Chapter 16 - HE GAVE ME A CHOICE NO DAUGHTER SHOULD EVER FACEHLENGIWE
My mother looked so small in the photograph.
The woman who had raised me.
Protected me.
Worked herself exhausted so that my siblings and I would never go hungry.
She sat in a chair with her wrists restrained, her hair disheveled, and fear written across her face.
For several seconds, I couldn't breathe.
Then Radebe's voice returned.
"Do you understand what I want?"
I forced myself to speak.
"Yes."
"Good. You have until midnight."
"Let me speak to her."
He hesitated.
Then I heard movement.
A familiar voice whispered my name.
"Hlengiwe?"
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Ma!"
"I'm okay."
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm okay, my child. Don't—"
A sharp sound interrupted her.
Radebe returned.
"No more conversation."
The call ended.
I stood outside the courthouse, trembling.
Matla wrapped his arms around me.
I wanted to collapse.
I wanted someone older, stronger, and wiser to tell me what to do.
But the truth was that nobody could make this decision for me.
My mother was in danger.
And the evidence we held could protect thousands of people from a man who considered human lives disposable.
I looked at Matla.
"What do we do?"
His jaw tightened.
"We get her back."
"How?"
"We find him."
I could see the anger in his eyes.
The wolf was close to the surface.
A few days earlier, I might have begged him to destroy everyone responsible.
Now I understood the cost of allowing rage to become our only plan.
"Matla."
He looked at me.
"No running off alone."
His expression changed.
"Princess—"
"No. Your brother nearly died. My mother is being held hostage. We cannot keep acting like one powerful person can solve everything."
He stared at me.
Then he slowly nodded.
"You're right."
"I need you beside me."
"I'm here."
"Not in front of me. Not making decisions for me."
His eyes softened.
"Beside you."
We returned to Naledi's office.
She immediately contacted the investigating team handling the threats.
We handed over the photograph, the call details, and everything Radebe had demanded.
Abby examined the image with the investigators, looking for clues about the location.
I contacted my grandfather.
He listened without interrupting.
When I finished, he was silent.
Then he said, "My child, your mother has survived things that would have destroyed other people."
"I know."
"She will fight to come home."
I covered my mouth.
"Grandpa, I'm scared."
"So am I."
His honesty made me cry harder.
"But fear doesn't mean we surrender our judgment."
I nodded even though he couldn't see me.
"We're going to find her."
"Yes," he answered. "And when we do, you will not have to carry this alone."
After the call, I sat beside the window.
For the first time since Thursday night, I allowed myself to cry without trying to be strong.
Matla sat beside me.
He didn't tell me to stop.
He didn't promise that everything would magically be fine.
He simply held my hand.
Eventually, I whispered, "I keep thinking about what your mother told me."
"What?"
"That love isn't supposed to erase who we are."
He nodded.
"I think about that too."
"Radebe believes he can force us to choose between people we love and the truth."
Matla looked toward me.
"What do you believe?"
I wiped my cheeks.
"That we can refuse his terms without refusing to save my mother."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"That's my girl."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Your equal."
He chuckled.
"My equal."
A knock came at the door.
Naledi entered with Zakhele, Nhlaka, and Zama.
I stood immediately.
"Did you find something?"
Nhlaka nodded.
"Radebe is moving equipment again."
Matla frowned.
"How?"
"He's using contractors who aren't part of my company."
Zama opened a folder.
"But the payment references are still connected to the same financial network."
She showed us several transaction records.
One had been authorized less than an hour earlier.
It was connected to a private security contractor.
Another paid for industrial transport services.
Naledi examined the documents.
"Can we trace the vehicles?"
Nhlaka nodded.
"I have the registration numbers. My company installed tracking units in two of the trailers before the contracts were transferred."
I looked at him.
"Why are you helping us?"
He met my eyes.
"Because I should have stopped asking whether a contract was profitable and started asking whether it was right."
Zakhele looked down.
I knew things between the brothers were still broken.
But they were standing in the same room.
Working toward the same goal.
That mattered.
Zama approached me quietly.
"Hlengiwe, I'm sorry about everything that's happened."
I studied her.
She looked exhausted.
I had heard about her decision to leave Nhlaka.
And about what happened with Zakhele.
It wasn't my place to repair their relationships.
But I could see she was trying to take responsibility for her life.
"Thank you for helping," I said.
She nodded.
We spent the next hour examining the records.
The vehicles had departed from a storage depot outside Ballito.
Their route led toward an industrial facility near the upper reservoir.
I looked at the map.
"That's connected to the ranch's water system."
Matla frowned.
"The reservoir?"
"Yes."
Naledi called the lead investigator.
Within minutes, officers began organizing a response.
Radebe's deadline was approaching.
There was no guarantee we would reach my mother in time.
But now we had somewhere to look.
My phone rang again.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Radebe spoke immediately.
"I assume you have reconsidered your position."
"I have."
"Excellent."
"I'll bring the pendant."
Matla looked at me sharply.
I held his gaze.
"But I want to see my mother first."
Radebe chuckled.
"You're becoming a difficult young woman."
"I learned from the best."
His tone hardened.
"Midnight. No police."
The call ended.
I turned toward Naledi.
"He thinks I'm coming alone."
She nodded.
"Then we'll make sure the response team knows exactly what he expects."
Nhlaka's phone vibrated.
He examined the tracking information.
Then his eyes widened.
"Wait."
Everyone looked toward him.
"What?" Matla demanded.
"The convoy just changed direction."
I stepped closer.
"Where is it going?"
Nhlaka zoomed in on the map.
One vehicle had left the main road.
Another was approaching a restricted access gate.
May you like
He looked up slowly.
"They're not just taking your mother to the reservoir. They're moving the remaining explosives there too."
