Chapter 18: Killers Don't Cry
…continued from 27 May 2026...
FIRST TIME HERE? NO PROBLEM – START AT THE BEGINNING – WARNING YOU WILL BECOME ADDICTED TO THE STORY.
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SCENES WITH FOUL LANGUAGE, DO NOT READ IF IT OFFENDS YOU.
The long drive across the Cape from George to Saldanha would take several hours, but Whitey was in no hurry. He enjoyed the tension of the build-up. His spies had told him what was going on in Saldanha and he knew where to find Jamal and his henchmen. They would swoop in before dawn, hit Jamal hard and stay a few days to establish a new network. First Jamal’s crew would have to be tortured to get the information about their regular drops; the shipments from Nigeria came in by boat apparently.
Whitey traveled in a convoy of three cars. Each car contained three male occupants, besides Whitey. Although they were sufficiently apart not to be suspected of being part of a convoy, they maintained contact via their mobile phones and each member of the ten-man crew knew the plan to the last detail.
He sat, deep in thought as the white stripes on the road sped by his window. He wondered, for a moment, why he felt so little remorse for raping Themba, he knew it was wrong, but he enjoyed it so much, yet he thought he loved Themba and he did not want to hurt him.
His head hurt just thinking about it, trying to find reason in the madness just confused him more. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as quickly as it had entered it. Instead, he felt the handle of his knife, gripping the leather tenderly, looking forward to the moment he would grip it tightly before thrusting it into Jamal.
He had instructed the convoy to stick to the speed limit, which wasn’t that difficult since they were traveling in inconspicuous, small engine, rented cars. The crew wanted to stop off in Cape Town, but Whitey knew that that would lead to an unnecessary delay and had instructed them to steer clear of the coastal road and aim for Saldanha across the vast expanse of the Cape from East to West. They would navigate the route from George to Worcester and then continue North East to Saldanha staying on secondary roads.
The whole journey would last about 4 hours.
Johan instructed his secretary to book a flight to London the following day and to arrange a meeting with his accountant, Jacob Scholes at the usual restaurant in Knights Bridge. He wanted the money from his off-shore accounts and he wanted it delivered via courier in cash, when the time was right. Jacob would know how to make that happen. Now Johan sat in his den, awaiting the arrival of Shawn and Ian.
It was time to put the second phase of the plan into action.
“Aweh, aweh”, Shawn greeted Johan in his familiar style. “Lekker lekker,” Johan responded.
Moments later Ian arrived. “Howzit Hannie, hey Shawn,” Ian greeted them both. Ian seemed to be in a serious frame of mind. He called Johan, Hannie, since they were kids. Johan regarded him for a minute and thought it good that he was serious tonight.
After pouring scotches all round Johan said: “I need your help, both of you. But before I tell you what I need, I have to insist that you will protect my reputation and identity with your lives throughout this venture.”
“Sounds serious,” said Shawn.
Lavender Hill's Earth Children Are Making A Difference
Continued tomorrow 29 May 2026, before 12pm
Read the Author Insights in the comments section below, and don't be shy to leave your own comment.
Reader Reviews (2)
Marshal B Roaman
7 August 2026In Today’s Author Insights, I ask DO ALL COLOUREDS SUFFER FROM GENERATIONAL TRAUMA. The opinions expressed here have been informed by my own experiences as well as AI assisted research. And while most of the characters in Cape Dominion clearly suffer from trauma, anti-social behaviour should never been condoned. The answer, broadly speaking is probably yes, because the idea of generational (or intergenerational) trauma is well-supported. And, as I have alluded to before, you do not have to be a shrink to realise that 500 years of discrimination and abuse is going leave lasting trauma. There are three main ways trauma can be passed from one generation to the next: Behaviour and environment (strongest evidence). A parent who has experienced severe trauma may struggle with anxiety, emotional regulation, trust, or attachment. Children grow up adapting to those patterns, even if they never experience the original trauma themselves. This is the best-established mechanism. Your parents and previous generations did not just wake up one morning and decide “ooh lets become alcoholics, substance abusers and violent gangsters. And without ever condoning that kind of behaviour, it does have its roots in response to trauma. Social and cultural effects (strong evidence). Events like apartheid, war, forced displacement, slavery, famine, or systemic discrimination can affect education, wealth, health, family stability, and community structures for generations. These are real, measurable consequences that can perpetuate cycles of hardship. Biological or epigenetic changes (promising but still developing evidence). Some scientists believe that severe trauma can leave a kind of 'memory' in the body. While it doesn't change your DNA, it may affect how your body responds to stress, and some of those changes might even be passed on to your children. Research is still ongoing. I would gently like to say to all of us, that now, as we become aware of it, maybe it can opportunity for us to view ourselves with greater compassion and understanding. Read the article on the Earth Child project about the kids in Lavender Hill, on this platform. These laaities are re-writing the narrative. I’ve included a link at the bottom of the chapter here.
Tania
27 May 2026WOW this is such a captivating and refreshing read,,the only downside, is that I have to wait for each new chapter ,but I suppose that's the excitement of it all,,never knowing what to expect,,I love it,,well done to the author 🫡