The Script of Evil

16. Appointment with the Devil

Kadin lies awake for most of the night. She rises tired but determined and gets ready because she wants to slip into the library when its doors open at nine-o'-clock. She hopes the devil and his evil accomplices believe that she will first have to retrieve the booklet from the school library. If they are planning to follow her from school and ambush her along the way, their plan will come to naught as she will by then be safe in the city library waiting for the devil. They don't have a choice!. They will have to swop Billy for the booklet.

In her school uniform with Vyasa's fake booklet in her school bag, she is ready to go. The replica looks exactly like the original except for the code that has been changed. She hopes their plan will work. Rene left early for work. She has only to work a short shift today and will be home early.

Kadin wonders whether they know where she lives or did they only follow Billy. She will have to scrutinize her surroundings all the way to the library to detect them if they are around. Should they know where she lives, they might follow her and they will be alerted if she doesn't go to school but directly to the city library. She simply has to reach the library unnoticed! The fact that she has not seen them since they parted at Billy's home, gives her hope. She will hang on to the belief that Billy will sit next to her this morning in the library.

What about the poison? That is another reason for her to reach the library unseen. What if they wait for her near the library? They could spy on the library from a distance. Tension begins to gnaw in her stomach. Damn, she is only thinking about this last possibility now.

I'm overanalysing, she warns herself. She must stop pondering everything and just do her thing. It is now or never! Billy's freedom is dependent on her!

Cautiously she opens the front door and peeps out. The street in front of her looks quiet with only a few parked cars. She studies the cars intensely. Could someone maybe lie down in one of the cars and peeks at her? She'll never know and steps out and anxiously and cautiously walks to the front gate and then surveys the street on both sides before she opens it.

Birdstraat, always so beautiful to her, now has an eerie look and full of obstacles. The gorgeous, giant trees and gardens all over now represent places where the enemy could lurch and wait for her. TrinderPark with the wall around it is another possibility. The Professional Club is another good place to hide in the lush garden from where they could watch her. Darn, she has to pass all these obstacles!

What would be the best route? Maybe they followed her and Billy when they emerged from the bus in Western Street because Billy vanished soon after they got off the bus. She must avoid Western Street because they could wait for her at one of the bus stops. That is probably their plan. Bird Street runs parallel to Western Street and she must get to the next parallel street away from Western Street as quickly as possible. She must take a shortcut to Cuyler Street and from there down to Baakens Street and from there straight to the library. When she reaches Cuyler Street, she will feel more or less safe all the way down to the library. This is the safest route, but first, she must reach Cuyler Street.

She will have to get to the nearest street linking Bird with Cuyler Street. Kadin observes Bird Street and satisfied that she sees nothing suspicious, crosses Bird Steet quickly. She sees a prostitute with a very short mini dress emerging from behind one of the big trees. This is another proof that someone easily can watch and overwhelm her. She passes the lady who smiles in her direction.

"You can make a lot of money, my doll, just in your school dress, you lovely thing."

Kadin doesn't reply but only walks faster. Damn, Bird Street is always awash with prostitutes that hide and only appear when suspected, potential clients drive slowly by any time of day or night looking for their services.