The Smoke That Thunders by J.M. Manyanga

Author:J.M. Manyanga [Manyanga, J.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781736788349
Publisher: Big Brains Publishing LLC

CHAPTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

Six and Reggie spent the rest of the day going over reports and logs of all employees at the Safari club. Everyone was still around. It was the busiest season. All employees available that night were summoned to the dining area where the police went about interviewing them. Everything lined up. Variable answers, non-helpful.

Next, they had gone to the station and reviewed the footage retrieved from and reviewed the footage posted on social media by one of the missing kids. He was a known vlogger, usually posting about doing dangerous feats, jumping off cliffs and paragliding at exotic locations around the world. It got even more colorful when he began to film with drones.

“Look at all the stuff they do,” Reggie said, scrolling down videos on the vlogger’s channel.

“That’s some crazy stuff,” Six said.

“I wonder if their parents are cool with all this.”

“Entitled millennials, they don’t care.”

“Who in their right minds takes selfies at the Devil’s Pool?”

“Kids. They enjoy doing crazy things now. Those days of decency are gone.”

“But nature always wins one way or the other.”

“We mess up the climate, we suffer. We mess up with the wild, we suffer!”

They continued looking through the videos for clues.

Six leaned back in the chair. “Where is your partner?” Six said.

“Haven’t seen him. Probably passed out in some brothel. Not a first, though.”

“How do you work with this guy?” Six said.

“I’ve learned to suffer fools gladly.”

“That takes special character and patience.”

“I hope he gets around to himself soon. He used to try to be a good cop.”

“Isn’t he married?”

“He is,” she said. “Feel bad for the wife. Stays home in the rural taking care of the kids while he is getting filthy here.”

“Not worried about diseases, HIV and all? That stuff is rampant in these parts!”

“God knows I tried. Even used threats. Some people only learn when they get it.”

“Never tolerate people whose primary goal is to constantly pull you down to their level. Especially those with no remorse, and don’t want to change their ways. Before you know it, you start believing you too are just a chicken, not an eagle! Life is a beautiful thing that ought to be celebrated by believing in the good in others, while having the discernment to know when not to be used by others for their own narcissism.”

“Preach on, partner.” Reggie slapped him on the shoulder.

Six rewound the vlogger’s video.

He looked more closely. “Hold on. I know this one kid!” Six said.

“From where?”

“I met them three days ago, the night I got here. The family and I shared a dinner table. His name is Jadin. Seemed like such a cool kid, played football. Planning to go pro.”

“The video already has millions of views and reshares.”

“Scary, but no one knows if it’s real or not. Nowadays social media is littered with fake videos.”

“I know. AI and advanced editing software makes it almost impossible to spot a manipulated video from a real one.”

Six leaned in closer to the screen.

“Turn up the volume, slow it down. Do you hear that?”

They listened.

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