2025-03-03 00:51:36Rizal stood behind the coffee counter, his fingers tapping lightly against his cup. Outside, the city of Medan was waking up—motorcycles weaved through the narrow streets, vendors shouted their morning deals, and life moved on as usual. But inside Kopi Hitam Rizal, the air was still heavy.
Ucok, still shaken by what had just happened, leaned against the counter. "Zal, be honest with me. Are you sure this won’t turn into a bigger problem?"
Rizal smirked slightly. "Ucok, if Bang Togar already sent people, that means the problem was big from the start."
Ucok scratched his head, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. "Are you sure you don’t just want to run? Like before?"
Rizal stared into his coffee. He had been running long enough. Five years of hiding, changing names, changing lives. But the thing about running was, you could change everything—except who you really were.
Before Rizal could answer, the shop’s bell rang. An old man in a worn-out jacket stepped in, bringing with him the unmistakable scent of clove cigarettes. He looked thinner than the last time Rizal had seen him, but his gaze was still sharp.
Rizal recognized him immediately. "Pak Haris."
Ucok frowned. "Who’s he?"
Pak Haris gave a small smile. "You used to call me Commander."
Ucok’s eyes widened. "You’re kidding, right? This guy’s a former cop?"
Rizal took a deep breath, then gestured for Pak Haris to sit. The man complied without a word, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket but not lighting one.
"Rizal," Pak Haris finally said, his voice deep and steady. "I heard you stirred up some trouble this morning."
Rizal shrugged. "Wasn’t me who started it."
Pak Haris chuckled. "That’s what you always said back in the day. But we both know, in this world, it’s not about who starts it. It’s about who finishes it first."
Ucok looked back and forth between them, then muttered, "I don’t like it when two ex-killers start reminiscing."
Rizal ignored him. "What do you really want, Pak?"
Pak Haris studied him. "I know Bang Togar won’t stop until you’re dead. And I know he has a damn good reason for hunting you down."
"I already told you—I’m retired," Rizal said flatly.
Pak Haris smirked. "And you think they care? You’re not an ordinary man, Rizal. You’re not just some coffee brewer. You’re a legend in the underworld. And unfortunately, legends rarely get to die peacefully."
Ucok swallowed hard. "Okay, this is starting to sound like a bad mafia movie."
Pak Haris ignored him and leaned back in his chair. "I’m not here to scare you. I’m here to offer you a choice."
Rizal narrowed his eyes. "What choice?"
Pak Haris pulled something out of his jacket—a thick brown envelope—and placed it on the table.
"There’s someone who needs to die," he said. "Someone whose death will make Bang Togar think twice before coming after you."
Ucok nearly choked on his coffee. "Wait! He just said he’s retired! You can’t just come in here and—"
"I can," Pak Haris interrupted firmly. "And I know Rizal will listen."
Rizal stared at the envelope, then back at Pak Haris.
"Five years ago, I chose to walk away," he said quietly. "And now you’re here, trying to pull me back in?"
Pak Haris met his gaze without hesitation. "It’s not me pulling you back, Rizal. It’s the world refusing to let you go."
The coffee shop fell silent again. Rizal could hear his own heartbeat slowing down, as if the world itself was giving him time to think.
Outside, the city of Medan contin
ued as usual.
Inside, a long-delayed war was just beginning.
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Rizal stared at the thick brown envelope on the table, his fingers drumming lightly against the wooden surface. He didn’t need to open it to know what was inside—details, photos, and probably a large sum of money to finish the job.Ucok’s voice broke the silence. "Zal, don’t even think about it."Pak Haris exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "You know this is your best option."Rizal leaned back, arms crossed. "Best option for who? You? Bang Togar?"Pak Haris smirked. "For you, Rizal. If you take this job, you control the game. If you don’t, you’ll just be a hunted man waiting for the bullet with your name on it."Ucok scoffed. "Or he could just disappear again."Pak Haris turned to him. "Disappearing worked once. It won’t work twice. Togar’s power is different now. He has more eyes, more men, more reach. Wherever Rizal runs, they’ll find him."Rizal exhaled slowly. "Who’s the target?"Pak Haris smiled, knowing he had hooked him in. He tapped the envelope. "Open it."Rizal sighed, picked
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Ucok kept pacing inside the coffee shop, the soles of his sneakers screeching against the wooden floor. His breathing was heavy, and every now and then, he exhaled fuuuuh, as if hoping to blow away the problem in front of them.At the table, Rizal sat still. His fingers tapped the wooden surface with a tick-tick-tick rhythm, staring at the envelope as if it might explode at any moment."Zal, if you take this job, you’ll be stepping back into your old world," Ucok finally said, his voice tense.Rizal raised an eyebrow. "You think I don’t know that?"Ucok let out a long sigh and sat across from Rizal. His chair creaked creeaak under his weight. "You fought so hard to get out. Now, Pak Haris comes with one offer, and you waver just like that?"Rizal smirked slightly. "Waver? I never said I was taking the job.""But you also didn’t say no right away," Ucok shot back.Rizal picked up one of the photos from the envelope. Adi Sutrisno. The man in the picture was laughing, dressed in a black
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The Maharaja Hotel towered over Medan’s skyline, its golden lights gleaming like a beacon for the rich and the dangerous. As Rizal and Ucok approached the entrance, the vroom of luxury cars filled the air, their engines growling like beasts ready to be unleashed.Ucok adjusted his jacket nervously. “Are you sure about this? That place is full of security.”Rizal smirked. “That’s what makes it fun.”Ucok groaned. “Great. Now you sound like a lunatic.”A valet’s shoes squeaked against the marble floor as he hurried to open the door for a guest. Inside, the lobby was filled with the scent of expensive perfume and polished wood. The click-clack of high heels echoed as elegant women walked by, their laughter mixing with the soft jazz playing in the background.Rizal walked confidently toward the elevator, Ucok trailing behind. “How do we get to the VIP floor? We don’t have an access card,” Ucok whispered.Rizal spotted a wealthy businessman chatting with a hotel staff member. His access ca
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The cool night air brushed against Rizal’s face as he and Ucok sped away from the Maharaja Hotel on a motorbike. The vroom of the engine echoed through the empty streets of Medan, blending with the distant hum of the city that never truly slept.Ucok clung to Rizal’s waist. “Next time, bro, can we just take a Grab? I swear my ass is gonna fall off.”Rizal chuckled but kept his focus on the road. “Where’s the thrill in that?”They pulled up at a small coffee stall tucked in a quiet alley. The neon sign flickered bzzzt, casting a dim glow over the wooden benches. It was one of Rizal’s usual hideouts—safe, quiet, and most importantly, serving the best black coffee in town.Inside, an old man behind the counter greeted them with a nod. “Your usual black coffee, Rizal?”“Two, please, Pak.”Ucok groaned as he plopped onto a bench. “It’s not coffee I need, bro. I need a vacation.”Rizal smirked. “You complain a lot, but you still follow me everywhere.”Ucok let out a long sigh. “Because if I
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Rizal stood at the edge of the dock, gazing at the dark waters. The smell of salt mixed with the faint scent of blood still lingering in the air. The fight with Johan was over, but the real war was just beginning.Ucok lit a cigarette beside him. “So, what’s the next step, Zal? We know Adi won’t let this slide.”Damar, leaning against a crate, loaded his gun. “Yeah. Johan was just a pawn. The real boss is still out there.”Rizal smirked, his hands still in his jacket pockets. “We don’t go to Adi. We make him come to us.”Ucok raised an eyebrow. “How exactly do we do that? Send him a coffee invitation?”Damar chuckled. “Yeah, with a ‘special blend’ of gunpowder and revenge.”Rizal turned to them. “We take over Johan’s operations. His men, his warehouses, his contacts. Adi will be forced to respond.”Ucok whistled. “Damn, that’s bold. But what if his response is a bullet to our heads?”Rizal took a deep breath. “Then we make sure we fire first.”Johan’s men who survived had two choices—
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R-Zero’s automatic rifle erupted like hellish fireworks. Bullets rained against the steel walls, scattering sparks. Rizal dropped to the side, pulling Nova behind a server rack.Ucok tumbled behind a support pillar. “Why does every damn enemy we face have a fetish for shooting first and never asking questions?!”Maya returned fire. “Because this ain’t a romance flick, Cok. This is the mafia world. The slow ones get buried alive.”Dust, the hum of machinery, the shrill scream of the alarm. Rizal’s heart pounded in sync with the bullets thudding around them. On the other side of the room, R-Zero advanced slowly, its weapon still hot.“Rizal!” Nova yelled. “If he reaches the control center, all our data’s gone!”Rizal didn’t answer. He already knew. The world they knew was about to crumble. SARKA would slaughter anyone who refused to bow to the new system: a merciless machine, led by a faceless puppet.He rose. Two steps forward. Staring down his twin—his own nightmare made flesh.“I kno
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Ucok stood staring at the cracked bathroom mirror. His eyes were red, not from crying, but from lack of sleep and an overdose of durian-flavored instant coffee that somehow still existed. Behind the door, Nova had knocked twice."Cok, what have you been doing in there? Don't tell me you're brushing your teeth with Three Legs toothpaste again.""This is important, Nov. I'm reflecting on life," Ucok replied, opening the door slowly while still looking at the mirror. "You know, sometimes... I'm suspicious of myself."Nova glanced down. "Are you wearing your underwear on the outside again?""Reflection, not superhero cosplay, lah!"In the living room, Maya, Rizal, and Nova spread out a digital map they got from Karim's flash drive. Data on money flow, weapon caches, and escape routes. Everything branched out to one name: SARKA."The only way into this organization... is through an insider," Maya said.Rizal chimed in, "And the only person who knows their communication methods... is the tr