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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 59: LINES IN THE SAND
The Zenith Headquarters was quieter than usual. Despite the recent victory, tension still hung in the air like a storm waiting to break. Carrick Gale sat at the head of the long conference table, his fingers steepled in front of him as he listened to the latest reports.Victor Alistair stood to his right, arms crossed, his face set in a grim expression. Jason leaned against the far wall, nursing a glass of whiskey, while Anthony paced restlessly, glancing at his phone every few seconds.Finally, Jason broke the silence.“So what’s the move?”Carrick exhaled, tapping a finger against the polished wood. “Domino isn’t going to stay quiet for long. We’ve humiliated him, stripped him of his resources, and made sure his allies know he’s weak. He won’t let that slide.”Victor nodded. “He’ll retaliate hard. Question is, how?”Anthony threw his phone onto the table. “We’ve been tracking his movements, but he’s keeping a low profile. The only thing we’ve confirmed is that he met with Lorenzo ag
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 60: WE MOVE FIRST
The Zenith Headquarters was alive with tension. Every footstep echoed through the halls as Carrick’s men prepared for what was coming. The attack on their businesses wasn’t just a provocation.. it was a declaration of war. Domino Gale had made his move, and now it was Carrick’s turn to answer.Seated at the head of the war room table, Carrick tapped his fingers against the polished surface, deep in thought. Jason, Anthony, and Victor stood around him, each waiting for his decision.Jason was the first to break the silence. “We’ve locked down all the businesses that were hit. Extra security, reinforced personnel. But it’s clear this was just the beginning.”Victor nodded. “Domino wanted to send a message. But if we don’t respond, it’ll make us look weak.”Carrick leaned back, considering his options. “He’s trying to bait us into a sloppy move.” His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. “That’s not going to happen.”Anthony exhaled. “So what’s the plan?”Carrick turn
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 61: NO MORE CHAINS
The first shot rang out like a war drum.Jason’s bullet tore through the air, forcing Domino to dodge to the side. Almost instantly, the hall exploded into chaos. Muzzle flashes illuminated the darkness, bullets ripping through the air as both sides exchanged fire.Carrick didn’t hesitate. He charged forward, using the moment of distraction to close the distance between him and his older brother. Domino barely had time to react before Carrick’s fist collided with his jaw.The force sent Domino stumbling back, but he recovered quickly, his smirk widening despite the split lip. “That's all you got, little brother?”Carrick didn’t reply. He swung again, this time aiming for Domino’s ribs.Domino twisted, dodging at the last second. “Tsk, tsk. You fight just like Father did, reckless.”Carrick’s glare darkened. That was a mistake.Using the insult as fuel, he fainted left before slamming his knee into Domino’s stomach. His older brother gasped, doubling over slightly, but before Carrick c
BANG BANG BANG Chapter 62. BREAKING THE CHAINS
The roar of the engines filled the night as the two black SUVs closed in behind them, headlights slicing through the darkness.Carrick’s grip on the wheel tightened. This wasn’t over.“Jason, Anthony.. prepare for a fight,” he ordered, his voice sharp.Jason chambered a round, rolling down the window. “On it, boss.”Anthony pulled out a compact rifle, checking the sights. “What’s the play?”Carrick glanced in the rearview mirror. “We need to lose them before we reach the safe house.”His mother, calm despite the danger, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Carrick…”He didn’t take his eyes off the road. “Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t let them take you back.”She sighed, her gaze filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite decipher. “I know.”The first SUV behind them lurched forward, ramming into their bumper.The impact jolted everyone in the car.Jason cursed. “They’re trying to run us off the road!”Carrick gritted his teeth. Not happening. He yanked the steering wheel, controlling t
BANG BANG BANG Chapter 63. LINES IN THE SAND
The safe house was a dimly lit warehouse near the docks, its towering metal shelves casting long shadows over the concrete floor. The salty air from the sea mixed with the faint scent of oil and dust.Carrick stood at the center of it all, arms crossed, his mind racing through the next steps. His mother sat on an old leather chair nearby, silent, but watchful. Victor leaned against a crate, while Jason and Anthony took positions near the entrance, their eyes scanning for any movement.The room was thick with tension. The Gale Family wouldn’t stay quiet for long.Victor was the first to break the silence. “Your father’s going to respond, and it won’t be subtle.”Carrick’s jaw clenched. “I’m counting on that.”Jason scoffed, loading his pistol. “Yeah? Well, forgive me if I don’t exactly love the idea of having Gale hit squads breathing down our necks every second.”Anthony nodded. “He’s right. We need to go on the offensive before Zachary regroups.”Carrick turned to his mother. “He’ll
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 64: THE FALL OF RAFAEL DOMINGUEZ
The night was thick with the scent of rain-soaked asphalt as Carrick and his team drove toward the next target. Rafael Dominguez. A man who had built his reputation in the underworld by running supply lines that stretched across three states. Drugs. Guns. Money. If it moved through Zachary Gale’s empire, it had Dominguez’s fingerprints on it. Tonight, Carrick was going to rip those fingers off. Victor, driving the sleek black SUV, glanced at Carrick through the rearview mirror. "You think he’ll talk as easily as Corletti?" Carrick didn’t look up from his phone. "No. Which is why we’re skipping the negotiations." Jason, sitting beside him, smirked. "I like this plan already." The SUV came to a slow stop in front of an abandoned industrial warehouse near the city docks. Dominguez operated out of a shipping yard, moving shipments through container ships that left no paper trail. Tonight, however, Carrick wasn’t here for the paper trail. He was here for blood. Inside the Warehou
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 65: CUTTING THE LAST THREAD
The city was alive with the hum of the night, but inside the black SUV, there was only silence.Carrick sat in the backseat, his fingers tapping against his knee. He wasn’t impatient, he was calculating.Two pieces of his father’s empire had already fallen. Lorenzo Corletti and Rafael Dominguez were out of the picture. That left one final piece before he could go for the king himself.Ezra Mallory.A former investment banker turned financial architect of Zachary Gale’s criminal empire. He handled money laundering, offshore accounts, and political bribes. If Zachary was the head, Ezra was the spine.Break the spine, and the body would collapse.Victor glanced at Carrick through the rearview mirror. “We heading straight for him?”Carrick exhaled, his mind working through the variables. “Not yet.”Jason, in the passenger seat, frowned. “Why not? He’s the last loose end before we can take down Zachary.”Carrick’s lips curled slightly. “Exactly. Which means he’s going to expect us.”Jason
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 66: THE GATHERING STORM
The Zenith mansion was buzzing with activity. Men moved in and out, preparing weapons, securing intel, and reinforcing security measures. The air was thick with tension, a war was coming.Carrick stood in the center of the main hall, his gaze hard as steel. He had just eliminated Ezra Mallory, the final pillar supporting his father’s empire. Now, only one enemy remained.. Zachary Gale.The bastard who had betrayed him.The man who had left his mother to suffer.The devil who had ruled the underworld for too long.Carrick clenched his fists. It was time.Victor Alistair entered, flanked by Jason and Anthony. Victor wore his usual tailored suit, but tonight, there was a seriousness in his demeanor.“Ezra’s death will send a message,” Victor said, taking a seat. “But Zachary won’t be caught off guard. If anything, this will make him more dangerous.”Carrick smirked. “Good. I want him desperate.”Jason leaned against the table. “Ezra said the arms deal is happening in three days at the do
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CHAPTER 149: SMOKE AND MIRRORS
The smoke hadn’t even cleared from the ambush site when Marco slammed his fist onto the table back at the safehouse."Goddamn it!" he roared, sending a stack of blueprints flying.Victor stood nearby, a fresh gash bleeding across his brow, jaw set tight with anger.Silas limped in, clutching his side. "It was a setup," he rasped. "He knew every move we made."Marco’s face was carved from stone."He’s inside our circle," he said. "Somebody’s talking."Victor cursed low. "I’ll start running checks. Every man, every comm line.""No," Marco said, voice colder than steel. "I'll do it myself."He turned to Silas."Get patched up. You're no good to me bleeding out."Silas opened his mouth, thought better of it, and nodded, leaving the room.Only Victor stayed."You really think one of ours flipped?"Marco didn't answer right away. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, hands steady even though his gut boiled."Not just flipped," he said finally. "They sold their soul."Victor’s mouth tightene
CHAPTER 148: BLOOD IN THE SHADOWS
The first sign that something was wrong came with the silence.The war room was usually a hive ... phones ringing, men shouting, maps shifting. But tonight, there was nothing. Just an eerie, unnatural stillness.Marco paced the edge of the table, feeling the weight of it press down on his chest."Where’s Jax?" he snapped, glancing at Victor.Victor, frowning, checked his watch. "He should’ve reported in an hour ago."Silas lit a cigarette with trembling fingers. "Maybe he ran into heat. Cops, Carrick’s leftovers..."Marco shook his head. "Jax doesn’t miss check-ins. Not unless he’s dead."The word hung heavy in the air.A phone rang ... sharp and shrill.Everyone jolted.Victor grabbed it."Yeah?" His face paled almost instantly. "Boss... you need to hear this."Marco snatched the phone from him."Marco," a voice rasped. Jax’s voice ... barely recognizable, slurred and broken."It’s... a trap... he knew... he knew we were coming..."Gunshots crackled in the background. Screaming. Then
CHAPTER 147: FIRST STRIKE
Marco didn’t sleep that night.He sat in the war room ... a makeshift headquarters carved out of an abandoned speakeasy beneath the old theatre ... staring at the maps spread across the table. Each red pin marked a loyalty, each black pin a threat. And there were more black pins now than ever before.Victor entered, a mug of coffee in one hand, a pistol tucked into the back of his belt."You should rest," Victor said, setting the coffee down. "You look like hell."Marco didn’t move. "Carrick didn’t threaten me," he said, voice low. "He challenged me."Victor pulled a chair around and dropped into it, studying Marco."There's a difference?""Yeah," Marco said grimly. "One's a warning. The other’s a death sentence."Victor nodded slowly. "So what’s the play?"Marco leaned back, eyes burning. "We strike first."Victor's eyebrows lifted. "Now you’re speaking my language."But Marco wasn’t smiling."No messy fireworks. No grandstanding," he said. "We cut out Carrick’s heart while it’s stil
CHAPTER 146: SMOKE BEFORE THE FIRE
The night air was thick with mist and the sour stench of gasoline.Carrick Gale stood atop the rooftop of an abandoned textile mill, his coat whipping in the wind, a cigarette burning low between his fingers.Below him, the city lights flickered like dying embers."You were right," muttered Donovan, stepping up beside him. His breath steamed in the cold. "Marco’s moving against you."Carrick didn’t flinch. He didn’t even look at him."I know."Donovan hesitated. "It’s not just Marco. Salvatore met with him tonight. They're rallying others. Quiet-like, but... it's happening."Carrick took a slow drag from his cigarette, the tip flaring."So the rats finally show their teeth," he said softly.Donovan shifted uneasily. "What do you want to do?"Carrick turned, finally facing him. His eyes were pale blue and cold as glacial ice."Set a meet," Carrick said. "Invite Marco. Make it seem like I want to talk peace."Donovan frowned. "You think he’ll buy it?"Carrick smiled ... a thin, dead thi
CHAPTER 145: A KINGDOM OF ASH
The warehouse stank of oil, dust, and desperation.A single bare bulb swung from the ceiling, casting long, jittering shadows over the gathered men. Marco stood near the center, his fists shoved deep into the pockets of his coat, while Silas leaned casually against a rusted support beam, arms folded, eyes glittering like a serpent waiting for its moment to strike."So what’s the play?" Marco asked, his voice low.Silas smiled ... that same unsettling, knowing smile. "Simple. We bleed Carrick dry from the inside. Cut his supply lines. Peel away his allies one by one."Marco’s jaw tightened. "You make it sound easy."Silas shrugged lazily. "It's not easy. It's inevitable. Carrick's empire is rotting. All we have to do is give it a little... push.""Push too hard," Marco muttered, "and he'll lash out."Silas stepped closer, voice dropping. "That's the idea. Let him lash out. Let him make mistakes. Then we move in for the kill."Marco stared at him, heart pounding in his chest. The though
CHAPTER 144: A SERPENT AMONG WOLVES
The city was breaking apart at its seams, a rotting corpse wearing a golden crown.Marco walked through the crumbling alleys of the south side, the rain soaking through his jacket. He didn’t care. The world could drown for all it mattered.Carrick was slipping. And Marco ... once Carrick's sword arm, once his shield ... felt it deep in his bones: the time to choose sides had come.He wasn’t sure if he could betray the man who had once saved him.But as the blood pooled deeper around Carrick's throne, loyalty began to feel more like a noose.A sharp whistle echoed down the alley.Marco turned instantly, hand going to the gun beneath his jacket.Out of the shadows stepped a man ... tall, wiry, with an unsettling stillness to him. His long black coat clung to him like a second skin. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were dead."You must be Marco," the stranger said smoothly, voice like silk pulled across a blade."Depends who's asking," Marco replied, voice t
CHAPTER 143: KNIVES BENEATH SMILES
The storm rolled in over the city as dusk fell, shrouding the skyline in grim clouds. Thunder grumbled low in the distance, a warning growl before the lightning’s inevitable strike.Inside the upper floors of the old Salvi manor, Arturo stood at the head of a long table. Around him were faces ... some familiar, some recently turned ... all carrying the same grim set to their jaws. They were the last of the De Luca loyalists, the bitter remnants of broken families, and the wolves who had long waited for Carrick Gale to falter.Alessia De Luca sat to Arturo’s right, her hands neatly folded, a mask of calm that barely concealed the rage boiling underneath."Carrick’s bleeding," Arturo said, voice low but carrying. "The shipment hit hurt him worse than he’s letting on. His allies are whispering. Some are jumping ship."A younger man, Gaetano, leaned forward, his knuckles white against the table. "Then we press now. While he's weak. Burn the rest of his operations to the ground!"Arturo sh
CHAPTER 142: SERPENTS IN SILK
The scent of danger was like perfume in the air...sweet, alluring, and sharp enough to slit a man’s throat.Carrick Gale stood in the center of an abandoned cathedral on the South Side, his coat dripping rain onto the cracked marble floor. The place had once echoed with hymns and confessions. Now it was silent but for the distant thunder and the click of heels.Alessia De Luca appeared from the shadows, flanked by Lucien and two of her trusted lieutenants. Her expression was unreadable, carved in ice."So this is where you want to die?" she asked coolly.Carrick tilted his head. "If I wanted to die, I wouldn’t have come armed."Victor stepped from the darkness behind Carrick, his gun already in hand. Marco wasn’t far behind, his face drawn, hollow-eyed, the weight of too many bodies pressing on his soul.Alessia stopped a few feet away. Lucien didn’t blink, but his fingers twitched slightly by his belt."I didn’t come to kill you today," she said. "Not yet."Carrick raised an eyebrow.
CHAPTER 141: THE HUNTER IN THE GARDEN
The sun was setting behind the skyline when Carrick Gale stepped into the conservatory of the old Cassaro estate...an overgrown garden trapped in glass and silence. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and rot. Vines had climbed over stone statues and crumbling benches, but the path remained clear. It had once been a place of peace for the Cassaro family, before they were bled out by the De Lucas in a long-forgotten feud. Now it served Carrick as a meeting ground. Neutral. Isolated. Forgotten.Marco trailed behind him, eyes scanning the shifting shadows between the hedgerows."Why here?" he asked.Carrick didn’t stop walking. "Because it’s a graveyard with flowers. Suits the tone."They arrived at the broken fountain at the heart of the garden. The sound of trickling water had long ceased, but Carrick could still hear ghosts in the silence.Victor was already waiting. He stepped out from beneath the trellis, face unreadable."She sent a message," he said.Carrick raised an eyeb
