Chapter 26: Strip Club

Daise left me on the couch to go and wake Alina as Sgt Major Dhlamini walked into the lounge. They greeted each other and the Sgt Major dropped heavily into an armchair.

"What's up with you Sgt Major?" I asked him, noticing the frown on his face.

"Are you letting your penis do your thinking for you Major?" he asked me.

"What?"

"Just yesterday, you were taking the proper precautions: not going out onto the veranda; having people watching the road and generally taking care. Today you buy a flashy red car and blithely let the woman drive it home, with you following. If you are going to change tactics and set them up as bait, I would appreciate being told beforehand."

I could see he was mad with me, and I felt a bit guilty. "You are correct Sgt Major. I wasn't thinking clearly. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologise to me Major. Just don't make such bloody stupid mistakes again. I couldn't give a shit about you, but my people's lives are at stake and I am starting to get a little fond of the two women."

"Sgt Major! You are going to make me cry if you aren't careful. It sounds almost as if you are trying to protect an officer from his own stupidity." I waited to see how Sgt Major Dhlamini would respond to my attempt at levity, and wasn't disappointed.

"You only cry when you see people kicking puppies. You know better about the way I feel about stupid bloody officers," he said while grinning wryly at me.

"Too true. Thanks for the kick up the arse. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Are you ready for tonight?"

"I think so. Are you happy with the plan?"

"Not really. I do think that it is the best we can do though. Just don't act like a silly bugger tonight and we should gain some useful intelligence."

"Ok. I'll make sure I don't sodomise anyone..."

"You know what I mean. There's only so much we can do if they attack you in the club."

"Here come the ladies," I said seeing the two of them descending the stairs. "Ladies, if you will forgive me for saying so, you would both look like a million dollars dressed in sacks. In those jeans, you look like ten."

"You like?" Daise asked as she twirled to show off the tight jeans she was wearing.

"Yes, I do. Do the boots fit you Alina?"

"They're perfect, thank you Rupert."

"No problem. Both of you need to be comfortable and I figured that good boots stand anyone in good stead if they have to do any kind of running or fighting. There's nothing like being prepared."

I got up and went to the gun safe. Daise already had her Vektor SP1 in a bikini holster on her belt, and I got out the little Luger 9mmK. "Daise tells me you know how to shoot an automatic," I said as I handed the weapon to her along with a bikini holster.

"Yes I do. I haven't shot much though," Alina said as she started threading her belt through the holster.

"This weapon is simple enough. It has a thumb safety. Move it down, and pull the trigger. I will cock it for you so that it is ready." I matched actions to words and handed her the weapon. She took it from me and tested the feel of it in her hand.

"This fits my hand perfectly," she said with a surprised note in her voice. "I expected it to be too large for my hand."

"That's why I gave it to you. Don't think about it too much. It's only there in case there is a dire emergency, then you have it as backup. The old saying is 'You never need a fire-arm until you really need a firearm'. Don't draw it unless you really need to use it, OK?"

"Ok." Alina practiced taking off the safety and engaging it again, then, once she was happy that she knew what she needed to know, she slid the weapon into her holster. "How do I hide it?"

"Just pull your T-Shirt out and let it hang over the holster. If it shows too much, then pull the holster slightly round behind your back." I demonstrated by lifting my T-Shirt to show them where my holster sat. "I'll have to leave mine behind when I enter the club, so I won't have it on me. I'm relying on Cpl Maseka and his crew inside the club, and you guys as backup on the outside."

I glanced at my watch and started hustling the girls out to the Land Rover. Sgt Major Dhlamini climbed into the front passenger seat and the girls got into the back. I took a few seconds to load the Lee-Enfield into its storage compartment and we were on the road.

We arrived in the parking lot of the Strip Club ten minutes before nine and I saw that Roy's car was parked near the entrance. We had already decided that he would enter the club before me, so I wasn't too worried about that. I stopped and looked to see if I could see Cpl Maseka's car. Just as I hauled out my phone to call him, he arrived along with three others in the car. He waved at me and found a parking spot. Our plan was that the four of them would be a distraction as well as my support in case anything happened inside the club. They got out of the car and stood around chatting. I gave Daise and Alina a quick kiss and got out of the Land Rover. As I walked towards the entrance to the club, Sgt Major Dhlamini drove the Land Rover out of the parking lot and stopped across the street.

I walked into the club's entrance and stopped at the barrier. The bouncer there, a giant of a man dressed in a suit, patted me down before directing me to the cashier's window. He was distracted though, as we had planned, because Cpl Maseka came up right behind me with his three companions. I paid my R100 entrance fee and entered the club proper. As I came through the screen door, I was greeted by one of the waitresses who asked me if I was alone or whether I was expecting anyone. When I told her I was alone, she asked me to follow her and led me to a table in the centre of the club, near the ramp. I asked her if I could rather sit against the wall and she just smiled and agreed.

I sat down in a booth with my back to the wall and looked around. Cpl Maseka came in shortly after me and the four of them moved to a larger table right near the ramp, but about two tables away from mine. They immediately ordered a round of drinks.