BLOOD RANSON

BLOOD AND PROMISES

The abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city was dark and quiet.

Sadiq pulled the vehicle to a stop.

Kabir was already waiting.

The moment Jamal stepped out of the vehicle, Kabir's eyes widened.

"God!" he exclaimed. "You're bleeding!"

Jamal's shirt was soaked with blood. His face had grown pale, and every movement seemed to cause him pain.

"What happened?" Kabir asked.

Jamal staggered forward.

"What happened?" he snapped. "Your boss happened!"

Kabir frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"He came back to the office!"

Kabir froze.

"What?"

"He came back while I was still inside. He saw me. I had no choice but to pull a gun on him."

Kabir stared at him in disbelief.

"You never told me he kept weapons in that office!"

"I didn't know!" Kabir shouted.

"You didn't know?" Jamal yelled back. "I almost died in there because of what you didn't know!"

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder.

"Ahh!"

Jamal bent over, clutching the wound.

His legs nearly gave way beneath him.

"Hey, hey, easy," Kabir said, rushing toward him. "Calm down. You're losing too much blood."

For a moment, nobody spoke.

The reality of their situation settled over them.

They had the money.

They had the diamonds.

But Jamal was wounded, and time was running out.

"We need to get you to a hospital," Sadiq said.

Jamal shook his head immediately.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"My face was seen."

The words hung in the air.

Kabir understood instantly.

"If your boss saw you..."

"He saw everything," Jamal replied. "By now he has probably told half the city who I am."

Silence followed.

Then Jamal looked at the bag containing the money.

"My wife comes first."

Kabir nodded slowly.

"The kidnappers?"

"I'll handle them."

"In your condition?"

"I don't have a choice."

Kabir wanted to argue, but he could see the determination in Jamal's eyes.

Jamal picked up a portion of the cash and pushed the remaining money toward Kabir.

"Take this to the hospital."

Kabir looked at him.

"Pay whatever they ask. Save Aisha. Don't leave her alone."

"I promise."

Jamal then reached into the bag and pulled out the black case containing the diamonds.

"Take these too."

Kabir hesitated.

"Why?"

"If anything goes wrong, sell them. Use the money for my wife and my children."

Kabir accepted the case.

For the first time that night, the weight of responsibility settled heavily on his shoulders.

Sadiq received his agreed share and quietly departed, eager to distance himself from the chaos that was unfolding.

Soon only Jamal and Kabir remained.

One carried the burden of saving a family.

The other carried the burden of facing kidnappers while bleeding from a gunshot wound.

Neither man knew that darker troubles were waiting ahead.