Blake Schwendiman's Blog and Blook

Chapter 23

Thursday, 10 March 2022 – 9:00 p.m. SAST

Daniel sat in a corner booth. The nightclub was dark, loud and smoky. He was sandwiched between two regulars, both redheads. They, and four other women had swarmed around him the moment he entered – the scent of money was strong. Daniel dismissed all but the two. Red hair was his weakness.

The two women proved to be more than simply nice ornaments. They seemed to know everyone in the club, and how to reach the people Daniel sought. Within thirty minutes, several men had gathered. Two thick-accented Boers who appeared to be brothers fidgeted and spoke softly with each other in Afrikaans. They looked like they had just stepped out of a military operation – cropped hair, camouflage fatigues, cocked berets. Opposite them a small African stared coldly at Daniel but said nothing. He appeared to be a local, possibly Zulu or Xhosa. Two other men, both of whom Daniel suspected were English South Africans waited for Daniel to discuss the job. They were smaller men than the rest, but wiry and tough. The taller of the two was missing several teeth and had a large bruise under his right eye.

Daniel asked the ladies to fetch drinks then invited the five men to sit. The Boers bullied their way into the booth, shoving the African aside.

“Umnqundu,” the African muttered as he shot a glance at the nearest Boer. Daniel didn’t speak Xhosa, but he knew how to curse in Xhosa and he recognized the word.

Daniel made eye contact with each of the five, one at a time, ensuring that he had their attention. He placed a large stack of bills on the table. Eyes widened. “Simple job. Reconnaissance only. You will find a man. You will inform me. I will pay you. You will not be paid if the subject is killed. You will not be paid if the subject is hurt. You will not be paid if the subject is aware of your presence. Understood?”

Heads nodded.

“He’s an American married to an Indian.” Daniel withdrew a stack of images. Each image was imprinted on a firm card. The card was rectangular and rigid with a slightly beveled edge. On one side was a photo. The other side was completely blank but there was a small ridge running diagonally across it.

“This is the most recent photo I have,” Daniel continued. Each man took a copy and looked it over. “The first to find him gets paid. Fifty thousand U.S.” Daniel motioned to the stack of bills. “Any questions?”

“How do we know you’ll pay?” the shorter Boer asked with a thick accent.

Daniel chuckled and shook his head. “Are you daft, boetjie? The money’s right here.”

The Boer’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like Daniel’s tone. “Counterfeit.”

“Check it yourself.” Daniel pushed the bills toward the Boers. The smaller man grabbed the stack and thumbed through it. Daniel was sure the man couldn’t recognize a counterfeit if he saw one, but the Boer was satisfied and pushed the bills toward the taller Englishman.

“Goed.” The Boer said. “Good.”

Daniel reached to pull the bills back toward him, but the taller Englishman grabbed the stack and bolted for the exit. The African leapt over the back of his seat in pursuit.

Pop. From underneath the table, Daniel shot. He had chosen a green casing, a shock dart. The Englishman had covered just about ten feet, then seized and fell to the floor. The African stopped and stepped away. Daniel rushed to Englishman and rolled him over. He pocketed the cash then lifted the head of the Englishman.

The shorter Englishman appeared beside him. His face was flush. “What the...”

“Too much to drink,” Daniel announced. “He’ll be fine.”

Within a moment the Englishman awoke. It took him a few seconds to get his bearings. He tried to scramble away from Daniel, but found that his muscles didn’t respond.

Daniel whispered, “I will kill you the next time I see you.” He dropped the Englishman’s head onto the floor. “You and your friend should leave now.”

Daniel stood and returned to his table. The Boers and the African sat silently, waiting for Daniel to continue. “When you find the target, snap the picture in half. The card contains a GPS beacon. I will locate you. Don’t signal me without locating the target.”