A circle formed. The kind of circle that doesn’t help. You just get trapped inside it. Anmani’s breathing got fast. One call, one scene. Shelter staff asking questions, her mother crying, her little brother being sent away because they caused trouble. She could see it like a picture. Damen tilted his head, smiling like he was being reasonable.
So, walk away. But you know what it’ll look like on video? Dirty little thief got caught and ran. Immi’s hands shook. She hated that they could use looks like to decide her whole life. She swallowed hard, then spoke in a voice that was still child small but firm. If I look, she said, you stop talking. The men blinked. Damian laughed once.
Excuse me. No jokes, Ammani said. No names, no phone in my face. If you talk, I don’t touch it. Miles smirked. “Who does she think she is?” Immani stayed still, waiting like she’d learned waiting was safer than pleading. Damian glanced at the watching strangers. He wanted to win the moment. He lifted both hands. “Fine, 1 minute. Fix it. 100 million. Go.”
Miles didn’t put the phone down. He just stopped laughing. Ammani walked to the open hood. A small wooden stool sat near the bumper. She dragged it closer with her foot and climbed up because she was short. Her dirty sleeve brushed the clean metal.
She flinched like she expected someone to shout, “Don’t touch it. She didn’t dig around like a mechanic. She didn’t pretend. She did what she knew.” Simple things you learn when you sweep floors at a tiny garage and listen because nobody lets you ask questions. She leaned in and listened. Damian had turned the key. Weak click, weak whine, not dead dead, just not getting full power. Her eyes found the battery.
Thick cable, one clamp sitting wrong, loose enough to wiggle if you pushed it. It looked tiny, but a tiny loose thing can shut a whole car up. Immani reached in, tested it with two fingers. It shifted too easily. Behind her, Carter muttered, “Look at her acting like she’s an engineer.” Immani stiffened and didn’t turn. “Stop,” she said flat. Silence snapped.