"There is the pipe; the petrol is right here," Ahmed Mamo muttered through grit teeth as he sliced into a fuel line beneath an abandoned car, letting the pungent liquid splash into an empty bottle.
"Ahmed, I really think this is a terrible idea!" Anees hissed, scanning the desolate street anxiously.
Ahmed didn't even look up. "I don't exactly remember it being a good idea either!" Before Anees could counter, Ahmed flashed a sharp grin. "Relax, Anees. Life doesn't throw these golden, chaotic chances at us every day."
He rapidly splashed a trail of petrol down to the end of the narrow alleyway, stepped back, and pulled out a box of matches. Striking one, he looked at the group. "Hide yourselves the second it goes boom."
He dropped the flame. The fire zipped down the wet pavement, licking the underbelly of the vehicle. A second later, a massive, deafening explosion rocked the street. The blast tore the car to pieces, sending jagged shards of hot metal flying violently through the morning air.
Right on cue, the heavy metal doors of the supermarket flew open. Three men came charging out into the smoke, weapons raised. One of them roared at the empty street, "If you're here for the boy, you're gonna have to walk over our corpses!"
Ashad peered from behind a concrete barrier, his eyes wide. The men were fully armored, but their gear and heavy swords and axes were bizarrely painted entirely in bright yellow and crimson red. It was some kind of post-apocalyptic street gang. They had been hiding inside, and their desperate shouting made one thing immediately clear to Ashad: whoever this hidden "boy" was, he was incredibly valuable to them.
Before the yellow-clad gang could investigate the explosion, the blast wave did its real job. A frenzied horde of at least twenty zombies, attracted by the deafening noise, came rushing around the corner straight at the three men. Terrified, the gang members didn't even try to retreat inside. Screaming in pure panic, they turned on their heels and sprinted in the exact opposite direction, the howling horde chasing hot on their tails.
Within minutes, the entrance to the supermarket was completely clear.
"Move, move," Ahmed whispered.
The group slid quietly through the shattered glass doors. Omar Mamo and Uncle Khalil immediately took up positions behind the main gates, acting as lookouts, while the rest of the team huddled near the registers to strategize.
"I still believe there are more enemies hiding deeper inside," Ahmed murmured, his hand resting on his weapon.
"They'll either be lying in ambush or playing strictly defensive," Anees agreed, nodding.
Ashad looked at the dark aisles, a reckless plan forming in his mind. "Why don't we send Saad in first as a wandering, helpless survivor? Let's face it—he looks like the weakest one in our group. They'll see him as a zero-threat. Maybe they'll break cover to capture him, and we can ambush them."
The elders exchanged glances and nodded. "That actually might work."
Saad threw his hands up in mock offense. "Oh, brilliant! Of course you have to point me out as the weak bait!" He grumbled, dropping his cricket bat onto the floor. He took a deep breath and looked back at Ashad and Anees. "Wish me good luck."
Stepping into the dark, cavernous center of the store, Saad began to walk down the main aisle, intentionally making his voice sound weak, terrified, and weary. "Hello? Is anyone here alive? Please... anyone?!"
Within the blink of an eye, three heavily armed men stepped out from the shadows of the clothing racks, surrounding him completely. Saad instantly threw his hands in the air, trembling perfectly. "Please! Please don't kill me! I'm not looking for trouble!"
The lead thug sneered, his yellow-painted axe resting on his shoulder. "You didn't see the bodies at the entrance, kid? We put them there as a warning so no one would dare enter. But you walked right in."
"I-I didn't see them! I swear, I'm just too scared!" Saad whimpered.
The man stepped closer, inspecting Saad's slight frame with utter contempt. "Look at you. You're short and a total dumbass. Where are your Mama and Papa, child?"
Saad's jaw tightened slightly, his fake fear slipping for a fraction of a second. "Hey, first of all, I am average height. As for my parents... they are dead."
The three men laughed mockingly. The leader sighed, a repulsive grin spreading across his face. "So sad. Man, I really wish your mama was here with you right now... so I could have fucked her."
A dark, violent switch flipped inside Saad. The joking, peaceful boy Ashad had known his entire life vanished in a heartbeat.
"Oh, look, the little fella is getting angry!" the leader taunted.
But before the man could even register the shift in the air, a shadow dropped from the racks behind them. It was Anees, moving with lightning speed. With two brutal, calculated strikes of his heavy weapon, Anees bashed the backs of the other two thugs' heads, sending them crashing to the floor, instantly neutralized.
As Anees raised his weapon to strike the leader, Saad barked, "No! He's mine!"
With a burst of raw rage, Saad lunged forward and delivered a devastating, full-force kick straight between the leader's legs. The man collapsed to his knees, dropping his weapon and clutching his groin, screaming in agonizing pain. "Curse you! You little bastard... I should have killed you the second I saw you!"
Saad calmly reached down, lifting the heavy steel sword from one of the unconscious men on the floor. He weighed it in his hand, his eyes cold and dead. "Well... you didn't."
Leaning forward until he was inches away from the man's trembling face, Saad whispered directly into his ear, his voice dripping with pure venom: "Well, it looks like fate has chosen me to fuck you first."
The man's eyes widened in sheer fury, his face turning purple. "You moth—!"
Before he could finish the curse, Saad drove the heavy sword straight through the man's throat.
A sickening squelch echoed through the aisle as blood spilled violently from the man's mouth. He choked once, his eyes rolling back as he slumped onto the floor, dead.
Anees stood frozen, staring at the corpse and then at the teenager. "Saad... what the hell happened to you? Yesterday you were struggling to even strike a zombie, and just now... you killed him easily. Brutally."
Saad didn't look up. He calmly grabbed the dead man's crimson shirt, using the fabric to wipe the thick blood off the steel blade. "You're right, Uncle. But he said something... something that should have made me behead him on the spot. I just didn't have the neck strength for that." He sheathed the weapon, his voice returning to an eerie calm. "Well, anyway, where are the rest of them? Where is my brother-in-law and my friend?"
Standing a few feet away, Ashad was utterly perplexed. His mind was racing. He had never, in all his years, seen this side of Saad. In their neighborhood and back in school, Saad was always the humble, hilarious, nice guy who went out of his way to avoid fights. Who is this person? Ashad thought, a chill running down his spine.
Before he could process it, Ahsan came running down the aisle from the back of the store, his chest heaving. "Ahmad! Ashad! I found the boy! Ahmed Mamo is with him right now!"
Anees turned to Ashad quickly. "You go check it out. We will stay here and rapidly collect the food and supplies."
Ashad nodded, pushing his shock aside, and followed Ahsan through the dark aisles toward the frozen food section. There, huddled behind a massive commercial freezer, was a boy. When the beam of Ashad's flashlight hit the boy's face, his heart stopped. The boy was exactly his own age.
"Hasnain?! Is that you?!" Ashad gasped.
Ahmed Mamo looked up, surprised. "Wait, Ashad, you know this boy?"
"Yes! He is my homie! Saad knows him really well too!" Ashad exclaimed, kneeling down next to him.
Ahmed thought for a second, a look of realization dawning on him. "Ahh, Hasnain... yes, Saad told me about you before all this started. He said you are a fine, honorable boy. I've heard good things about you from many friends. But what the hell are you doing trapped out here?"
Hasnain was in terrible shape. His face was badly bruised, his lip split open, and his clothes torn from a severe beating. Despite the pain, he looked up at Ashad, a weak, cynical smile touching his lips. "It's all... part of a plan, Ashad."
The three men exchanged deeply confused glances. "What plan?" Ashad demanded.
But before Hasnain could draw a breath to answer, a chaotic shout echoed from the front bakery section. It was Saad, his voice laced with genuine panic.
"We are under attack! They returned! The guys from outside came back and they brought two more men with them!" Saad roared, sprinting toward them, his breathing incredibly heavy. "They've got pistols! Real guns!"
Instantly, Ashad handed his sword over to Ahsan to lighten his load, and Ahsan passed his blunt weapon over to Hasnain so the boy could protect himself. "Looks like we've got business to attend to," Ashad muttered grimly.
They scrambled back toward the bakery section, diving behind a row of heavy metal flour racks just as a loud BANG-BANG shattered the silence. Sparks flew off the metal shelves above their heads.
"They came back and instantly started shooting at us!" Saad panted, pressing his back hard against the rack. "We can't fight them like this. Knife to bullets? There's not even a debate, we'll get shredded!"
Ahmed Mamo nodded grimly, keeping his head low as another bullet chipped the tile nearby. "Well, you did the right thing by retreating. What do we do now? We're pinned down."
Anees peered through a gap in the shelves. "Ashad, Saad—you boys come to this market all the time. Do either of you know where the main light switches are? If we can turn off the power and plunge this place into total darkness, it will give us the cover we need to make a run for it!"
Ahmed frowned. "I come here twice a week myself, but I've never seen a main breaker switch out in the open."
"I know where the switch is," Saad said suddenly, a knowing look in his eyes. "Just... don't ask how I know it."
Anees grabbed his shoulder. "Go. Take Saad and Ashad with you. The second the lights go out, the rest of us will make a break for the exit!"
Saad led the way, crouching low as they slipped back toward the rear of the frozen food section. He navigated to a corner where a massive storage rack filled with heavy boxes of frozen chicken breasts and chicken wings blocked the wall.
"It's behind this," Saad whispered.
Together, the three boys strained, slowly and silently sliding the heavy rack out of the way to reveal a small utility door. Ashad rattled the handle. "Damn it, it's locked. We don't have the key."
"Step back," Anees muttered.
With the precision of a seasoned martial artist, Anees evaluated the lock mechanism, placed his foot perfectly, and delivered a silent, heavy, professional strike that shattered the deadbolt with barely a sound.
They slipped inside the cramped utility room. Mounted on the concrete wall was a massive, bright red electrical breaker box.
"This is it!" Saad whispered.
He threw open the metal door. The panel was a confusing maze of dozens of thick industrial switches. But Saad didn't hesitate. It felt as though he had worked in this very store; his hand moved with absolute certainty, grabbing a specific heavy master switch and throwing it down.
CLACK.
Instantly, the entire supermarket was plunged into pitch-black, suffocating darkness.
Without wasting a single fraction of a second, the boys bolted out of the room, heading toward the main gates. But navigating a dark maze of aisles in total blackout was near impossible. Amidst the shadows, a flashlight beam suddenly cut through the dark ahead, illuminating a man holding a pistol.
"Split up!" Ashad yelled.
They scattered into different aisles. Suddenly, Ashad realized he was completely alone. Panic seized him; the darkness was disorienting, and he couldn't remember the exact route back to the exit. His heart pounded in his ears as he stumbled blindly past a shelf.
Suddenly, a strong hand reached out from the dark, grabbing his jacket and pulling him into a recessed alcove. Ashad almost screamed, but a wave of immense relief washed over him as a familiar voice whispered in his ear. It was Ahmed Mamo.
"Come with me, son," Ahmed said quietly, guiding him through the shadows.
But their luck ran out. As they neared the final turn toward the exit gates, a bright flashlight beam slapped them dead in the face. A man stepped into the aisle, his pistol pointed directly at Ahmed's chest.
"Don't move a single inch, or I'll blow your fucking brains into bits!" the thug snarled.
Ahmed immediately raised his hands, placing himself slightly in front of Ashad. "We don't want any trouble, brother. Take whatever you want."
The man stepped closer, his flashlight blinding them. "Where are the rest of your people?"
"There is no one else," Ahmed replied firmly, his voice steady. "It's only the two of us."
The man's face twisted in rage. "I don't like liars. I know there are more of you fuckers in here!"
But before the man could draw his next breath, a sharp piece of steel erupted straight through his stomach from behind. He let out a choked gasp, his finger convulsing on the trigger in a reflex action.
BANG!
The gun discharged a split second before Saad pulled his sword out of the man's spine, letting the thug drop dead onto the floor.
"Mamo!" Ashad screamed.
The stray bullet had torn straight into Ahmed's stomach. The older man stumbled backward, clutching his abdomen as thick blood began to rapidly pool through his fingers, and he collapsed heavily onto the floor.
Saad sprinted forward, his eyes wide with horror as he looked at the exit gates just a few meters away. "Go! Run!" Ahmed gasped, his teeth covered in blood as he tried to push them away.
Tears instantly blurred Ashad and Saad's eyes. "No! We are leaving, but we are not leaving without you!" Ashad cried.
Ignoring his protests, Ashad and Saad hooked their arms under Ahmed's shoulders, hauling his heavy frame off the ground. Ahmed tried to fight back, his voice weak and strained. "Leave me... I'm too heavy... you both will never make it out alive if you carry me!"
The boys completely blocked out his words. Fueled by pure adrenaline and terror, they dragged Ahmed through the front gates and burst out into the dim morning light.
Anees was waiting by the curb, a blood-stained sword in his hand. "There's a car over here! Omar found a—" Anees froze, his jaw dropping as he saw the blood pouring from Ahmed's torso. "What happened?!"
"We don't have time to waste! We have to go back right now!" Ashad screamed, his voice cracking with emotion as they hauled Ahmed toward the open door of the vehicle.
Ahmed gripped Anees's sleeve, his voice fading into a weak, ragged whisper. "Do we... do we have the supplies?"
Anees choked back a sob, supporting his brother's head. "Yes, Ahmed. It's all safe. We got them. Just hold on."
They carefully bundled Ahmed into the backseat, the rest of the team piling into the vehicle, and the car roared to life, speeding frantically through the dangerous, quiet streets back toward the safe house.
Inside the cramped, tense car, Saad turned his head, his eyes finding the battered boy they had rescued. "Hey... Hasnain. How did you even find us? Sorry I didn't see you earlier, man, it was a complete battleground back there in the market."
Hasnain sat completely silent in the corner of the seat. He was a 5'8" boy, the exact same age as Ashad, with a distinct black complexion and striking hazel eyes that looked incredibly heavy with secrets. He just stared out the window as the wind whipped past.
Within minutes, the car screeched to a halt in front of the safe house gates. Waleed, who was on high alert, threw the gates open instantly. His face went pale the moment he saw the bloody, weary body of Ahmed being hauled out of the vehicle. "Ya Allah! What happened to him?!"
"Get out of the way! Move!" they yelled, carrying Ahmed's limp body straight into the house. They rushed into the drawing room, clearing the large dining table and laying him down flat beneath the chandelier.
"Mahnoor! Rabia! Come quickly!" Ashad screamed at the top of his lungs.
Mahnoor and Omar's wife, Rabia—both qualified doctors—came rushing into the drawing room, their faces filling with professional urgency. Fortunately, Rabia was a doctor who always kept a fully stocked emergency medical kit in her car, and she had wisely brought it inside earlier. She sprinted to the kitchen corner where she had hidden it, grabbed the heavy bag, and slammed it onto the table beside Ahmed.
She opened the kit, her voice snapping into absolute authority. "All of you, get out right now! Leave me, Mahnoor, and Omar alone in this room! Move!"
The crowd was pushed out into the hallway, and the drawing room doors slammed shut. Outside, the house was a complete madhouse. Women were crying, children were panicking, and the men were pacing back and forth in sheer helplessness.
Amidst the chaos, Saad caught Ashad's eye and pulled him into a quiet corner near the stairwell. He leaned in close, whispering directly into Ashad's ear. "The guy with the pistol... when I killed him, I took it. I have the gun, Ashad. And he had ten magazines with him, each capable of holding ten rounds. I secretly hid all of it up in my room so the elders wouldn't take it away."
Ashad nodded numbly, his mind still spinning. Suddenly, both boys remembered the mysterious boy sitting quietly on the bench. They turned around and walked out onto the balcony to find Hasnain staring blankly out at the distant smoke rising over Karachi.
Ashad didn't waste any time on pleasantries. He walked straight up to him, his eyes locking onto Hasnain's hazel ones. "Alright, Hasnain. No more games. What the hell did you mean back there? What is this 'part of a plan'?"
Hasnain took a deep, shaky breath, looking at his two childhood friends, and finally began to speak.