In front of the door stood Alex, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Adrian was about to ask about the job, but caught himself, taking a deep breath instead. Finally, he blurted out, "Come in."
A flicker of embarrassment passed through him, but his excitement was too strong to care. He hoped Alex didn't notice.
If you don't mention it, he won't either.
Too many thoughts swirled through his mind. Waiting for crucial things was the worst.
Alex stepped inside, fighting back a smile. Adrian noticed but chose to ignore it.
They sat down on the only two chairs left in the apartment. They were battered and barely sturdy, but usable, if you were careful not to shift too much.
He found them close to the apartment and took them home.
Before everything fell apart, the apartment had been decent. After the world crumbled around him, he was forced to sell most of his possessions just to survive.
He shook his head, pushing away the useless thoughts that kept creeping in.
Adrian's eyes locked on Alex, his hands gripping his knees tightly as he tried to steady his racing heart.
"So… what did he say?" he asked, his voice barely steady.
Alex swallowed hard, clearly holding something back.
"He said…" The words hung in the silence, stretching the moment unbearably.
Then Alex looked at Adrian thoughtfully. "You don't look like a ghost anymore."
Adrian blinked, caught off guard by the words. He looked at Alex, dumbfounded. He was really making him suffer.
Adrian was about to retort, but Alex cut him off.
"Tomorrow, you're coming with me on a job," he said, placing his hands slowly on the table. "Think of it as a test. The boss doesn't want to meet you until you've completed your first job."
Adrian was too excited to speak; he just nodded eagerly, silently urging Alex to go on.
"It's a simple job. I already have the cargo, we just need to get it to the western outskirts of the city." He paused, tapping his finger thoughtfully on the table. "So, how do we pull this off?"
Adrian pinched his leg and took a deep breath. His mind was already working, trying to remember the maps that he diligently studied. The western side of the outskirts... There were a couple of exits on the outskirts. But there was only one on the western side. The most straightforward route would be from the entrance at the old abandoned clinic.
There were a few patrols scattered around the area, but with careful timing, they could be avoided. The path from the clinic entrance to the western outskirts exit was mostly straightforward—two left turns, then a right, followed by another left. Or was it two rights after the first left? Adrian wasn't completely sure. The details blurred slightly in his mind, but he was certain that was the right route.
Alex watched him intently, choosing to stay silent and let Adrian work through the details on his own.
Maybe a minute or two had passed when Adrian finally said. "We take the entrance from the old clinic, there should be patrols in that area, but we can avoid them." He paused for a few moments, then continued. "After that, in the tunnels we have two left turns, then a right turn, and a left turn at the end."
Alex studied Adrian's focused expression for a few tense moments before quietly correcting him, "It's two right turns."
Adrian scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Right… that was my second guess anyway."
Alex resumed tapping his fingers on the table, slower this time. "I shouldn't have to remind you what's at stake. People die doing this kind of work."
He let the words hang in the air for a moment, then met Adrian's eyes.
"It's dangerous. I'll ask one more time. Are you sure you want in?"
There was no hesitation in Adrian's voice when he answered.
"Do I want to? Probably not. But I have to."
He paused, eyes distant for a moment.
"I'm tired of this life. I want to change it. I want a shot at getting back to the way things were—before everything fell apart."
He hesitated, eyes drifting to the floor. His voice dropped, softer now.
"If possible… I want to take Cassian and the others with me. When they come back from the war."
He clenched his jaw slightly, as if forcing himself to stay composed.
A long pause hung in the air.
"…If they come back."
He didn't look up. He didn't need to. The silence said everything.
The silence lingered for a few minutes, heavy but not uncomfortable, before Alex finally spoke.
"I'll come pick you up tomorrow. Be ready before ten."
He grabbed the bag from beside the chair, unzipped it, and pulled out something wrapped in foil. He passed it to Adrian with a quiet nod.
He held it up to the light, studying every fold and edge of the foil.
"What is it?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
With a serious look, Alex met Adrian's gaze and said,
"It's a secret package."
He wore a serious expression as he carefully examined the package. Slowly, he set it down on the table and gave Alex a nod.
And then Alex suddenly burst into laughter, a genuine, deep sound that filled the room. A single tear escaped, tracing a quiet path down his cheek.
Adrian stared at him, confusion and concern knitting his brow. "What's so funny?" he asked, unable to hide the suspicion in his voice.
He kept laughing, shaking his head as he rifled through his bag once more. This time, he pulled out an envelope. He cleared his throat and placed the envelope in front of Adrian. "Sorry about that, here is the advance."
He wiped away the tear still lingering on his cheek, his smile softening. Clearing his throat, he said, "That's a sandwich I grabbed from the city on the last job." He paused for a moment, then added with a sheepish grin, "Hope you enjoy it. Sorry again." A quiet chuckle escaped him.
Adrian just stared at him with wide eyes, as if he couldn't quite believe what he'd just heard.
"A sandwich?" he finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.
His expression was a mix of shock, confusion, and something almost like amused disbelief.
He stayed like that for a few moments before laughter bubbled up from deep inside him.
"Thanks... for the sandwich," he said slowly, still chuckling.
After a beat, he added with a grin, "And for this."
After that, they spent the next two hours going over the job in meticulous detail, leaving no room for mistakes. Alex ran through the entire operation five times before Adrian could recite it in his sleep.
Every detail mattered.
They also discussed several contingencies, what to do if things went wrong, and how to adapt on the fly.
Once they were confident with the plan, Alex took time to explain everything in the bag he had given Adrian earlier, what each item was, and how it would be used.
When Alex was satisfied with the result, he prepared to leave, but not before running through everything one last time.
After Alex left, Adrian finally allowed himself to take a breath. His eyes fell on the table, lingering on the envelope and the sandwich. Curiosity gnawed at him. How much was the advance? But hunger was stronger. And besides, it was a sandwich from the city, no less, where food still tasted real, not like the stale rations he was used to.
It was pretty obvious what to do. He reached for the sandwich. Carefully, he unwrapped it, stared at it for a moment, and started salivating.
It looked like a chicken sandwich. There was definitely a slice of tomato and some kind of sauce. He stared at it for a few more moments before bringing it closer and inhaling deeply. The scent was perfect. Finally, he took a bite. It hit him immediately. It was divine. He closed his eyes and savored the taste. A bit soggy, maybe, but it was the best thing he had in a long time.
Then he spent the next fifteen minutes slowly savoring the sandwich.
The last few days had brought him back to life: new excitement, the taste of real food, and reconnecting with Alex. The excitement unsettled him. Dark, unexplored tunnels sounded like an adventure, but a terrifying one.
Then it was time to check the advance. He was genuinely curious about how much was inside. Maybe 20 dinars? Or even 30 dinars? That might have been pushing it. It was a fairly simple job after all, and he wasn't doing it alone.
He slowly opened the envelope and counted the bills inside. His hands paused as his eyes widened. 100 dinars. And that was just the advance.
He stared at the money in disbelief, mind racing.
Was that more than half the full payment? Or the whole thing? But Alex did say it was just the advance… Either way, it was way more than he expected.
He just stared at the money for a few long minutes. Maybe getting out of the slums would be easier than he thought. The idea alone made a wide grin spread across his face as he sank deeper into thought.
Then he grabbed the previous envelope and started counting the money again. Two hundred dinars in six days. Sure, the first hundred was a gift, but still, that was a month's pay in less than a week. And after the job, there'd be even more.
Those were his thoughts… until sleep finally took him.
The next day flew by. Adrian spent most of it reviewing the operation, counting the money whenever he needed a break. He even searched the apartment for his old wallet. Now that he had cash, he could finally use it again.
He studied the map again to make sure there would be no mistakes during the job. Then, at seven, he carefully checked the bag and equipment several times, just to be sure. He pulled out the best black clothes he had and got ready two hours early, determined not to be late.
Now all that was left was to wait for Alex to arrive and for the first job to begin. His hands trembled slightly. He was a little scared, but that was okay. He would get through it.
He was determined to make it through.