PERIOD OF VENGEANCE

Chapter 5

At Blank Ink Percy has just arrived, he finds Zandile and Andile in his office talking with an IT specialist. 'What is going on?' ask Percy. 'All the money we made from the book we just released is gone' says Zandile. 'What do you mean it is gone?' ask Percy not understanding. 'I mean exactly that it is all gone' says Zandile. 'Sir it looks like someone hacked the company and took all the money, and all the sales that will be made after yesterday will go exactly into that person's account' says the IT specialist. 'You can't stop it? or find out who is doing this?' ask Percy. 'I have tried but I can't, the person who did this is too good' says the IT specialist. 'Oh my God, what are we going to tell Nhloso?' ask Percy. 'Calm down, we are going to find a solution for this' says Zandile. 'Which solution? Nhloso is coming back from his vacation next week what is he going to say when he finds out he made nothing from this book' says Andile. 'I will be on my way now' says the IT specialist, he leaves. Percy sits down on his chair. 'What are we going to do?' ask Andile. 'Maybe we can pay Nhloso his percentage in that way he doesn't have to know about this' says Zandile. 'We can't, the company can't afford to lose that amount of money after we just lost hundreds of thousands' says Percy. 'Maybe we can extend his holiday while we try to fix this mess' says Andile. 'He won't agree he just told me that he has an idea for the next book, so he is coming back' says Percy. 'We can't tell him about this, we will lose our writers' says Andile. 'Who do you think did this?' says Zandile. 'I don't know, I would say it those boys, but they can't pull off something like this' says Percy. 'We can't be too sure, let me tell Lwazi and Tshego to meet him today maybe they will find something that will be useful to us' says Andile taking his phone and writing a text.

At Twinkle Books, Lunch Bar, Top deck, Noah and Njabulo are talking. 'Did it work?' ask Noah. 'It did, people are buying the book, and the money is coming straight to us' says Lunch Bar. 'Wow that is great news, we should celebrate' says Njabulo. 'Yes, let go to that bar, you guys always go to' says Top deck. 'Are you sure it won't be traced back to us?' ask Noah. 'I am sure, I have been doing this for a long time' says Top deck. 'Alright, then we can go celebrate but I think I will be drinking water today' says Noah, they laugh. 'I agree I think you should stay away from alcohol for a while' says Lunch Bar. Noah's phone ring, he answers it. after the call has ended, he come back to them. 'I can't go with you guys to celebrate' says Noah. 'Why?' ask Njabulo. 'I am going to meet Lwazi and Tshego' says Noah. 'And then who are those?' ask Top deck. 'They are the guys that Noah always go to see' says Njabulo. 'Do you have to see them today? we are going out to celebrate and we have not done this in a while' says Lunch Bar. 'I have too, they said they have something important they want to talk to me about' says Noah. 'Can't it wait till tomorrow?' ask Njabulo. 'Why? we are going to the same bar we can celebrate together with them' says Noah. 'I told you I do not want those guys to know me, I don't trust them' says Njabulo. 'I trust them NJ, can't you just meet them for me?' ask Noah. 'Noah no I don't want to meet them' says Njabulo. 'Please guys they are my friends now; I want you to meet them' says Noah. 'Noah, we came here to work not to make friends' says Top deck. 'And you were supposed to get information from these guys not to make them your friends' says Njabulo. 'I know but they are good guys, so I see them as my friends now' says Noah. 'Oh God guys we will go to another bar' says Njabulo.

Later on, at Blank Ink Percy is in his office enter Nothando. 'Nothando what are you doing here?' ask Percy. 'I came to take you home' says Nothando. 'What do you mean?' ask Percy. 'You have not been home for days now, what is going with you Percy?' says Nothando. 'I told you I am working' says Percy. 'So, you are the only person who works at this company because Zandile and Andile are always home and other people who work here are always home even now they have gone home already' says Nothando. 'Nothando we are having problems here right now, today someone hacked the company and stole the money we are trying to find ways to recover that money, so I don't really have time for this' says Percy. 'And what happened yesterday? someone locked you inside this building?' ask Nothando. 'Nothando stop acting crazy and go home I am telling you now I won't come back I will be working the whole night' says Percy. 'Percy why are you doing this to me?' ask Nothando. 'I don't know what you want me to say because I am telling you I will be working late' says Percy. 'Why did you force me to stop working? I have nothing to do at home let me come back to work maybe I can help' says Nothando. 'No Mah is old now she needs someone to be there with her' says Percy. 'The helper is always home' says Nothando. 'Nothando you are not coming back to work; you are going to take care of Mah at home' says Percy. Nothando leaves the office with tears falling from her eyes.

Later on, Lwazi was called by Qhayiya about the making of the dresses, so he had to hurry back to their company. Noah and Tshego are the only ones drinking and talking. 'You don't like to talk about yourself' says Tshego. 'You don't talk about yourselves too' says Noah. 'We do, you know almost everything about us now, but we know nothing about you, for all we know you could be a criminal or a ghost' says Tshego. Noah laugh, 'Stop being dramatic, there's nothing more to know about me' says Noah. 'No, I don't believe you let do it like this I tell you something about myself you also tell me something about yourself' says Tshego. 'You really want to know, don't you?' ask Noah. 'OfCourse, I do we are friends right?' says Tshego. 'Right' says Noah. 'Alright I will start, me and Lwazi own a designing company' says Tshego. 'Well, you already know that I just started a publishing company' says Noah. 'I have a younger brother Lwazi' says Tshego. 'He is your brother? I thought he is your friend, how is he your younger brother? you look like you are the same age' says Noah. 'Well, we are one year apart so what about you got any siblings?' ask Tshego. 'No, I am an only child' says Noah. 'What about your last name? if you are from a rich family surely, I have heard your last name from somewhere' says Tshego. 'Why do you want to know all this? do you want to write a book about me?' ask Noah. Tshego laugh, 'We are getting to know each other so I have to ask this' says Tshego. 'Well Alright my last name is...' Noah is interrupted by his phone ringing, he answers it. 'Yes' says Noah. 'Hey man I lost the keys to my place, so I will sleep at yours tonight, I am telling you, so you won't be surprised when you find someone on your couch' says Njabulo. 'Alright, I am coming' says Noah. 'What? I did not say you must come back I will take the spare key in the carpet in front of your house' says Njabulo. 'Don't worry, I will be there in two minutes' says Noah. 'What? you...' Njabulo is interrupted by Noah ending the call. 'I am sorry, but I have to go, there is some problem at home' says Noah. 'Sure, text me when you arrive' says Tshego. 'Sure, I will do that' says Noah leaving the money for his drink and leaving.

Noah arrives in his house and find Njabulo, Top deck and Lunch Bar sitting on the couches. 'What is going on? the things you were saying on the phone did not make sense' says Njabulo. Noah keeps quiet and sit down. 'Man, what is going on we came back early because NJ said when he called you, you seem to be in a hurry to come back' says Lunch Bar. 'Did something happened?' ask Top deck. 'I don't understand those guys' says Noah. 'What do you mean? I thought you said they are your friends' says Njabulo. 'I am not sure anymore' says Noah. 'What happened?' ask Top deck. 'One of them left, I was left with one of them, that guy kept asking me questions if I have siblings, my surname just as you called me, he wanted to know my surname' says Noah. 'Are you sure it was not just harmless questions? I mean you said they are your friends maybe they wanted to know more about you' says Lunch Bar. 'I thought so too at first, he did tell me about himself, but I got the feeling that he told me just so I could tell him about myself' says Noah. 'Are you sure? maybe you are just thinking too much about this' says Njabulo. 'You know I was thinking about our plan that was ruined what if I am the one who told those guys our plan and that how the Zulu's knew and released the book early' says Noah. 'Noah you are just thinking too much about this, those boys have nothing to do with the Zulus there is no way they could have told them' says Njabulo. 'I don't know man, I just ...' Noah is interrupted by Top deck. 'Alright, let do this tomorrow when we get to work, I will try to find information about those boys maybe you will feel better after knowing who they are' says Top deck. 'Please do, this thing is stressing me out just when I was starting to trust those guys' says Noah. 'Alright we are leaving now see you tomorrow' says Lunch Bar standing up, they leave. 'I am going to sleep' says Noah standing up. 'Hey, don't think too much about this, even if you did tell them, it was not intentionally' says Njabulo. 'Good night' says Noah going to his room.

The next day, Percy has just gotten at Blank Ink, he finds Zandile and Andile waiting for him in his office. 'What is going on? what nonsense are those reporters outside the building talking about?' ask Percy. 'Pictures of Nothando leaving the building yesterday crying are circulating on social media' says Andile. 'What?' ask Percy. 'Yes, I don't know what is going on between you and Nothando, but this thing has put the companies name in bad light' says Zandile. 'We are trending again for the wrong reasons' says Andile. 'I am sorry I don't know how did this happened' says Percy. 'Percy, we have enough problems already in this company, the company's money missing and this murder thing now this' says Zandile. 'Percy's wife, I am pretty sure Percy did something to her' reads Andile from his tablet. 'Someone close to her go check up on her we do not want to see what happened to the maid to happen to her' reads Andile from his tablet. 'Nothando if you need help just blink twice' reads Andile from his tablet. 'Someone tag SAPS the murders are at it again' reads Andile. 'You see now people are making assumptions, go home and talk to Nothando after both of you will address the media and explain that what those pictures show is nothing serious' says Zandile. 'Zandile is right, we cannot afford any scandals right now, this is ruining the company's reputation' says Andile.