"We don't know when Satrio will come to his office again." Captain Lubis looked at all his members, some of whom were already wearing aprons in the kitchen. "We have two days from now to create bread that's worth selling and to catch the attention of his employees over there."
"Yes, sir!" the five of them answered in unison.
As everyone was about to head to their respective positions, Thomas noticed something. "Captain," he called.
Captain Lubis turned. "Yes, Thomas? Is there a problem?"
"Where's Regi? He's supposed to be here, isn't he?" Thomas asked, confused.
"Of course. I told him to tour the city on his scooter. I want him to memorize the city streets," Captain Lubis said. Thomas nodded in understanding and returned to his position at B'Bread as a server and cashier.
Before long, the place was filled with clouds of flour dust floating in the air. Omar and Adam watched YouTube tutorials on how to make bread, even though they already had Captain Lubis's recipe.
Meanwhile, Kaelino was learning to use the coffee machine. He was quite familiar with coffee, only... he had never made it using a machine before.
For two hours, the place was very busy, especially Omar and Adam. Both of them kept glancing at the oven alternately, occasionally checking the temperature to ensure it stayed stable according to the video instructions they had watched.
Ding!
Omar opened the oven and took out three loaves of bread that were already baked. Adam looked at the bread pessimistically, as it didn't match what they had followed.
"So... this is the result?" he asked Omar.
Omar glanced. "Let the Captain judge," he said coldly.
Then both of them brought their bread to Captain Lubis, who was sitting at a customer table while sipping coffee made by Kaelino.
Omar presented it. "Captain, here's the bread," he said, then stepped back, waiting for the Captain's judgment.
Captain Lubis looked at the bread cynically. He slowly tore it apart and tasted it. "The texture is dense! Not soft!" he said firmly.
Adam immediately turned to Omar. "I told you, we needed more baking soda!"
"Sorry, you were right," Omar said, and the two of them returned to the kitchen to make new bread.
Watching them, Captain Lubis could only shake his head while enjoying a glass of Americano made by Kaelino. He was quite impressed, because Kaelino's coffee resembled café-quality brew.
"Kaelino," he called. Shortly after, Kaelino came over with his brown apron on. "Your coffee is good. We need to create other menu items besides Americano. Maybe cappuccino, latte, or whatever it's called. Do you understand?"
"I'm learning that, sir," Kaelino answered with a small nod.
"Good, get back to work."
Captain Lubis rose from his chair and walked to the kitchen area, watching all his members working there. Omar and Adam were kneading dough again, Kaelino was learning to measure espresso and latte art, Thomas was standing behind the computer learning to serve customers, and Kevin was pacing back and forth carrying several plates and empty glasses to the available tables in the shop.
Captain Lubis smiled. Perhaps spending some of his pension money on this wasn't so bad, compared to spending his retirement watching criminals roam free outside.
Not long after, his phone rang. It was a call from Regi, who was still touring the city. "What's up?" Captain Lubis asked.
"Captain, I got a ticket! I'm in front of Monas," Regi said, his voice panicked.
Everyone's gaze turned toward Captain Lubis, their faces showing suppressed grins and smiles. They probably thought he would let Regi handle his own problem, but Captain Lubis never thought that way.
"Huh, you're probably thinking I'll just leave him, aren't you?" he asked, and everyone smiled sheepishly. Captain Lubis shook his head, then grabbed his jacket from the table. "A good captain doesn't leave his men in trouble," he said, then hurried off to where Regi was.
The five of them were in awe, even Thomas clapped his hands. No wonder, because Captain Lubis was highly respected within the police force. His past battles with the mafia had inspired many officers. Only... now those same mafia were hiding behind the very institutions that hunted them. That was what made Captain Lubis come out of retirement.
***
"Hello, dear."
Sophia smiled from behind her phone. "Yes, dear? What's up?"
"I want to tell you something." Kaelino scratched the back of his head, a little hesitant. "I've resigned from the police force."
Sophia looked surprised. "Why? I thought... you weren't serious when you said that."
"I never joke about what I say. And I also want to tell you that I'm now a barista at a friend's bakery. Technically, I'm only helping out for a few months."
"Alright, dear, if it makes you happy. I've never cared about what profession you choose, as long as it doesn't harm other people."
Kaelino smiled slightly, his love for Sophia rising another level. "That's the reason I love you so much, Sophia."
"I love you too, Kaelino. Because you see me as Sophia, not as Husky." Sophia smiled as well, her cheeks blushing. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will, you too," Kaelino replied. Shortly after, the call ended. He hurried back downstairs to join his comrades.
That night, the five of them finished their respective tasks. Omar and Adam were waiting for Captain Lubis to return so he could taste some of their bread. Kevin and Thomas were doing the same, except they sat at a customer table, their eyes fixed on the door while holding glasses of coffee made by Kaelino.
Not long after, Captain Lubis returned with Regi. The young man had gotten through a pretty tough first day.
Regi sat down, his expression exhausted and annoyed. His comrades were curious and asked why he got a ticket. Thomas started. "Why did you get a ticket?"
"You want to know why?" Regi looked at him, tired. "Earlier, I followed a food delivery rider into a narrow alley. I thought it was a shortcut, but it turned out the rider was just going home!"
Laughter erupted instantly, chasing away the silence in the shop. Captain Lubis only smiled, because he had already heard the story on the way back. He decided to head upstairs to the third floor, leaving his team to fill the quiet of the night.
"After that, I had to reverse 100 meters!" Regi complained, his friends still laughing.
"So, how did you end up getting a ticket?" Omar asked, curious.
"I almost entered the toll road, then a patrol officer chased me."
"And you got a ticket?" Adam cut in, trying to guess the story.
Regi quickly shook his head. "No! I panicked and ran. Without realizing it... I turned into a one-way street. In the end, I was boxed in by several other vehicles and ended up around Monas," he explained, and laughter broke out again, even louder.
That night, they saw each other not as comrades in arms, but as a warm new family. After this mission was over and they returned to their respective cities... would this family end there too?
*
*
*
A week passed. Slowly, customers began coming to their shop. Regi had also been making deliveries to people, though they had never received an order from their target office.
That afternoon, the shop was fairly busy. Several tables were occupied by people just wanting to relax during their break.
The bell rang as several customers entered. Three of them were Aurel Husky and her two friends. They had stopped by to try the bread and coffee that had been reviewed by several public figures who had visited before.
She went to the cashier, where Thomas immediately served them. "Welcome to B'Bread. What would you like to order?"
"Grilled meat bread and a mochaccino," Aurel said, then asked her friends. "What are you ordering?"
"Muffins sound good, with a glass of cappuccino."
"Totally! I'll have a muffin and a glass of latte too."
"Okay!" Aurel looked at Thomas. "That's our order. Got it?"
"Of course. Will you be eating here or taking it to go?" he asked. Aurel discussed briefly with her friends.
Aurel looked back at Thomas. "Takeout. We still have an afternoon class."
Thomas nodded, calculated the total, and handed her a receipt. "Okay, the total is 80 thousand."
"So cheap." Aurel was a little surprised, her hand hesitating slightly to take the receipt. A place widely discussed by public figures on social media turned out to have prices beyond her expectations.
She and her friends sat at a table, waiting for their orders. It didn't take long for the bread to be ready, and Aurel immediately went to pick up the coffee at the next counter.
"Enjoy," said the barista.
Aurel smiled, eager to taste it. But her smile instantly faded. She was so familiar with the barista's voice. She looked up to see who was behind the coffee machine. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized who it was.
"KAELINO!" she said in disbelief.
Kaelino immediately turned toward the sound of his name being called. He saw Aurel's shocked expression slowly change, a sinister smile gradually forming on her lips. As if... the girl had just found new ammunition to humiliate him in front of the Husky family.