I had only a split second to choose: surrender and let a bullet rip through my head, or take a mad risk by jumping from this apartment. Three assault rifle muzzles were aimed dead at me, their owners ready to pull the trigger without a moment's hesitation. I had no choice but to fight or flee this godforsaken place.
The only way out was that small window, a narrow slit leading into the challenging darkness outside. I gripped the cold, blood-stained flash drive tightly; this object was my only chance to save Aisyah. I had to live for her, and I had to expose the cowardly bastards who had betrayed us all.
My body moved by reflex. I flipped Andaru's desk with my swollen shoulder, creating a decent makeshift barrier. Filing papers and a still-glowing laptop scattered into the air, coinciding with a deafening roar of gunfire. Bullets slammed into the wall behind me, leaving small, smoking craters.
"Shoot him in the head! Don't let that dog get away!" shouted one of the gunmen, his voice sounding panicked and heavy from behind his balaclava. I felt my rage boil over again; their shouts only fueled the remaining adrenaline surging through me.
I sprinted toward the window, lunging forward without regard for the stabbing pain. The glass shattered into a thousand shards under the force of my shoulder, sending stinging cuts across my body. The cold night air welcomed my free-falling form—the height from the second floor felt terrifying.
I landed hard on a tin canopy below. The impact was loud, leaving me coughing and gasping against the excruciating pain. My ribs felt crushed by the brutal collision, but I forced myself to stand tall. They must have seen me; I couldn't afford to waste another second.
Rolling quickly, I leaped from the canopy onto the roofs of the street vendor stalls lined up beneath the apartment. They had surely surrounded the building; I needed to find a gap in their perimeter to escape. I had to disappear into the suffocating, cruel crowd of Jakarta, right now.
Shouts erupted from the apartment above. The gunmen were at the window now, likely training their rifles on me. I ran as fast as I could across the slick rooftops, ignoring the sharp pain with every step. Spite was the only thing keeping me alive, overriding the agony battering my body.
"You think you can run from us, Gamali?! We've cordoned off the whole block! You'll die like a sewer rat!" a voice barked from a walkie-talkie held by one of the men. I cursed loudly. Those bastards truly underestimated me; they had no idea who they were dealing with.
I jumped down into a narrow alley, landing in a pile of wet, foul-smelling trash, and immediately ducked into the crowd of a night market. The faces around me were filled with shock at the sight of my bloodied, battered appearance. I ignored their stares, pushing through anyone in my way.
Another gunshot rang out—closer, louder, and more menacing. The bullet struck the concrete wall beside my head, spraying dust and brick fragments into my eyes. Damn them, they truly didn't care about civilian casualties; they just wanted me dead in the most brutal way possible.
"We're here to end your story, Gamali! You're going to join Andaru in hell, you loser!" said a gunman who had just entered the alley, his voice dripping with lethal intent. They continued to shout, spreading panic through the crowded market.
I took a sharp turn into an even darker alley. I saw a small gap leading toward the main road—it looked like a safe exit. Suddenly, a hand gripped my arm with immense strength, pulling me toward a rusted iron door. The man wore a thick leather jacket and was very tall, his face obscured by a mysterious black cloth.
"Follow me if you want to live, kid! Those aren't BIN agents—they're Korpora, the most dangerous secret organization there is!" the man whispered, his voice heavy and urgent. I didn't have time for questions; I just nodded, following my survival instincts.
He threw open the iron door, and we entered a narrow corridor that was pitch black and smelled of pungent rot. The door was slammed shut and bolted. We hid in the suffocating darkness. I could hear footsteps and angry shouts from outside; they were searching for me in a frenzy.
"Who are you, dog? You think you can play me? Are you one of Surya's disgusting lackeys too?!" I asked, my voice hoarse from the pain. The mysterious man turned around, though I couldn't see his face in the thick gloom.
"Just shut up! If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it in that alley without breaking a sweat!" he answered threateningly, then turned and began to walk slowly. I was stunned; his voice sounded familiar, like something I'd heard before, but I couldn't place it.
The man flicked a gas lighter. The flame was tiny, but enough to dimly illuminate his face. His sharp, dark eyes stared at me with intense intimidation. His face looked exhausted and covered in troubling scars, as if he had walked through hell alone.
"I'm not Surya's man, idiot! I'm the one who wants to destroy Korpora, just like you. So don't waste time with stupid questions!" he said, then extinguished the lighter, plunging us back into darkness. I fell silent, feeling the stifling quiet between us as I tried to decide whether to trust this stranger.
I continued to follow him through the narrow passage. My legs felt heavy and raw; fresh blood dripped from my badly wounded temple. The physical pain seemed to embrace the guilt within me—I had failed to protect Andaru, and now Aisyah was gone because of me. Surya would pay dearly for every ounce of pain and betrayal.
We reached the end of the corridor. With one hand, the mysterious man lifted a manhole cover made of old iron. The stench of sewage billowed out, making my stomach churn. There was no safer path than this dark tunnel; I had to go in, and fast.
"We'll follow this sewer to the main road up ahead. They won't expect you to be down here," he said, his voice cold and no-nonsense. He jumped into the black, murky water. I took a breath, bracing myself for this grim fate.
I jumped down. The water was freezing and disgusting; grime and trash immediately clung to my body. We walked hunched over in the narrow, dark tunnel, lit only by slivers of moonlight filtering through small grates above. The man moved fast, and I strained to keep up.
"You have the second flash drive, don't you? The one you hid from those thugs at the warehouse. Don't lie—I already know everything!" he asked suddenly, making me freeze in the middle of the filth. I glared at him, feeling unsafe. How could he know about that?
"How do you know about that, dog? Don't try to manipulate me. I won't trust you that easily!" I snapped, my voice sharp with suspicion. I gripped the drive in my pocket, ready to fight him if he tried to take it.
"I know everything about Korpora, Gamali—including Surya's filthy plan to control you through the Aisyah you love!" he said. His voice was calm and convincing, but I still couldn't fully trust him. Surya's betrayal had made me paranoid.
He stopped walking and looked at me, a fire burning in his eyes like suppressed rage. He was the type who didn't say much, making every word feel heavy and painful. I didn't know if he was lying or telling the truth.
"You have to give me that drive. We need to split the data; I have access to servers you can't reach!" he urged, trying to convince me to hand over the bloodied device. He stepped closer, closing the distance between us, radiating a powerful intimidation.
I backed away, flatly refusing. I wouldn't let anyone else betray me. This flash drive was my key to saving Aisyah and destroying Surya. Trust was the most expensive commodity in the world right now.
"I'm not giving it to anyone, you bastard! After everything that's happened, I don't trust a soul!" I said coldly, prepared to fight if he forced the issue. I could see the frustration and anger in his dark eyes.
"You're a fool! You're weak—you can't fight Surya alone. He has the backing of powerful, dangerous people!" he barked, his voice rising, showing a flash of desperation beneath the threat. He sounded like he wanted to help, but his manner was terrifying.
Suddenly, my right palm began to burn intensely. That strange symbol emitted a reddish glow again, as if responding to my overflowing rage. The pain shot from my hand through my entire body, dropping me to my knees in the foul water. My world began to spin.
"Damn it, what are you doing to me? Why does my hand hurt like this?! Is this your doing, you demon?!" I screamed, clutching my burning hand as tears of rage mixed with the grime on my face. The man's eyes widened; he looked genuinely shocked.
"That symbol! It can't be! You're the boy he's been looking for, Gamali. You have to disappear from here, now!" he said, his voice now frantic and filled with fear—a complete shift from his earlier tone. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
As he tried to approach me, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the tunnel. Powerful flashlights beamed into my face, making my eyes sting. They had found us; they had me cornered again in the narrow sewer.
"There he is! Shoot him! Don't let him slip away again!" a voice shouted. This time, I recognized it perfectly. It was Surya. He was personally leading this brutal hunt, wanting to ensure I died by his own hand. My vengeful spirit peaked, overriding my fear.
"Surya, you bastard! You won't win! I'll pay you back for everything, I swear!" I screamed, struggling to stand despite the agony. I gripped a shard of metal I found in the water, ready to fight Surya to the last drop of blood.
The mysterious man grabbed my arm firmly, and we both bolted toward the distant end of the tunnel. Gunfire peppered the sewer walls, shattering the silence. Surya's shouts grew louder; he was losing his mind because he couldn't catch me.
We scrambled out of the tunnel and dove into some thick bushes by the side of the highway. Three black cars without license plates screeched to a halt, and a dozen armed men in balaclavas poured out. They moved with professional efficiency, searching every alley and drain.
"We have to split up. They won't stop until one of us is dead! You run that way, toward the train station—I have a contact there waiting for you!" the man whispered urgently, pointing toward the crowded station across the road. I hesitated; I didn't want to be alone again.
"I don't trust you! Don't you dare lie to me—I'll kill you if you betray me!" I threatened. He only gave a thin, pained smile and squeezed my shoulder.
"Trust me, Gamali! For the sake of the Aisyah you love, you must live. Don't you dare die before you destroy that bastard Surya!" With that, he shoved me hard into the darker brush. He ran in the opposite direction, cutting through the crowds to draw the pursuers away.
I had no choice. I ran toward the station, avoiding the gaze of the hunters. The physical pain vanished, replaced by adrenaline and a burning desire for revenge. I had to open this flash drive. I had to save Aisyah from Surya's clutches.
I sprinted across the busy highway, vaulted a concrete barrier, and headed for the crowded platform. I merged into the sea of tired, strange faces. My heart hammered against my ribs; I felt a momentary sense of safety.
I headed for the station restroom to wash the blood and filth from my face and find a way to contact someone. I made it inside a vacant stall, locked the door, and looked at myself in the grimy, blurred mirror. I was a mess—covered in blood and disturbing wounds.
Just as I turned on the tap, the door was kicked in with violent force, sending me sprawling onto the wet, disgusting floor. A massive man in a balaclava stood there, his assault rifle leveled at my trembling head. Behind him were three others, their expressions flat and terrifying.
"The game is over, Gamali. Now, hand over the flash drive, you dog," he said, his voice cold and menacing. I froze where I fell. His dark eyes held no mercy; I knew there would be no more negotiations.
I gripped the bloodied flash drive in the pocket of my torn hoodie. I couldn't just give up. I started to raise my hands while trying to reach for the metal shard in my pocket, ready to fight to the death. I wouldn't let them win. I had to avenge Andaru. I had to save Aisyah.
The largest man stepped forward, the barrel of his pistol pressing against my aching temple. He smiled behind the black mask—a sadistic, mocking grin. I knew then that this was the end of the pursuit.
"Surrender now, or die quickly and miserably, you loser!" he hissed. The cold steel against my skin reminded me that my life was teetering on a very sharp, very dangerous edge. I could only stare into their eyes, realizing I had lost once again.