The room was tense. Everyone was quiet, lost in their own thoughts. The heist had gone sideways, and now they were on Julius’ radar like never before.Jamal sat up, wincing as pain shot through his side. Nadine steadied him, but he waved her off. “We can’t stay here,” Malik said, breaking the silence. “Julius will come for us.”Khalil nodded. “He’s not just going to let this go. We took his money, his blackmail material, and almost ended him. He’ll be out for blood.”Jamal exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face. The weight of it all pressed down on him. He had expected retaliation, but not this soon.Ibrahim, sitting in the corner, tapped his phone furiously. His face darkened. “We’ve got a problem.”He turned the screen around. On it was a news broadcast.“BREAKING NEWS: Armed robbery in high-security vault linked to criminal underworld. Police sources suspect gang activity.”Jamal’s blood ran cold. The footage showed blurred images of them escaping through the ventilation sys

Jamal’s grip on his gun tightened as Julius smirked at him from the back seat of the van. Blood dripped from the corner of Julius’ mouth, but he showed no sign of fear.“You’re wasting your time,” Julius said, his voice hoarse but laced with arrogance. “The Broker already knows everything.”Jamal’s jaw clenched. The explosions behind them had left a raging fire consuming what was once Julius’ safe house. The streetlights flashed across their faces as Ibrahim drove them through the chaotic Lagos traffic, weaving between cars with expert precision.“He knows we have you?” Jamal asked, his voice calm but dangerous.Julius chuckled, shaking his head. “He knew before you even got here. You think you’re winning, Jamal? You’re a rat in a maze. And the walls are closing in.”Jamal kept his gun trained on Julius’ forehead, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew that the Syndicate wasn’t done with him. Not even close.Malik turned from the front seat, wiping sweat from his brow. “We should kill hi

Jamal stood over The Broker, watching as he slowly regained consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, the low flicker of the hanging light bulb casting long shadows across the grimy walls of the abandoned warehouse. Blood trickled down the side of The Broker’s face, but his smirk remained.“You’re making a mistake,” The Broker murmured, his voice low and amused.Jamal crouched down, his eyes hard. “Maybe. But it’s the kind of mistake I can live with.”The Broker’s smile widened. “Are you sure about that?”Jamal’s jaw tightened. He grabbed the chair The Broker was tied to and dragged it closer. The metal legs screeched against the concrete floor.The Broker winced at the sound but kept smiling.“Start talking,” Jamal said.The Broker shook his head. “You think you can scare me?”Jamal’s eyes flashed darkly. “I don’t need to scare you.”Khalil and Malik stood behind him, their expressions cold. Nadine leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her eyes sharp.“You know who I am,” The Broker s

Jamal sat on the edge of the warehouse’s broken desk, the dim light from the single overhead bulb casting harsh shadows across his face. His jaw was set, his gaze fixed on the floor. The Broker’s words still echoed in his ears.The Palms. Tomorrow night.Malik paced near the wall, his shoulders tight. Khalil leaned against the rusted steel door, arms crossed over his chest. Nadine stood near the window, her silhouette outlined against the pale moonlight filtering through the cracked glass.“We can’t just walk in there,” Malik said, his tone sharp. “The Palms is locked down tighter than a vault. You know how many armed men they’ll have?”Jamal’s gaze didn’t lift. “I don’t care.”Khalil’s eyes narrowed. “It’s a trap.”“I know,” Jamal said. His tone was cold. Flat.“And you still want to go?” Malik demanded.Jamal’s head lifted, his eyes like steel. “Yes.”Malik’s jaw tightened. “Why?”“Because it’s the only way to cut the head off the snake,” Jamal said. Malik’s teeth clenched. “And if

Jamal sat in the back seat of the black SUV, his eyes fixed on the dark cityscape rushing past the window. The night was quiet now, but the adrenaline still hummed in his veins. His hands were steady, but his mind was spinning.The Broker was dead.But his last words haunted Jamal.“You think this ends with me? I’m just the beginning.”Jamal rubbed his hands over his face. He should feel relief. This was the moment he’d been working toward for years—taking down the Syndicate’s shadowy puppet master. But instead of satisfaction, there was only a growing sense of unease.“We need to regroup,” Malik said from the seat beside him. His face was hard, his tone sharp. Jamal lowered his hands. “We’re not finished.”Malik’s gaze sharpened. “You don’t believe him, do you?”Jamal’s jaw tightened. “He had no reason to lie.”Khalil turned from the front seat, his expression grim. “What are you thinking?”Jamal leaned back, his fingers drumming on his knee. “If The Broker was part of something bigg