6 AM at Mbare terminus. Cold. Smelled like rain on dust.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnqD0FJXtl
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.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLBatHUuCw
Tawanda took the file, flipped through it.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28TYkNWCjf
“You’re clean,” he said. “For once.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjYBYnsv9m
Blessing stepped forward. “So we start today. You drive the delivery to Gweru. Simple.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aNC00G22l
I nodded.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwj68YUcWL5
Then Tinashe spoke.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6vSVxLJgY
“Before that.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciSZgeWoC5
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.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zUOxav6JG
Her name was Rudo. Tawanda’s younger sister.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzKHbimYfx
She died two years ago. Overdose. The same pills I used to move.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidcqujV64Z
The alley went quiet again. Different kind of quiet.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBC3DMypdH
“You didn’t know,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG2FE4PbL2
“I didn’t,” Tawanda said. “Until last week. Blessing found your old phone in the place we raided.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUUZkFAkwm
He closed the box.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPES42Wyi9a
“So here’s the twist, Mjay,” he said. “We don’t need your driving. We don’t need the money.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOANskmdR5
He dropped the file on the ground.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLzi4O68oW
“We needed to see if you’d still lie when you had nothing to gain. You didn’t.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDWNN38uFz
Chenai stepped up and put a hand on my shoulder.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oVxmiH6DK
“Rudo would’ve slapped you for what you did. Then she’d make you fix it.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmi8drxeCN
Tinashe tossed me a set of keys.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxAqYu1DyX
“ kombi needs a driver. Route 14. Mbare to Chitungwiza. 6 AM to 6 PM. Pay’s small. But nobody dies.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SX9CTrTPt
I looked at the keys, then at them.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVOoRyzZCw
“So that’s it?” I said. “You’re letting me go?”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6ATPFCckM
Tawanda smiled for the first time since he had me against that wall.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqWIHrPArn
“No,” he said. “We’re letting you stay.”
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABL2llAW6W
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.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUmJDVRXDU
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTd0YexsL3
and then Add to home screen.