Under Attack – Episode 1

Under Attack – Episode 1

© Brian Ngoma

A man called K.B

Mostly known as a man of few words, he was never liked or lets say, he wasn’t a peoples favourite. During his time as an active detective, he only managed to work with one person because that person was like him. Recently, he beat up the inspector general of police, Knocked him out cold. The matter was dealt with internally. He was known as a cold bas***d at Police Head Quarters and many attributed his attitude to him being a white African man.

What no one knew was that K.B was a troubled man. He had three failed suicide attempts. Depression and anxiety was running his life. It pushed everyone around him away. At 64, he had been divorced three times. From the first marriage, he had 2 children, a boy and a girl. Never had any child with the second wife. Had a daughter with the third wife. His first wife, he couldn’t bear, she was always there taunting and giving him hell. She turned his children against him. They never wanted anything to do with him much less talk to him.

“Bitter old white man,” a woman said and went on. “Why can’t he just die?”

“Bitter people die last,” another woman added. “Oh there he comes.”

K.B walked past them and said nothing. They were his neighbours. Sneaky old neighbors, he thought. Everyone in this part of town was old. He wondered why people never minded their own business. If he was bitter, it wasn’t their problem, it was his. Why did they care? He walked to his car and found one of the tyres punctured. He looked around and saw two kids running into some flowers laughing hysterically.

“They probably slashed the tyre,” a gentle voice said behind him.

K.B turned around and recognised the young man, Victor. Victor was a 21 year old young man who lived opposite K.B with his grandmother. The young man was loved by everyone. They wondered why he took a liking in K.B. Nobody liked K.B. He wasn’t supposed to like him.

The two men looked back at the two women who were probably talking about them. The women looked away just like the people at the police station. K.B always compared people in his neighbourhood to the people at HQ.

“I was reading on social media last week,” Victor paused looking at K.B who was staring at his punctured tyre. Knowing K.B, he knew he would listen despite not looking at him. He continued, “That serial killer was caught. The nation is now relieved.”

“Yeah,” that’s what K.B could manage to let out.

“Is he at HQ?”

K.B stared at Victor frustrated. On his T Shirt were bold triple ‘S’ printed. Victor noticed that K.B had seen the letters and wanted to say something but before he could, K.B bid farewell to him.

“Good day, don’t die!” Victor waved at K.B.

K.B knew what Victor was asking about. The serial killer had been apprehended recently and he knew whose team had caught him. By now Izukanji was probably celebrating with his team because that’s what he did with such accomplishments. K.B stayed out of Izukanji’s way. In fact, he stayed out of everyones way because that’s what he also wanted them to do.

On his way, he kept thinking about why he still went there because he had nothing to do. He was an old man stuck in an office. Back then, he enjoyed what he used to do even though he never said it out loud. Now, he was just frustrated with no one and facing rejection from all his walks of life, he was in despair whose children didn’t bear the sight of. He couldn’t wait for his retirement. Then, he would take his life. This time, it had to be perfect.

He finally reached HQ. At the reception which was a big one for that matter, he found three officers busy attending to people. There was a lot of people that day, everyone seemed preoccupied. As he walked, he saw a gentleman wearing an all blue suit with his phone in the air seemingly looking for network. He glanced at K.B and looked in another direction. A woman badly beaten was also sitting busy wiping blood out of her face.

“Why do people like going out with other people’s men?” The officer at the reception asked looking at the badly beaten woman.

“They are sweet!” The beaten woman answered rudely.

“You’re even answering!” Another officer yelled. “You prostitute!”

The beaten woman rolled her eyes and looked away. K.B nodded his head and walked further. There was also a woman with her teenage son who had been recently assaulted. The other boy who had assaulted the teenager was also with his mother awaiting arrest. Just closer to these two families was a girl sobbing, alone.

“Watch where you are going old man!” An angry voice yelled after bumping into K.B.

K.B stepped aside.

“Sorry detective,” an officer apologized to K.B. With him was a suspect being brought in.

“Detective? This old white man?” The suspect asked bluntly.

“Shut up!” The officer pushed the criminal. “My apologies once again detective,” he waved at K.B.

Officer Dominick, a very humble man. Most straight officer at the station, unlucky for him because everyone was corrupt, including K.B. Like K.B, Officer Dominick had worked at HQ for so many years. He was also an old man but he still had it. His softness had brought him ridicule. Despite being a punching bag from other detectives, Officer Dominick never retaliated.

K.B watched him push the suspect while he stood lost in his thoughts like always. Climbing the stairs, were three officers he had never seen before. They looked at him and waved. He didn’t wave back.

“Shikulu!” (Granpa) a little girl called him grabbing his trousers.

Irritated, he looked down and saw her. He recognised her. She was a daughter to one of the officers who worked in the firearms department on 2nd floor. Every Thursday, the little girl would be brought at HQ and she roamed the place. She also knew his safe hideout, the roof. After following him there once, K.B chased her and ensured that everytime he was on the roof, he locked the door. He never told anyone about this, not even her mother. Other officers had talked about how unsafe it was for the little girl to be at a place like this. The mother once shouted at them telling all the officers in their faces how stupid they were to say HQ was the unsafest place. What job were they doing? She had asked them.

“Shikulu, i want mommy!” The little girl shouted.

K.B looked around. He knew she was playing with him. This was not the first time she was doing that to him. He hated Thursdays because of this little girl. Ignoring her and passing the elevator, he walked to the stairs. He directly walked up to his office on the 5th floor. Despite his department being on the 3rd floor, he had chose the 5th floor because there were less people. He enjoyed his solitude. He spent his five days in the week planning his fourth suicide. Even though his suicides took him his lifetime, people around him got to know about them. They never mentioned anything about it but he knew they talked.

“Good morning!” A female voice exclaimed behind him.

What happened to silence? He almost yelled. He quickly turned around in his chair and saw a young vibrant girl wearing glasses. Looking at her, she was probably in her early twenties. When they locked eyes, she smiled at him showing her braces in the teeth. K.B wondered why she was standing on his office door.

Before he could say anything, she entered and said. “I’m Emma, i have been told to come here.” She looked around K.Bs office excitedly.

“To do what?” He finally spoke.

“Work,” she was startled looking at his facial expression. “I was told this would be my new office.” The smile faded on her face.

K.B stood up, walked to her and grabbed her by the hand. He led her out of the office, let go of her hand and told her to follow him. He walked to the stairs.

“Why not take the elevator?” She asked.

He stopped and looked back at her, said nothing and continued walking. She followed and was led to the Inspector Generals office on the 2nd floor.

“You could have told me we were coming here, the stairs got me tired,” she complained.

Without knocking, K.B entered with Emma behind him. “Inspector General!”

“Acting Inspector General, Kerzner Botha. Don’t act like you didn’t beat up the I.G,” a well dressed man curtly responded . “What can i do for you Kerzner?”

“Who is she?” He pointed at Emma.

“That’s Emma. Your partner.”

K.B looked at Emma and back at the acting I.G. “Daniel!” He calmly called him..

“Don’t address me by my name Kerzner,” Daniel said. “She’s a Newbie and no detective wants a Newbie. I figured you might need some company. It’s time to get over the past.”

K.B didn’t say anything.

“Now, i have some work to do. Get out of my office. The deputy I.G is not around.”

“Sir,” Emma said. “I didn’t have a chance to meet you, I’m so humbled to …..”

“Save it,” Daniel raised his arm. “Go back up and work, today is a busy day.”

She turned to look at K.B and he was gone. She excused herself and followed him but couldn’t find him. She took the elevator and went up. Reaching the office, she found him clearing his table.

“What are you doing?” She asked worryingly.

He looked at her and said nothing. She could tell that he didn’t want her any closer to him much less share an office. He didn’t even know her, she thought. That was K.B, you didn’t have to know him to despise you. Next thing she heard was a bang at the door. He was gone.

At the roof, K.B sat on a chair he had placed some years ago. Whenever he felt his privacy was invaded, he ran to the roof. Running, that was the only thing he had been good at over the last few years. He was no longer a fighter and he was okay with it. He got his phone from the pocket, looked at it and saw the network was gone. Pathetic service providers, he thought as he put it back in the pocket. He looked at the garden. Whoever was taking care of it was doing a great job. This was the only part of the building that looked like people here cared about and he was glad that he was the only who came here.

He stood up and walked to the edge of the building. Many are the times he had thought of just jumping from the roof. Six floors, he would be mince meat once he hit the ground but that would bring shame at the HQ. One of their own committing suicide at the most safest place. Then again, he would finally get satisfaction if at all that was even possible.

He stared down at the people, everyone busy with their day to day activities. One thing he loved about the roof, people seemed helpless. He felt like he could just step on them if he could. They looked like ants in his eyes. Perhaps, this would be the perfect time to just jump. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made and the more relieved he felt. This is it, his mind was all made up. Another suicide attempt!

***

At the reception, with everyone occupied; The little girl was running to the stairs, The two teenagers raising their voices towards one another with their parents shouting at each other too, the young girl continuously sobbing. The man in the suit getting impatient at what/who he was waiting for, the badly beaten woman tired of everything and the three officers trying to calm everyone. No one heard one another speaking or thinking. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard at the door. When everyone tried to look in the direction of the door, there were six men holding guns in their hands with bombs strapped on their bodies. Everyone ran amok at the reception. They were trying to make sense of everything.

“Nobody does nothing!” One of the men stepped forward. “If you try to do anything, everyone dies in this station. Officers,” he looked at the officers at the reception. “This place has been infiltrated already.”

One of the officers at the reception reached for a gun under the desk. Before he could even cock it, he was shot on the chest by one of the men.

“I told you to do nothing!” The man in charge shouted.

Everyone was screaming and shouting. They were all laying on the floor covering their ears.

“Anyone who tries to do anything stupid will die next,” he turned around to the other men. “Lock the doors!”

To be continued

ALL EPISODES