Sell-Out

The cold gun sat at the edge of the nape of her neck and sent cold chills down her spine. She instantly figured out who it was before he could speak. His voice was cold and cut through her fear like a sharp blade, 'I thought you were wiser than you looked... Turns out I was mistaken! What are you trying to investigate?

She could sense mockery in his usually deep voice and significant coldness -two ingredients her ears never discerned before that crucial dialogue. She knew one wrong move translated to her quick death and being that she was found breaking in her Captain's safe, she knew she qualified to die that shamefully.

'I asked what you think you are investigating Sergent Moraa? What are you doing in my safe unauthorized in the first place?' Momanyi roared.

She cringed in realizing how far her audacity had taken but gathered her fear and busted out bravely, 'You Captain Momanyi! You, sir... I have reasons to believe you are involved with the Mwa... His hand slapped her mouth shut so hard that she bit her lower lip. Reaching with the other hand he switched on the Egyptian silver lamp that had always been sitting on his mahogany desk.

The light beat the small torch she had been using for 30 minutes before he came back to find her snooping around. The files in her hands stayed glued there even as he motioned her to give them to him with his hands. This he did while he repeatedly silenced her by placing his index finger a couple of times on his lips without a word. The anxiety in his eyes said she could trust him and she passed the files to him. He placed them on his desk and helped her up talking gibberish and laughing like the stunt they had pulled earlier was an act. She oddly played along but knew he'd have to do more than play nice to explain what she had seen.

The Captain seemed to know a lot about the untouchable Mwaus than he was letting on. The same Mwaus every county cop was out investigating after they murdered his deputy. Why he wasn't out for blood with what he had was her main issue.

They sat down at the counter of the closest bar after walking in silence for five minutes. He ordered a whiskey on the rocks while she settled for a cold beer.

After two long minutes, he started talking. 'I don't think you understand anything and before you ruin lives, let me explain...' His eyes glued to his favorite bottle on the dimly lit counter but she could see some rage building up from his jaw muscles. 'Dont assume I am not doing anything about Ande's cold-blooded murder. I am just using a different approach than the whole force'.

He semi-turned to face her meeting her already curious eyes. 'I have been doing this thing with someone else who works for me undercover. He has been with the Mwaus for the last eight months and we are almost closing in on the whole family. There's a shipment coming through Tanzania and for some reason, they are all involved so we will get all of them.

He drowned his remaining drink in a single gup -signaled the waiter for a double- and turned to her again before she could say shit. 'There's an informer in the office and he... pause... 'or she might sell-out my source and risk his the lives of entire family,' he added seemingly nervous. 'Do you remember what they did to that Borana family whose daughter claimed being raped by the firstborn?' He sipped his liquor before turning to her to ask what she thought they would do to his undercover cop if those drug traffickers knew who he was.

'Nothing good Captain', she spoke for the first time since they sat in that bar. 'I am sorry about snooping around your office sir. What can I do to help?'

Nothing for the moment was his answer but he requested her to keep an ear out for anything unusual. He left soon after that claiming to have an early morning and paid two more beers for her.

'Tell the Master to end the Tanzanian ties and to cleanse his flock. An enemy of his lurks in your midst.' It was sent by the time he was sinking in his front car seat. She didn't even wait for him to drive off. He stared at it for a minute and before making a call.

After weeks of looking for the leak and thanks to what he still felt was weird tech and his skills in baiting humans, he had his sell-out!

Images from Pixabay.

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This piece was inspired by the daily freewrite prompt as shared by the amazing @mariannewest :)

Thank you for coming.