OUTCAST Ops: African Firestorm

CHAPTER TWELVE

The South African Police Service's (SAPS) West Cape Regional Headquarters was located in Capetown's Green Point District, not too far from OUTCAST’s hotel. It took up almost an entire block, a brick and glass structure across Alfred Street from a primary school.

Tanner and Liam parked the car half a block from the headquarters building and exited. There was no trouble retrieving the car left behind at the warehouse, as it wasn't within the area blocked off by the fire and police departments. They caught a glimpse of the warehouse, or what little was left of it. Of the massive structure that had stood there just twelve hours before, only the far wall was still standing. The rest was twisted metal, charred objects and things burned beyond recognition. "You got out just in time," was Tanner's only comment.

"Are these really necessary?" Liam asked, motioning to their clothes. Both men wore suits, dress shoes, and designer sunglasses. They left their pistols in the car, as they weren't licensed to carry in the country.

"First impressions," Tanner said. "We want to make good ones."

"Who's this contact of yours?" Liam asked as they began walking toward the police building.

"He's the head of the West Cape Criminal Intelligence Unit," Tanner replied. "He's Afrikaner, but he's honest and good at being a cop. I met him when he was a team leader in the SAPS Special Task Force; they’re sort of a cross between SWAT and commandos."

"Think he'll talk to us?"

"We're about to find out.”

They reached the front door and went in.

Neither operator saw the figure standing in the shade of a sixth-floor balcony near the police building, watching the front entrance. When Tanner and Liam entered the building, the man quick-dialed a number on his cell phone and made a report.

Brigadier Jayden Keyster was a large in his mid-fifties with ash-blond hair cut close to the scalp, and a craggy face with a lantern jaw. He stood when Tanner and Liam entered his office on the sixth floor, and both men noticed he was leaning on a cane.

"Tanner!" he said in English. "It's been what, six years?"

Tanner smiled and removed his sunglasses "Six and a half.” He motioned to the cane. "What's with that?"

"This?" Keyster replied, holding up the cane. "Last STF operation I was on, about four years ago. We had to go in, but one of the Dagga-smoking Tsotsi caught me with a shotgun blast. Five months in the hospital and another year in physical therapy."

"Sorry to hear that," Tanner said. He looked around the small but neat office. "Nice place."

Keyster shrugged. "Other than the leg, I’m doing well. You still with the FBI?"

"I'm freelancing now," Tanner said. "I have my own company, mostly security, with side jobs for a few select clients."

"Ah. I've been approached by several private security companies myself, and what they're offering…." He sighed. "It's tempting. I may think about it next year."

He motioned to a pair of chairs in front of his desk. "But sit! Would you like some coffee or tea?"

Tanner took a seat. "We're fine. We won't be here long." He motioned to Liam. "Liam Reilly."

Keyster nodded to Reilly and sat, easing his leg out to one side and smiling at Tanner. "So, what can this old boere do for you two larneys? I have a few minutes before my next meeting."

"Larneys?" Liam asked.

"The suits," Tanner said. "Jayden, we have a situation that we need your help with. You heard about the SeaStar attacks?"

Keyster's smile turned to a scowl. "I'm aware," he growled. "The SeaStar offices look like a Skop, Skiet en Donner movie set, Aswegen is on a morgue slab, and the warehouse is a total loss. You didn't have anything to do—"

"We didn't attack the offices or warehouse, but we did save the survivors at the office."

Keyster leaned forward, his expression dark and angry. "What's going on?"

"The Northstar Venture," Tanner began.

"What about it?"

Tanner leaned back in his chair. "It’s been seized by pirates, and the ship is suspected of carrying banned equipment to Iran. My team has been given the job of finding out whether or not that's true."

"And your client shall remain nameless?" Keyster said in a mocking tone.

"No, the client is Uncle Sam, and we were here just to talk to Aswegen."

Keyster stared at Tanner for a few seconds, then leaned back in his own chair. "All right, tell me what happened at the offices and warehouse."

Tanner recounted for Keyster the basic facts about the attack on the office, keeping the events as basic as he could. He then told the brigadier how Liam's team had been investigating the warehouse when an unknown group attacked, killing all the guards and burning down the warehouse.

When Tanner was done, Keyster glared at the pair of them. "Kak," he growled. "I ought to klap the both of you and throw you and your team in jail!"

"We saved lives," Tanner said evenly.

“And we hope to save a lot more,” Liam added.

"You went outside the law!" Keyster snarled.

"Not by choice." Tanner leaned forward. "Those car bombs were a distraction for the attacks on SeaStar. You have a major threat here in Capetown, one that doesn't give a damn about innocents. Somebody doesn't want you or anyone else investigating SeaStar Ventures."

"Tanner, I'm an officer of the law. I can't—"

"Jayden, the dying man I spoke to last night spoke Arabic, English and Afrikaner. You have home-grown terrorists on your soil. Those thugs at the warehouse were untrained, but how long is that going to last? Have you picked up anything about Jihadist cells here in Capetown?"

"No," he growled. "That's Internal Stability Division's responsibility, not mine."

"But who are they going to blame?"

Keyster shook his head. "Eish!" he said. "You're putting me into an extremely tough position!"

"That's not my intention," Tanner said sympathetically. "But we're going to need your help. I think there maybe something more on that ship than missile parts, and someone's trying to eliminate the paper trail. Here’s something you probably weren’t aware of: the cargo was coming from North Korea."

Keyster's eyebrows rose. "North Korea?"

"No lie. That's why Uncle Sam sent us out here. We have no proof of anything nuclear, but I think last night proves they’re willing to go to great lengths to protect their interests regarding the Northstar Venture."

The policeman nodded. "You realize this could cost me my job and send me to prison?"

"If what we think is on that ship turns out to be true, prison is going to see like a minor problem."

"All right, I'll help, but no cowboy stuff, all right?"

"No promises, but I think we can keep the innocents out of any crossfire."

Keyster sighed. "I'm trusting you. What do you want?"

"All the data on the attackers at the offices last night. You've identified them?"

"Most of them. But it's going to take a couple of hours to compile it."

Tanner pulled out a business card and wrote something on the back. He placed it on the desk. "When it's been compiled, go out, find a telephone and call that number. Give the person who answers the file name, nothing else. We'll call you when and if we have new information to pass along or if we need new information."

Keyster placed his hand on the card and slid it toward him. "Try not to make a big mess."

"That's up to the bad guys."

Tanner stood, and he and Liam started for the exit. Near the doorway, Tanner stopped and looked back at Keyster. "What does Die Handelaar mean?"

The brigadier's face screwed up in puzzlement. "It means 'The Merchant.' Why do you ask?"

"Something one of the attackers said last night. Whoever this Merchant was, it sounds like he or she hired them."

Keyster's eyes narrowed. "That changes things." He took a sheet of paper and wrote on it for fifteen seconds, the pen moving quickly over the paper. He folded the sheet and pushed it across the desk toward Tanner.

"You are in dangerous waters, my friend. Shark-infested waters."

Tanner moved back to the desk, picked up the paper and put it into his jacket pocket. "I hear shark diving’s a big thing down here in South Africa. We’ll put on our chainmail suits and get into a cage before we expose ourselves."

"You do that."

The paper remained in Tanner's pocket until he and Liam reached their car and climbed in. Tanner started the car, took out the paper and opened it while Liam retrieved their pistols.

"What did he write?"

Tanner handed him the paper and pulled out his cell phone. Liam took the paper and read it. "The Merchant is Kamal Hassan, a well-known businessman and suspected crime lord," he read aloud. "He has several high-ranking police and government figures in his pocket. He is ruthless and has an extensive network of contacts. Be careful, my friend."

He looked at Tanner. "Why didn't he just tell us?"

"So he can say truthfully that he didn't say a word to us about Hassan." Tanner hit speed-dial. "I think Jayden suspects that his own superiors are on Hassan's payroll."

"Can we trust him?"

"We can trust him enough to pass the name onto Danielle and see what she can find out."