30. The crucial decision
Nico watches how shock and concern suddenly replaces the smile on Johan’s face before he jumps up furiously and yells over the smartphone: “What are you doing with Martie’s phone! Where is she?”
Like lightning, Nico moves to Johan and pushes his ear against the phone to hear what is going on. Johan realizes what he tries to do and opens the volume fully.
The voice comes calm and calculated: “As long as you are going to cooperate, you don’t have to worry about Martie, because she already knows what is going on and understands. She is very happy and is going to enjoy the time of her life as long as you don’t stand in the way of her happiness, Professor.”
“Did you steal her from the school hall or is this just bluff and you only having her phone?”
“Johan, soon I shall hand over the telephone to her and you are going to talk to her and confirm that she can go on a holiday for a week with her new buddies. You will pacify her and tell her that she must enjoy it fully with the children of your new colleagues because you are now an important part of our family.”
“I can’t believe this! How did you get her from school? She’ll never just walk away with you from there! The teacher wouldn’t allow you to take her without contacting me.”
“Do you still remember Elize Ezkariot, Johan? Elize explained everything to Martie and she understands completely and is very excited and Elize easily talked miss Sarie Matthys at the school hall a hole in the head.”
“What? Explain! I think you are playing games with me just like years ago. I recognize your voice now! You are Ronald, the head of the research unit.”
“Martie already understands and you will soon also understand. Make your choice now, Johan! You both are going to walk the last stretch of the road with us. And then you will become permanent members of our family because we need your talents in the future and your granddaughter seems just as intelligent. It runs in the family! You have only two options: join us and we will look after you superbly or give us drama and you both will go through hell. Remember how we spoilt you with that enjoyable, luxurious holiday? We are going to spoil Martie even more, my friend, together with her new buddies. We are going to make sure she is feeling at home and quickly becomes one of our family. She is sitting here, Johan, very excited and can’t wait to join the others so that their exhilarating journey can kick off.”
“What do you mean by the last stretch of the road and what journey?”
“Elize explained to her and Martie understands that the world needs your unique knowledge to save the earth before it is too late. There is little time left and you must immediately report to our underground, secret laboratory. We have already perfected our medicine for Mother Earth but we need your knowledge before it could be perfectly implemented. That is the last stretch I am talking about.
“The journey is her week’s holiday. She is sitting here now with Elize marveling the wonderful clothes and things she has chosen from the shops and they are busy packing her suitcase. You will see each other next Sunday over a week quickly before she will move into your new home and her new school and as soon as your work is completed, you will join her. Don’t be worried. You will have, just like every other family, your own nanny who will look after her very carefully. You witnessed how our community works.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Johan, you are going to walk immediately in the direction of the lowest part of the park at Target Kloof. Our security guys will pick you up there. Further, I am going to hand the phone over to Martie and you will tell her to have the greatest time during the holiday. You must choose now: is she going to have the nicest time of her life or is everything going to become horribly wrong like it was for Elizabeth, Tanya and Johan junior. The ball is in your court! It depends on you on which path she is going to walk. Hold on. I shall walk over and hand the phone to her.”
Johan turns and pushes Nico away. He shrugs his shoulders and gestures with his left hand as if to say: ‘What now?’ Nico gestures with his right hand: ‘Wait!’ He walks deeper into the cove away from Johan and dials a number quickly.
He whispers when someone answers: “Dammit! They have captured the professor’s daughter already and want him to walk down to the Target Kloof entrance of the park and surrender. You must be very quick now! Send a drone over the park and follow their smartphone’s positions. It’s now our chance to follow them up to their den. I will have to stay here in case a scope focuses on me as I move out and then our trump will be blown.”
A voice with a strong German accent answers: “Nico, we saw Martie’s smartphone position travelled from the school to the Green Acres Mall and it was strange because you are with the professor in the park and he was supposed to pick her up at the school hall. We are still following her and a drone has been sent and a team to follow her until we can make eye contact.”
Suddenly a voice with a strong American accent cuts in: “Nico, you said Johan must surrender to them now?”
“Yes, he must walk and surrender down in Target Kloof. Is your drone on the way?”
“Nico, listen! Under no circumstances must he surrender now! It is of utmost importance! Your ass is on the line and you’d better listen carefully!”
He utters the words slowly one after the other to accentuate the seriousness of the situation. “Under nó circumstances should he surrender and they must nót find out about you! Is that clear, Nico!”
“I don’t think I will be able to stop him, because he knows they are going to give Martie a horrible time if he doesn’t. They use her as their trump card!”
“His knowledge is too dangerous! I told you from the start we should eliminate him. We are playing with fire, and look now! He simply can’t surrender, but the enemy is going to get suspicious if he doesn’t and then the danger of exposing ourselves exists! I see only one solution: take him out!”
“Take him out? You must be mad because then they will know about us!”
“Disguise it as a murder in the park and leave his smartphone in the hands of a street kid or a bum. This is an order, Nico, or do you want to become a threat to us also? The girl now is our only hope! We must follow her up to their den.”
Irritated Nico shakes his head en whispers urgently. “Follow him with the drone. What if they cut her sign if he doesn’t surrender?”
“Take him out, Nico, he must simply not land in their hands. The risk is too high! It is an order! It seems that you South Africans don’t know what the word ‘order’ means!”
Nico cuts the call and turns to Johan who has just finished his conversation with Martie and is standing there stupefied without hope and with tears freely streaming from his eyes.
Nico runs to him and takes the phone out of his hand and looks.
The call is over. Nico switches the phone off and stick it into his pocket!