Joshua, focused and tinkering with the gears of an old car at the back of the mechanic shop when his phone buzzed. Wiping the grease from his hands onto his shirt, he saw Elena's name flash across the screen. They hadn't spoken much since their last meeting back in Hledan Center, but there was something about her that stuck with him. the way she moved through the world like it owed her nothing, and yet somehow, it seemed like she was constantly at war with it for some obvious reasons.
He answered, "Yeah?"
"Meet me at the usual spot. I'm on my way," Elena's voice came through, sharp and clipped.
Before he could respond, she hung up.
The "usual spot" wasn't exactly theirs—it was just a dingy teahouse a couple of blocks from the Sulè Pagoda, a place they'd grabbed a quick meal once or twice. Joshua threw his tools back into the drawer, grabbed his jacket, and left without a word. He was used to her abruptness by now. Elena didn't ask—she told. And yet, every time she called, he came.
When he arrived, Elena was already there, slouched in one of the plastic chairs, her dark hair falling in messy waves over her face. She had a cigarette in her hand, its smoke curling lazily into the humid purplish evening air. The slight tension in her shoulders told him that something was off, more so than usual silver lining.
"How things going for you?" Joshua sat down across from her as he asked her sincerely.
She didn't look at him right away, just flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under her boot. "Yeah. not much." Her voice was flat, but her eyes, when they finally met his, were full of something darker.
Joshua knew better than to ask too many questions. She was usually more than she let on, and the less he knew, the better. But tonight, something in her face told him this was different.
Joshua looked into her eyes, "You alright?" he pressed, leaning forward slightly.
She scoffed, leaning back in her chair as if trying to put distance between them. "You one clueless son of a bitch, huh?" she looked at him with a slime grin.
Joshua feeling the familiar sting of her sharpness. "Just asking, Elena. No need to bite my head off." Her eyes drifted away for a brief moment her eyes flickering like a marble under the dim, yellow light of the tea shop, a rare flicker of vulnerability breaking through her tough mind fortress. But then she shook her head, as if brushing it away. "Look, so I'm in some tight spot."
Joshua raised an eyebrow. Elena never asked for favors. She either did things herself or demanded help without sugar-coating it.
"Depends," he replied cautiously, trying to read her.
"I need you to hold onto something for me. Just for a couple of days." She pulled a small, nondescript package from her jacket and slid it across the table towards him. "Don't ask questions, just keep it safe." Still she was so guilty about trusting him with a potentially dangerous package.
Joshua stared at the package, a sense of unease creeping into his gut. His instincts told him to walk away. But something about the way her fingers lingered on the package, almost trembling, stopped him.
"You in trouble?" he asked quietly.
Elena smirked, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "I'm always in trouble, Joshua. You know that."
He hesitated. Whatever was in that package could drag him into something deeper than he wanted, something dangerous. But walking away wasn't an option either. Not when it came to her.
"Fine," he muttered, snatching the package and slipping it into his bag. "But you better not get me killed for this."
Elena grinned, that familiar spark of defiance flashing in her eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it."
But even as they shared a tense smile, Joshua couldn't shake the feeling that he was being pulled into something far more dangerous than he'd ever imagined.
Hours passed, and Joshua tried to focus on his work, but his mind kept drifting to the package. His boss had gone home for the night, and the shop was quiet except for the occasional clank of tools. He couldn't stand it anymore. He had to know what he was dealing with. He locked the shop door, checked the windows, and took the package out of his locker.
It was small, wrapped in plain brown paper, unassuming except for the tension it carried. Joshua slowly peeled back the paper. Inside was a black, leather-bound book. It was old, worn around the edges, and smelled faintly of mildew. Confused, Joshua flipped it open, expecting something illegal or incriminating. But what he found was something entirely different—pages filled with notes, sketches, and diagrams. Everything meticulously detailed.
At first, it didn't make sense. The notes seemed to be in multiple languages—Burmese, Chinese, and English. There were names, dates, symbols, and sketches of places he vaguely recognized. As he flipped through the pages, a pit formed in his stomach. This wasn't just some random book; it was a ledger—a detailed record of transactions, locations, and coded messages. And not just any transactions—these looked like some classified documents, as soon as he catch the deal, "alright, I ain't messing with that shit" he thought to himself locked that thing away and put it in his big iron box he brought from his village, where he keeps his clothes in.
"Shit," Joshua muttered under his breath. Elena hadn't just handed him a simple favor; she had given him something that could get him killed. He shoved the book back into the package and stuffed it deep into his bag, suddenly feeling like the walls of the shop were closing in.
His phone buzzed again. Elena. Of course.
"Did you look at it?" Her voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
Joshua hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah, I looked."
A pause. "Good. Now you know why I need you to keep it safe."
Joshua's heart pounded in his chest. "Elena, what the hell did you get me into? This is—"
"I know exactly what it is, Joshua," she interrupted, her voice firm. "And that's why I came to you. I trust you more than anyone else right now."
He almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Elena, trusting him with something that could get them both buried. But deep down, part of him understood. She had no one else. She didn't trust people easily, and for some reason, she believed he'd protect her.
"What are you gonna do now?" Joshua asked, his voice lower.
"I'm working on it," she said. "Just hold onto it for a few days. I'm close to getting out of this mess, but I need time. Stay low. Keep it safe. I'll come for it soon."
"Elena—" he started, but the line went dead.
Joshua stared at the phone, frustration bubbling inside him. He wasn't cut out for this kind of thing. He was a mechanic, a guy trying to hustle his way through life—not someone who dealt with crime syndicates and dangerous secrets. But there was no turning back now.
He stuffed his phone in his pocket, feeling the weight of the book again. For the first time, the idea of going back to the mountains—back to his quiet, simple life—sounded more appealing than ever.
But he knew he wouldn't leave. Not with Elena in the middle of this storm. Not when she needed him, and not when he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed her, too.
The next few days passed in a haze of paranoia and tension. Joshua kept the book hidden, barely sleeping, always on edge. His interactions with the usual people at the shop and around town felt strained, as if everyone knew something he didn't. Even the familiar streets of Yangon seemed more dangerous, more threatening.
It wasn't until the fourth day, as he was locking up the shop, that things took a sharp turn. Two men, dressed in dark clothes with the air of people who didn't belong, were leaning against a car parked across the street. Their eyes were on him.
Joshua's gut clenched. He recognized them from the sketches in the book.
Without a second thought, he turned and started walking away from the shop, keeping his pace steady but quick. His heart raced. He had to get to a crowded area, blend in, disappear. But the men were following. He could hear their footsteps, slow and deliberate, like they wanted him to know they were there.
Sweat trickled down his back as he cut through a side street, his mind racing. He reached for his phone, dialing Elena's number.
No answer.
"Damn it," he hissed, glancing over his shoulder. The men were getting closer.
He had no idea what Elena had dragged him into, but whatever it was, it was about to catch up with him.