MVUTO

chapter 60 - stranger danger

Despite the troubling concept of 'breeding', albeit forgotten within an intangible nightmare, Carlton, along with his friends, participated in an average week of schooling and education per se, ending with the normal walk home in anticipation of a relaxing weekend... for most of the boys at least. After shooting the breeze with Brian and his crew at their apartment, it was time for Mvuto to head off home, but not entirely alone. After another argument with his son, officer Frank Chayse sequestered in his car for a time-out, isolating himself from the escalating aggravating circumstances inside his home. Knowing how much her husband hated being mollified, patronised as he calls it, Frank's wife instead handed him a shopping list to fill and told him dinner would be ready in an hour, meaning she didn't expect him back home until then, to lend time for the dust to settle. The only mellow person in a house congested with moody incorrigible boys, Mrs Chayse only ever enjoyed peace was when one or the other weren't in the house. 

Frank drove to the local servo to check his tyres and purchase some necessities. While parked in the light of the servo drinking a takeaway coffee, off-duty officer Chayse spied the hazy shape of a pedestrian moving along the footpath in the distance heading in his direction. Frank kept sipping his coffee until the pedestrian entered the rays of a working streetlight. Then, recognising the uniform, officer Chayse focussed on ascertaining who might be out so late still in his school uniform to discover it was Mvuto. 

Chayse's son had wanted to join Mvuto's little gang, but the group would disappear into the music room away from regular school sporting activities. A room they booked in advance for their 'study group', which a few curious boys wanted to join until news broke 2 of the gang had come out of the closet, or in this case the 'music chamber'. And that's the last but not the very least thing he ever wished to happen to his only son. Then there were the allegations of 'enslaving' and possible connection to mass homicide and other killings. From all accounts on profiling, the seemingly most innocuous characters were the worst offenders of deadly crimes. All fingers were pointing to Mvuto as the POI, although still not an exact match. The stress of not knowing for certain if his son was safe at the school would only be relieved if Chayse just knew for sure to put his mind at ease. No more changing schools or precincts to avoid backlash from incarcerated criminals and their affiliates seeking revenge. This quiet suburban town had the lowest crime rate even before the new Chief arrived. Buying into it was expensive but lucrative in the long run. Property prices had already jumped in response to the drop in crime rate, increasing the collateral value on officer Chayse's home. This part of town was where he desired to put his roots down, digging his heels in, declaring, "I'm not moving anymore!"

Drunk on resolution, coffee aside, officer Chayse quietly started his engine and, watching in the side rear-view mirror, waited until Mvuto passed beyond the view of the servo camera before creeping out of the parking space to pursue his target. Officer Chayse was off-duty. Whatever he did in his own time would only incidentally be linked to the precinct. However, the onus would be very heavy on his shoulders if he interfered with an investigation or ignored Chief's orders to not intercept the POI. Would he prove the risk was worth taking, or more crucially, could he? Officer Chayse rattled his brain for an excuse to intervene in a 'possible crime' but, logically speaking, who commits a crime in their private school uniform unless they actually want to be barred from all private schools and career success? Mvuto was walking slower than the officer realised, suddenly already abreast of him at the kerb. He panicked and blurted out the first excuse that came to mind, "ah...hi, I see you're a student at my son's school ... do you..." Mvuto turned to whom addressed him, his face shrouded in darkness. Without the comfort of his gun, officer Chayse was close to pissing himself with fear. Even a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction whose headlights lit Mvuto's pale, unsmiling features failed to alleviate his wild imaginings "... need a lift home?" the officer's initial sprightliness tapered off to a spooked hoarse whisper.