Malik was about ready to throw his phone when it buzzed on his desk. He just quickly grabbed it and glared at the screen a few moments before looking at the message he got. It was from Altair. Actually Altair too and not through Kadar’s phone. He’d bought a go phone a few days ago, Malik only knew about it because in the middle of work he’d gotten a text message under the name “Altair” asking where the hell he’d hidden the vicodin because his gunshot wound had hurt. Malik had just told him to suck it up and take some lesser pain meds. He’d gone home to find Altair on the couch, high on ibeprohan; he hadn’t even know you could get high on them. Apparently a three quarter empty bottle proved otherwise. He was still irritated at Altair about that, just a bit, especially since the previous night he’d seemed just fine, after all he couldn’t have hurt that much if he could still pin Malik to a door.

‘Don’t make lunch plans.’

Malik squinted at the phone. His lunch break started in about ten minutes.

‘Why not?’

‘Because I’m about five minutes away from your building.’

‘What did you do to Kadar?’

‘What makes you think I did anything.’

‘He wouldn’t just volunteer where I work.’

‘He so did. Own free will and everything. I didn’t even have to show him my knife,’ he knew Altair was being sarcastic but that didn’t mean it annoyed Malik any less.

‘What are you planning?’

‘I’m not planning anything. Why do I have to be planning anything? Do I honestly look like the kind of guy that plans things?’ Malik was in the process of a short three letter word response when another message popped up: ‘Don’t answer that.’ And he snorted. Then, ‘I’m taking you out to lunch. Happy? Now you know my plan. I’m such a grand schemer aren’t I?’

‘You’re a fucking ham is what you are?’

‘A what? Gross.’

‘Figure of speech imbecile.’

‘Why would you call someone something as dirty as part of a pig…. Are you calling me a pig Malik?’

Malik had to press a hand over his mouth to not laugh. As it was Rauf just sent him a look from over their wall. ‘No. I’m not. Don’t be so juvenile.’

‘Whatever. I’m standing in front of your building right now.’

“Hey Mal,” Rauf said and Malik looked up. “Lunch?”

“Uh… no thanks,” Malik said.

Rauf rose a brow, “Why not? We always go out to lunch-

“Got plan. Just came up. Sorry,” he said and knew he could ditch for his lunch break a few minutes early so saved all his data, put his machine to sleep, grabbed his stuff and left the floor. Rauf and Ugo both watched him go, brows furrowed curiously but he didn’t give a crap about them.

He got downstairs and out the lobby before most people had and looked around surreptitiously. Then he felt something come up on his left side. He turned to look; no one. When he faced back front Altair was standing there with a cheerful smirk on his smug mug. Malik jumped, a bit startled. “Hello,” Altair said.

Malik grabbed his chest, “Fuck Altair,” he growled, “Do not sneak up on me you ass.”

“I thought I was a pig. First a pig, now an ass. What’s next Malik? Going to go through the entire menagerie for your insults,” he said in a cheeky way, not actually insulted. Malik rolled his eyes. “C’mon,” and without asking grabbed Malik’s hand.

“Where are we going?” Malik asked. “Also, you said you were taking me to lunch. Where the hell you get the money for that, or your phone?”

Altair rolled his eyes at Malik, “You forget who I’m related to, obviously. That’s the only reason you would ask such a dumb question,” Altair stated. Malik was about to say he wasn’t stupid when Altair himself had said that his aunt and uncle didn’t even know he was here. He didn’t get the change to. “That and they don’t just send us places without being able to pay for things. All cash.”

“Great. How dirty is this money?” he asked with a roll of his eyes.