The sky over the sheikh's grand estate was an endless stretch of gray, the kind of overcast that seemed to press down on the earth, suffocating everything beneath it. Ali stood in the corner of the courtyard, his calloused hands gripping a rusted shovel as he dug into the dry soil. He wasn't digging for the sheikh's garden today. He was digging for his freedom.
It was late afternoon, the sun hidden behind thick clouds, casting a dull, oppressive light over the compound. Sweat dripped from Ali's brow as he glanced around, ensuring no one was watching. The gardener, an elderly man named Hamid who had been working on the estate for years, crouched nearby, pretending to prune a bush. But every so often, Hamid's sharp eyes flicked toward the main house, watching for any sign of the guards.
Ali paused, his heart pounding. "Do you think Malick knows?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Hamid shook his head but didn't meet Ali's eyes. "Your friend… he's not the same man anymore. If he knows, he won't help. He'll stop you."
Ali swallowed hard, the weight of Hamid's words sinking in. He had seen the truth in Malick's eyes during their last encounter—whatever bond they once shared had been eroded by the cruelty of their circumstances. Malick had chosen survival over morality, and Ali feared that his old friend might now be his greatest threat.
Nearby, Sonia appeared, carrying a tray of food from the kitchen. She moved quickly but gracefully, her dark hair pulled back into a loose braid. Her presence was a comfort to Ali, though he hated seeing the weariness in her eyes.
"You need to hurry," she murmured as she passed by, her voice so low it barely reached him. "The guards are changing shifts soon. If they see you…"
She didn't finish her sentence, but Ali knew the consequences. The sheikh's punishments were as brutal as they were unpredictable.
Ali nodded, turning back to his task. Beneath the thin layer of soil, he had discovered an old drainage tunnel that Hamid believed led outside the estate. The plan was simple in theory: he, Sonia, and Hamid would use the tunnel to escape under cover of night. They had been preparing for weeks, gathering supplies and memorizing guard rotations. Tonight was their chance.
But the simplicity of the plan did little to calm Ali's nerves. He had lived under the sheikh's thumb long enough to know that nothing was ever as easy as it seemed.
Night fell slowly, stretching every second into an eternity. Ali sat in the small, dimly lit servant quarters, going over the plan with Hamid and Sonia one final time. The room smelled of damp wood and stale air, but none of them noticed.
"We'll meet at the tunnel entrance behind the east garden," Hamid said, his voice steady but urgent. "The guards will be patrolling the main gates, so we'll have about fifteen minutes to make it through the tunnel."
"And if something goes wrong?" Sonia asked, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
Hamid hesitated. "If something goes wrong… we don't stop. We keep moving, no matter what."
Ali placed a reassuring hand on Sonia's shoulder. "We'll make it," he said, though he wasn't sure he believed it himself.
As the clock struck midnight, the three of them slipped out of the servant quarters, their footsteps silent on the stone floor. The estate was eerily quiet, the only sounds the distant rustle of leaves and the occasional bark of a guard dog.
They moved like shadows, sticking close to the walls and avoiding the pools of light cast by the estate's security lamps. Every step brought them closer to the tunnel—and closer to freedom.
The entrance to the tunnel was hidden beneath a thick tangle of ivy at the edge of the east garden. Ali and Hamid worked quickly to clear the way, pulling back the vines to reveal a rusted metal grate. The smell of damp earth and mildew wafted up from the darkness below.
Sonia hesitated, her face pale in the moonlight. "Are you sure this leads outside?" she asked.
Hamid nodded. "It's our best chance."
Ali gripped the edge of the grate, his muscles straining as he lifted it. The metal groaned in protest, the sound echoing through the garden. For a moment, they all froze, listening for any sign that the noise had been heard.
When nothing happened, Ali motioned for Sonia to climb down first. She hesitated, then nodded, lowering herself into the darkness. Hamid followed, and finally, Ali climbed in, pulling the grate back into place above them.
The tunnel was narrow and damp, the air thick with the smell of mold. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming small puddles on the ground. They moved quickly but carefully, their footsteps splashing softly in the shallow water.
For a moment, Ali allowed himself to hope. They were almost free.
They had barely made it halfway through the tunnel when the sound of voices echoed behind them.
"Stop! Don't move!"
Ali's heart sank. He turned to see a group of guards entering the tunnel, their flashlights slicing through the darkness.
"Run!" Hamid shouted, grabbing Sonia's arm and pulling her forward.
Ali followed, his legs pumping as he ran through the narrow passage. The guards were gaining on them, their shouts growing louder.
As they neared the end of the tunnel, a figure stepped out of the shadows, blocking their path.
It was Malick.
Ali skidded to a stop, his chest heaving. "Malick… what are you doing?"
Malick's expression was unreadable, his eyes cold and distant. "I told you, Ali. You can't escape this life."
"Malick, please," Sonia pleaded. "Let us go."
For a moment, something flickered in Malick's eyes—guilt, perhaps, or regret. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
"I'm sorry," he said, stepping aside to let the guards pass.
The last thing Ali saw before the guards reached him was Malick's face, illuminated by the harsh beam of a flashlight.
Ali, Sonia, and Hamid were dragged back to the estate, their hands bound and their faces bruised. The sheikh was waiting for them, his expression a mixture of amusement and anger.
"You thought you could leave?" he said, his voice low and menacing. "No one leaves."
Ali glared at him, his jaw clenched. "This isn't over," he said.
The sheikh smirked. "Oh, but it is."
As the guards led them away, Ali caught a glimpse of Malick standing in the shadows, his face unreadable.