Michael Dun - 32. Chapter 32

They found his body in the veld. Decomposed beyond recognition save for the ring he wore. He must have been there a couple of days. Grubs, worms and flies had taken their toll and the sun had dried the leftover meat sticking to his bones. In a game of chess the objective of the game is to capture the king and take control of the game. Masters of deployment use the skills involved. So do military organisations and ordinary human beings in their daily lives. Michael's opponent in this game was Gregory Pienaar and he seemed to be one step ahead of him for he had the element of surprise on his side. The pawns were out of the way, so were the bishops and nights and the queen had been defeated too.

Within several months of the initial discovery of payable gold, Johannesburg had broad streets and a market square. Hundreds of people managed their businesses here. It boasted several canteens, a chemist and a hardware shop. St. Mary's church and the Grand National Hotel was under construction and Braamfontein had been named. Von Brandis had built himself a house. Beyond the town, the road branched to Natalspruit and beyond that, hot veld.

Michael visited the post office daily and then, on a windy late summer day, a telegram arrived from the most unexpected of people.

Dear Sir,

I hope you get this letter for it is of the utmost importance that you return to Laburnum. Your father is dead, the British Colonial office has arrested Madelyn, and Cecelia happens to be in cahoots with her. She returned yesterday with the story that she was released because there was no evidence of any kind linking her with any of the murders around you. However, I know for a fact that Sir Robert, bless his soul, was poisoned by one of these good ladies. If you do not come, it is certain that Lady Gwendolyn will inherit your father's estate. I must tell you to guard your life. Charlie Manning and Lady Gwendolyn made a pact. Your life is in danger…

Yours truly,

Montgomery

Michael’s bones chilled over. Charlie!

The communication carried many messages. His father was dead and that did not come as a surprise to him, after all, he had not been very well, and his indifference towards Michael during the last couple of years had been critical. Madelyn's arrest did not surprise him and he was sorry he was unable to save his father in time from her insanity. She was more than insane because she had Cecelia, sweet, charming Cecelia who had never wavered in her duty. To think that Michael trusted Cecelia implicitly. More importantly, she was the one who knew all along why Charlie had run away. If he had been a King, she would have lost her head.

The most startling information was about Charlie. Montgomery said Michael should guard his life, Charlie was dead. He had seen the body. Danie was on shift with Gregory, and Michael pressed his horse for he believed that their lives too were in danger. He had some miles to ride before reaching Tweelingsrus.

Danie swung the axe over his shoulder, it lodged itself into the rock and he pulled and jerked until flakes of quarts broke away from the face. Behind him the dolly was descending and when it stopped Charlie stepped off the bridge and walked towards his digging area, some meters away from Danie. Danie did not notice him approaching with axe in hand, but when he got closer to Danie he dropped the axe and brought out a knife from his boots. He came up to him, gripped him about the neck in a tight neck hold, and forced his neck back with one arm while the other stuck the knife through his ribs, piercing his lung. He fell gasping for breath. Michael found him, but it was too late, Danie had died a slow agonizing death. But this all meant that Montgomery was correct. Charlie was a cold-blooded murderer.

Having had two lovers and a father die within days of each other was hard to carry. Michael suddenly felt exhausted but he had to pull through and get out of the mine. He had to find Charlie and face him. That was the easy bit, for, when he appeared above ground, he dived for cover as a shot rang out and the bullet missed his head by inches.

Michael's mouth could not move, his breathing accelerated a thousand times faster, how could he defend himself? He was unarmed!

"I know you are unarmed!" Charlie shouted from his hiding place behind a supplies shack. "I am going to kill you. I have an obligation to finish the job. Come out and I will finish you off quickly!"

Michael nodded his head and found it hard to compose himself without swearing the man, cursing him for taking the lives of all his friends.

"Why did you kill the others?"

"They were in the way. They had to go."

Michael understood at once that he was dealing with a bitter man who went around as a hired killer and felt nothing for interrelationships and love and compassion.

He impulsively picked up a rock and threw it to the side. Another shot rang out.

"Stop these games, Michael! Do not make this worse than it all ready is for yourself. Let us end it here, and now!”

Michael made his way around the trench towards a clump of trees where he crouched low, then crawled towards the shed from behind.

Charlie continued in a soliloquy all of his own. Victoria's government was hell bent on claiming all of this gold, he exclaimed. It would make them the richest and most powerful country on earth and colonialism will never stop, empire will build on empire. "But you, Michael Dun, Kruger will find out about you. He will know what you are, a bugger and a spy. When he does, you will be hounded down and you will hang. You sleep with men as though they were women. It is only a matter of time before he finds out about you...about the diaries...about "Father". I know your future, Mr. Dun. Within the next three minutes you are going to tell me where your diary is. It really does not matter to me if you do not. I will shoot you and I will find the damned thing. Peter Sheffield kept diaries too. He did not hide them. Did you ever stop to think about how Peter Sheffield knew so much about this place called the Witwatersrand? Did you know that he was in "Father's" employ? Give it up. Come out!"

Michael was in a curious position. Unarmed, listening to this man babble, he crept up behind him and at the moment of attack screamed wildly, bearing down on him with a huge rock. But Charlie moved quickly and the rock fell on air. Michael immediately picked it up and stood, cradling the rock against his chest for protection should Charlie shoot.

"Put the rock down Michael. Your kneecap will be next, perhaps a bullet through your head. I will count to three, then you will place the rock on the ground and tell me where is that diary."

There was a lot Michael could say, like put your gun down, or go to hell, or you will never get away with it, or the diary was so close to him he could almost reach out and touch it. Instead, a shot rang out from nowhere, a loud dunking thump, then another, and another. Charlie lingered on his feet for a moment then fell. His lethal ways suddenly ended, and van Breda walked out from his hiding place.