Refined By His Fire

  Chapter Eight

  It has always been a pleasure having Barry on the station’s strength. He has always been polite and very hard working, but since Christmas day, everything has changed in the youngster. Barry was friendlier than he has always been and always whistling or singing as far as he went.

  It was very clear where Barry’s joy came from and it was also very clear that his relationship with God grew more and more deeper and more intense as the days progressed.

  Adrian and Barry could talk forever on end about the Rapture, how excited they were about it and would speculate on when the Rapture would actually take place.

  But now, a special crime prevention operation is taking place in conjunction with Somerset West SAPS. It is a very hot night in mid February. The veld fires were burning everywhere in the Cape and not even Grabouw was left unscathed . . .

  “Golf Romeo 6, come in for Romeo.”

  “Golf Romeo 6, proceed.” Adrian responds.

  “I have a hijacking in progress! A hijacking in progress in Govan Mbeki Street in the township area of Grabouw. I have no details of a contact person or contact details. Shots have been fired. I repeat. Shots have been fired! It’s a gang of x4 African males. All positively armed with weapons unknown. Reference number 712509. Did you copy?!”

  “Copied, Romeo! Permission with all vehicles on this channel!”

  “Proceed.”

  “All vehicles on this channel for Golf Romeo 6! I need back up! I need back up! Location is at Govan Mbeki Street in the township area of Grabouw! Did you copy?”

  “Copied, Golf Romeo 6! Sierra Whisky 4 right behind you! Two mikes! Two mikes, tops!”

  “Sierra Whisky 12 also on my way! Do you have R5’s Golf Romeo?”

  “Positive! A R5 and a shotgun! Put on your bulletproofs! They mean business! What’s your ETA, 12?”

  “Right behind you! Right behind you!”

  “Golf Romeo 10 also on my way! Hang in there, Parker! We’re coming! We’re coming!”

  “Okkie! Put on your bulletproof! These guys are going to make it really difficult for us! Romeo! Do you have a description on the suspect’s car and the stolen one?”

  “Suspects’ car is a maroon BMW, registration number unknown! Tinted windows! 525i series. No description on the stolen car!”

  “I have him! I have him! I’m right behind him! Block him off! Block him off! Damn it! Watch out! They are shooting at us! They are shooting at us!”

  “Sierra Whisky 12! Wait! We’re coming! We’re coming!”

  Adrian brings the car to a screeching halt and him and Barry gets out. They take cover and Adrian looks Barry briefly in the eyes.

  “Just because you are a Jesus freak now doesn’t mean you don’t have to be careful, okay? Please take care. You hear me?”

  Barry cocks the R5.

  “Don’t worry, old man. I’ll be careful and I’ve got ye covered.”

  They look at each other very briefly before they bravely try to get the situation under control. But the situation gets out of hand, because for some reason, the original robbers are joined up by three other colored men out of nowhere.

  Adrian runs for cover and contacts Radio Control again.

  “Romeo! Romeo!”

  A shot explodes next him.

  “Romeo! Come in for Golf Romeo 6, please! Urgent!”

  But another call sign interrupts and disables any communication with Romeo.

  “Damn it! Monitor your radio! Monitor your radio!”

  Adrian presses the emergency button.

  “Golf Romeo 1! Golf Romeo 1! Come in for Golf Romeo 6, urgent!”

  “Golf Romeo 1, send!”

  “We are under fire! We are under fire! I need back up! I need back up—”

  The communication breaks up again.

  “Damn it, your idiot! Monitor your radio! Monitor your radio! Romeo! Romeo! Police in danger! I repeat, Police in danger! Phone my station commander urgently and get me back up immediately!”

  Adrian’s eye catches a very distracting, gruesome picture and the mike of the police radio in the car falls from his hand.

  “Barry!”

  Adrian rushes to the lifeless blue uniformed figure and picks Barry up in his arms, trying everything in his power to shield his best friend from any more injuries, not caring if he might get hurt in the process himself. Adrian holds Barry close, Barry’s blood staining Adrian’s uniform and Adrian’s tears falling on Barry’s once handsome but now mutilated face.

  “Barry! Barry, no! No! Damn it, no! Barry! You can’t leave me like this! Barry!”

  Adrian’s body convulses in shock and anguish. He knows Barry has gone Home, but yet, all Adrian wants to do, is to put all the pieces of Barry’s face together, heal it, make it better. All Adrian want is for Barry to live. This was the last thing he had expected to happen . . .

  Furious and with the adrenalin rushing through his veins, Barry runs down the street, looking for the criminals that were shooting at them. As quick as everything fell apart and started, so quick it ended as well, with both vehicles seemingly nowhere to be found. Barry knows that what he is doing is passed irresponsibly, but he is determined to apprehend the suspect or suspects. His hand rests for a moment on his hip and he realizes with relief that he has the police hand radio.

  Barry takes cover at a shack, takes a deep breath. He hates it when criminals make him run like this and sure surely they will pay back big time . . .

  Barry enters the shack very carefully and cautiously. It is seemingly empty and deserted, but the next moment, Barry is grabbed from behind. He wrestles furiously against his assailants, but when the one colored man points him with a gun, Barry stops fighting. He looks into the man’s eyes and aims to call for back up on the police radio, but the gang leader cocks the firearm.

  “Just move one more time and you get it, you stupid policeman.”

  The assailant behind Barry covers his mouth with a cloth damped with chloroform and Barry is only vaguely aware that he tries to scream, but as he inhales, the drug causes him to black out and he is totally unaware of the other drugs that are administered to immobilize him onwards . . .

  Adrian’s distressed cries and sobs turned into silent tears as he was sitting there. He wasn’t sure how long he was sitting there, but it felt like a lifetime before he feels a hand on his shoulder.

  Adrian turns around, bewildered and Henry kneels down by Adrian’s side. The sounds of the sirens sound in the distance. Seeing Barry like this, broken, lifeless in Adrian’s arms, breaks Henry. He feels terribly helpless . . .

  “Dad . . . Dad, please. Please wake me up from this nightmare! Please tell me everything is okay!”

  “I’m so sorry, Adrian. I don’t . . . I don’t know what to say . . .”

  The tears whelm up in Henry’s eyes and before he can help it, they slip over his cheeks. Barry held a very soft spot in Henry’s heart, he was like a son to them, a family member in his own right . . .

  It doesn’t take very long before the medics arrive as well as all the other SAPS key personnel and Henry gently tries to loosen Adrian’s grip on Barry.

  “Adrian . . . you need to let Barry go.”

  Adrian shakes his head.

  “No, no . . . I can’t . . .”

  Henry pulls Adrian away from Barry and the medics quickly inject Adrian with a sedative, laying him down on a stretcher.

  “No, no! Let me go! Barry . . . !”

  Henry kneels down beside Adrian, gently restraining him from getting up. He strokes Adrian’s hair in an effort to calm him down as he looks on at Adrian fighting against the effects of the sedative. Adrian eventually loses the battle and Henry softly kisses Adrian on his forehead before the medics load Adrian into the ambulance. Henry turns around and stares into the faces of several journalists . . .

  At last after a very long while, Adrian eventually opens his eyes, inspecting where he is. The realization of the previous night?
??s events slowly comes back to him.

  Noticing that Adrian is awake, Henry takes Adrian’s hand and kisses him.

  “It’s okay, my boy. I’m here.” he says softly.

  “Dad . . . Dad, please tell me this is a bad dream . . . please.”

  Henry sighs.

  “Adrian . . . I . . . I don’t think I should tell you this.”

  “What? What’s going on, Dad?”

  “Adrian, you are going to wish Barry’s gone. The hijacking turned up a kidnaping. The policeman that you thought was Barry. It was a Constable from Somerset West.”

  “But . . . Dad, no. It was Barry! I know him so well. I was there when Barry died!”

  “Adrian, that Constable’s face was mutilated passed recognition and his blood stained the name tag. I was there this morning at the post mortem. It’s not Barry. But—”

  Adrian frowns.

  “But what?”

  “Barry was kidnaped, Adrian. Those three colored males that came into the picture at the hijacking are major wanted criminals in the Grabouw area. They took Barry.”

  “How . . . how do you know?”

  “They phoned me this morning.”

  Adrian swallows hard to fight back the tears.

  “Did they demand anything?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Dad! You must phone Takies! Please!”

  “Adrian, listen to me. We are doing everything we can to get Barry out of there.”

  Henry notices Adrian wants to remove the IV from his hand and he stops Adrian.

  “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

  “I need to go and find him, Dad!”

  “No! You will do nothing like that! The Police will find Barry wherever he is and in time. It doesn’t matter what.”

  “He needs me, Dad!”

  “He needs your prayers, my son. And the calmness you’ve always had.”

  Barry awakes from a drug induced sleep and becomes very aware of how terribly cold and uncomfortable he feels. He has never experienced such a need for food or water like this before. Barry’s mind is a total void. It is like there was a huge time gap, but he can’t pinpoint it, he doesn’t know where he was, what day or date it is.

  Barry moves carefully, looks around and realizes that he is all alone in a dark, cold, damp, windowless room. Somewhere the nagging drip of water sounds.

  Barry closes his eyes briefly, tries to recollect. He was completely stripped of all his equipment, even the bulletproof he wore. He tries his outmost to remember what has happened, what lead to him being in this situation.

  Barry realizes that he dare not panic, but it was difficult not to. All his survival instincts are on high alert, he wanted to run, to escape, but if he did, where would he go?

  The door shrieks open and Barry looks up into the faces of his captors accompanied by a woman. All of them were wearing balaclavas.

  “Welkom, poot.” (“Welcome, cop.”)

  “Please, whatever ye do, please speak English, okay? I’m not South African.”

  The leader kneels down by Barry’s side, takes a pull of a cigarette and blows the smoke in Barry’s face.

  “Very well then. But if you are not South African, where are you from?”

  “Scotland.”

  “Yes, right. So you fly here every day to make our lives hell. Where do you stay?”

  “Grabouw.”

  He slaps Barry through the face.

  “Clever ass! I would think so, because you are forever seen with that blonde Constable. Where do you stay, with him?”

  “Your business is with me, not me friend. Leave him alone.”

  He slaps Barry again.

  “Your friend or your lover?”

  Barry loses his temper.

  “Never ever talk about him like that again! I mean it!”

  “Or what?”

  Barry stays silent.

  “I want his address, his name. I have some unfinished business with both of you. I’m growing very tired of you two arresting my dealers like that. You are hurting my business really badly. And if Scotland is really where you come from, you clearly don’t know what happens if you mess around with the drug lords and their business here in the Cape. I’m asking you again. Who is he and where does he live?”

  He presses the burning cigarette against the sensitive skin on Barry’s inner arm.

  Barry winces, moans.

  “Go to hell! I won’t tell ye!”

  “Oh, believe me, you will. I’m only getting started. You’ll beg me to stop.”

  “Look. I don’t care what ye do, okay? I’m not scared of dying!”

  “Dying is not the problem. It’s the way you go that’s the problem. And believe me, I’ll make you suffer badly.”

  “Ye are wasting your time! I’m not saying anything!”

  “You will. Eventually.”

  He gets up, nods with his head to his accomplices who grabs Barry and holds him down while the woman blindfolds him with duct tape. Barry feels a prick of the needle and slowly loses consciousness.

  Arriving back on the farm, Henry looks worriedly at Adrian. Adrian just stared out of the window all the way home, not saying anything. When the car comes to a standstill, Adrian got out, takes out his keys and moseyed to the cottage.

  “Dad, I can’t do this . . .”

  Henry puts his hand on Adrian’s shoulder and walks with Adrian to the cottage. He takes the keys from Adrian’s hand, unlocks the door and they step inside.

  Adrian collapses on his knees, unable to hold back his tears and emotion. Henry kneels beside him and puts his arm around Adrian’s shoulders.

  “Dad, I’m begging you! Please phone Takies! They need to find Barry! We can’t leave him like this!”

  “Adrian, Adrian. My precious child. I promise you. I have contacted everyone we could have. I contacted Takies too. They are all doing everything in their power to find Barry. We will not fail him, I promise.”

  Henry hugs Adrian close and tries his outmost to comfort him.

  “Listen to me. I know how much you love Barry. We all love him very much. He is part of everyone in this family. I will not rest until we find him. I promise you.”

  Henry helps Adrian up.

  “Adrian, please. I just, as your commander and your dad, I need to take your firearms.”

  “No, Dad! No! Why?”

  “You are very desperate, Adrian. I’m not asking you. It’s an order.”

  Adrian sighs, walks to the safe and hands over his firearms to Henry who takes out his cell phone and phones Chrissie.

  “Hello?”

  “Chris, honey, I need you to come home. Please see if you can organize long leave or something. Adrian is in very bad shape. I took his firearms as well.”

  “Damn it, Henry! How did you leave the hospital without telling me you are going?”

  “Well, apparently you had some crisis at pediatrics and—”

  “Yeah well, there are other personnel members too. My son is more important. I’m on my way, Henry. Don’t leave Adrian alone, not even for a second.”

  When Chrissie disconnected without saying goodbye, Henry knew not to take offense. He takes a seat next to Adrian who decided to lie down on the bed.

  “Dad, where will they even start to search? What if they already left the borders?”

  Henry strokes with his hand over Adrian’s hair, trying to calm him down.

  “I promise you. We as the Police will do everything to find Barry. We will find every means. And we will all pray for Barry’s safety.”

  “I’m just wondering, just thinking.”

  Adrian turns on his back and faces Henry.

  “Can you imagine how scared he might feel? So alone. Dad . . . Dad, I failed him!”

  “No, no! You didn’t! Please, I never want to hear that ever again. You hear me?”

  “But its true, Dad. I should have been there for him, I should have backed him up and just because I r
an to the car to call for back-up, Barry’s gone!”

  Henry stretches out his arms, gathers Adrian close to his chest and holds him. None of them saying a word. When Chrissie arrives, Henry makes space for her and this time it is she hugging Adrian close, allowing him to cry himself out before Adrian becomes silent of exhaustion, letting her go and lying down again with his arm over his face.

  “Adrian, I phoned Dr Clarence.” Chrissie says carefully.

  “He prescribed something I must inject you with so you can sleep.”

  “No, damn it! How long does everybody want me to sleep? The medics also injected me with a tranquiliser on the scene. Sleep does not bring Barry back!”

  “Adrian, please. Please listen to me. I looked at your reports in the hospital. It really looks very bad. You are on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Please give me a chance to help you. Will you?”

  Adrian stays quiet for a very long while.

  “What will happen to me?”

  “You will be in a very deep sleep for two days. You will wake up, but you won’t remember anything of it. They call it sleeping therapy. Some say it is illegal, but we have a crisis with you now.”

  “Mom, please do me a favour.”

  “Anything, my love.”

  “Please phone Ryan. Ask him to come over. They are terribly busy with the cricket tours, but if he can come, I’ll appreciate that.”

  “I’ll see if I can get hold of him, my son.”

  Chrissie takes the syringe and carefully injects Adrian with the sleeping medication. As she watches him falling asleep, she silently wishes that she herself can escape from this nightmare. It was as if history was repeating itself all over again.

  Shocked, Ryan stares at the newspaper’s headlines. He doesn’t often read the papers but it is common news to read of a police member that was killed in the line of duty. But this report was like a cruel script from a horror movie.

  Ryan picks up his cell phone and phone Adrian’s cell number. His heart cringes hearing Adrian’s friendly greeting.

  “Hi, this is Adrian. Your call is very precious to me. So, please leave your message and I’ll call you when I can.”

  Ryan disconnects.

  Something is terribly wrong. The names of the policemen were not revealed, neither where they were stationed. But it did say that a policeman was killed and another kidnaped in the Grabouw area.

  Ryan closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When his cell phone rings, it shocks him out of his wits.

  “Yeah, Nielsen here.”

  “Hi, um . . . I’m sorry. I’m looking for Ryan?”

  Ryan frowns. He has never heard this lady’s voice before. He doesn’t get calls from female admirers that often. Ryan didn’t like it much, neither did his wife.

  “Speaking. I’m sorry, may I ask who is speaking?”

  “It’s Chrissie, Adrian’s mother.”

  Ryan’s world tumbles and he feels everything blacks out.

  “Hello, are you there?”

  Ryan takes a deep breath.

  “Um . . . I’m sorry. I lost you completely.”

  “I was wondering if you were busy. I mean, I know you guys’ hectic schedules, but Adrian has asked for you and I was hoping that you could take a couple of days off and come to Grabouw. Where are you at the moment?”

  “I’m at home in Simon’s Town. I’ve read the whole thing that has happened, but the details are too sketchy. What happened? Is Adrian okay?”

  “Physically, yes. Emotionally, no. After all these years, I’ve never had the privilege in meeting you personally and you’ve had made a huge difference in Adrian’s life.”

  Barry tries to open his eyes upon the familiar sound of the door shrieking open, but he realizes that it is pitch dark in front of him. Barry tries to touch his face to find out what has blacked out his vision, but he feels that his hands were cuffed with his own cuffs.

  “Did you change your mind?”

  “No.”

  It’s silent for a very brief moment and then an extremely painful blow follows on his body as the gang leader hits Barry with a thick rope with a big knot at the end of the rope. Before he can prevent it, a cry of pain escapes from his mouth.

  “You know, if I hit hard enough, I can break your bones. I don’t understand it. It is that simple. I just need some simple information. If you give it to me, I’ll let you go.”

  “You’re not getting anything out of me!”

  “Really? Not even for some water or food? I know you’re desperate.”

  “Go away!”

  The leader takes up Barry’s firearm they have taken from him on the day of the kidnaping and he puts it against Barry’s temple.

  “I’ll let you on a secret. This is your firearm. And I’m very sure you know your firearm very well. Like any policeman, you are very predictable with the one round in the chamber and the fourteen in the magazine. Lovely hollow point bullets you have. And very illegal.”

  Barry can feel the duct tape over his eyes becoming wet with tears of fear and pride. There was no way . . .

  “Please, Lord Jesus, please help me . . .” Barry prays softly.

  “Please help me to remain loyal . . .”

  The suspect laughs at him.

  “You can stop praying. God is not here. He is too busy for you. I’m waiting.”

  “Oh, God. Please . . . please receive me soul . . . I’m coming Home . . .”

  The next seconds feel like two lifetimes. Barry wonders how it feels to die. Will he instantly be in the loving, comforting arms of his Maker?

  The firearm’s hammer clicks, but the firearm does not spit out a bullet. The suspect hits Barry with the firearm over the head.

  “You think you are bloody clever, don’t you!”

  They grab Barry off the chair, throw him on the ground. The leader grips Barry’s jaw and pours water on his face.

  “You mentioned you’re thirsty, drink up! If you feel you are about to drown, we’ll stop, as soon as you are willing to talk.”

  Henry and Chrissie were very relieved when Ryan arrived on the farm accompanied with his wife. Chrissie requested Ryan to stay in the cottage for the first couple of days and Tanya stayed with Henry and Chrissie in the house.

  “Is Adrian okay?” Ryan asks Chrissie very worriedly.

  “He has been sleeping since I got here. The only indication that he is alive is you checking up on him.”

  Chrissie smiles very sadly.

  “He should come around by tonight, according to the doctor that prescribed the medication, but he also said that if Adrian needs time out, then that is what Adrian’s body is going to take. How long can you stay?”

  Ryan smiles reassuringly.

  “As long as you need me to. I already spoke to the team management. It will be a blow to the side, but there are so many other young players who are eager to play. It’s no problem. Honestly, I can do with the break.”

  Ryan goes to bed at 22:00 and like the previous night, they left the bedroom lights turned down low. It is just after 23:00 that night that Adrian opens his eyes and tiredly rubs over them.

  Very disorientated, Adrian sits up in his bed.

  “Barry?”

  He throws off the bedding and gets up but due to his disorientation and the drug still in his blood stream, Adrian stumbles against Barry’s bed where Ryan slept.

  “Barry?”

  Ryan wakes up, gets up and gently takes Adrian by the shoulders, helping him to lie down again before he covers Adrian again with the duvet.

  “Ryan? What . . . What are you doing in the cottage? Where . . . where’s Barry?”

  Ryan smiles ruefully. Adrian is still very much out of it.

  Ryan pours Adrian a glass of water and helps him to take a drink.

  “You called for me, buddy. It’s all right. I’m here now.”

  Adrian rests back against the pillows.

  “Ryan . . .”

  “Hush, buddy. I
t’s okay.”

  Adrian stares out blankly in front of him, stays quiet for some time before he closes his eyes, realizing all over again what has happened. He looks at Ryan again.

  “Thank you so much for coming . . . It really means a lot to me. I know you must be terribly busy.”

  “No, it’s all right. You need me right now. It’s no trouble at all. I’ll do anything for you.”

  Adrian’s eyes shine with tears.

  “No, you can’t . . .” his voice breaks.

  “You can’t bring Barry back.”

  “Listen to me, buddy. Barry will be okay. He will come back. Your dad will do everything he can to track Barry down and to find him. Your dad has never failed you and in all the times I told you that everything will work out, it did. Have I ever lied to you before?”

  “No.”

  Chrissie enters the room.

  “You buzzed me, Ryan?”

  Chrissie notices Adrian is awake and sits down next to him.

  “Hello, my love. How are you feeling?”

  “I feel so tired and confused...”

  Chrissie takes up her equipment and checks Adrian’s vitals. It looks much better for the first time in three days.

  “Don’t worry, my son. You’ll start to feel better now. Just rest now. It is past eleven ‘o clock already. Hopefully a breakthrough will come very soon.”

  But there was no such luck. Three very grueling months have passed.

  It didn’t matter who said what, nothing was said or done, brought Barry back. Though it was hurting like hell, Adrian decided to carry on with his life and stop wasting his hopes, his emotions on what may have been. He said farewell to his best friend and tried to work through his grief.

  Through everything, Adrian remained an excellent policeman. He still served his community whole heartedly and gave them his everything, but he was a very sad picture to look at.

  Adrian has always been slender, but Chrissie feared for his health and well being. So much so that she asked Henry to intervene.

  And so the one day, Henry enters the charge office, smiles briefly at the complainant Adrian attended to before speaking.

  “Are you working outside, Constable?”

  “Yes, Major. I just came to fetch something and I saw that it was a bit busy in the charge office. I couldn’t just ignore the complainants.”

  “Do you have any outstanding complaints?”

  “No, Major.”

  “Well, when you are done here, please come and see me.”

  “Yes, Major.”

  After some fifteen minutes, Adrian knocks at Henry’s door. Henry looks up from behind his desk.

  “Please come in. Close the door.”

  Adrian obeys and turns to face Henry.

  “Sit down, my son.”

  Adrian frowns slightly.

  “I’m going to keep this very short, Adrian. You have two choices. Either you keep up this scary rate that you are not looking after yourself and you keep on losing weight like you do and I’ll post you inside until you start taking care of yourself. How the hell do you think you are going to arrest a suspect in your condition? Or, you start looking after yourself, eat regularly and a balanced diet, pick up weight again and then I’ll keep you where you love to work and that’s outside.”

  “Dad, you know how I am. I can’t eat when I’m stressed—”

  “Okay. Then you are inside. When you have decided the alternative and only after you have gained at least five kilo’s, you may work outside. Hand over Golf Romeo 6’s keys to Klopper so that he can work with your crew.”

  “Dad, no—”

  “You’re dismissed, Constable. Close the door on your way out.”

  Adrian gets up silently and does as Henry asks.

  Henry puts his face in his hands and sighs heavily. He doesn’t understand what took Takies so long.

  Nobody commits the perfect crime and nobody disappears like that without a trace.

  Barry wakes up tiresomely from another drug induced sleep, opens his eyes and looks around. Barry closes his eyes again very briefly.

  For some reason, for the first time in a week, he wasn’t tied up, blindfolded or muffled.

  Barry swallows hard at the emotions threatening to flow. He has had so many vivid dreams. They all felt so real. It felt as if he can open his eyes and everything would be there, in full reality.

  Barry dreamed of the home he grew up in Scotland, Scotland’s green hills and forests, it’s beauty, he could hear his father speaking to him, he could experience his mother’s warm hug, her gentleness, he could literally smell the fresh farm horsey smell of the barn, he could hear the crackling police radio, the sounds of Golf Romeo 6’s sirens . . .

  In his mind, Barry also saw the vivid pictures and memories of the time he has the privilege of spending on the farm in the house of love and friendship he has got to know so intimately . . .

  And then, Barry gets startled by what sounds clearly as if Adrian is calling him. Barry opens his eyes.

  “I’m here, Adrian.” he whispers.

  “Please, please find me . . .”

  The familiar shrieking of the door opening jerks Barry back to reality.

  “I can’t believe that you are so stubborn. It’s been three months. Look at you. You filthy rat. I think it is time that I make an end to your misery.”

  “Please . . .” Barry says softly.

  “It’s bloody cold, and I’m freezing here. Just bring me a jacket or something.”

  “That’s nothing to me. I don’t care. You have to take the consequences of your own actions.”

  The suspect takes out a knife.

  “I think your loyalty is about to come to an end. I won’t stop until you don’t tell me what I want to know.”

  He cuts into Barry’s skin and Barry cries out.

  “Let me know when we can talk business. You’ll talk, believe me. I only got started.”

  The tears of fear and pride stream down Barry’s face.

  “Oh, God! Please forgive them! They don’t know what they’re doing . . . Please help me! Please protect me friend . . . keep me loyal . . .”

  Adrian stops writing on a statement for a docket and the complainant at the desk in front of him frowns. Adrian is very certain that he was finally reaching the point of a complete nervous breakdown, because he knew he was in the charge office with a complainant writing a statement, but Adrian also knew he sensed Barry’s distress and he was very certain it was as if he could hear Barry screaming.

  “What’s wrong with you, Constable? Are you drunk or what?”

  Adrian turns around, faces Lieutenant October.

  “If the station commander looks for me, know this. I’m going to look for Barry. With or without the help of Takies.”

  Before Lieutenant October can intervene, Adrian disappears from the charge office and his private vehicle sounds outside.

  Lieutenant October runs to Henry’s office, barges in without knocking and ignores all the annoyed faces.

  “Major, dismiss your meeting. Get Takies and Air Wing on the line. Adrian just left.”

  Henry swears.

  “Is he really having a death wish?!”

  Henry picks up the phone, phones Adrian.

  “What the hell are you up to?!”

  “I’m going to have to cut your call, Dad. I’m driving.”

  “Bloody fast too, I can tell! Where are you?”

  “On my way to Cape Town to Takies. I’ll grab them by the collar if I need to. Barry is coming home. Today. That’s final.”

  “Adrian—”

  But Adrian disconnected, leaving Henry fuming. Henry takes a deep breath, looks at the members of his meeting.

  “We’ll have to postpone, people. Sorry about that, but I have an emergency to attend to that I dare not ignore.”

  As Adrian is driving, a message alert comes through on his phone.

  Adrian knows he has to ignore it for a split seco
nd until he can look at it while waiting at a robot or something and a short while after, he opens the MMS, stares in horror.

  That’s it.

  There is no turning back. He has managed to save Ryan’s life once and if he needs to die saving Barry, it’s the ultimate price he was willing to pay.

  Arriving at the Takies’ base in Maitland some twenty minutes later, he barges in at the unit commander’s office and dutifully salutes the Colonel.

  “Colonel, forgive me for barging in your office like this and being so frank, but I didn’t come here to waste my time. You guys are the elite. You are capable of everything, but it’s been three months. Please, I beg you. We must find my friend, Constable Daniels. Before it is too late. I don’t know where, I don’t care, that is why you are the experts. I was hoping that this MMS that I got now can help. Please, I’m begging you.”

  The policeman looks Adrian in the eyes, puts his arm reassuringly around Adrian’s shoulders.

  “You’re Henry Parker’s son, aren’t you? He phoned me just now and also on a regular basis over this last three months. This is the most difficult case we ever had to crack. Please give me your cell phone and stay put. I’m going to get my men ready. I assume you’re coming with?”

  “Barry is my best friend, Colonel. I can’t let him down.”

  After very careful planning and strategy, the members of the Special Task Force are discreetly, but effectively surrounding the gang’s hideout with several snipers taking guard too.

  It is very difficult for Adrian, but for now, he needed to stay put so that he would not blow Takies’ cover. But it was only for now.

  The all-important call is made and everyone waits very tensely as the captor’s phone rings.

  “Yeah. Who is this?”

  “I got a call on my phone that you are looking for the colleague of Constable Daniels. He agreed to meet you.”

  The suspect looks around, but can’t see anything out of the unusual.

  “Oh, really. Is he here?”

  “Yes, he is here.”

  “And where are you?”

  “I’m waiting in the blue VW Golf, right in front of you.”

  “Then get out. Is Daniels’ friend with you?”

  “Yes. He is here.”

  “Then both of you, get out. Put your hands where I can see them. Get out of the car, slowly. Keep your hands where I can see them and put the cell phone on the roof of the car.”

  Adrian and the Captain get out. Both of them are dressed in civilian clothing, but they are wearing bullet proofs, not visible to the naked eye, under their clothes and get out as instructed.

  The gang leader walks closer, looks Adrian full in the eyes.

  “You son of a bitch. I should have taken you out when I had the chance. You are that station commander’s son. Believe me, what your friend went through this three months before he died this morning, you and your dad will also experience. Just for all the times that you arrested my dealers.”

  Adrian battles very hard against the war of his emotions. He refuses to believe that they were too late to save Barry. This guy is bluffing, but it’s working.

  “Please, we ask only one thing. Please bring Constable Daniels out.”

  “What? You mean his corpse? What’s left of it? My dogs haven’t fed for days. I tell you what. Let me have this Constable. It is my ransom I demanded from the station commander this morning.”

  “Okay. That’s fine. I’m waiting here for you.”

  The fear inside Adrian is overwhelming, but he follows the suspect into the building.

  This allowed phase two to be implemented. To immobilize and if the need arises, to kill the suspects and to free both Adrian and Barry.

  The suspect pushes Adrian into the dark room and when Adrian’s eyes grow accustom to the dark, he rushes to Barry’s side. Adrian feels for vitals. To his relief, Barry is alive, but he is unconscious and in very bad shape.

  The sounds of the gunfire outside shocks Adrian out of his wits and very vivid, bad memory of the near fateful night comes back to Adrian. Adrian realizes that of all the times in his life, he needed to be the brave policeman he always knew he was.

  Adrian holds Barry close in an effort to warm him up. Barry’s uniform was torn beyond recognition and he had nothing warm to wear. His body feels so cold . . .

  Very disorientated and traumatised, Barry moans and tries to break free from Adrian’s arms.

  “No . . . no . . . leave me . . . please, I beg ye . . .”

  “Hush, Engelsman. It’s okay. It’s me, Adrian. We’re almost out of here.”

  “Adrian . . .”

  “It’s all right. Hang in tight, okay? We’ll be out of here in no time.”

  “Adrian, please . . . please tell me this is real . . . I’ve been dreaming about ye and everyone else almost every night. I’m so scared that it will be one of those dreams again that I wake up and then it’s not real.”

  “Hey, hey, hush, it’s okay. I’m not leaving you. We’re safe. It’s just Takies, shooting the living daylights of those thugs who held you captive. We are going to get out of here because it is time for you to come home. Besides, never in Takies’ history did they ever lose a hostage. They will not allow you or anyone to ruin their reputation. You hear me?”

  “I’m so cold. They stripped me of everything, even me bulletproof . . .”

  “It’s all right, Engelsman. Just stay with me, okay? Look at me. Look at me, that’s it. You’re all right. I’m here. I’m not leaving you. Just keep on looking at me, focus on me, okay? Don’t listen to that racket out there. I missed you so much, all your silly jokes and everything.”

  Barry manages a very weary smile.

  “I miss me music . . .”

  “Which song?”

  “The Amazing Grace track on the Scottish Regiment Parade CD . . .”

  Adrian swallows very hard at the emotion threatening to flow and tries bravely to smile.

  “It’s been your favorite song since Christmas. How you would always sing it or whistle it on end.”

  “Adrian, will ye sing with me?”

  “Of course I will.”

  Adrian starts singing softly with Barry, who starts losing consciousness again.

  “Barry? Barry, stay with me. Stay with me, okay? Come on, we’re not done with the song yet.”

  Adrian notices the Captain entering the room and he gratefully looks at him.

  “Thank goodness you’re here. My buddy is in terrible shape.”

  The Captain covers Barry with a blanket and assesses his vitals.

  “Do you know if he is allergic to anything? He appears very disorientated. I don’t think he will understand what I ask.”

  He shines with a small torch in Barry’s eyes.

  “He is slipping. I need to start the IV.”

  “He is not allergic to anything. Barry?”

  Adrian touches Barry on the shoulder.

  “Barry, open your eyes. Come on. Hang in there. I’m still here.”

  “I’m so tired . . .”

  “No. No, come on. Stay with me, okay? It’s very important. The ambulance will be here very shortly and then you can sleep. Hang on. It’s all right.”

  The medics of Netcare arrive very shortly afterwards and stabilize Barry before loading him into the ambulance.

  “I think you need to go with your partner, Constable. We’ll take care of your vehicle at the base. Give us a tinkle and we’ll come and fetch you guys.”

  “Captain, thank you so much. I really don’t know what I would have done without you guys. I really hope that someone will recognize your brave efforts today.”

  “Well, I don’t know why you just talk about us. If it wasn’t for you, we would not have been able to pull this off. You deserve as much credit. Please keep in touch, we all would love to hear if Barry will be okay.”

  Adrian anxiously waits in the waiting room for the doctor to come and see him when his phone r
ings.

  “Hello, Adrian speaking.”

  “I’m so worried about you! Please give me good news.”

  “It’s all over, Dad. I’m just waiting for the doctor to give me feedback and when I can go and see Barry. I’ve been waiting for half an hour now.”

  “Is he okay?” Henry asks carefully.

  Adrian sits down again, takes a sip of water from the cup to collect himself.

  “He was in very bad shape, Dad. He has lost so much weight and he was somewhat hyperthermic as well. I really think he is going to be here a while.”

  “I’m just waiting for your mom to finish at work then we will come through. Where are you?”

  “Rondebosch Medi Clinic. Dad, I need to go. The doctor’s here.”

  “Hang in there, son. We’ll be there later. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Dad.”

  Adrian disconnects, expectantly looks at the doctor.

  “Adrian, I presume?”

  “Yes. Doctor, please tell me Barry is going to be okay.”

  “Adrian, sit down, please.”

  Adrian takes a seat, frowns lightly.

  “How . . . how bad is it?”

  “Adrian, your friend is severely dehydrated. I am very worried about that and also that he has lost so much weight. He lost consciousness on arrival and he . . . he is not in a coma, it is more that he went through a horrific ordeal and is taking time out. It can last a couple of hours, days, weeks, it depends on what his body is going to take.”

  “So . . . I guess he is in ICU?”

  “For now, yes.”

  Adrian puts the cup aside, rests with his head in his hands.

  “I suggest that he consults with a psychiatrist or psychologist after he is released. If you want to, I will contact someone.”

  Adrian looks up.

  “I um . . . I think we must ask Barry when he comes round. He will not like it if you organize shrinks.”

  The doctor sighs.

  “You policemen are so stubborn. I wonder if you realize what trauma your friend went through.”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. I survived the same ordeal last year. I almost died. I was shot and it took me very long to recuperate. I also know that the tranquilizers and sleeping tablets made me aggressive and led to insomnia. I was very depressed for a long time and I am still on super alert every time I work. Not just that, I was kidnaped as well as a child and the very same guy that kidnaped me when I was a child, kidnaped me last year. This is the third kidnaping I had to work through although it wasn’t me personally the third time round. I understand perfectly what lies ahead and what Barry goes and will go through. Not because I am his best friend, but because I’ve been in that situation. I was also able to depend on him last year. It’s only fair for him to know that I will be there for him this time round.”

  “Okay, granted. But not everyone reacts the same to trauma nor medication.”

  Adrian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to control his temper. He is very tired and is fast becoming irritated due to the trauma.

  “Doctor, like I said. Let’s give Barry the choice, please. I know him. He is not going to allow anyone to push him into something he doesn’t want.”

  “There was and is another problem. He was drugged while they kept him captive. We are just waiting for the blood works to come back so that we can determine what it was and the way forward.”

  “Doc, I know you know best and that you mean well—”

  “Adrian, you clearly don’t understand or you don’t want to understand. He is going to have severe withdrawal symptoms!”

  “Please. Just give my mom a chance. She is a qualified nurse at Somerset West Medi Clinic. She is into pediatrics, but she has a lot of contacts in the medical profession and because of her, I’m coping well after my ordeal. She knows about homeopathic medication that is short of a miracle.”

  “That won’t do to get him through the withdrawal symptoms.”

  “A funny thing then that my mother knows about a psychiatrist here in the Cape who treats a patient who smoked cocaine with dagga and still couldn’t sleep. Since using the medication I’m talking about, he is clean now for almost a year. I really don’t mean being rude, but I was hoping that my mom and I can work closely with you to aid in Barry’s recovery.”

  The doctor tries his best to smile.

  “Would you like to accompany me to the ICU? I need to go and check up on him.”

  Only some three days later Barry very wearily opens his eyes but he struggles to focus and his vision stays blurry for a while, causing him to become restless and anxious.

  “Hey, Barry. Welcome back, Engelsman. How are you feeling?”

  “No, no . . . please, don’t . . . don’t hurt me anymore . . .”

  “Barry, it’s me, Adrian. It’s okay. You’re safe.”

  Adrian softly squeezes Barry’s hand.

  “Adrian? Where . . . where am I?”

  “You’re in the hospital. Everything is over. You’re safe. Everything is all right now.”

  “Please, whatever ye do, don’t leave me alone . . .”

  “I’m not going anywhere, I’m here.”

  “I’m so scared . . .”

  Barry fights back the emotions.

  “It’s okay. They’re not coming back. Takies sorted them out, every one of them. There was a huge shoot out. They are gone. All of them. You are safe. I promise.”

  Barry restlessly tugs on the duvet.

  “Barry, it’s all right. Don’t worry. I’m here.”

  “Adrian, I’m feel so cold . . .”

  Adrian buzzes the nurse who comes in within a minute or two. Adrian looks at her. She was about nineteen, probably first year, drop dead gorgeous and seems to be very gentle.

  “Could you please organize another blanket?”

  She looks worriedly at the monitor at Barry’s vital signs.

  “I was hoping that his body temperature would start to normalize. Did he wake up?”

  “Yeah, but he is still very disorientated.”

  “I’ll be back in a sec.”

  Adrian turns back to Barry.

  “It’s okay, Engelsman. We’ll sort it out in no time. Are you thirsty?”

  “Aye, quite a bit . . .”

  Adrian pours Barry a glass of water and helps him to take a drink.

  The student nurse comes back with a blanket and drapes it over Barry.

  “The doctor will be here soon.” she says as she takes Barry’s temperature and writes down the vitals.

  “Your first year?” Adrian asks her.

  “Yeah.”

  She realizes Adrian is watching her and blushes. She must admit that Adrian and his friend are very handsome young men, both having the most beautiful blue eyes she has seen in a long time and she silently wonders if Adrian and Barry were friends or brothers. They look very alike.

  “So, what do you do?” she asks Adrian in return.

  “I’m a policeman. Barry too. He is my partner. My best friend.”

  The student looks shocked.

  “Partner?”

  Adrian chuckles.

  “We work together on the same squad car at the same station. We are sharing a cottage, but we are both solid Christians and definitely not what you just thought.”

  She smiles embarrassed.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just, the world has changed so much and it not strange to see gay couples any more.”

  “Oh, hell no! I love Barry to bits, but not in that way. It is not what God wants and how He intended life to be.”

  Adrian laughs heartily for the first time in months. The situation is so comical, especially because of the fact that the student looks so embarrassed due to the fact that she misjudged the situation.

  “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Adrian. Yours?”

  “Gisela.”

  After some two weeks that Barry was admitted, the doctors felt that
he was relatively strong enough to be discharged and to go home. But the orders are strict bed rest for at least another two weeks. Though the doctors hate admitting Adrian was right, Barry is coping well on the homeopathic medications and the withdrawal symptoms were minimal.

  Adrian noticed in the last two weeks that there was lots of chemistry between Barry and Gisela and mischievously decided to play matchmaker by means of making the excuse that he needed something in the vehicle while Barry is gathering his belongings.

  Barry sits on the bed, pulls on a sweater before putting away the last things in his bag. Gisela enters the ward with some more forms Barry needed to sign before he could go.

  In the two weeks that Gisela dedicatedly took care of Barry, he definitely noticed her. There was no way he could not have. She is a pretty, young woman with her red hair and green eyes and she had a very quiet, gentle way about her.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  Barry gets stunned back to reality, blushes.

  “Aye, no problem.”

  “Are you South African? You don’t look it. At least, you don’t sound like it.”

  “No, I’m not South African. Not born here, anyway. Why? Is it that obvious?”

  “Afraid so. You stick out like a sore thumb.”

  They share a laugh.

  “So, where are you from?”

  “Take a guess.” Barry says mischievously.

  “You sound Scottish.”

  Barry shakes his head, chuckles.

  “What are ye doing in the nursing profession? You are a very good detective or, Adrian has told ye all about me.”

  “Neither. I’m fanatical about Scotland and it’s beauty. My favorite movies are Braveheart and Rob Roy. So, I took a guess. Which part of Scotland?”

  “Edinburgh.”

  Barry’s hand accidently bumps against hers when he takes the pen from her hand in order to sign the forms and he blushes again.

  “What happened to you? What happened that you had to come here? You were in terrible shape.”

  Barry sighs.

  “I . . . I was kidnaped. Held captive for three months. I . . . I don’t want to talk about it. I . . . I just can’t.”

  Gisela softly takes Barry’s hand in hers.

  “You must talk about it to someone. It’s very important. It’s imperative for your recovery.”

  Barry stays quiet for a very long time.

  “I will talk to Adrian about it, I promise. In the meantime . . . would ye mind terribly if I was so presumptuous to ask your number? I’ll phone you sometime and maybe we can have some coffee somewhere and talk about it.”