Chapter 53

 

The darkness made a good shield. Mhlongo crept through the gate into the Skukuza camp. That American woman was here somewhere. He’d gotten rid of Daniel and now he would deal with the meddling American. It would clear the way. Pieter had said to take care of it. Mhlongo would more than take care of it. He would start his own operation and cut Pieter out of it.

He stood in the shadows to see if any of the security guards stirred. When he was satisfied, he started moving across the camp toward the rondavels. He clung to the shadows and walked on the grass to keep quiet.

He walked the first row of round guest quarters. No yellow bakkie. He ducked onto the porch of one and lay flat on the pavement as a security officer passed. He listened to the steps crunch, crunch on the pebbles. Fool. Danger is in your camp and you do not even know.

When the steps were gone, Mhlongo helped himself to a bottle of water on the rondavel porch. The coolness in his throat helped calm him. He could think better now.

He would have to silence the woman, but he would have to do it quietly. No one would ever know he’d been here.

He spotted the bakkie on the second row. His steps were stifled by the grass and the soft leather of his shoes. He stepped onto the path with only a slight stirring of the small stones under his foot. Mhlongo leapt the two steps into the shadows of the thatched overhang and slipped into the darkness there.

Pressing his weight slowly against the door, he turned the handle. It did not turn under his hand. That would have been too easy. He pulled his identification card out of his pocket and slid it cautiously into the crack where the door met the jamb. The lock popped metal against metal. He listened for a moment. The silence of the night sounds would easily be shattered by the screams of a woman. He must be cautious. The door did not give. Mhlongo leaned more weight into the door. Still no movement. He cursed under his breath. Would the noise of crashing in the door be too much?

Lights flashed from a security patrol. This time in a vehicle. It slowed as it approached the rondavel. Mhlongo cursed again and crept over the lip of the porch and into the darkness.