To Leap From Heaven [A Romantic Thriller]

27.

Carl had fed the rumor mill well, and in so doing had prepared the ground for unrest,  that it took on a life of its own. The civic leaders had demanded access to the depositions. There was a dead body, a crime had been committed, and someone must pay. That was the law, and because it happened on Presidential property did not exempt them from an investigation and punishment. They were the First Family, and like any other citizen should abide by the country's laws, and should there be any irregularities, then the people had a right to know. Had it happened in any other household, justice would have been swift and merciless.

The magistrate’s hands were tied. They had no option but to subpoena the Chief of Police to hand over the documents and make them public. The Chief handed over the docs, and after the magistrate had assured himself of its authenticity, found Catherine guilty of manslaughter in the first degree, and in absentia, sentenced her to death by lethal injection. His judgment was based on the evidence at hand, the fact that she was the only other person with the deceased, and that the smoking gun was found in her hand. That was enough to convict her. The only thing which remained was to get hold of her.

The President had sworn that he had no knowledge of her whereabouts, and no one could talk to the First Lady, because every time Catherine's name was mentioned she would burst into hysterical fits of crying. The people accused the President of shielding his daughter, and one day, out of sheer frustration they rose up as one in all nine provinces, and marched through the streets, city centers and business districts carrying placards which read, ‘And justice for all’, ‘Kill the bitch’, ‘One law, one death’, and ‘We shall not rest until she's dead’.

Every single citizen had answered the call, and the streets were crowded to capacity. The marches had started out peacefully, but at some point one person picked up a stone and smashed it through the display window of a retail store. Other stones followed and the police officers had a hard time determining who the culprits were, and maintaining order. Before long a sea of stones sailed through the air, crashing every window in sight, while the crowd hurled insults at the officers.

The looting started, and members of the crowd were seen with arms full of groceries, electrical appliances and TV sets. Anarchy reigned and the rubber bullets, teargas and water jets could not deter the swarming mass. Buildings were destroyed and while the police fired rubber bullets, real bullets were fired at them.

Some officers were seriously injured, and a few lost their lives. The casualties were all on one side, and the crowd rejoiced. The officers were ordered to withdraw, and when they returned, it was with better protective gear, and real bullets. The crowd were informed and asked to stop their behavior or face the consequences. They laughed in their faces, and called their bluff. A shot rang from within the crowd, and hit an officer in his shoulder. He fired back, and someone died.

When they saw their colleague falling at their feet, all Hell broke loose. If they were mad before, their fallen colleague took it to another level. With bare hands, sticks, and stones, they rushed at the double line of heavily armed officers. Their cries for death and destruction had changed and became synonymous to tribal warfare. The reason for their protest action was forgotten. Bullets flew from both sides, and it was mostly the innocents who lost their lives. The day drew to a close, and night set in. They started burning tyres in the streets of the townships, and having barricaded the roads, they stopped and burned passenger vehicles and delivery trucks.

The stores they most diligently looted were the bottle stores. While the fires were burning high they drank and got drunk, and not only on the alcohol, but on the battle which lay ahead which would only end with Catherine's death.

An intense search was launched for her, both locally and abroad. A broadcast news item had stated that whomever was hiding her should give her up, and should they refuse they would be accused of aiding and abetting a dangerous criminal, and might share her fate. A heavy price was settled on her head, and every citizen became a bounty hunter.

Catherine was making good progress, and by receiving the best care she was soon able to move around on her own. She wanted to go home, but the doctor advised her to rest a few more days, after which she would be fully recovered. He was following the President's orders to keep her there for as long as possible. The President was considering options for smuggling her out of the country.

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