6 AM at Mbare terminus. Cold. Smelled like rain on dust.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0zmcXn5tk
Tawanda, Blessing, Chenai, and Tinashe were there. I had the file with the case number, printed. No phone, no tricks. If I was going to run a con, it wouldn’t be on them again.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknlxGVMAZd
Tawanda took the file, flipped through it.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeVzzJefuL
“You’re clean,” he said. “For once.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmpuTYjAYP
Blessing stepped forward. “So we start today. You drive the delivery to Gweru. Simple.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuqCUWPa5j
I nodded.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCJU0lKAZy
Then Tinashe spoke.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2P7wYWK8u
“Before that.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHwA0QvxPk
He pulled something out from behind his back. Not a gun. A small wooden box. Inside was a faded photo. Me, 19 years old, at my sister’s wedding. Standing next to a girl with braids and a gold necklace.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAjolsYjxG
Her name was Rudo. Tawanda’s younger sister.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXXY22pDfj
She died two years ago. Overdose. The same pills I used to move.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYPFFHfYp1
The alley went quiet again. Different kind of quiet.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSL7vUTRQlF
“You didn’t know,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqOtNrq3l0
“I didn’t,” Tawanda said. “Until last week. Blessing found your old phone in the place we raided.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhuqHfpUwA
He closed the box.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHQuyhRBVl
“So here’s the twist, Mjay,” he said. “We don’t need your driving. We don’t need the money.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEa86u3wte
He dropped the file on the ground.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxQx6RbSEa
“We needed to see if you’d still lie when you had nothing to gain. You didn’t.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHgSuqweUy
Chenai stepped up and put a hand on my shoulder.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsr74uZgMQ3
“Rudo would’ve slapped you for what you did. Then she’d make you fix it.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpumavEJDg
Tinashe tossed me a set of keys.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmN2zofrAIA
“ kombi needs a driver. Route 14. Mbare to Chitungwiza. 6 AM to 6 PM. Pay’s small. But nobody dies.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7OhiuF28t
I looked at the keys, then at them.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NUzgEWvUO
“So that’s it?” I said. “You’re letting me go?”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQMEtvaRb7
Tawanda smiled for the first time since he had me against that wall.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rePw9cTLM
“No,” he said. “We’re letting you stay.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGeziZYW8y
Done. The twist: the crew already knew Mjay’s connection to Rudo, and the whole setup was a test to see if he could be trusted to change.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPXWqPhS8e
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7txTCjA2y
and then Add to home screen.