“Okay, so where is the package?” I asked, looking around for the mysterious cargo Marcos was being so secretive about.
Marcos tilted his head toward the paper in my hand. “Look back over your schedule.”
I glanced down.
“The first address is pickup; the second is drop-off,” he explained. “So nah, I won’t be the guy handing you anything. Remember what I told you… I’m just the recruiter.” He smirked. “The guy you’ll be meeting for the pickup is named Drico.”
“Drico,” I repeated slowly.
“He’ll be youronlypickup contactunlessone of us tells you differently. If anybody else gets out that car besides him, you call usimmediately.Don’t ask questions… don’t try to figure it out… don’t call your mama or your friend… call us.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll warn you, though. Drico is a lil’ rough around the edges. He’s dangerous, but I’m referring to his face. You ever seen them movie villains who look like life tried to kill them a few times but failed? Yeah… Drico look like that. Nigga got scars on his face that look like he lost a fight with a lawnmower and came back for round two.”
I chuckled lightly.
“But he’s solid and loyal as hell. Been rocking with us for years. You can talk to him if you need to, no problem. Just as long as he don’t start saying no weird shit to you. And if he does, trust me… we’ll know. As for the people at the drop-off spots? You don’t help them and you definitely don’t start conversations. Don’t tell them your name, where you’re from, or where you’re headed after. Sit there, keep your hands on the wheel, and let them do their thing. Just sit there, look pretty, and act like you’ve done it a thousand times.”
I nodded slowly, taking it all in.
“Some of them might be new, and new people sometimes try to test the waters by asking questions or cracking jokes—try to see if you’ll slip up and start talking. Don’t.”
His eyes hardened just enough to let me know he wasn’t joking.
“But for the most part, they’ll just walk up, pop the trunk, grab what belongs to them, and keep it moving. You’ll start recognizing faces after a while. This world ain’t as big as it seems. And don’t let the looks fool you either. Most of these dudes just look meaner than they actually are.” He paused, then he gave a small smirk. “Mostof them.”
I exhaled quietly.
Afterward, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, holding them out to me.
“These are for the car you’ll be driving tonight. If there’s nothing else you need… then you’re free to go. Drive safely. And remember… we’ll be watching.”
I nodded, pivoted on my heels, and started toward the door, the weight of everything settling on my shoulders. Just as I reached it, Marcos called out.
“Ajori.”
I swung around to face him once more.
His expression had changed. The relaxed attitude was gone and was replaced by a stern seriousness.
“Just remember,” he reminded me, holding my gaze, “the money only comes if everything goes smoothly.”
“It will,” I replied confidently.
Even as the words left my mouth, a small voice in the back of my head whispered that my life had officially stepped into something dangerous… and possibly the only thing standing between Kyrin and time running out.