The night sky in Medan looked overcast. The streetlights flickered dimly, adding to the gloomy atmosphere in the narrow alley where Rizal and Ucok were hiding. The sound of a patrol car roared in the distance, making Rizal even more alert. He glanced at Ucok, who was busy munching on peanuts."Can't you be serious for a second?" Rizal whispered sharply.Ucok looked at him with a blank expression. "What? I'm hungry, Zal. Besides, if we die later, at least I won't die hungry."Rizal sighed. Since when did Ucok become so casual about life-and-death situations? But that's how his friend was—more joking than helping.Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached. Rizal pressed himself against the wall, his eyes watching the moving shadow at the end of the alley. Ucok was still busy chewing, but finally put his peanuts away when he realized the situation was getting tense."We have to go," Rizal whispered.Ucok nodded. "Let's go, before they realize we're still here."However, before they cou

Ucok kept staring at Rizal with a terrified expression. His legs were shaking anxiously while his eyes remained fixed on the piece of paper in Rizal’s hand."24 hours."Ucok swallowed hard. "Zal, are you sure we can't just run? We could hide out of town, at least until things calm down."Rizal shook his head slowly. "They’ve probably got people watching every corner of the city. If we run, we die. Besides, I’m not the kind of person who runs away from problems."Ucok groaned in frustration. "Yeah, but we’re not soldiers who can just shoot our way out of this. These guys are mafia, Zal! Mafia! You know what that means? We could disappear in one night!"Rizal calmly took a sip of his coffee. "That’s why we need a plan."Ucok leaned back in his chair, his eyes still filled with fear. "So what’s the plan? Tell their boss this is all just a misunderstanding? Or fake our deaths so they stop looking for us?"Rizal gave a faint smile. "We make them think twice before killing us."Ucok looked

Ucok was still staring at his phone screen, his mouth slightly open. The contents of the recording were like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode.In the recording, Daniel Surya’s voice was crystal clear, discussing illegal transactions involving high-ranking police officers and government officials. There was evidence of them talking about smuggling goods, money laundering, and even assassinating key witnesses.Rizal closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Ucok, we’re not just holding a big secret. This… this could destroy everyone involved."Ucok swallowed hard. "And it could get us dumped in the river as corpses, Zal."Rizal opened his eyes, his gaze filled with determination. "That’s why we have to be smart. We can’t just keep this and hope things resolve themselves. We need a plan."Ucok scratched his head, then sipped his now-cold coffee. "If we hand it over to the police, they might come after us instead. If we sell it to another mafia, we’re just swapping one thr

Rizal stared at the masked man's body sprawled on the old warehouse floor. His breath was still ragged, his hands stained with blood, whether his or his enemy's. Behind him, Ucok raised his hands, his face tense, but as usual, he still managed to make a comment, "Dude, are you sure we're still on the battlefield or is this a martial arts movie audition?"Before Rizal could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed. He immediately raised his pistol, targeting the shadow that appeared from behind a pile of wooden crates."You're too cautious, Rizal."That voice... cold, familiar, and hit him like a sledgehammer to his chest.The figure stepped forward into the light—his face was familiar. A sturdy man in a black suit that was still neat despite being in the middle of this chaos.Nova.Ucok gaped. "Wait, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're making a sudden cameo?"Nova gave a small smile. "Unfortunately, not a cameo, Ucok. I'm the main player behind all this."Rizal felt

Ucok swallowed hard, his heart racing. "Man, I think we need to get out of here, like, right now."Rizal remained calm, but his eyes were fixed on the man who had just emerged from the crate. "Who are you? Why are they after you?"The man was still panting, clearly having gone through something terrible. "I... my name is Reza. I'm an investigative journalist. I found something I wasn't supposed to... and now they want me dead."Ucok scoffed. "Great. Now we're babysitting a guy who's also being hunted by the mafia? Man, our lives just keep getting more interesting."TAP TAP TAP!The footsteps outside were getting louder. Rizal moved quickly, pressing himself against the wall, peeking through the slightly open warehouse door. Several heavily armed men were surrounding the building."How many are there?" Ucok whispered."At least six. Could be more," Rizal replied softly.Reza shook his head in panic. "We can't take them. They're ruthless. I saw how they tortured anyone who got in their