I revisited the location as per Google's search and it had directed me to a somewhat deserted area which housed a few freight facilities other than ShipGoUK. This place looked different that I remembered during daytime, it was a spacious compound, big enough to erect another commercial building in it. As I passed through the gate, in front of me was a single storey office building with its façade facing the car parks.

The entrance door was secured with an access panel that only those with access card can enter. There was an intercom panel next the panel with rows of buttons displaying different freight companies, Pal Shipping, UniPar Express and ShipGoUK.

I peered inside the building through the door only to find an empty reception hall adorned by a couple of sofas and a coffee table. Behind the reception was a hallway that leads to respective offices. I pressed for ShipGoUK on the intercom panel when a flat-toned voice greeted me on the other line.

"Is there anyone in your premise with the name Nick Pholadi?" I asked.

There was a long pause before the voice answered, "Nope. Sorry, love. There's no one with such name."

Disheartened by the reply, I called both Pal Shipping and UniPar Express via the intercom, asking for Nick but received the same response.

I tried once again for ShipGoUK with a different accent, "Nick Pholadi, please."

"You've got the wrong office!" the voice replied in agitation.

I was ready to leave when my eyes caught a familiar tall slender figure emerging from the left side of the hallway, marched towards me. I took a few steps back, anticipating for him to exit the building and greet me.

Nick pressed the exit button to release the door open before seizing my arm and dragged me towards the back of the office building.

"What do you want?!" he asked furiously.

"Aren't you surprised to see me?" I beamed.

"What do you want, Zahida?" he repeated.

"Don't call me by that name!"

"If you don't leave, I will call you by that name."

"Okay, okay," I calmed him down, flapping my arms excitedly like a carefree child before placing them into my pocket. "I gave some thoughts to your advice the other day and call this a cliché, but I never thought I could–"

"Straight up!" he demanded impatiently.

"I want to be like you?" I declared.

"Sorry, I'm not following you," his eyebrows creased in apprehension.

"I want to join the killer squad like you," I clarified. "I want to be a gangster."

Silence filled the air as Nick stared at me incredulously.

"You fuckin' idiot! Go home!" he snapped and turned away.

"I won't leave until you accept me," I persisted. "You said I could be like you."

"I don't ask you to be stupid," he shouted over his shoulder.

"But you said that I should get myself protected, like you!" I shouted back.

Suddenly, Nick turned to face me with a pistol in his hand. He aimed it at one of the containers behind me and pulled the trigger. The earsplitting gunshot made me recoiled in reflex that I yelped and cowered to the ground. It also scared the loitering pigeons away as they scattered in every direction.

"Do you know what this is?" Nick motioned at the pistol in his hand.

"A gun?" I attempted.

"It's a Colt .38," he specified. "And you're not cut out for it."

"Okay," I got up and braved myself. "Try me again, I'm ready."

Nick clicked his tongue and shook his head. "If you think joining us would make you feel invincible, then you're making another stupid mistake."

"But I need a job!" I stalled.

"No job here for you. Go home before I shoot you in the head."

"I'll call the police and bust this place up!" I threatened.

"Go ahead, this is a legitimate business premise," he said over his shoulder.

                                    ⭐🌟✨⭐🌟✨

I went home feeling dejected and overwhelmed over the failed attempt. I thought God diverted my direction to Nick so I could find sanctuary in him. But Nick turned out to be just another disruption to my course of finding contentment in life. Or maybe I hadn't really thought this plan through. I thought that if I join Nick, I'll gain access to his protection to use it against Abs. After all, we both have something in common; to take Abs down.

But maybe these malevolent thoughts and my unprepared speech to Nick caused my plan to go astray. Maybe this was another sign that God instructing me to be a perfect Muslim instead of pursuing for something not worth to be taken to the afterlife.

I was in my deep thoughts when I heard ringing coming from my mobile phone. I glanced at the unknown number on its screen, contemplated to answer but eventually gave in. Then a familiar male voice resonated through the speaker.

"Come to the warehouse tomorrow, half past 7.00 morn," the voice ordered. It was Nick's.