‘Craig here.’

‘Craig, it’s Q. I have a huge favour to ask.’

‘Q, it’s been a while. I was starting to think you forgot about me.’

‘What? Never!’ she lied.

Craig had a crush on Q, but unfortunately for him, she didn’t reciprocate. She only remembered him when she needed some dirty work done. He was the member of the police service and often proved useful when needed.

‘So what’s the favour?’

‘I need you to do a background check on someone for me.’

‘Anyone I know?’

‘Perhaps. His name is Steve Pule. Anything you can get for me, I’ll appreciate it.’

‘Enough to go out with me?’

‘Craig…’

‘I know, I know. You told me you’re not interested.’

‘I didn’t say that. What if I promise to find you someone hotter than I?’

‘That’s not possible.’

‘I know someone.’

‘Deal.’

As Q placed the phone down, she hoped she was wrong about Steve and that her worry was only as a result of her over active imagination.

Troubles and Big Personalities

The first time I heard the ringing phone I thought I was dreaming. But the ringing got louder and louder and louder. I woke up with a start. I looked around the dark room. The phone continued ringing. I groaned, snapped the light on, and reached for the cell phone. The alarm clock on my bedside table proudly displayed 4:30 am. I wondered who was calling at this ungodly hour.

Tato’s name flashed across the screen.

‘Tato, this better be important. You woke me up,’ I complained.

‘Oh… you were asleep?’ he said.

I rolled my eyes, but said nothing.

‘I need a lift,’ he said.

‘What?’ I sat up on the bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

‘There’s a taxi strike and I need a lift to work. I just got this job; I can’t afford to show up late.’

‘Is there no one else you could call?’

I was eager to return to sleep. I still had a good three hours before I had to wake up for work.

‘No. Please, Q, you know I wouldn’t call if I had other means.’

I sighed.

‘Fine. Give me a few minutes to change and I’ll be on my way.’

I kicked the covers off and reluctantly stepped out of bed. I dragged my feet into the bathroom to freshen up. I decided I would grab a cup of strong coffee on my way out.

As luck would have it, I had a meeting with a client later that day. I was tired. My eyes refused to open, no matter how many energy drinks I consumed.

Ed laughed at me after the meeting. ‘Something wrong? I saw you doze off during the presentation,’ he said.

‘Oh no!’ I was mortified. ‘Do you think Arthur noticed that too?’ Arthur was an executive of an advertising company that ran a few ads in our magazine.

‘Yes he did.’ The voice came from behind us.

I turned to see Author Fox behind me. At that moment, I wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

‘Was my presentation boring, Miss Ngqiqo?’ He mispronounced my surname, but I gave him credit for trying.

‘I’m sorry.’ I couldn’t look him in the eye. I could feel all the blood in my veins rushing to my cheeks.

Ed snickered and left me to face the client alone.

‘You know what you need?’ Arthur said.

I looked up at him then. ‘What?’

‘A strong cup of coffee. Come on, it’s on me,’ he said.

Arthur had a reputation of being a player. In all the years of working with him, I was yet to see that side of him displayed. I had a feeling that if I joined him, I would see that side. I rummaged through my tired mind for an excuse.

‘I wish I could join you, but I have another meeting soon. Rain check?’ I regretted the last statement as it left my lips.

He smiled and winked. ‘I’ll hold you to that,’ he said. ‘Good day, Miss Ngqiqo.’

I winced as he mispronounced my surname, but I was relieved that he bought my excuse.

Later that evening, we attended an opening of an upmarket restaurant in Parktown. The food was delicious. The waiter was placing the main course at our table and had just opened for us our second bottle of wine. As tired as I was, I was having a lot of fun. My diet was forgotten for the night. I decided to eat everything placed in front of me, including dessert.

We were all dressed up for the occasion. Even Matt swapped his gym gear for a suit. Thando was impressed.

‘I must say, you look so damn good! I see why you hide this one, Ed. The ladies might mistakenly think he was available.’

Matt smiled. His cheeks turned red. He looked away. He lifted one hand and ran it through his hair. He hated attention.

‘I picked the outfit for him,’ Ed said.

‘Q, I heard you fell asleep at work today,’ Matt said in an attempt to change the subject. ‘What were you doing last night?’

‘Maybe the question is who she was doing?’ Ed said.

‘You were doing Tato, weren’t you?’ Thando said. She just couldn’t resist. ‘It’s ok, you can tell us.’

‘I did no one last night,’ I responded. That would have been preferable, instead of what had happened. ‘I had to pick up Tato, early in the morning, from Alex.’ I explained to them Tato’s early morning predicament.

‘I told you that he was going to use you,’ Matt said. ‘First it’s a small favour, next he’ll be asking to move in with you.’

I hated to agree with him, but he was right. ‘I know,’ I said, a little displeased. ‘He started by borrowing money.’

‘What?’ Ed said.

‘Oh wow, that’s the lowest of the low. If I were you, I would have dumped his broke ass long ago,’ Thando said. She took a bite of her chicken fillet.

‘I don’t mind helping him out, but I don’t want to be his bank or his loan shark,’ I said. ‘It makes things weird, messy and complicated; especially since he hasn’t paid me back a cent.’

Matt turned his attention to Thando. ‘Isn’t this the same thing that you do, Thando? So why should Q dump the guy?’

Thando dismissed his comment. ‘When the man has more money than the lady, the way nature intended, it’s acceptable. The other way around is not ok. No man wants his woman to have more money than him. It makes them feel emasculated.’

Matt shook his head and laughed. He understood now that there was no way to get through to Thando.

‘Why are you still with him, Q?’ Ed asked.

‘I know why,’ Thando said. She had a big grin on her face.

‘Why?’ Ed wanted to know.

I cleared my throat. ‘He has a large…’ I cleared my throat again. ‘…Personality.’

‘Really?’ Ed said, intrigued. ‘I would have never imagined that. He’s got such tiny hands.’

‘Oh, sweetie, that whole… er… hands to personality ratio isn’t always true. Small hands don’t equate to small personality and large hands don’t mean large personality,’ Thando said. ‘I dated a gorgeous man once. He was very tall, had the largest hands I’ve ever seen, but his personality was so tiny that I felt embarrassed for him.’

We laughed. Matt was the only one not laughing. He looked confused.

‘I don’t get it.’

Ed leaned closer to him and whispered to his ear one word. ‘Penis.’

Confusion cleared from his face. ‘Oh. Hand size indicating the package size. I get it now.’ He took a sip of his drink. ‘But why don’t you just say penis? Why nickname it?’

‘We’re in a public area. We don’t want to get kicked out of this amazing restaurant,’ I said. For the first time that evening, I took in the beauty of the restaurant. I looked around. The opening was a success. The restaurant was fully booked. The waiters were running around taking orders, delivering food and drinks, and clearing tables as they became unoccupied. They ushered people from the waiting area, who’d been waiting all night for a table to become available.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter the size of his personality, you don’t want him to empty your bank account,’ Thando said. ‘I don’t want to see you hurt.’

‘I know.’ I’d realised that this relationship was not going to work, size of personality notwithstanding. But it was still sad to admit.

‘Good men are hard to come by,’ I said.

‘Don’t worry, someday you’ll find someone special,’ Ed said.

‘Like Sbu,’ Thando said out of the blue.

I looked at her in disbelief. Why on earth would she mention his name? Why now? I became angry. I was about to respond to her when she said, ‘He’s here.’

‘What?’ The anger I had felt only a second ago was replaced with anxiety. I wanted to hide under the table. For a split second, I wished that Tato were next to me so I could flaunt him in front of Sbu.

‘I wonder what size personality he has,’ Thando said.

They giggled. I didn’t join them. I kept thinking that out of all restaurants in the Jo’burg area, Sbu just had to come to this one.

Sbu walked into my view. My breath was suspended in my throat. He looked so good. He was dressed so well, as if the designer had him in mind when he designed the pants and shirt. All the feeling that I thought were buried, resurfaced all at once, torturing me. In one second, he’d managed to turn my amazing evening into a dreadful one.

I plastered a smile on my face and prayed that my inner turmoil was not showing on my face. I had to accept that our relationship would forever be like the Facebook relationship status: “it’s complicated”.