Cobra (45 page)

‘Tyrone is moving again, train 3414 to Cape Town.’

‘OK.’ He thought for a moment and then spoke loudly, so that Bones on the phone as well as Mbali beside him could both hear him clearly, ‘He’s moving between the city and Parow. Bones, look at the schedule, is that where the most trains are running?’

‘Hang on . . . Tyrone has just replied to the Cobras’ text, he said “Tell me when you are at Parow Station”.’

‘Has Dave called Vaughn yet?’

‘Yes. Vaughn is on train 3214, it left Bellville at ten, direction Cape Town. It’s the one right behind Tyrone’s.’

‘OK, tell him we’re undercover. No ID, no firearm visible.’

‘Roger . . . Benny, you’re right. The bulk of the trains will be running between Eerste River and Cape Town from now until about four. Just about twenty per cent go to the Strand.’

‘OK, Bones. I think it is going to happen between the city and Parow, maybe Bellville. When is Vaughn going to reach Parow?’

‘He’s already past Parow, according to the schedule. He should be at Thornton now.’

‘Tell him to get off at Maitland. Unless you can see Tyrone leaving his train somewhere.’

‘Tyrone still seems to be moving.’

‘Hang on.’ Griessel wove though the traffic in Strand Street. He had to concentrate on the road for now. Mbali sat staring with wide eyes, clutching the big black handbag on her lap.

Then they were across Adderley, alongside the station. He saw a loading zone, switched off the siren, and parked. Mbali’s door was already open, as though she was relieved to be getting out of the car.

‘Mbali!’ he shouted as they ran to the station. ‘We are going to take two separate trains, just to cover more bases.’

‘Yes,’ she said, already puffing.

Tyrone got off at Woodstock.

Where was Black Beanie? Why was it taking so long to get to Parow Station?

They were going to fuck everything up.

He went over to the schedules again. He would have to wait.

Time to begin chewing the gum. He dug in his pocket, took out the pack, put six strips in his mouth, began to chew.

His cellphone vibrated.

We are at Parow
.

He shivered. Was his plan going to work?

His fingers trembled as he typed
OK. I know u are 4. Money guy ...
and he looked closely at the time tables
. . . goes on train 3520, leaving Parow at 10.36, Plfrm 9. Must be alone, or u won’t get card. I will hide card on train 3515, reaching Parow at 10.50. when I have money, will tell u where on train card is hidden.

And then he waited for them to answer.

Bones’s voice was high and almost panicky when he passed on the news to Griessel.

‘OK, Bones, Mbali has just left the station on that exact train, so we are covered. I am going to call her now, and I’m going to warn her. Now you and Dave must try to get Vaughn on the same train, Mbali will need backup.’

‘Roger, out.’

‘No, wait. Where is Tyrone?’

‘Woodstock.’

‘OK, that’s where I’m going.’

If card is not on train, we WILL kill your sister. Just 4 guards at hospital.

How did they know that? wondered Tyrone. Had they been there?

Of course they had been there, you ape.

He would have to get the money, and then take the pistol and go to his sister, these guys just wanted to kill.

Take a deep breath,Tyrone.

He typed on the phone:
If money is right, card is there.

Train 3515 pulled into Woodstock Station.

Tyrone ran for the train.

Time to put the card under a seat.

Mbali Kaleni saw the pickpocket running towards the train. Her cellphone against her ear, she told Griessel, cool as a cucumber, ‘I see him.’

‘Good,’ said Griessel.

‘He’s getting on the train . . .’

‘OK.’

‘He’s in the next carriage, I can see him . . . He’s taking off his backpack. He’s sitting down . . . He’s opening his backpack, he has taken something out. I can’t see what it is. He has it on his lap. Wait . . . Now he’s taken something from his mouth. He’s looking around . . . Sorry, Benny, I had to look away . . .’

‘OK.’

‘He . . . Benny, I think he has stuck the card under the seat. Now he’s getting up, the train is going to stop at . . . Salt River Station. I think he’s going to get off.’

‘Mbali, go and see if the card is there.’

She waited until Tyrone had left the train. She watched Tyrone go and stand on the platform. She felt sorry for him, in that instant, he looked so scared and bewildered.

Still she remained seated. Till the doors closed, and the train jerked, and began to move.

Then she got up and walked to the seat he had vacated. She saw Tyrone standing on the platform staring at the departing train.

A young black man sat down on Tyrone’s seat. He had earphones on and his head moved in time to the music he was listening to.

Mbali stopped in front of him and said: ‘I want you to move.’

He didn’t hear her.

She tapped him on the knee and he looked up, irritated by the intrusion. She gestured that he should move up.

He stared at her, challenging. ‘
Ungachopha apho
,’ he said. You can sit there
.

She smacked him against the ear, like a naughty child.

That shocked him, he ducked to avoid another possible smack, and said in agitation, ‘
Yintoni eyebayo
?’ What is
wrong
with you?

But he took in her severe expression, the fearless attitude, and he shifted up, three seats further away. He shook his head in disbelief, trying to regain a little dignity.

Mbali ignored him, sat down, put her handbag beside her, and leaned over. She felt underneath the seat, until she found the wodge of chewing gum. She pulled it loose, and held it up.

She said to Benny Griessel, ‘I have the card.’

57

Griessel was still waiting at Cape Town Station for train 2319.

On his cellphone, Bones said, ‘Tyrone has just sent the Cobras a message. It says: “Card hidden on train now. Let me know when money is at Maitland Station.” And the Cobra said: “OK.” But there’s a problem. I could not reach Vaughn in time, he says there was no signal. So he missed Mbali’s train.’

‘Shit.’

‘What do you want me to do?’

‘Can you tell me where Tyrone is now?’

‘He is still at Salt River Station.’

‘Tell Vaughn to get off there.’

‘OK, Benny.’ He rang off.

On platform 7, Griessel saw his train’s doors open at last. He jogged up and got in.

He stood, holding on to the metal rail near the roof.

Mbali was going to have to confront one of the Cobras all on her own – the one who would go to find the memory card under the seat as soon as he got on, probably at Parow. There was no time, no one else to help. He would have to warn her now.

Vaughn Cupido got off the train at Salt River Station, and within seconds he spotted Tyrone Kleinbooi sitting on a bench beside the platform.

The pickpocket had a phone in his hand, and all his attention was focused on it.

Cupido walked calmly down the platform, called Dave Fiedler, and told him.

‘Hang on, china,’ said Fiedler.

Cupido heard Fiedler and Bones talking.

‘Captain Griessel will be there in five minutes,’ said Fiedler eventually. ‘He wants you just to keep an eye on Tyrone.’

Griessel called Nyathi and explained to him that Mbali, due to an unexpected confluence of events, was alone on a train where, just after Parow Station, she would be confronted by a Cobra who would want that card.

‘Sir, if you could just wait for the train at Bellville – we have no other backup.’

‘I will take Ulinda with me,’ said Nyathi. ‘How much time do we have?’

‘Not more than ten minutes.’

No anxiety, no reproach, just: ‘We’ll be there.’

Beyond Maitland, Mbali sat with the memory card held between her fingers, wondering what disastrous data was stored on it. Information that was responsible for the death of at least nine people, and very nearly a tenth as well, an innocent young student.

She stowed the card carefully in a side pocket of her big handbag. She rolled the chewing gum between her fingers until it was one big ball again. She stuck it back precisely where it had been when she found it.

From her handbag she took a little bottle of waterless hand cleaner from Woolworths, and a tissue. She cleaned her fingers thoroughly.

Then, with both hands hidden in the darkness of the handbag, she took her Beretta pistol and made sure it was cocked.

She took her left hand out, but her right hand remained hidden in the depths of the bag, gripped around the pistol.

Benny Griessel had said that a Cobra would get on at Parow Station, and would come looking for the memory card.

And she would be ready for him.

Benny Griessel got off the train at Salt River and phoned Cupido.

‘Where are you?’

‘On the platform.’

‘I can’t see you.’

‘Platform 11.’

‘OK, I’m on the other side, I’m coming. Can you see Tyrone?’

‘He is ten steps away from me. He’s texting on his phone.’

‘I’ll be there directly.’

Griessel walked hurriedly down the stairs, heading for the other side of the railway line.

Bones would phone at any moment with news about the text that Tyrone was sending.

If the pickpocket was still here, that meant that he was going to receive the money here.

Good news, because he and Cupido were both here. One to catch the Cobra, and one to follow Tyrone and the money.

The ZTE rang, as he had expected.

‘Cobra texted to say he has passed Maitland, then Tyrone answered with this: “When train stops at Salt River, wait until just before doors close again. Throw out money. Don’t get out. Stay on train. Just throw out money bag. If money is good, I’ll send card details.”’

‘Have they answered?’

‘No . . . yes, just came in. Just “OK”.’

‘How long before that train comes in at Salt River?’

‘Three minutes.’

Griessel began running. ‘OK, I’ll call you when I have news.’

Cupido saw Griessel running towards him, coat flapping, hair ruffled by the wind. He walked to meet him.

Griessel waited until he was beside his colleague and then explained quietly and breathlessly what was going to happen. ‘I’m going to get on that train,Vaughn. You follow Tyrone and the money. If the Cobras are tracking his cellphone too, he’s dead. Protect him.’

‘Got it,’ said Cupido.

Then Griessel walked away, towards the platform.

The money train was visible, a kilometre away.

Tyrone hid behind a pillar, his heart beating wildly. He had put the rucksack down on the concrete and now he looked up quickly to see if someone could see him, put his hand in the rucksack and pulled out the pistol. He pushed the pistol under the purple windcheater, closed the bag, swung it up onto his back.

It was the moment of truth, now.

Maybe they would try to shoot him.

Maybe they would just throw the money out.

Either way, he was as ready as he was ever going to be.

It’s worth it, it’s worth it, his sister’s future . . .

He took the cellphone, typed the message in:
Card is in carriage 3
,
3rd class, stuck in the middle of middle bench, table mountain side.

He would send it when he was sure the money was correct.

The train came in.

He stood ready, behind the pillar, peering at the train.

It stopped.

A few people approached.

A few people got off.

A few people got on.

The train stood there.

The whistle blew.

His eyes scanned up and down, up and down.

A rush of air as the doors closed.

Where was the money?

Right at the back, the furthest from him, the rucksack bounced once, twice across the platform.

The train was leaving.

Tyrone waited.

No one else got off.

His eyes followed the train.

There through the glass, he saw Black Beanie, the man’s eyes searching.

Instinctively,Tyrone ducked behind the pillar.