In front of the door stood Alex, a faint smile playing on his lips.

  Adrian hesitated, chest tight. The question about the job burned on his tongue, but he swallowed it down, taking a deep breath instead. “Come in,” he said finally.

  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, he thought.

  Too many thoughts swirled through his mind. Waiting for important matters 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?” Adrian asked, voice uneven, knees bouncing under the table.

  Alex swallowed, like he was holding something back. “He said…” The pause stretched.

  “You don’t look like a ghost anymore,” he said finally, eyes teasing.

  Adrian blinked. “Oh, you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  Alex shrugged, hands folding slowly on the table. “Maybe a little.”

  “Tomorrow,” he continued, voice leveling, “you’re coming with me on a job. Think of it as a test. The boss doesn’t want to meet you until you’ve completed the first one.”

  Adrian’s grin threatened to split his face. “A test?"

  Alex tapped a finger on the table. “It’s simple. Cargo goes to the western outskirts. But we can’t screw this up.”

  Adrian pinched his leg. His mind was already racing. 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 west side. The most straightforward route was 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 route from the clinic entrance to the west outskirts exit was mostly straightforward: two left turns, a right turn, and then 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. “Western outskirts… one entrance at the old clinic. Avoid patrols, two lefts, right, left—wait… maybe two rights after the first left?”

  Alex leaned back, letting Adrian squirm. “Careful. People die when you guess.”

  Alex studied Adrian’s focused expression for a few tense moments before quietly correcting him, “It’s two right turns.”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Adrian scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. “Right… that was my second guess anyway.”

  The room fell quiet. Then Alex’s voice cut in, slow, serious. “I shouldn’t have to remind you. This is dangerous. Are you sure you want in?”

  “Want in?” Adrian paused, eyes distant. “Not really. But I don't have a choice.”

  Alex’s gaze sharpened. “You do. One mistake, you’re done.”

  “I’m tired of this life. I want a shot at… normal. At what we had before everything fell apart.” Adrian’s voice softened, eyes dropping to the floor.

  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.

  Alex nodded once, tightly. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Be ready before ten.” He reached beside the chair, unzipped a bag, and pulled out something wrapped in foil. He handed it to Adrian with a quiet nod.

  Adrian lifted it to the light, frowning. “What is it?”

  Alex’s grin returned. “Secret package.”

  Adrian studied it carefully, his heart beating faster.

  “What’s so funny?” Adrian asked, suspicion knitting his brow.

  Alex rifled through the bag, laughing softly. He pulled out an envelope, cleared his throat, and set it in front of Adrian. “Advance.”

  Adrian stared. “Advance…?”

  He wiped away the tear still lingering on his cheek, his smile softening. Clearing his throat, he said, "Also, that’s a sandwich from the city. Hope you enjoy it."

  Adrian just stared at him with wide eyes, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he just heard.

  “A sandwich?” Adrian whispered, disbelief etched across his face.

  His expression was a mix of shock, confusion, and something almost like amused disbelief.

  Alex shrugged, still grinning. “City sandwiches are worth the hype.”

  He stayed like that for a few moments before laughter bubbled up from deep inside him.

  Adrian blinked, then laughter bubbled up, uncontainable. “Thanks… for the sandwich...I guess,” he said slowly, chuckling. “And for this.” He tapped the envelope.

  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. He explained everything in the bag he gave to Adrian, identifying each item and its use.

  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 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 tasted 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 would 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.