Spliced (BWP70.00)
A novel by Mpho LM Mangole
$7.50$5.00
Dineo Gaaesi has been working as a PA for just over a year now and her life was as simple as it could get. She has great friends and a man who wanted to be more than just a friend to her. She was content, until a pair of gray eyes on a sexy face stirred something within her that had lain dormant for far too long.
Those gray eyes came with memories that were not hers; memories that pointed to something dark within her. They painted a past that was quickly proving to be far different from what she had been made to believe. To a life that was filled with murder, lies and deceit.
Who was she, really? And who were the people in her life? Where did she learn to do some of the things she could do? But more importantly, why was someone trying to kill her?
She lay on a poolside stretcher in Cuba, her dark, curly hair tied up in a loose ponytail, long legs stretched along the chair’s length. Her white, very skimpy, two-piece bikini seemed to glow against her wheat coloured, skin. Large black shades covered her eyes, hiding whether they were open or closed, an accessory chosen for exactly that purpose. A discreet earpiece sat in her left ear, easily mistaken for a bluetooth device by anyone inexperienced. She carried nothing else that could identify her. Nothing except the small device lightly gripped in her right hand.
Her brown eyes were, however, wide open behind the shades, alert to everything around her. She saw the two suited men, their jackets bulging slightly from hidden shoulder holsters, unmistakable thugs, whether in a luxury hotel or the back alleys of Paris. Their black suits, sunglasses, and hulking frames made them look like gorillas playing dress-up. On the roof, two more men stood watch, their weapons openly displayed. They wore similar black suits, minus the shades. Uniformed cops strolled the grounds, too conspicuous to be anything but deliberate.
Subtle, guys. Really subtle.
She sighed softly. This job might be messier than planned.
"I heard that sigh, babe. What's going on?" His voice crooned in her ear, deep and sexy enough to make goosebumps rise across her skin.
"Plan might need changing," she murmured, barely moving her lips. "Otherwise this could get bloody."
A pause. Then his voice again, slightly distorted but steady:
"Whatever you decide, love. Just be careful."
"Always," she said, lifting her drink and sipping it lazily.
"He's coming," he whispered.
Behind her shades, she locked eyes on her target.
He was small, maybe a meter sixty, slender, wearing casual white pants, a light blue long-sleeve cotton shirt unbuttoned to his navel, and brown sandals. Thirty-eight years old, slicked-back black hair, a sad little Hitler moustache. A man who had angered a lot of people; his preference for underage boys had made sure of that. She felt bile rise at the sight of him but forced herself to stay detached. Emotions had no place today.
She stood, wobbling slightly for effect, and carefully placed her shades and earpiece on the stretcher. Stretching languidly, she scanned the area again. Two bodyguards flanked her target — big, stern, and close enough to react instantly. As they neared, she staggered clumsily toward the pool and into their path. With a squeal, she stumbled almost into her target’s arms. The guards reacted immediately, grabbing her and yanking her upright.
She blinked at them, wide-eyed and tipsy.
"So sorry," she drawled, slurring just enough. "I wasn’t watching where I was going." She ran a hand lazily down her neck, brushing her chest. "It's just so hot… I couldn’t wait to get in the water."
She beamed a bright, innocent smile. The guards didn’t even twitch.
God, this is so dumb. But a job was a job. And failure was not an option.
The target smiled faintly and nodded. The guards let her go.
"My name’s Sandy," she chirped. "My sister and I are spending the weekend here — our last night of fun! Woohoo!"
She giggled and held out her hand. The target grasped it briefly. She squeezed lightly, feeling the click of the device in her palm transferring onto his wrist unnoticed.
She gave another blinding smile and dove into the water, surfacing a moment later.
"Toodles!" she called, before swimming leisurely to the far side of the pool.
The three men lingered for a moment, watching her glide through the water, before moving on. By then, she was already halfway back across the pool.
Pulling herself from the water with a graceful, unhurried motion, she gathered her things and strolled casually toward the hotel, away from the target’s group.
In the lobby, she quickened her pace to the valet. Her white Audi TT rental appeared almost immediately. Sliding behind the wheel, she reinserted her earpiece.
"It’s done," she said softly, driving away from the hotel. "Same way we are, baby. No more jobs."
"No more jobs," he agreed. "I’m packing up. Meet me at our spot in three hours."
"Can’t wait," she said with a smile.
"I love you, babe."
"To the moon and back," he whispered.
He waited for her.
Just like he always did.
Except this time, she never came.