The train rattled along its worn tracks, the air inside stifling. Tommy sat on a bench, his back straight against the cracked metal support. Sweat clung to his brow, the heat of the desert sun bearing down on the carriage. There was no air conditioning—luxury like that was reserved for the rich and their private transport. He stared out the grime-covered window at the endless rows of dusty houses below, their yellowed rooftops blending into the barren landscape. It hadn’t rained in weeks.

  Turning his gaze from the window, Tommy looked up at the small, flickering news screen mounted in the corner of the train. The face of a man named Cheppe Delcali dominated the broadcast. The reporters spoke of him with reverence, calling him a savior for the Dustland. Delcali, they claimed, was building a free hospital and advocating for universal healthcare in a city where greed and corruption were the lifeblood of its rulers. People hailed him as a man who could bring rain to the desert—a metaphor deeply ingrained in their culture for delivering salvation and renewal.

  Tommy squinted at the screen. Delcali looked familiar. His mind raced, and then it clicked: he resembled Mr. Bird, the name the secret organization had given Tommy’s target. The news anchors reported that Delcali was the focus of an assassination plot.

  Tommy had never cared much for politics. The files handed to him by the mysterious duo never explained why Mr. Bird was marked for death. Was it a conflict of interest? A threat to those in power? Perhaps Delcali’s refusal to be controlled by the elite was reason enough for them to silence him.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  But Tommy knew one thing—if this man truly intended to help the people, if he delivered on promises of healthcare and hope, then families like Tommy’s could finally have a chance. Yet the cost of sparing him was unthinkable. The organization’s threat loomed over Tommy: fail to kill Mr. Bird, and his entire family would die.

  The question tore at him: would he sacrifice his family to save a city that had offered him nothing but misery? Dustland was a place where God was forgotten, replaced by the worship of money, survival, and selfishness. His heart hardened. Tommy muttered to himself, “One step at a time. For now, everything’s fine. First, I just need to get to him.”

  The train screeched to a halt at his station. Tommy gripped the stanchion as the carriage jolted. He stood, his body tense, and made his way to the doors. The platform was hot and desolate, the air carrying the faint scent of sand and metal. He climbed the station stairs, emerging into the streets, and walked toward the unremarkable building where everything had begun.

  He knew what awaited him today—violence, death, maybe even his own. But Tommy was ready. Ready to sacrifice his life if it meant keeping his promise to his father. No matter the cost, he would protect his family.