Chapter 9: Kgosi's Choice
The next day, Kgosi walked into school with the bullet still in his blazer pocket.
One bullet.
One warning.
One decision.
---
Behind the Library – 11:45 AM
Naledi was already waiting, eyes red like she hadn't slept. No hoodie today — just her school uniform and the look of someone holding onto something heavy.
Kgosi leaned against the wall. "What did you find?"
She handed him a crumpled letter.
"It's a letter my dad wrote before he became principal. Hidden in one of my mom's boxes. It's not signed… but it's addressed to Bra T-Man."
Kgosi unfolded the paper. The handwriting was rushed, but sharp:
> Thabang, I did what you asked. Ngwenya has been moved into the school as security. Radebe will cover your son's record if anything happens. But if you go down, I can't protect the boy forever. Red Wire is splitting. Loyalties are cracking.
*Watch your six.
— M*
Kgosi looked up. "Your dad was working with my dad?"
Naledi nodded. "I think he was loyal. But then he switched sides."
"He took the payout," Kgosi muttered. "Sold out Red Wire. Sold out my dad."
"But that's not the worst part," Naledi said. "I found a hidden voice note in my mom's phone backups."
She played it.
A voice — Bra T-Man's — came through. Rough. Focused.
> If I don't make it… tell Kgosi to trust no one. Not even Mokoena. The war isn't outside. It's already inside.
The recording ended.
Silence.
Kgosi felt it in his chest. The burn. The weight. The fury.
"So that's it," he whispered. "Everyone my dad trusted… turned on him."
"Not everyone," Naledi said. "You've still got me."
---
That Afternoon – School Rooftop
Kgosi stood on the rooftop alone, looking over Mamelodi like it was a battlefield. Down below, learners were laughing, arguing, chasing each other.
They had no idea what was coming.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
We warned you. Now it's time.
Another Message:
Assembly. Tomorrow. You better bring the file. Or someone won't make it home.
---
Later – Inside the Science Lab
Kgosi met Lethabo and Radebe under lock and key.
"They're going public tomorrow," Kgosi said. "They want me to hand over the file. Or someone's getting hurt."
Lethabo slammed his fist on the table. "You can't give it to them, bro! That file has proof of everything!"
"And if I don't," Kgosi snapped, "Naledi might be next."
Radebe spoke up, calm but serious. "Then it's time you decide, Kgosi. Are you your father's son… or just another schoolboy trying to survive?"
Kgosi looked down at the bullet in his hand.
The weight wasn't just metal anymore.
It was legacy.
It was truth.
It was war.