Chapter 20

(Dave’s place near Onderstepoort, later that evening.)

This would have been a perfect evening, were it not for the previous few horrific hours. We sat contemplating the night.

The moon had just come out, orange-red over the jacaranda trees. Being low in the sky, the moonlight was competing with all the dust and smog in the air. The light beams, bending to the low altitude and the muck suspended in the air over Pretoria, gave the moon a blood-red glow. As it climbs higher into the night sky, it will first shine yellow, then take on its bright white colour. It was only a sliver of a crescent moon. Nonetheless, the moon will be out in the night sky.

With no clouds about, the stars were bright and clear overhead. The Orion North Arrow was about 45 degrees from the horizon to the west, beginning its journey west, to set around June, signalling the start of winter. It will appear again in late spring in the east of the heavens, with the star Mintaka at the arrow’s point, leading the constellation and pointing 8 degrees west of true north. Nature and the universe, a true ecosystem, still not fully comprehended by the human species.

“Can you see the remnants of Armstrong’s lunar spaceship, and the Stars and Stripes, frozen in time out there, discarded, waiting for eternity?” Nadia’s soft words came to me. She was sitting close to me, resting her red head on my shoulder, her right hand intertwined with mine. Again I was reminded of her above-average intellect. Who else would have thought of the spaceship graveyard on the moon, leftovers of the Apollo space project?

“Yip, you just know I have telescopes for eyes,” I said, drawing her still closer to me. She purred like a kitten, snuggling into me.

“Yes ... I was not even born when they landed on the moon. In ‘69, was it? Shattering forever the romance of the old wise man in the moon,” Nadia sighed.

“Oh! I always believed the moon’s made of cheese,” I said. Nadia giggled.

“Cheese or not. It is still an object of wonder to me. Just to think that there’s something running around the sky that’s bigger than anything ever made by man.”

“True. It is such a wonder to comprehend,” I said.

“The kids are asleep,” Nadia whispered. “Looks like the sedative the doctor gave them is working.”

“Yeah, one kid is older than you,” I chuckled, causing Nadia to giggle.

“Oh, don’t burst my bubble now. Tonight it feels like they are the kids, not my sisters.” Nadia said. “Kids are asleep in their beds, and the old couple are sitting on the porch. Just, I’ve got no knitting going on.” Giggle. “I can’t even knit!”

“Okay Mom, did you tell Lucy her story?”

“I told her not to get too near the bowl with the ammonium nitrate, but oh no, miss curiosity on legs needed to go see for herself,” and Nadia giggled again. “Lisa was wiser. Lucy only got a sniff and look what it did to her. Joe’s two Task Force guys, looking for the Japanese guy that got away, were not so lucky. They’re in the hospital, I believe.”

“Where did you get the ammonium nitrate?” I asked.

“The lawn fertilizer. There were ten bags of the stuff. Lawn fertilizer is about pure ammonium nitrate. Makes stuff grow good.” Giggle. “And even removes walls with a nice bang.”

God, you’re something. Remind me never to lock you in the garage,” I said.

Nadia giggled.

“Why would you want to lock me in the garage for?” Giggle.

“So you can’t run away,” I said, and this got me a squeeze.

“How are you doing though?” I asked.

“Fine. I’ll be fine. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, saw the movie...” Nadia softly said and sighed.

I wondered how such a small, sweet girl can get so hardened by life. One moment the little girl, shy, carefree and innocent, the next a roaring thunderbolt of devastation. Then reverting again to that sweet innocent girl, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It is like she is suppressing the dark side, almost as if she’s got a split personality. Two different people rolled into one. This cannot be good.

But then again, it seems like she takes the bad, that’s happened in her past, and channels that energy into positive action when the circumstances are right.

I couldn’t tell if her training helped or hurt her; but did it help her to cope, focusing on her survival mode?

“Are you sure, little one?” I asked Nadia.

“There’s it again. I’m your ‘petite fille.’ But yes, your petite fille, is okay. Really. I’ve got my drug right here, next to me.” And Nadia pronounced the words in her Polish accent like: “Pee teat feel yee.”

“I’m your drug?” I asked, raising one eyebrow.

“It’s all because you’re wonderful. When I was lonely, you were the only one to ease my mind. You gave me back my faith in life. You gave me words and I regained my dignity. There was confusion, yes there was, but my dreams all came true. And it’s all because of you. I know and understand that I’ll only have a third share of you, but that’s good enough for me. To suppress my evil other half, you know.” Giggle.

“And you’re happy with that?” I asked.

“I saw the love in your eyes that first day I met you. Your eyes said everything that I wanted to hear. Your eyes said “stay awhile and love me”. I just always want to stay near you, and see that love that is in your eyes...”

“You know that I’m split three ways. That I love three girls, but can only marry one?” I said.

“Marry Lisa. She loves you very much. Just never let Lucy or me go. We’ll be there for you. Lucy and I love you too. Lisa knows this, and she’s happy with it.”

“Why don’t I just marry you?” I asked.

“Because ... I can never give you the ultimate gift of love...” Nadia said, and I recalled Don’s words. Nadia would never be able to have children of her own. She’ll never experience what it would be like to be a mother; to cherish and hold in her arms a wonderful gift of life out of her own body. I should investigate it. Maybe there’s a way...

“Nadia, you’ll always be dear to me. And it’s true, I love you, will care for you, like I’ll love and care for Lisa and Lucy. I just want to ask you one thing...”

“What’s that, Dave? What can I do for you?”

“Leave the Angels. I don’t want you hurt, or lose you, ever!” I said.

“You think?” Nadia said. “Is that why you want to lock me up in the garage?”

“Yes,” I simply said.

“Mai-Loan told me you would ask me to retire ... She, and I think Leah, Olivia, and Darya are thinking of it too.” she said, squeezing my hand.

I turned my head to face her. Looking into those green eyes, I saw a softness in them. A softness so different from the dark side of the avenging Angel Nadia.

“What are you looking at, my freckles? I hate my freckles.” Giggle.

“No. I love your freckles. They paint stars in your eyes. They give life to those two green eyes of yours. Like a constellation of stars lighting up the planets above them. You are a picture of loveliness, a picture only for me.”

“You say the most beautiful things, Dave. You’re sure you’re not moonlighting as a troubadour, or a bard, or something?”

“Nope, I’m just me,” I said. She moved her face closer, closed her eyes and kissed me. I kissed her back. I felt her slightly trembling body against me. There, in the little sliver of moonlight, we melted together, and I just lost the idea of this girl being a deadly assassin. She had so much passion in her. The passion that was suppressed by her environment. Now she can release that passion without fear.

“Come, I need a back scrub too...” Nadia said, getting up and pulling me by my hand. There was a light shining in her eyes; a softness in her face. I got up to follow her.

“Nadia...” I whispered, and she turned into me, pressing up against me. Her arms going around my waist. I held her close to me. She looked up at me, dropping her mane of fire-red hair low down her back.

“Just remember ... I’m new at this ... I want this. Feel the real love there’s to feel ... Just ... go slowly with me ... Make me hear colours and see sounds. Tread lightly on my soul...” Nadia whispered.

Being that it was a normal weekday, I woke up on the time, set by my biological clock at four forty-five. I did not set my normal alarm, as this was a day of planned leisure. Being autumn, the sun was not out yet, but it was still light enough to see around me.

I was expecting Nadia next to me; I was not expecting Nadia AND Lisa next to me! Big brown eyes looked up at me, a soft shy smile on her lips.

“I was lonely, cold, and scared. I just knew where to find a body to keep me warm and safe (giggle).” Lisa whispered. “Besides, at three in the morning I thought you and Nadia might be asleep and not going ‘oochie-oochie’ anymore.” Before I could answer, a voice came from the other side.

“No one, not even me, can ‘ootchie-ootchie’ THAT long. But we can try our best...” Giggle. “Morning you all,” Nadia said.

I did not want to say anything. Actually, I had nothing to say, so I just responded with; “Morning Loves. Coffee anyone?” That got me giggles, and I collected kisses and hugs.

Somehow, while rolling out of bed, amid giggles, there was a stray hand sliding over a part of me that could cut diamonds. I wondered whose hand it was, as both girls were very nude, sliding out of bed and scrambling for robes and stuff. What a delightful sight. I can get used to this!

“Oh! Are we having a family meeting?” Lucy said from the door. Yawning and stretching herself, then rubbing her eyes. At least she was dressed in her t-shirt nightshirt thingy. Lucy looked at us and smirked.

“Did I lose out on the ‘family meeting’ thing, hmm...? Giggle.

(Under a tree, Kameeldrift area, on the northern side of Pretoria.)

Daiki did not know where to go; he did not know what to do. This has become a nightmare. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no one to trust. He sat under a tree deep in thought.

The morning was cold. At least, Daiki felt cold, freezing cold. Was it the outside temperature, or was it fear? He sat shivering under the tree, the goings-on of the previous night milling around his mind. What went wrong?

Daiki relived the hell of the night. The dull thunderclap of the explosion at the back of the shed. At first, he did not know what was happening. He recalled running outside and seeing the grey coloured smoke rising from the back of the shed. Then he saw the bitches running towards the far-off road. He shouted for them to stop, but it only made them run faster.

Then that accursed helicopter came in low, broadsided in on the bitches, and picked them up. Then the explosions, coming from the house at his back. He saw dark figures in the flashes of the explosions, running figures like a SWAT team. Two shadows were heading in his direction.

Daiki ran towards the shed, scooted around the back and then saw a dark bush. He ran towards the bush, his mind only telling him to get away and get away fast.

Now, sitting under the tree, he could see the goings-on, far off in the yard of the house he scrambled out of last night. There were cars parked all over. Police in uniforms and plainclothes, coming and going into the house and the shed. The van was taken away.

If they traced the van, they would find it to be a rental. But it was rented in his name. They would link him with his father. That would not be good. Not good at all.

A car drew up to the house; another police car. This time two uniformed policemen got out and opened a sort of grid door on each side of the car. Two tracker dogs jumped down. Shit! He needs to get away, fast.

(Dave’s place.)

I marvelled at the quick recovery of the girls. Breakfast was a riot with the three beauties: laughing and picking on Lucy for her strange behaviour last night, after inhaling the gas. Lucy just laughed along, saying she saw pink elephants with straws for trunks. That brought the house down again.

“That brings me to a point of order,” Lisa said. “I need to return to Hoedspruit. I still work there, you know, and besides, I need to go see how the babies are doing.”

“You said there’s a landing strip. Maybe the four of us can fly there, drop you off and go on to Louis Trichardt,” I said. “Besides, mom and dad need to meet Nadia.”

“But I want to go say, hello, to them too!” Lisa said, pouting her lips. “I miss my mom and dad!”

“Then we wait for you. You go look at the baby elephants, tell your boss you need more time, and we all go to Mom and Dad’s place,” I said. “We can fly the Cessna; it’s much faster than the helicopter.”

“And I just have to tell my boss, that I am taking a holiday? Don’t you think she’ll fire me?” Lisa said.

“No, she won’t fire you. Slaves have to be sold,” I said. Besides, she won’t fire you after she sees the news,” I said.

“What news?” Lisa and Lucy asked simultaneously.

“Oh, the morning news. Let’s see, oh yes! Ah, yeah ‘ ... doctor Anneliese Paulson and two friends were abducted from the Kolonnade shopping mall yesterday around midday. The three women were rescued later in the day by the Police’s Special Task Force, after an extensive search operation, involving tracking the girls by using their cell phone locations... ‘ yada, yada, yada,” I said. “A bit off, but near enough to the truth.”

“Where was this on?” Lisa asked.

“The morning news, on CNN, but I think more networks will run the story. They might even want to interview you,” I said.

“Just keep me out of it!” Nadia said, as a dark cloud formed in her eyes.

“We’ll just say both you and Lucy are under-aged, therefore, no comment and no photos,” I said.

“Me under-aged!” Nadia exclaimed, placing her small hands on her hips, imitating a fuel pump.

“Yes. You look under-aged, about sixteen or seventeen, so maybe we’ll get away with it. Leave the media to us three,” I said.

“What, ‘us three’?” Lucy asked.

“Me, myself, and I,” I said, breaking the slight tension. All three girls burst out laughing.

“So! Please tell me. Who do I marry? The ‘me,’ the ‘myself,’ or the ‘I,’ seeing there’s three of you, enough to go around?” Lucy asked, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder, little light devils dancing in her blue eyes. We all looked at her, amused. Trust the little rascal to figure out a proverb.

“We’ll figure that out as we go along,” Nadia said, looking over the rim of her coffee mug. Hiding a smile I could see from my side of the table.

“Amen!” Lisa said, and breakfast was officially over. Somehow I had a blond, blue eye vision that the Impala was not the fastest or sharpest thing around here.

The girls stuck to me like glue. Everywhere I went, they went. Understandable: they have been kidnapped; and the trauma was still there, hidden somewhere in their subconscious. I better get them some professional help.

Or, maybe it’s because Lisa doesn’t have wheels. Her bakkie is still with the cops. Poor Lisa, first the accident, now the kidnapping. And she is such a loveable, adorable woman. But I don’t mind the girls sticking with me. It makes my life so much better.

About mid-morning, Joe phoned. They are done with Lisa’s bakkie, and we can go fetch it at the Forensic Science Laboratory. Also, they found shopping bags with girlie stuff, also three cell phones, inside the confiscated van. We could not get that, because it was evidence proving the girls were in the van. So, I have to replace three cell phones in the interim. The shopping the girls will have to do over. I’ll probably would help there too.