Trackers by Deon Meyer Read Free Book Online

members who differ.'
    'Who?'
    'The Minister of Defence, apparently, and the Minister of
Home Affairs.'
    Senior cabinet members, Mentz realised. She digested the
information before asking, 'Who else supports us?'
    'The Deputy President.'
    'Is that all?'
    'You must understand, the information is second-hand, and I
suspect much of it is speculation. But the important thing is, the President is
not yet certain that we are included.'
    They ate in silence. Masilo enjoyed his food with visible
pleasure.
    Eventually he put his knife and fork down. 'No wonder the
Minister of Finance eats here too. Ma'am, may I make a suggestion?' he asked.
    'Of course, Tau.'
    'Now is the time to make a fuss. To convince the
President...'
    'How?'
    'With what we have. I know, I know, seen objectively, it's
not much. But a short report, cleverly written ...'
    'It's dangerous.'
    'Why would that be?'
    'Tau, how much credibility will we lose if the Muslim affair
is completely off-target?'
    'Will it matter, in a month or two?'
    'We simply don't have enough yet,' with disguised regret.
    'I don't know if we can wait much longer, ma'am. It's a
window of opportunity, and it won't stay open for long. The President could
make his decision any day now ...'
    Janina Mentz adjusted her spectacles. Unconvinced.
    Masilo's cellphone rang. He answered and listened. Spoke into
the instrument: 'From where?' Then again: 'I'll be there now.' -
    He put the phone away. 'That was Quinn. I think the cellular
taps in Gauteng have borne fruit.'
     
    Quinn, the Chief of Staff: Operations, in a black turtleneck
sweater and khaki chinos, caressed the facts with his quiet voice: 'Inkunzi
Shabangu and his people are clever, as befits members of organised crime. Every
week they replace their cellphone SIM cards. It takes Raj and his people three
or four days to isolate the new numbers, because we can monitor Shabangu's
house, that is our one constant site. That leaves only three days of
surveillance before we have to start all over again. Incidentally they never
use the same SIM card twice, and we suspect every new number is SMSed to
important contacts on Sunday evenings. This was recorded this morning. One
voice is Shabangu himself. The call came from Harare, it is a typical Zim
accent...'
    Quinn clicked on the mouse. The sound was excellent on the
impressive system.
    'Hello.'
    'Mhoroi, Inkunzi, how are you?'
    'I am very well, my friend, and how are you?'
    'Not so well, Inkunzi, times are tough over here.'
    'I know, my friend, I know, the newspapers are full of it.'
    'What can you do ...?'
    'So, my friend, ndeipi?'
    'The news is that you were right, Inkunzi. Chitepo is working
on a new route, and it will go through South Africa.'
    Quinn paused the recording for a moment. 'Most likely that's
Johnson Chitepo, head of Zimbabwe's Joint Operations Command, and Mugabe's right-hand
man. But listen to this ...' and he reactivated the recording.
    'And you are sure?' said the voice of Julius Shabangu over
the speakers.
    'Almost sure. Ninety-nine per cent. But it looks like he is
keeping Comrade Bob in the dark.'
    'Chitepo?'
    ' Yebo. '
    'He's stealing from Mugabe now?'
    'He is looking after himself.'
    'OK. So when is it going to happen?'
    'Soon, I think. But we will try to find out more.'
    'And the route? How does it work?'
    'All I know is, he's working with a South African. Someone in
nature conservation. So it could be through Kruger, you know, the transfrontier
park. They are connected now, Gonarezhou and Kruger. That is what we think,
they will take it through there.'
    'OK. My friend this is very good. But we need the details.'
    'I know, Inkunzi. I will keep listening.'
    'Tatenda, my friend. Fambai zvakanaka'
    'Fambai zvakanaka, Inkunzi.'
    Quinn paused the recording again. 'That just means "go
well" in Shona. The conversation is quite typical, they keep it short,
just like the following one. This is Shabangu phoning, the number he called is
a house here in Cape Town, in Rondebosch East, which