The Wall

35

The highest ranking of the security personnel sent the two colleagues who had come with him off on foot. As he talked, he gestured vaguely in various directions. Do this, do that. The young man and woman, the rookies, disappeared.

He then turned to the bakkie crew. More pointing and talking. The four guards got back in the bakkie and drove off.

“Should we go now?” Nozipho asked, just as another bakkie pulled up. Central Alert, again. Four people, again. Three of them young: two women, one man. In uniform.

As well as an older white man. At least fifty. A little heavier. It was hard for him to climb down from the driver’s seat to the street. Once he emerged, the power structure changed in front of the house. The man who had previously been in charge respectfully approached the white man. Nodded before even a word was spoken.

The chief looked around. Well? He asked the question without speaking.

The other man spoke for him. Pointed, gestured, bootlicked. The white man nodded. Reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a phone.

“That doesn’t look good,” Nozipho said.

“Uh-uh!”

“All because of the boy?”

“Don’t know.”

“He’s calling the cops.”

“So what.”

“But…”

“What?”

“Nothing!”

“Come on!”

“We’d already agreed that they wouldn’t stay here forever.”

“They’ve been here longer than I thought they’d be.”

“No… I mean…”

“The two guys in the car? From earlier?”

“Uh-huh.”

“But they won’t come back in here if the gated community is full of security folks. Not if they’re the ones who stuck that woman in the freezer.”

“You have a point.”