Access Denied
Ms. Mokoena moved with surprising speed for someone her age.
The moment she and Dombi stepped out of the break room, her steps changed — sharper, more focused, like a woman who had decided something big long before tonight.
"Stay close," she murmured.
Dombi did.
They moved through the quiet lower corridor, the hum of the lights echoing down the empty halls. Dombi didn't realize she was holding her breath until her lungs started to sting.
"This way," Ms. Mokoena whispered. "Thandi's office is near the records room. Most staff don't even know it exists."
They turned a corner.
Then—
A sharp electronic beep.
Both women froze.
Ms. Mokoena pulled out her access card and tried to swipe it on a nearby scanner.
ACCESS DENIED.
A red light flashed.
She tried again.
ACCESS DENIED.
Her face tightened.
"No… not now," she whispered.
Dombi's stomach dropped. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Ms. Mokoena breathed, her voice going low and urgent, "someone just shut down my privileges."
They both knew who.
Mandla.
He had found them.
The Lockdown Begins
Footsteps.
Dombi heard them before she saw them — heavy, purposeful boots echoing in the corridors.
Security.
Coming fast.
Ms. Mokoena grabbed her arm. "We need to move."
They sprinted down the narrow hallway, the fluorescent lights flickering overhead. Dombi's heart hammered against her ribs, adrenaline burning through her limbs.
"How did he see us?" Dombi gasped.
But part of her already knew.
Cameras.
Tonight, Mandla wasn't blind.
The Hidden Route
"This way!" Ms. Mokoena whispered, pulling Dombi toward a metal maintenance door. She bashed the push-bar with her hip and shoved it open.
Inside was a long, narrow tunnel lined with pipes.
A service passage.
"Years ago, before they renovated the upper floors," Ms. Mokoena said breathlessly, "your father insisted the staff have emergency routes. Mandla doesn't even know this one exists."
Dombi felt a sting in her chest.
Her father had protected people — not power.
They ran, footsteps clanging against the concrete floor.
Behind them, the distant echo of security grew louder.
They were closing in.
Meanwhile — Kabelo Moves
Across the street, Kabelo saw the building lights change from normal to alert mode.
He stiffened.
"No… they spotted them."
He stepped out of the shadows and moved fast across the road, blending into the darkness near the loading bay. He tapped a code into his burner phone — one assigned only for emergencies.
A message flashed on the encrypted screen:
"Plan B active."
He shoved the phone into his pocket and scanned the lower windows.
He had two goals now:
Find Dombi.
Get her out.
He disappeared into the blind spot behind the dumpsters, heading for the service entrance only engineers used.
He wasn't supposed to go inside tonight.
But Mandla had changed the rules.
So Kabelo did too.
Back Inside — The Chase
Ms. Mokoena took a sharp turn through the passage, stopping at a small metal door.
"This leads to the loading docks," she said. "From there—"
A loud metallic bang cut her words short.
Security had reached the main maintenance door.
They were breaking in.
Dombi felt a panic claw at her, but Ms. Mokoena placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey," she whispered, steady and calm, "you will not die in this place. Not tonight."
She shoved the door open.
A burst of cold air hit them — the underground loading bay.
They stepped out just as—
A flashlight beam swept across the far side.
"THERE! They went through!"
Voices exploded behind them.
Ms. Mokoena grabbed Dombi's hand and pulled her toward a stack of crates.
But before they could move—
A figure stepped out of the shadows near the exit door.
Tall.
Focused.
Silent.
Kabelo.
Dombi felt her knees weaken with relief.
He lifted one hand in a quiet signal.
"Follow me," he said.
No panic in his voice.
Only control.
Ms. Mokoena hesitated for a split second — studying him — then nodded.
They ran.
Behind them, the security team spilled out of the passage like a swarm of shadows.
"STOP!"
"DON'T MOVE!"
Kabelo didn't look back.
He led them through a narrow space between metal racks, then toward a dark corner of the loading bay where a panel of metal looked slightly out of place.
He slammed his fist against the lower hinge.
The panel popped open.
A hidden exit.
"Go!" he ordered.
Dombi crawled through first.
Ms. Mokoena followed.
Kabelo slid in last and pulled the panel shut behind them.
The moment it closed—
Security flooded the area.
But the three were already crawling through the cramped tunnel toward the outside alley.
They moved fast.
Silent.
Determined.
The tunnel opened into a dark space behind the dumpsters.
Cold air hit them again — freedom.
Kabelo peeked outside, checked the angles, then nodded.
"We move. Now."
He took the lead, guiding them through back alleys away from the headquarters until the building lights faded behind them.
A Safe Distance Away
They stopped in a quiet area, all three breathing hard.
Ms. Mokoena leaned against a wall, wiping her forehead.
"That man…" she breathed, glancing at Kabelo, "…moves like someone who has done this before."
Kabelo didn't answer.
Dombi stepped forward, touching Ms. Mokoena's arm gently.
"Thank you," she whispered.
The older woman smiled — tired, but fierce.
"You're your father's child," she said softly. "The city needs you to finish what he started."
Dombi swallowed hard.
"Kabelo," she said, turning to him, "Mandla knows we were inside. He shut down her card. He's looking for us."
Kabelo nodded.
"I know. That's why," he said, pulling out a small encrypted device from his pocket, "we hit back tonight."
Dombi blinked.
"Tonight?"
Kabelo's eyes hardened with a cold, strategic fire.
"He's hunting us now. That means he's distracted."
"That means we move to the next phase."
Dombi inhaled.
Ms. Mokoena straightened.
The night wasn't over.
It was only the beginning.