Dangerous Ground Page #4

American football myself.

They wear helmets and paddings.

That's not a man's game.

Look at these South Africans.

They are still too inexperienced

on the international scene.

They're vulnerable,

open to attack.

So I guess you just

come right on in...

and take advantage of that, huh?

Of course.

It's like taking candy

from a baby.

Don't you think South Africa

went through enough sh*t...

without you coming in

and f***ing it up even more?

I like to f*** sh*t up.

It's something in me.

Do you know how much it would

cost me to have you killed?

Four hundred rand.

Tomorrow, someone from

a squatter camp comes along...

and shoots you dead

with an AK-47.

For forty-five thousand rand...

I can have your

whole family murdered-

uncles, aunties,

cousins, your mother.

That is how much

your brother owes me-

forty-five thousand rand.

But then I hear about you,

and I start to think...

that maybe there's a way

out of this mess.

You're American, right?

Not exactly.

But you are from America.

With the rate of exchange...

that would be

fifteen thousand dollars.

That doesn't sound too bad.

It's not a lot of money

for an American, right?

How am I supposed to get

my hands on that kind of money?

God.

Fifteen thousand dollars.

Exactly.

I can't get my hands

on that kind of money.

Either you come up

with the money...

or you bury your brother.

It's up to you.

You can contact me through Sam.

You have two days.

It's me.

Jesus. What happened?

Those were Muki's men,

weren't they?

You OK?

I got to raise

fifteen thousand dollars...

or they said

they was gonna kill him.

Kill him?

Fifteen thousand dollars?

That's a fuckload of money.

I know.

Look, I know where he is.

He called me.

- Where?

- He's in Sun City.

I think he's gambling

to make the money back.

How far is that from here?

It's about an hour,

hour and a half.

Sh*t. I'm gonna miss my plane.

We gonna go there?

What do you mean, "we"?

Don't try that on me again.

He might be your brother,

but he's my boyfriend.

If you go, I go.

Come inside whilst I get ready.

Oh, sh*t. Look!

F***.

What the hell you doing?

Look, just pretend

you're my driver.

Sh*t. Girl, get your ass

back in the front.

This ain't no

"Driving Miss Daisy. "

- It's the A.W.B., man.

- Who?

A.W.B.- a local version

of the Nazi party.

Give me the gun.

Damn. Give me the gun.

Gimme the gun and get back

in the front seat.

What's going on?

What's going on here?

Nothing. We're just

on our way to Sun City.

Yeah?

And what you making

with this kaffir, eh?

No. He's from America.

I'm showing him around.

No. Hold on.

Kaffir? What's that?

You.

Yeah, but what does it mean?

Is it like warrior,

king, god, chief? What?

It means you must

watch your mouth, boy.

I got your boy right here.

He's from overseas.

He doesn't understand.

Can we just go now, please?

Yeah, all right.

Go on. Get out of here!

See ya.

A**hole.

Did you just say something?

Hold up.

I think it would be easier

if you looked that way...

and I'll look back this way.

We'll meet in the bar

in about thirty minutes.

OK.

I need a drink,

and I don't have any money.

I'm not going to buy any crack.

Here it's all just

lines in the toilet...

and Valiums and sh*t.

- Thank you.

- Thirty minutes.

Hey, babe.

What's up with you?

Are you out

of your f***ing mind?

How could you f*** with Muki?

Forty-five grand.

Forty-five f***ing grand!

Are you stupid?

How much is left?

About two grand.

Maybe less.

I missed the jackpot

by one seven, babe.

F*** you.

I missed you, babe.

F*** off.

What?

You're strung out, babe.

Do you want...

Have you got any stuff?

What did you say?

You know. Have you got-

I haven't seen you

for two weeks...

and the first thing

you ask for is f***ing coke!

F*** you, man.

I was just trying to help, OK?

Your father's dead, Steven.

What?

That's why your brother's here.

- Yeah, in Sun City.

- Sh*t.

No. You're lucky.

He's gonna pay Muki the money...

so you don't end up

with a bullet in your head.

And... my father's dead?

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Where's boet Vus?

Come.

Come.

Look,

I've got about five grams...

of the stash left, you know.

You f***. You ask me if

I've got any while you've got?

Where is it?

If you follow me, you'll know.

How much you putting in now?

Just over half a gram.

That's too much, Steven.

You're pushing it.

Maybe that's the point, babe.

Do you have a Steven Madlazi

checked in?

- Yes. Room four-oh-seven.

- Thank you.

What the f*** is y'all doing?

Hey, boet Vus.

What's the matter, man?

What's this bullshit?

Take it easy, man.

You pathetic, man.

I thought you was a man.

I am a man.

If you hit him again,

I'm gonna hit you!

Get out of the way before

I break your little ass in two.

This is family business.

I'm a part of this family.

You've got a lot

of catching up to do, Vusi.

Give me this sh*t!

Thought you was

going to help me.

Look like

you're helping yourself.

I'm sorry.

Could you at least

pack his bags, please?

Look at you, man.

Our father's dead, Steven.

I know, man.

Get up, man.

I'm taking you home

to your mother.

Get up.

Hey.

I don't think Ernest

would be cool with that.

I'm not going back, man.

Listen!

I'm f***ing up my life for this.

I'm not going back.

I don't want to hear that!

Don't tell me what you can

and what you can't do.

How could you, Steven?

You know how many people died

and suffered in the struggle...

so you can become

the future of South Africa?

You can't fall

in the same trap...

as the black Americans

did in the Seventies.

They got free,

and then they got high.

Look at me.

Don't fall asleep.

The struggle's never over.

Never.

Come on, man.

Get yourself together.

Get your stuff, and let's go.

I'm sorry.

Sorry?

Is that all you can say?

Sorry, sorry, sorry?

You sound like a broke record.

Forgive me, then?

Don't get smart.

It's a long walk from Sun City.

Come on.

What?

I'm staying here with Karen.

Oh, no, no, no.

You ain't running

from me again.

Where would I run to, man?

I won't, OK?

You ever ride in

the back of a trunk before?

- Boet Vus-

- I'll look after him.

Both of y'all could fit.

- I like your brother.

- Yeah, right.

What's so funny?

I was just thinking, you know.

We could just take

the money and split.

Go to Egypt or something.

Hey, you're crazy.

You know, Karen...

you've stuck by me

through so much sh*t, man-

Hey, I'm your friend.

I know.

Just want to say thanks, yeah?

Cut that sh*t out!

Did you get it?

I was only able to get

fourteen-one.

But that's

nine hundred dollars short.

Hey, that's it.

How do you get

to the Towers Hotel?

Turn left at the robot.

At the what?

The traffic light.

Turn at the robot.

Man, Steven was in

over his head...

but so was the country.

Drugs had taken over

where apartheid left off.

It wasn't right.

It was no different...

than what was happening

in America...

and I had to see

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