The storm over the desert had not yet broken, but the air was charged with tension as though even the wind held its breath.
Malick stood in the Sheikh's private quarters, his posture tense, his eyes locked on the floor. The vast room stretched around him like a cavern, all white marble and dark curtains, the scent of incense clinging to the walls. The Sheikh had summoned him without explanation, and that was never a good sign.
The man himself sat behind a low wooden desk, dressed in his usual flowing white robes, fingers steepled, watching Malick in silence. His expression was unreadable, as always a blend of serenity and menace.
Finally, he spoke.
"You've served me well, Malick. But I sense... hesitation."
Malick said nothing. He didn't trust himself to speak.
The Sheikh continued. "Ali. Sonia. Yusuf. They all made their choices. You, however... you've yet to make yours."
Malick looked up, lips pressed tightly together. "My loyalty has never wavered."
The Sheikh leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Loyalty? Or fear? Do you serve me because you believe in the order I bring? Or because you fear what happens when you disobey?"
Malick remained silent.
The Sheikh's voice softened. "You came to me as a stray. Lost. Weak. And I gave you strength. I gave you purpose. I raised you above the filth you once were. And now, when I ask for a small act of faith... you hesitate."
Malick clenched his fists.
"What is it you want from me?" he asked finally.
The Sheikh smiled. "The truth. That's all. What side of history will you be on, Malick? The one that crumbles, or the one that survives?"
That night, Malick walked the outer edge of the compound, where the shadows fell longer, where the guards seldom patrolled. The dunes shimmered silver under the moonlight, and he could see nothing but the endless line of the horizon.
He remembered the day he and Ali had first dreamed of leaving home ,two idealistic boys with stars in their eyes. They had believed in something greater. In freedom. In Europe. In possibility.
But that dream had died a thousand deaths along the way.
He knelt beside a rock and dug a shallow hole, fingers moving instinctively. Buried inside a tightly wrapped cloth was a photo worn and cracked. He unfolded it gently. It showed him and Ali, arms around each other, smiling.
A lifetime ago.
He stared at it a long while before placing it back in the earth and covering it.
He wasn't the same boy anymore. But something inside him refused to die.
Ali and Yusuf met under the old fig tree, where the compound's outer wall began to crumble. Sonia was late, and the silence between them was taut.
"You think Malick will help us?" Yusuf asked, his voice low.
Ali didn't answer right away.
"I think Malick is torn," he finally said. "And torn men are dangerous."
Yusuf nodded. "If he tells the Sheikh "
"Then it's over."
Yusuf exhaled through his nose. "We shouldn't trust him."
Ali looked up at the sky. "We don't have a choice."
Sonia arrived minutes later, hood drawn, eyes bloodshot.
"I got it," she said, breathless. "The documents. Coordinates. Names. The rest of the files are in the old kitchen, hidden in the stone oven."
Ali's face tightened. "And the guards?"
"Unpredictable. But we have maybe two nights before the next shift rotation. If we're going to leave, it has to be soon."
"Then it's tomorrow night," Yusuf said.
Ali looked at Sonia. "Can you handle it?"
She didn't hesitate. "I was born for this."
Meanwhile, Malick sat alone in his quarters. The Sheikh's words haunted him.
Fear or faith?
He opened the drawer of his small desk and pulled out a sealed envelope. It was addressed in a shaky hand , his sister's. He had not heard from her in years.
Inside was a single page. Her handwriting trembled.
Malick,
I know you may never read this. I don't even know if you're alive. But if you are please come back. Mama died last year. We buried her near the old well. She forgave you. I did too. The house is still here. The door is always open.
Come home.
He stared at the letter a long time.
Then he reached for his gun and placed it on the table.
Tomorrow, he would make a choice.
The next day moved like quicksand. Tension clung to every corner of the mansion. Sonia kept her head low, her body trembling with anticipation and fear. Ali moved from room to room under the guise of delivering water to the guards. Yusuf faked a limp to avoid notice. Every movement was calculated.
And Malick? He vanished.
No one saw him for hours. Not even the Sheikh.
It wasn't until nightfall that he returned , standing in the Sheikh's private lounge, hands clasped behind his back.
"You've made your decision?" the Sheikh asked.
Malick nodded slowly.
"Good," said the Sheikh. "Because I have a final test."
He motioned toward the door. Two guards entered ,dragging Amine between them.
Bloodied. Barely conscious.
Malick's eyes widened.
"Caught him trying to smuggle messages out," the Sheikh said. "He's been useful. But perhaps you'd like to show me your commitment."
He handed Malick a knife.
Malick took it. Looked at Amine.
Their eyes met.
And something inside Malick broke.
He dropped the knife.
"No."
The Sheikh raised an eyebrow.
Malick turned and walked away.
"Where are you going?" the Sheikh called after him.
Malick didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Sonia, Ali, and Yusuf stood behind the outer wall as planned. The path was clear. One final checkpoint. One final chance.
Malick appeared out of the darkness.
They all tensed.
"He knows," Malick said. "The Sheikh knows everything. He's onto you."
Ali's eyes narrowed. "You told him?"
Malick shook his head. "No. But he has eyes everywhere. You have less than an hour."
"Why are you helping us now?" Yusuf spat.
Malick looked at Sonia. "Because I remembered who I was."
He reached into his jacket and handed Ali a key.
"Storage room. East wing. You'll find what you need."
"And you?" Sonia asked.
"I'll buy you time."
He disappeared into the compound.
The storage room was packed with crates and sealed chests. Yusuf broke them open. Inside were passports, cash, weapons , everything they needed.
Sonia opened one envelope.
"This is the list," she whispered. "All of it. Every name. Every buyer."
Ali looked at her. "We can end it."
"Yes."
They didn't wait.
The escape began.
Guards spotted them. A chase ensued. Shots rang out across the compound. Yusuf was grazed but kept running. Sonia led the way through the tunnel beneath the garden. Ali followed, clutching the files.
Behind them, Malick faced the Sheikh's guards head-on.
He didn't survive.
But they did.
And by dawn, the desert swallowed them whole.