6 AM at Mbare terminus. Cold. Smelled like rain on dust.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblcM2Mnza2
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.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2lJfXawmJ
Tawanda took the file, flipped through it.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0L73G86oqi
“You’re clean,” he said. “For once.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbmxr0nELw
Blessing stepped forward. “So we start today. You drive the delivery to Gweru. Simple.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFabYdwDKg
I nodded.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBqe72VOoa
Then Tinashe spoke.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeiOy56QLU
“Before that.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwzAHia3C2
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.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkP61oZGeHG
Her name was Rudo. Tawanda’s younger sister.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCp44IobZlf
She died two years ago. Overdose. The same pills I used to move.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1D6sinkTe
The alley went quiet again. Different kind of quiet.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchDRtA1eQd
“You didn’t know,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsRIYj5Wha
“I didn’t,” Tawanda said. “Until last week. Blessing found your old phone in the place we raided.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14G8lXUsWP
He closed the box.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMwb1pQtom
“So here’s the twist, Mjay,” he said. “We don’t need your driving. We don’t need the money.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipR73GiN73
He dropped the file on the ground.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9Bp5XbTaW
“We needed to see if you’d still lie when you had nothing to gain. You didn’t.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrefBhf0OBW
Chenai stepped up and put a hand on my shoulder.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSjNVSEsFw
“Rudo would’ve slapped you for what you did. Then she’d make you fix it.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7L0GYDnSHI
Tinashe tossed me a set of keys.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBJeBPliN1
“ kombi needs a driver. Route 14. Mbare to Chitungwiza. 6 AM to 6 PM. Pay’s small. But nobody dies.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3OBgxtPMY
I looked at the keys, then at them.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzg5UsbSo5
“So that’s it?” I said. “You’re letting me go?”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijt24MHi8K
Tawanda smiled for the first time since he had me against that wall.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyBYlJsLw6
“No,” he said. “We’re letting you stay.”
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuhsoKQOjh
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.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEyZkRf5jS
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydtC4bDvTY
and then Add to home screen.