They stayed put feigning indifference, hoping the men weren�t here for Alomwe Computer Shop.
Inside the Nissan, Captain Kgole had already read the tension in their eyes.
�Secure the two outside,� he ordered quietly. �I�ll go in. They might be part of whatever�s happening inside.�
The doors popped open in unison. Two officers strode straight toward the boys on the pavement, while Kgole and another officer headed for the shop. He didn�t even glance at the blue Polo parked behind them�per his arrangement with Themba, its presence had to remain unremarkable.
Kgole knew the rules. Themba�s cover was to stay intact.
He�d trained for six months alongside a handful of station detectives handpicked to work with the Mambas when needed. They weren�t Mambas themselves�they answered to the police hierarchy as well as the covert Parliamentary Council�but they�d been vetted for integrity and discretion. No bribes, no leaks, no hesitation. Kgole had been top of that class, which was why he�d been stationed at Johannesburg Central, the city�s busiest and most politically sensitive precinct.
The two �officers� sent to grab the boys weren�t street cops at all�they were prosecutors, desk men. But today they were getting a taste of the street side of the job. From the Polo, Themba and Thabo watched them work, awkward in their approach, but effective.
Inside the shop, Kgole�s eyes swept the room in a single pass. He caught Charles mid-motion, trying to shuffle gadgets off the counter. The flash of a badge and the weight of a firearm on each hip froze him in place.
�Don�t bother hiding anything,� Kgole said, tone easy but edged with authority.
Charles stiffened, forcing a grin, �No, sir�just clearing the space.�
Two teenagers stood near Officer Mkhize, who had followed Kgole in. They began edging toward the door, but Mkhize�s hand shot out, pushing it shut.
�No one leaves,� he said flatly, his gaze fixed on them. The boys stopped moving.
�What�s going on here?� Kgole asked.
�Just opening up, Sorting things out,� Charles said, too quickly.
Kgole�s eyes went to the counter. �These gadgets�who do they belong to?�