badlands // zayn malik

chapter four

→ love me, love me for profit,
i can make you go down.
i can show you the money 
if you wanna go out.
- deal, miguel

&&

IV. Zayn

I made it. I made it to Roseburgh.

I couldn't believe it. It just seemed like another world, another parallel universe. After hearing about it for so long, wondering and dreaming about what it would be like, I was finally here.

I could almost taste the salty ocean water lingering on my tongue - it felt like I was taking a breath of pure, fresh air for the first time. I had heard about it being a quiet, friendly, seaside city from Theo, completely opposite to the rowdy, fluorescent and corrupt city of the badlands.

Theo had explained the whole plan right before I left Ashmont for Roseburgh. The objective: Break into the mayor's house, find out how to open the vault and steal as much money as we could. I was the head of a team of criminals, so it was my job to ensure that the assignment goes as smoothly as possible. He stated that the operation could span over a few weeks, meaning that we didn't know when the robbery would happen or when we could come back home.

I couldn't stop thinking about all of the pros and cons that came with doing this. About how I would lose everything if I got caught. About how I would have everything if I managed to pull it off. Even though I was starting to have second thoughts, I didn't have the heart to tell Theo that I wanted to back out. And not to be cocky or anything, but I was getting pretty good at being a criminal. Obviously, Theo wouldn't have chosen me to complete the task if I wasn't ready, right?

"We reach the hotel in twenty minutes. Theo signed you under the name 'Nigel Stuart', so make sure that pretend to be 'Nigel Stuart' for the mission." Liam, one of the guys I had to work with, mentions to me.

I roll my eyes. Of course Theo had to chose the lamest fake name for me to use. "Okay, cool."

"After we check into the hotel, you can explore the city for a bit, just keep a low profile. Tomorrow, we'll have to have a game plan meeting. From there, we'll figure out what we need to do."

"Okay, okay." I say, taking a deep breath to brace myself for the task ahead. I suddenly wonder about Arden and everybody else at home. I promised her that I was going to come back to her, safe and sound. It was a promise I was determined to keep. Losing Arden would be like losing the world to me.

He chuckles at my nervousness. "Are you scared, Malik?"

"Fucking terrified."

&&

I was exhausted, but that didn't stop me from exploring the city. All my life, I've heard people talking about Roseburgh and how everyone seemed to have a mutual hate for it. I've heard countless times about how it was enemy's territory and how Ashmont was the ultimate place to be.

And now that I was here, it felt kind of surreal. With the stigma that we've associated with Roseburgh, it would be easy for me to think horrible things about it, too.

But, honestly? It didn't seem all that bad. Although it was way too silent for my liking, it erupted a sense of calmness. Whenever you went, you could still hear the waves crashing onto the shore, and the scent of salt water engulfed the atmosphere. It was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Ashmont.

Liam suggested that I should check out the pier, so that's where I was headed now. I also wanted to text Arden to tell her all about Roseburgh and how much I've missed her.