Mess

The flickering lights of the lobby made Panashe uneasy as he waited for the elevator control panel to respond. The slim tall young man kept taping on the control panel hoping for a response which didn't come. 'I hate stairs' he thought to himself as he walked away from the panel going for the door which had a symbol for stairs.

The young man sped up the stairs as he headed for the fourth floor. The floor was too quiet. The poor lighting in the corridor made him doubt his motives. As he took steps forward he could hear the sound of several men arguing in a room ahead. Room 408. At the sound of his knock everyone inside went quiet.

"Who is it?" a voice shouted from the inside.

"It's me." Panashe flinched before responding.

The door slid open and a well built man opened the door. "Hey Panashe what are you doing here?"

"I am here for my money. I need to buy a few components for my project."

"Sorry man. I don't have the money right now. Check with me next week."

"That's what you told me last week. I can't fail my project because of you." Panashe was starting to raise his voice. The door slid back closing the access to the room. Panashe saw one of the men sitting on a chair with a VR headset on. He stood in the corridor alone and proceeded to knock again.

"Listen here brat." the strong man came out of the room this time and chocked Panashe. "I told you next week. Okay."

Panashe didn't respond, he clenched his fist and sent it straight towards the man's heart. "Listen to me Ron. I need my money."

Ron could barely stand as he wobbled backwards and leaned on the walls. "Seriously why do you get angry so fast kid. I told you I will give you your money next week." Panashe was massaging his throat as Ron tried to speak. He didn't look like he could fight but Ron was holding on the walls and his arm on his chest.

"Listen here Panashe. We are doing a job a right now and if we succeed we will be paid and I will give you your money. Okay."

"Then why did you choke me?"

"I have to prove to those men inside that I can handle any situation."

Panashe looked at the door and gestured that they go in. Ron just shook his head in refusal and stood upright. "Freeze." an officer approached the duo holding up his gun. He kept his eyes on Ron and whispered something into his wristwatch. Two officers came from the stairs.

"We have the target in view. Proceeding to arrest." as the officers approached slowly the door behind Ron slid open and a metallic cylinder was tossed out. "Flash bang!" the officer cried out but it was too late. By the time Panashe could see again an officer tackled him. "Wait I am not with them I just want my money."

At the Mbare police station Panashe was sitting in the reception massaging his wrists this time. "Sorry kid but you should know better to hang out with people like Ron. We will take your name off the record this time. Here is your ID." a young officer handed Panashe his ID and left. Now Panashe had to wait for the real storm. The police had called his guardian who happened to be a policewoman. He kept his head low waiting for Jess to come pick him up.

Jess arrived at the station in her uniform and walked to the bench where Panashe was now lying on his back looking at the ceiling. "You. Come on let's go. We have no time to waste here." Jess called out to Panashe as she gets red him to come over they walked out the station and Jess showed how angry she was. "What is wrong with you? Can't you follow orders just for once? Go to school. After school go home. It's pretty simple isn't it?" Panashe knew he was going to be lectured so he just nodded.

"What do you really want Panashe? Do you want to go to school or you want to hang out with losers?" Jess didn't even wait for him to respond and continued with her ranting.

"Last month it was a brawl with some student. This month you violated the curfew and was hanging out with a criminal and disrupted an investigation that was about to be concluded. You do know you are wrecking your chances of a getting a job after school right. All the record the officers have on you will be automatically added to your profile and you keep adding more. I am embarrassed to be here right now. Where in the world is this fool?" She went down the stairs and looked on the road for a car.

"Panashe, I am trying to make a better life for the both of us but if you keep messing up like this I won't get a promotion and we will be stuck living where we live now. Please try to stay away from people like Ron." Panashe was just kept nodding knowing that if he tried to say anything it would backfire. A police car pulled over and the driver called them over. "You idiot where were you?" Jess was now getting emotional and the driver just smiled. "Chill Jess. I had gone to take some food since we are going back on patrol tonight. Hey Panashe, how you doing man."

"I am good Takudzwa and you?"

"Oh you know me. Just lazing around."

The car cruised down the streets as it headed for the residential areas. Only a few individuals could be seen on the road. Billboards kept showing popups of the curfew and a few police drones were flying in the night skies.

Everyone in the car was quiet with Jess and Panashe eating and Takudzwa just observing the streets they passed through. Something crashed into the car from nowhere and Takudzwa lost control and ran into a street barrier. "What was that?" Jess cried out. Panashe was still in the back when he eventually pieced what had happened. The body that was tossed on the bonnet explained everything. It was a policeman. Jess and Takudzwa had their guns in their arms aiming at two men. Panashe removed the seat belt and got out of the car.

"Hands on your head punks!" Takudzwa kept shouting as the two men who were dragging a scientist approached them. "Panashe run!" Jess cried out as she opened fire. One of the man spun a steel rod and all the bullets were deflected. "Panashe go now!" this time it was Takudzwa who unloaded his clip towards the men and his bullets were also deflected. Panashe just retreated slowly before turning around and running. He wanted to keep running but the scream from Takudzwa made him stop. His chest was rising and dropping as his mind struggled to make a choice of running or going back.

He went to hide in the alley way as everything went quiet again. He tried peeking from the alley and his eyes met with one of the men. He went deep onto the alley and hid himself between several bins. His heart racing and his mouth clenched shut to avoid any sound. The footsteps of the two men and the dragging sound made him curl up in his spot.

"Man today was a bad day. Two officers dead and a witness. We are becoming easy to spot."

Panashe could hear them kicking down bins as they approached his hiding spot. The sirens of several police cars could be heard coming. "Ah great we have been compromised. Let's leave right now. This human didn't see my face." Panashe was happy when he heard the footsteps go away.

Panashe came out from his spot several minutes later and raced towards the accident scene. Takudzwa laid there fighting to breathe. "Takudzwa where is Jess?" Panashe asked he looked around. The man couldn't even speak as he only let out squeals.

The police arrived early enough to be able to save Takudzwa using first aid and escorted Panashe to his home.