Kunene didn�t waste breath. He placed a gray flash drive on the coffee table between them.
�This,� Kunene said quietly, �changes everything.�
Willem studied the small, weathered flash drive lying on the coffee table, its dull gray surface catching a sliver of lamplight. Beside him, Brigadier Mabena moved with practiced precision, unfolding the laptop and setting it down with a muted click.
�Plug it in, Brigadier,� Kunene ordered, his voice steady but taut.
Mabena slotted the drive into the USB port under Willem�s watchful gaze. The screen came alive, a folder marked PRETORIA pulsing like a sealed secret. Kunene rotated the laptop toward Willem, who drew it closer, slipped on his prescription glasses, and leaned in. His eyes narrowed as lines of filenames filled the display.
�What am I looking at?� His tone was calm, but curiosity edged each syllable.
Kunene exhaled slowly, the weight of the moment pressing into his voice. �You�re looking at a trail, Chair�offshore accounts, shell companies, names, emails, direct correspondence between Minister McBride� and someone signing off as �CR.��
��any idea who that is�?� Willem asked, his voice low, eyes still fixed on the screen.
Kunene shook his head. �No. not yet, but that�s our next move.�
Willem leaned back, removing his glasses, the cool gleam of thought settling over his features. �Alright, gentlemen,� he said, straightening in his chair. �What do you need from me?�
Kunene cleared his throat, the weight of his words deliberate. �First, we need this contained�locked down, top secret. We have no idea how deep this runs, and if they suspect we�ve found a thread, they�ll cut it before we pull.�
Willem gave a slow nod, his expression unreadable. �Understood, and the second..?�
�A delay,� Kunene said. �The Quinton De Lange murder investigation in Gauteng�put it on ice. This takes priority. If we�re right, it�s bigger than anything we�ve handled.�
Willem�s jaw tightened, his tone edged with doubt. �Can I do that without the Committee catching wind of what we�re sitting on?�