The tires of the SUV screeched as Zughaib sped through the slick, rain-soaked streets, dodging through late-night traffic. His pulse thrummed in his ears as the red and blue glow of police lights flashed faintly behind him, growing smaller with each turn he took. The city was a maze, and Zughaib had spent enough time navigating its winding streets to know exactly how to lose a tail.
As he neared the entrance to Asiaville, he turned off sharply, pulling the SUV into a narrow alleyway between two old buildings. The streetlamps flickered above, casting jagged shadows across the brick walls. He killed the engine and sank low in his seat, peering through the windshield as the cop car sped past, the sound of its siren fading into the distance.
Zughaib exhaled a silent sigh of relief, his grip on the steering wheel loosening. The night had been tense, but now that the cops were gone, the adrenaline that had fueled him began to ebb away, leaving only a dull ache in his muscles. He sat there for a moment, listening to the quiet hum of the city around him, before starting the engine again. He carefully backed the SUV out of the alley and began the drive back to Zaid's complex, weaving through the city streets with practiced ease.
When he reached the complex, he parked the SUV in its usual spot, slipping out quietly into the damp night. His eyes scanned the area out of habit, making sure there was no one watching, no sign of danger. The rain had stopped, but the air was still thick with humidity, the ground slick beneath his feet as he moved toward the back entrance.
Zughaib took the stairs, each step careful and deliberate, his body on autopilot as he replayed the events of the night in his mind. The morgue, the graverobbers, the cultists, the van—it all felt like a tangled web, and the more he tried to unravel it, the more tightly it seemed to wind around him.
Inside Zaid's apartment, the dim light from the kitchen spilled into the hallway. The room was cleaner than he remembered, the usual clutter of old takeout containers and half-finished projects cleared away. On one side of the room, a simple mattress had been set up, an offering from Zaid, Zughaib guessed.
He made his way to the bathroom, freshening up quickly before lying down on the mattress. The exhaustion hit him hard, his body sinking into the worn mattress as his mind began to quiet. The soft sounds of the city filtered through the window, a lullaby of distant sirens and muted conversations, and soon, he drifted into a dreamless sleep.
---
The smell of something cooking stirred Zughaib from sleep. He blinked slowly, the sunlight streaming in through the window too bright for his tired eyes. The sound of a pan scraping across the stove reached his ears, followed by the low hum of Zaid's voice, half-singing to himself.
Zughaib pushed himself up, the mattress creaking under his weight, and glanced around the room. It was cleaner than he had seen it in weeks. Zaid's attempt at tidying up hadn't gone unnoticed, and for a brief moment, a pang of guilt twisted in Zughaib's chest. Zaid was trying, and it was more than he had expected.
"Morning, bro!" Zaid called from the kitchen, grinning over his shoulder. He was standing by the stove, flipping something in a pan.
Zughaib rubbed his eyes and stood up, making his way over to the small kitchenette. "Morning," he mumbled, his voice rough from sleep.
"Hope you're hungry," Zaid said cheerfully, holding up a breakfast sandwich with a proud smile. "Made us some eggs & turkey bacon sandwich. Simple, but I figured you'd like it."
Zughaib accepted the sandwich with a nod, taking a bite. The taste was simple but satisfying. For a moment, he let himself enjoy the mundanity of it, the normalcy of a quiet morning with his brother. It was a fleeting moment of peace in a life that had been anything but peaceful lately.
As they ate, Zaid chattered on about nothing in particular—work, the new game he'd won at the arcade, some show he'd been watching. Zughaib listened quietly, his thoughts still drifting, but there was something comforting about the routine of it. It was easy to forget, for a moment, the world outside their door.
Once breakfast was finished, Zaid grabbed the keys to the SUV. "We need to get some groceries," he said. "Mind coming with me? I'm heading downtown."
Zughaib nodded, tossing the last bite of his sandwich into the trash before following Zaid out the door. They walked down to the lot, the sun now fully up, casting long shadows across the parking spaces. As they approached Zaid's SUV, Zaid's eyes caught on something.
"Whoa, is that a scratch on the bumper?" Zaid asked, crouching down to inspect the back of the car.
Zughaib froze for a moment, his mind flashing back to the quick getaway last night. He hadn't noticed the scratch before, but it was likely from the close call when the Cleaner nearly hit the SUV. He glanced at Zaid, who was running his fingers over the scrape, but to Zughaib's relief, his brother simply shrugged it off.
"Eh, no big deal," Zaid said, straightening up. "This thing's been through worse."
Zughaib said nothing, letting the moment pass as they got into the SUV. The drive through downtown was quiet at first, the city coming to life with the usual rush of people heading to work or running errands. Zaid drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the door, his elbow sticking out of the open window.
As they passed a busy intersection, Zaid broke the silence. "You know, I've been thinking about some stuff," he started, his voice casual but with an edge that caught Zughaib's attention.
Zughaib glanced at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I've been meaning to ask you," Zaid said, his eyes still on the road. Zughaib kept his expression neutral.
Zaid nodded slowly, as if piecing something together. "Funny thing is, I know him too. Back when I was... uh, checking on some cintracts... ehh." He hesitated, glancing at Zughaib to gauge his reaction.
Contracts? Zughaib's mind raced. Zaid had never mentioned anything like this before. As far as he knew, Zaid worked a regular job, kept his nose clean—completely separate from the underworld Zughaib was entangled in.
Zaid continued, seemingly unaware of Zughaib's inner turmoil. "I used to do some work for him a few years ago. It wasn't anything glamorous, just... well, odd jobs. There was a dispute over a contract... like..." Zaid smacked his lips before speaking. "I wanted a hit... so I hired him as an Assassin... the target was killed but there is this... association called CounterMercs who play as vigilantes and captured the Cleaner's motives... so he and I had to go low... and he cursed me for such 'inadequacy' and pulled me in for his minor errands... and somehow, I got pulled into it. Ended up working for The Cleaner for almost a year and we both share our duties... I do errands and he protects me whilst playing with my feelings. Did a few things I'm not proud of, but it paid well, and I didn't have many options; I used to live at EULA St. before leaving to Asiaville for a job and a living."
Zughaib stayed quiet, letting Zaid's words sink in. His brother had been involved with The Cleaner, the same man who now held a strange, dangerous influence over Zughaib's life. It was an unexpected revelation, one that made Zughaib rethink everything he thought he knew about Zaid.
Zaid let out a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Funny how life works, huh? You think you know someone, and then—boom, you find out they've been running with the same people."
Zughaib stared out the window, his thoughts churning. It surprised him how little he knew about Zaid's life, even though they had been living under the same roof for weeks now. But then again, he supposed Zaid could say the same about him.
Zaid sighed, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Got out when I could. It was getting too messy, too dangerous. I didn't want to get pulled into something I couldn't handle. Cleaner let me go, no questions asked. I guess I got lucky."
Zughaib nodded, though his mind was still racing. Messy. Dangerous. Words that seemed to describe his life more and more each day. Zaid had gotten out, but Zughaib wasn't sure he could do the same. Not yet.
They continued driving through the city, the silence between them thick but not uncomfortable. As they reached downtown, the weight of Zaid's revelation hung heavy in the air. Both brothers, tied to the same man, the same world, but in ways neither had fully realized until now.
Zughaib's thoughts shifted, wondering how deep this connection to The Cleaner ran.