…alias Tamara Quinn

This story is by Eva Saunderson and was part of our 2024 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

Tamara wakes up with a jolt – the same nightmare again – thousands of tiny horse mackerel fish nibbling on her body and trying to consume her alive. She knows too well that this is her sub-conscience’s way of responding to her feelings of guilt and self-reproach.

“ Why did I not take more definite action when I saw the writing on the wall?”

This question has haunted Tamara since that terrible day in 2019 when the news broke on NBC, Namibia’s national broadcaster. ‘The Anatomy of a Bribe’ was aptly named by the Al Jazeera news agency. Suddenly “the smile on the face of Africa” as Namibia is fondly known to her residents and many tourists, was turned upside down.

For Tamara, the realization that what she was fearing for some time now, did not even come close to the intensity of the reality, causes her head to spin. Up till now, Namibia was mostly famous for her scenic beauty – majestic dunes, pristine nature reserves, hosting a wide array of wildlife. On this picturesque coastline, the ocean meets the desert in an awe-inspiring contrasting display of nature’s enigmatic art gallery. The Namib Naukluft Park is described by many visitors as “the most beautiful and peaceful place on the planet.”

But on 13 November 2019, Namibians woke up to a stench so severe that even the mighty waters of the Atlantic Ocean would not be able to wash it away. In what would become known as the “Fishrot Scandal” the biggest fraud case in Namibian history was revealed. Bribery, racketeering, and money laundering were some of the alleged crimes committed by the plug-uglies, which included some high-profile businessmen and politicians – the ministers of Justice and Fisheries among others.

Thousands of workers in the fishing industry had been laid off because of the Fishrot operations. At that stage, Tamara already (tried to) blow the whistle on some alleged perpetrators, but she was silenced with attempts of bribery and severe threats of persecution.

Tamara Quinn is not her real name. She used to go by the name of Shannon Nangolo. Since she became an official whistleblower, her life turned into a nightmare – literally. She and her daughter were assigned new identities and were relocated to another residential area and school to protect them from further assaults. She had to say goodbye to everything near and dear to her – her job as CEO of a well-known fishing company, her beloved home in Avis, and especially the afternoon walks with her dogs. Also, no more Armani suits and Acquazzura heels for her – she will be slouching through her days in sweatpants and Birkenstocks. Her Lamborghini had to switch places with a 1953 Ford Anglia and her phone also had to be replaced and wired by the witness protection unit. School runs suddenly became burdensome as she had to drive to an “unknown” school on the other side of the city for the safety of her daughter, Yana(a.k.a. Tatiana).

The murmuring buzz of the morning traffic reminds Tamara of the sounds of the ocean – ebbing and flowing – a source of sustenance for many Namibians, but turned into a self-declared “real estate” by a small group of unscrupulous and greedy villains.

Her train of thought is suddenly interrupted by a message notification on her cell phone.

“Today is the day…”

The phone drops from her shaky hands and hits the floor with a crackling sound.

“How did they trace this phone?” “I must get away immediately, but how?” “If they could trace the phone, then surely they can also trace her whereabouts – Probably watching them for days now…”

Tamara instinctively runs to her daughter’s room.

“Please let her be safe…”

She is still asleep, but Tamara knows they need to move fast now. Those people are obviously not scared by the strenuous consequences of contravening the Witness Protection Act. They are paid well enough to make the risk of silencing a whistleblower for good, worth their while.

With Tatiana draped over her shoulder, Tamara runs towards the steps. She grabs the Lamborghini’s keys on her way down – she needs speed now.

“Mommy, what’s going on? Why are we going out so early and in pajamas?”

Tamara shoves her daughter into the car behind the passenger seat.

“Sjjjt… I will explain later – whatever happens, stay down.”

On her way out, Tamara hastily activates a device attached to the inside of the garage door. This will emit smoke triggering the smoke detector and surprise the perpetrators with an unexpected shower. That will unsettle them temporarily and buy her some much-needed time.

For a second she hesitates.

“Which route will be the safest?”

She does not know, so she follows her gut.

It takes less than 3 seconds for her sports car to reach top speed. Now she has to think like a criminal. She heads towards the airport road with the intention to later turn off into one of the many gravel roads leading to the small holdings along the way. As soon as she slacks down a bit to turn off onto the Dordabis road, her dashboard lights up.

“Oh, finally,” she thinks out loudly. “We would have been dead by now if we had to wait for you” she mumbles inaudibly.

The voice over the ether comes firmly and authoritative.

“Turn off the road – you will be picked up by a helicopter shortly.”

Before she could switch off the engine she noticed an approaching black spot in the eastern sky and then the distinctive “twup, twup, twup” sound of the helicopter blades.

She runs with Tatiana towards the aircraft. A tall, dark, and athletic co-pilot approaches them and offers assistance. Only now she realizes what a sight she must have been to behold – uncombed hair, pajamas, barefoot, and no make-up – not exactly a front page picture for Vogue magazine. To her surprise, the guy in uniform’s mouth fell open as he took Tatiana from her shoulder.

“I…I haven’t realized… how beautiful you are…”

Before she could even blush they were air-bound again and not a moment too soon. The enemy vehicle is approaching at a bewildering speed and then they open fire on them.

Tatiana is shivering like an injured puppy as bullets swish past the aircraft only missing them by a few inches. Just as Tamara leans over to cover her daughter with a blanket, a sharp stinging sensation goes through her left arm and everything turns dark around her.

A few days later Tamara wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings. The relief on the nurse’s face is palpable.

“Glad to have you back,” she exclaims.

“Back? What happened? Where’s my daughter?”

“There, there, … one question at a time. Tatiana is safe. You are very lucky – you almost bled out. The bullet went through a significant artery, but without the swift and skillful action of this gentleman, things would be different.”

She follows the gaze of the nurse and finds him standing in the doorway – smiling warmly at her.

“You better get well soon – the trial is about to start…”

It only takes a few loose-limbed steps for him to reach her bed. He reaches into his pocket and produces a red envelope.

“I have something for you from your Valentine,” he says mysteriously. “But promise me you won’t open it until I’m gone,” he whispers close to her ear.

The smell of his aftershave kindles a faint memory, but before she could process what just happened, she could hear a car leaving with screeching tires.

The nurse senses her hesitation and interprets it as a hint for her to leave Tamara alone. She opens the envelope with sweaty fingers and a hollow feeling in her stomach. At first, it appears to be just an ordinary Valentine’s card with hearts and kisses on the front, but then she opens it, and … her worst nightmare is facing her in broad daylight…a smiling picture of Yana bespeckled  with blood…The message underneath is unmistakably clear:

“She will be safe as long as you blow a different tune in court…”