The day is hot and humid, Elena stepped onto the weathered planks of Thilawa Dock, just outside Yangon. The salty tang of the sea mixed with the scent of rusted metal and oil. Cargo containers were stacked high, their shadows busting like forgotten giants against the faint glow of distant floodlights. The dock was alive with activity low paid workers loading and unloading shipments, forklifts and people buzzing between stacks of goods, and the low murmur of conversations in various tongues.
She, Elena came here for her small errand, a quick job—something she had promised herself would be easy. The contact she texted on the phone is now asking her to pick up a package smuggled in with a shipment of electronics. Nothing too dangerous, but it definitely needed her personal attention. She kept her movements smooth and her demeanor nonchalant, blending in with the dock workers and truck drivers boozing about.
Her black boots thudded softly against the creaking wood as she moved closer to the ship, a massive freighter docked just ahead. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, checking for the time and the message she had received earlier: Bay 12, container F56. 'This gotta be it'. "she mutters to herself"
She looked around and Bay 12 was just up ahead, a bit quieter than the others, its large containers usually off limits to most people. Elena approached cautiously, scanning the area for any sign of troubles. The last thing she needed was to attract attention herself. She neared the designated container, she could see a figure standing nearby—a dock worker, or at least someone posing as one. He was leaning against the container, his face partially obscured and hidden by a cap, his posture too casual to be anything but a deliberate, bad vibes.
She kept her pace steady, her senses alert. This could be a simple hand-off, or it could be something else entirely. When she was within a few feet, the man, who seems to be a Chinese man in his mid 30s, turned his head slightly, acknowledging her presence without speaking.
"You Elena?" he asked, his voice low, almost drowned out by the rumble of a passing truck. "Depends. You have what I came for?" she replied, crossing her arms, eyes scanning the dock for anyone paying too much attention.
The man nodded toward the container. "It's inside. Not too heavy, just what you were told."
She hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, keeping one hand near her jacket in case she needed to draw her gun. She unlocked the container with a crowbar the man handed her and lifted the door, revealing rows of boxes stacked neatly inside. The smell of fresh electronics hit her nose everything looked normal.
Then, she reached for the package she had come to retrieve, she heard a rustle behind her. In an instant, her instincts flared to life. She spun around, hand going for the knife she always have her with, just as two men emerged from behind another stack of containers. They weren't dock workers, not with their stiff movements and predatory glares.
"Looking for something?" one of them said, his grin wide and mocking. The other pulled out a knife, twirling it lazily between his fingers. The guy with the cap disappeared as she look back, "Shit," *she thought to herself.*
Elena narrowed her eyes, her mind racing. This wasn't part of the plan.
"Just picking up a delivery," she said calmly, though her muscles tensed, ready for action. The first man chuckled, stepping closer. "Funny, because I think we've got a delivery for you instead, you whore!!!."
Before he could get any closer, Elena moved. Her knife was out in a flash, and she lunged toward one of the man. The sudden crack of the punch echoed off the containers, making both the man fell down. She starts running away, the package in her hands.
The remaining man drop the knife sneered and helped his peer. The other seemed to be knocked out cold, eyes darting to the sky. The confrontation lasted only a few seconds, but it felt longer, Without another word, they backed away into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as they had come. Elena kept running, get into a city taxi, her pulse steady but her mind sharp, ready for anything. She putted her knife back into her jacket and hid the package, not trusting the stillness that followed.
Turning back to the package, whatever was inside, it was important enough for someone to want to kill her for that. She'd have to be careful on her way out. In a place like Thilawa, trouble always lurked just around the corner.
Elena gets to her small apartment back in Myay Ni Kone neighborhood, as she gets off the taxi, stepping into the narrow, quiet apartment complex, going up the dirty stairs. She opens the door, and then the soft click of the lock as she shut it behind her was a sound of relief. She tossed the package she had retrieved onto her worn leather couch and slumped down next to it, letting out a long breath.
The apartment was dirty—bare walls, a single table, a couch and a bed with her unwashed laundries, a map of the city tacked near the window, and a small kitchen corner that was more for show than use. She had lived here for a few months now, keeping a low profile, blending into the vibrant and chaotic landscape of Yangon. It was temporary, just like everything in her life.
She glanced over at the package. The entire operation had been tense, from the encounter with the two thugs at the dock to the steady retreat she made out of pure luck. But it was all over now, and as far as she could tell, she hadn't been followed by any goons. She got up from the couch and walked over to the window, her eyes scanning the street below. The familiar signs flickered in the distance, the street vendors still hustling to make a living despite the time being the middle of the hot and humid day. The noise of the city, muffled by her apartment's thin walls, was somehow comforting for her, Elena took a drag out of her cigarette.
She knew that no one was watching her, Elena turned back to the package. She knew better than to open it without permission, but she was curious. Whatever was inside had clearly attracted some unwanted attention so she didn't touched it since she believe not to make someone's mess to her mess. For now, though, it wasn't her problem she was just holding it for someone.
She sank back into the couch, her body finally relaxing after the tension of the evening that is setting in. As she stared at the package, her thoughts drifted back to Joshua, Again... She hadn't thought about him at the docks, not when she was dealing with those men. But now, alone in the quiet of her apartment, his face floated to the surface of her mind.
There was something about him—his easygoing nature, the way his dry humor and his attitude stayed with her mind. She wasn't used to lingering on people after their paths crossed with hers, but Joshua was different. He had managed to pierce through her usual walls, even if only a little she didn't liked that at all.
She wasn't sure why she cared. He was just a kid, after all, met someone far more complicated and dangerous than he probably realized. But she couldn't deny that their conversations had been... nice. A rare break from the intensity and the sheer fucks ups of her life.
Shaking her head, stood up, trying to shake off the thoughts. "Enough of those bullshit," she muttered. She had a job to focus on, and sentimental distractions weren't going to help her survive. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to her contact, confirming that the package was secure. Within seconds, a reply came: Good work. Keep it safe until pickup tomorrow.
Elena tossed her phone onto the couch and walked over to the small fridge. She pulled out a bottle of water, leaning against the counter as she drank. Tomorrow would be another boring day, another errand, another day with the Myanmar's lowest of the low scums and working in the cesspools bars and shady places of Yangon. That was the nature of her life—always moving, always working, never really settling. She stood there in the stillness of her apartment, she couldn't help but wonder when—or if—she'd see Joshua again.