A BOND BEYOND BLOOD

I needed to think my way out

CHAPTER TWO

My heart raced, pounding in my chest like a drum, as the leader's menacing tone sank in. I nodded, trying to appear calm, but my legs felt heavy, refusing to move. What had I gotten myself into? I thought, my mind racing. I should have just minded my own business. But since I'd already taken the bait, I needed to think my way out.

As we walked to my house, I tried to listen in on the conversations around me, piecing together the situation. The leader's loud breathing and the sound of our footsteps on the wet pavement filled the air. Finally, we reached my compound, and an idea sparked in my head.

"Okay, wait," I shouted, pointing at the boy. "You're trying to frame me, aren't you? You're working with the one they're trying to find, wasting their time!" The boy's eyes widened, and he took a step back. "What are you trying to say? I don't know Michael, okay!"

I fired back, "Oh, that's good, but if you don't know him, how do you know his name?" The boy's eyes darted to the leader, and I sensed a flicker of fear.

As we walked to my house, I pieced together the story. The boy they were chasing had lost a game against them, but he was furious at losing to them and reneged on the bet. In a fit of anger, the boy vandalized the leader's new car, a prized possession. Now, they were hell-bent on catching him.

The accused boy's eyes were wide with fear, his voice trembling. "You, you... you're just trying to frame me!" he shouted.

The leader glared at him. "Tell me, do you know him? How did you know his name?"

The boy stuttered, "I... I... I don't really know him, boss. I... I... I've just seen him playing games before, and I heard his name is... is... Michael, that's all, boss."

Before the leader could respond, I jumped in, trying to deflect attention from myself. "So, you knew he was good at the game and didn't warn your boss to be careful, right? That's quite suspicious. If you search my room and don't find him, that means you're trying to distract these good men, and you're with that boy. You'll owe me 10 tal."

I added, "And let me remind you, 10 tal is equivalent to 1000 sil. A small price to pay for your deceit."

"What...! Why don't you ask me to rob a bank instead! You... you..." The guy's words trailed off, and I knew I had him right where I wanted him. "Yes, why won't you pay me? You've delayed me from my business and distracted these good brothers too, so you'll pay," I said, trying to sound like we were haggling over a normal bargain.

The guy's face contorted in anger, and he raised the wooden club in his hand, but the leader shouted, "Stop it!" and signaled for them to leave. As they departed, I breathed a sigh of relief, my back drenched with sweat.

Later, when I returned home, I found an unconscious boy in my room. My heart raced as I thought, "What have I gotten myself into now?" I approached him cautiously, relieved to find he was still breathing. I gave him a hot slap on the face to wake him up, and he sprang up like a dog whose tail was on fire.

"What happened?" he asked, looking around my room frantically. "Are they gone?" he asked again, his eyes wide with fear.

"No, they haven't gone; they're waiting for you outside," I said, trying to sound serious, but my mind raced with the implications of this new development.