Chapter 14: Beneath the Dust
The map Zuko gave them was faded, smudged with oil and time.
A red X marked the entrance of the abandoned mineshaft — a dark crack in the earth east of the train tracks, where even the birds refused to fly over.
"No one's used this path since '04," Zuko had warned. "But they still breathe in the dark."
And yet, Kgosi, Naledi, and Lethabo stood at its mouth by sunset, dressed in black, with scarves over their faces and their hearts pounding like war drums.
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The Descent
Kgosi held the flashlight tight.
They crept into the shaft.
Every step kicked up dust and ghost-stories.
The air was heavy — like it didn't want them there.
They passed broken crates, old beer bottles, and graffiti from the 90s.
"Y'all feel that?" Naledi whispered.
"Like the mine's…watching," Lethabo said.
Then Kgosi's torch caught something shiny on the wall.
A camera.
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Red Wire's Underground Lair
They ducked behind a pile of rusted steel and watched.
Below, in a dug-out area lit by floodlights and car batteries, Red Wire was in session.
Men in balaclavas passed crates marked AK-47s, nyope packs, and USBs.
They weren't just selling drugs.
They were storing blackmail files, school reports, and photos of teachers and cops in compromising positions.
"They've got everyone under leash," Naledi whispered.
Even Kgosi, who'd seen bodies before, felt sick.
But one thing caught his eye:
> A Red Wire ledger, lying on a desk, wide open.
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The Close Call
Kgosi signaled.
They snuck down quietly, using shadow and silence like pros.
Naledi slid the burner phone out and recorded footage.
Lethabo snapped pictures.
Kgosi reached for the ledger…
Then a voice rang out.
> "Who's there?!"
They froze.
Footsteps.
Boots.
Running.
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Escape Under Fire
"Run!" Kgosi shouted.
They bolted back through the tunnel, chased by torchlight and angry voices.
Gunshots echoed off stone.
Naledi tripped — Lethabo yanked her up.
They reached the outside breathless, scraped, bleeding.
But they had the footage.
The photos.
The proof.
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The Upload
Back at Lethabo's gogo's shack, they connected to the neighbour's Wi-Fi.
Kgosi uploaded the video to a cloud link and sent it to:
@KasiLeaks
@TheRealDailySun
@BlackTwitterZA
He titled it:
> "RED WIRE EXPOSED: Kasi Schools Are Not Safe."
Then he looked at the others.
"This is war," he said.
Lethabo cracked his knuckles. "So let's fight."
---
The Fallout Begins
Within hours, the video went viral.
Hashtags exploded:
#RedWireMustFall
#KasiKidsExposed
#JusticeForTMan
News vans pulled up outside the school gates.
Police denied everything.
But the streets had already chosen sides.
Some praised Kgosi as a hero.
Others whispered about a bounty on his head.
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Back to School… Or Back to War?
When Monday came, Thuto-Mphatlhalatsane looked different.
Security guards patrolled the entrance.
Teachers wore sunglasses like spies.
And Kgosi walked in knowing he was now a target.
But as he entered his class, one desk caught his eye.
A folded note lay on it.
He opened it.
> **"Nice footage, soldier.
But you still haven't found what killed your father.
– R."**
His blood went cold.
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End of Chapter 14