The Decision

The mansion in Tokyo sat quiet that evening, holding its breath like it already knew something was about to break. The air inside was heavy, thick with the weight of what Ares Langford had carried home from the city.

It was almost 8 p.m. when the sound of his car rolled into the driveway. Kamal and Jamal, heard it first from the backyard where they were still kicking the football. Their laughter stopped midair. Julian, who was helping them set the ball on the grass, looked up as ...