Rick shoved him face first into the fence. Splinters dug into Malik's cheek. Malik struggled to breathe, to think. These men weren't just trying to scare him anymore. They wanted to hurt him.
Really hurt him. "Help!" He shouted, finding his voice. "Somebody help!" Dale's hand clamped over his mouth.
"Shut up!" Malik bit down hard on Dale's fingers. The man yelped and jerked back. Rick spun Malik around and slammed him against the fence again. Stars exploded behind his eyes.
"You little Rick drew back his fist." "Hey." A voice rang out from across the street. What are you doing? Porch lights flicked on.
Front doors opened. Ms. Alvarez stood on her lawn in her bathrobe, already dialing her phone, "Mr. Tu!" Chen from next door rushed toward them, shouting. Rick released Malik, who crumpled to the ground. His vision swam as he watched the two men sprint toward their truck.
"Call the police!" Someone yelled. "Malik!" His mother's voice cut through the chaos. She must have heard the commotion from inside.
"Oh god, Malik." He tried to push himself up, but his arms shook too much. Everything hurt. Angela reached him first, dropping to her knees beside him. "Baby, what did they do to you?"
Her hands fluttered over his face, his arms checking for injuries. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Malik tasted blood from where his lip had split. His shoulder throbbed where Rick had twisted it. Each breath sent sharp pains through his ribs where Dale had punched him.
"I'm okay, Mom," he managed. But his voice came out weak and shaky. More neighbors gathered around them. Ms. Alvarez knelt beside Angela, her phone still pressed to her ear. "Police are on their way.
Ambulance, too." "Those men," Mr. Chen said. They were the same ones from before, the fake security. Angela's arms wrapped around Malik, gentle but protective. He could feel her trembling with rage and fear.
"They could have killed him," she sobbed. "They could have killed my baby." Malik leaned into his mother's embrace, too drained to feel embarrassed about crying in front of the neighbors. "The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving him cold despite the warm night. Red and blue lights flashed in the distance, getting closer.
Someone had brought out a lawn chair, and Angela helped Malik sit in it. His whole body achd. "Did anyone get their license plate?" A neighbor asked. "I got photos," another replied of them running to their truck.