Chapter 5 - The Intimidation Game
Caleb stared at the old MP3 player with a renewed sense of absolute hope.
"You recorded the entire interaction?" Caleb asked, almost afraid to believe it.
Malik nodded and plugged a pair of cheap headphones into the device.
He handed the headphones to Caleb and pressed the play button.
Caleb listened closely as the crystal-clear audio filled his ears.
He heard the sharp crack of the ruler, followed by Mrs. Baxter's disgusting, racist question.
The recording even captured her explicitly threatening to ruin Caleb's grades if he spoke up.
"This is even better than the photograph," Caleb whispered in amazement.
Malik's mother walked into the kitchen, wiping nervous tears from her eyes.
"Chief Baxter said if you boys cause trouble, he will find a reason to arrest you both," she cried.
She begged Malik to hand over the MP3 player so she could destroy it and keep their family safe.
"Mom, if we do nothing, she will keep doing this to other kids," Malik argued passionately.
His mother shook her head, terrified of the immense power the Baxter family held in their small town.
She reached across the kitchen island to grab the device from Caleb's hand.
Caleb instinctively pulled his hand back, clutching the player tightly against his chest.
"I am sorry, ma'am, but we cannot let them win," Caleb said respectfully.
Caleb grabbed Malik's arm and pulled him out the back door into the dark alley.
They knew they had to get the audio file to Maya before Chief Baxter realized it existed.
They sprinted through the neighborhood, avoiding the main roads where police cruisers were patrolling.
They finally reached Maya's apartment building and slammed their fists against her door.
Maya opened the door, but her face was completely pale and her hands were shaking.
"Maya, we have the audio, we can prove everything!" Caleb announced excitedly.
Maya shook her head slowly, stepping aside to let them into the apartment.
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"We cannot prove anything tonight," Maya whispered in a defeated tone.
Sitting in Maya's living room were two federal agents wearing dark suits and stern expressions.
