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May 12th, Maputo, Rhodesia 
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"Ah, Mr Walls! Come in! Come in!" The prostitute who greeted the most wanted man in Rhodesia had certainly seen better days. There were stretch marks on her black belly, her breasts hung like two deflated ballons and she had no teeth, which also happened to he her main selling feature. 

"Thank you Liza." Replied the coloured man as he stepped through the open door and into a thick cloud of cigar smoke that mixed somewhat sickeningly with essence sticks imported from China. He glanced around the space as four of his "associates", he loved the American terminology, spread out around him. 

Andrew Walls was not normally a nervous man, he had crawled into a cargo ship in New York Harbour as one of the most wanted men in the United States, and back off again in Maputo as a nobody. He knew no one, had no money, no friends, no contacts, only the colour of his skin, which had not provided any assistance what so ever. He had worked hard to build the thriving business he now ran in Maputo, smuggling everything from diamonds to human beings. He immodestly reminded himself that he was damn good at it. 

But something had gone wrong four days ago. The Police raid on his distribution house on the eastern edge of the city had been well executed. Normally he had advanced warning of some sort. The Rhodesians paid their white officers well, their black officers less so, and someone was always willing to trade a little harmless gossip for a couple hundred quid.

"Mr James is in the back." Liza said, giving him a toothless smile that always made him want to shudder. This was hardly what you could call a high level establishment. The "rooms", if they could be called that, were really just squares of space blocked off by hanging blankets. The sounds of sex, quiet moans, slaps, shrieks muffled by pillows, all of it for pretty much for whatever money a man had. He hated meeting here. 

Associates in tow, Andrew made his way down the "hall", pushing through only actual doorway in the building and into a space that held two chairs, one rickety desk, and a safe. One chair was occupied by a young black woman who was tied over it, her most tender areas exposed to the man who was pulling his pants back on. The girl was sobbing quietly as the man grinned up at Andrew.

"Ah, Andrew. A new girl. I have been showing her it is easier to just let things happen then to fight. Would you like gentlemen like to have a go? On the house of course." He glanced at the four big men who had followed Andrew into the room. None of them replied though they all gave the girl a good look over.

"James... James..." Andrew began as he took the only other chair, leaving James standing awkwardly next to his trussed up property. "Tell me what happened four days ago."

The smile on James's face vanished at once. Andrew was famous for his sexual appetite, polite introductions and even having a drink before business was discussed. This departure from his normal routine was disturbing. James gestured towards the desk in front of Andrew.

"I think you know Andrew." The paper was the local rag, it showed the burning house, the two bodies dangling in the air, and fire fighters who were trying to extinguish the blaze. A group of uniformed Policemen, white and black, were standing some distance away leaning on their squad cars. The headline ran: POLICE RAID SMUGGLERS DEN - TWO DEAD.

"I have seen this." Andrew said, tipping the paper off the edge of the desk. "There were nine men in that building. Nine, James. It says here two were killed, where are the others?"

"My contact in the fire department said that they found at least six more bodies." James hurried on as he saw the look on Andrews face. "But he said there could have been more, it was quite a mess. None of our spotters survived to tell us how many Police there were."

"The neighbours?" Andrew asked, idly twirling a pen he had located on the desk top.

"This is why I think there may have been RSB Agents," Said James. "The neighbours were more scared of the Police than of you, even money would not loosen their tongues."

Andrew nodded slowly. This was what was bothering him. For the longest time he had been left virtually alone until some fool had let slip his name and nationality and now, suddenly, the RSB was hell bent on crushing him like a bug.

The girl, still tied to her chair, moaned quietly, trying to loosen her bonds. James slapped her hard across the buttocks and she bit back a scream. "Shut up whore. Listening in on your betters. I'll have to slit your vocal cords so you can't tell anyone." He said with a snarl.

"I won't tell anyone, I swear." She started but was cut off by another vicious slap. 

Andrew gave a shudder and then stood, nodding to two of his men who vanished into the space beyond. They returned a moment later with Liza between them. She looked terrified. She was the gate keeper, she knew everyone who came into the brothel. She knew that Andrew had been selling girls to James, and she knew that some of his contacts met him here to take small shipments of diamonds they would carry onto their boats and then onward to other countries. 

"James, my friend." Andrew was suddenly friendly again. "I don't blame you. You couldn't have known about the raid, after all, I can hardly expect you infiltrate the RSB."

James was relieved and he nodded gratefully. "Thank you Andrew. I will get my girls to keep their eyes, and mouths," He winked. "Open around the next Policeman who comes snooping around in here."

Andrew nodded for a moment and then, with a speed that startled even his bodyguards, he stepped forward and chopped James hard in the throat. The man staggered backwards and then collapsed to the floor, hands grasping frantically at a crushed windpipe. 

Liza tried to run but one of the men holding her simply twisted her neck with an explosive motion. There was a strange grating sound to it and then she slid to the floor. The girl in the chair opened her mouth to scream but Andrew placed a finger on his lips before stepping in front of her and kneeling down.

"Shhh. Not a sound now." 

She opened her mouth to reply and he jammed a piece of clothing into her mouth, her eyes bulging in terror. He stood, the cigar smoke clinging to his head as he did so. He looked about the little office and then at his associates, gesturing to three of them. 

"Do what you want with her," He said as he tapped the girl on the top of her head. "And then burn this place down." The three nodded and closed slowly on the girl as she tried to scream.

Andrew left by the back window, his fourth companion in tow. He needed to make some new drop points and new contacts. It was time to lay low for a while. Maybe a trip Stateside while he waited for the heat here to die down.