Chapter 0 - Prologue

The narrow alleyway in Kota Kinabalu's infamous Kampung Air district was shrouded in darkness, the only sound the pounding of flip-flops on wet pavement. A group of rough-looking individuals, dressed in tight jeans and sporting menacing scowls, sprinted down the alley, their eyes darting back and forth like trapped animals.

"Hey, Jamal! Where the hell is that guy?" Jumat yelled, his voice echoing off the walls.

"This isn't what I had in mind!" Jamal replied, his voice trembling with fear. "What the hell is going on?”

Lani, a burly man with a thick beard, panted heavily as he ran. "We thought this was an easy job, Hakim's dad said just rob one house with files for his business! But we never expected someone to attack us out of nowhere!”

The group burst into the bustling night market, weaving through crowds of people haggling over goods. They used the chaos as cover, desperate to escape their pursuer.

"Shit, did you see that guy?" Jamal asked, his eyes wide with terror.

"Yeah, he took down two of our boys like they were nothing!" Jumat exclaimed. "You said they were experienced fighters!”

"You said this had nothing to do with the police!" Lani accused, his voice rising.

"Shut up, let's get out of here!" Jamal snapped, grabbing Lani's arm and pulling him along.

They finally reached the Old KK district, gasping for breath as they arrived at the Hyatt hotel. Once inside, they waited nervously in the lobby, eyeing the empty reception area.

"Hey, I thought our buyer was meeting us here?" Jumat asked, looking around uneasily.

"Yeah, wait up," Jamal replied, his eyes scanning the lobby.

As they sat down on a plush lounge, a figure emerged from the shadows, clad in a black jacket and hoodie with a facemask. Jamal's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the speaker.

Without a word, Alex sprang into action, taking down Jamal with a precise CQC move, sending him crashing to the floor.

Jumat's eyes darted around the empty lobby, a growing sense of unease creeping up his spine. Something was off...

“Fuck, where the hell is Jamal?” Jumat frantically searched the area, but Jamal was nowhere to be found.

“Jumat, let's leave the files and get the hell out of here!” Lani urged, his voice trembling with fear.

“Fuck you, what about our payment?” Jumat demanded, but Lani just shook his head.

“Then where the hell is Jamal?” Lani asked, his eyes darting around the deserted alley.

Suddenly, a thud echoed from the nearby toilet, followed by an eerie silence. Jumat and Lani exchanged nervous glances.

“Jamal, is that you?” Lani called out, but before he could get an answer, Alex sprang out of the shadows and took him down with a swift kick.

“Hey! What the hell is going on here?” Jumat shouted, but before he could react, Alex knocked him out cold.

As Alex stood up, victorious, he received a radio call from Soro.

“Sloopy, luck's on our side - they didn't have guns. God knows what would've happened if they did.”

Alex smiled wryly. “At least we got them on our terms.”

Soro's voice came from the top of a tree behind the hotel, where he was perched with a sniper rifle and a 7-year-old girl named Maya.

“Big brother's getting quicker, right?” Maya chimed in, and Soro chuckled.

“He's still sloppy,” Soro replied, teasing Alex.

Maruk's voice crackled over the radio. “Soro, did he get it?”

Soro confirmed. “Yeah, 10-4. Soro RTB. Noobie, let's get out of here.”

Alex rolled his eyes at Soro's mocking tone. “Yeah, fuck you.”

As he looked at the files, his eyes widened. The documents revealed information about Project Lilith - something he desperately needed to uncover.

“This file is something we need to investigate further,” Alex muttered to himself, his mind racing with possibilities.

Night descended upon the city as Alex revved the engine of his new Kawasaki Zephyr, a gift from Soro. With a helmet securely fastened, he sped off into the darkness, the roar of the engine echoing through the streets.

At the Lok Kawi army base, Alex met Soro under the faint moonlight. He handed over the files, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"These contain crucial information about the Borneo Foundation's activities," Alex explained, his voice low and urgent.

Soro's expression turned stern. "Remember, stealth is key. You can't let them see your face, or worse, recognize your voice.”

Alex bristled, his pride wounded. "I'm not stupid, Soro. I took precautions. Besides, those men I took down during the school raid in Siti-Aishah... they won't forget me anytime soon.”

Soro's gaze narrowed. "You're still sloppy, Alex. You need more training.”

As Alex turned to leave, he spotted Maruk and Mr. Habeeb, now a police director for Sabah, approaching them.

"Let me see those files, son," Mr. Habeeb requested, his eyes scanning the documents with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"With this, we can uncover the truth about the Borneo Foundation's activities," he muttered, his brow furrowed in thought.

Alex's mind raced. "But why would they steal from a church in Sacred Heart?”

Maruk's expression turned grave. "The Brotherhood of Mason has infiltrated the church. One of their members is involved. I received intel from a GRU contact about their extremist declaration.”

Mr. Habeeb's eyes widened. "INTERPOL has also issued a warning, and the Vatican has listed them as a cult to be taken down.”

The group stood in silence, the weight of their mission settling upon them like a shroud.

Soro scowled, his voice laced with concern. "I'm telling you, Alex, this no-kill policy will bite you in the ass soon enough.”

Alex crossed his arms, his determination unwavering. "I won't budge, Soro. I've seen enough bloodshed in my past.”

Soro snorted. "You think you're some kind of hero, don't you? Newsflash, kid: this isn't a game.”

Maruk intervened, his voice calm and authoritative. "Leave him be, Soro. I'm the one who wanted him to avoid killing. He's been through enough as a former gangster in LA's 102 crew.”

Soro scoffed. "Whatever. He's still sloppy and green.”

Alex flipped Soro the middle finger, their faces inches apart. "Fuck you, Soro.”

Maruk chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, alright, that's enough. You three have done well for this mission. Alex, Soro, Maya – good job.”

As Maruk praised them, Alex and Soro continued to glare at each other, their animosity palpable. Maya, however, beamed with pride, her big brown eyes sparkling.

Maruk's expression turned serious. "Remember, you're all still young – Alex, 15; Soro, 16; and Maya, 7. You have a long way to go, but I believe in you. Let's wait for our next mission and take it from there.”

As they parted ways, Soro muttered under his breath, “Still sloppy..." Alex just rolled his eyes, while Maya skipped ahead, her laughter echoing through the night.

I crept back home, trying to avoid detection in the dead of night. But, as I entered the garage, I was met with a familiar figure - Sylvia, my friend-turned-girlfriend. We had taken a break after the Natalie incident, but my feelings for her lingered.

"Still doing that night job?" Sylvia asked, her voice husky and concerned.

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "Uh, yeah... just a delivery job with Mr. Habeeb, I promise.”

Sylvia's gaze pierced through the darkness, her eyes sparkling with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. She looked stunning, as always - her short, tight t-shirt accentuating her hourglass figure, and her short bob hair framing her fair, heart-shaped face. As a Lun Bawang, she shared my ethnic heritage, and her maturity belied her 15 years.

I couldn't help but notice the way her big brown eyes seemed to bore into my soul, as if searching for the truth. My heart skipped a beat as I realized my feelings for her went beyond friendship. But, Natalie's memory still lingered, leaving me torn between the two girls.

Sylvia took a step closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Alex, I know you're hiding something. You can tell me, I'm your girlfriend... or at least, I thought I was.”

My heart raced as I struggled to find the right words, unsure how much to reveal, and how much to hide.

Sylvia had changed since our awkward encounter at the New Year's Eve party. Her gaze now held a hint of mischief, and her smile seemed to conceal secrets.

As we stood in the dimly lit garage, she asked, "With Borneo joining our school, do you think anything will change?”

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Don't know, don't really care.”

Sylvia's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Really? You're not worried someone might try to steal me away as their girlfriend?”

I chuckled, trying to downplay my true feelings. "You're cute, but I'm not worried. You know what kind of man I am, right?" I said, attempting to sound confident.

Sylvia pinched my thigh, her giggle sending shivers down my spine. “Dumbass!"

As she bid me goodnight, I couldn't help but feel a pang of longing. I retreated to my bedroom, a converted storage room with a dream catcher from Mr. Hawk, Natalie's dad.

The simple space held only a bed, table, laptop, and two picture frames – one of us in Malaysia, the other with Natalie in LA. I missed her.

As I lay down, the fan's gentle hum filled the room. I stared at the ceiling, wondering what the next day would bring. Would Sylvia's teasing be more than just friendly banter? And what secrets lay hidden behind her enigmatic smile?

The night air was thick with possibilities, and I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was about to change forever.