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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 76. THE STORM BREAKS
The air inside Zenith Tower was suffocating. A deadly silence hung over the conference room as Carrick’s inner circle absorbed the gravity of the situation.His mother had been taken.Jason clenched his fists, veins bulging against his skin. “Tell me where that bastard is keeping her. I’ll butcher every last one of them.”Victor shot him a warning look. “We can’t just charge in blindly. Zachary knows we’ll come for her. This is a trap.”Carrick stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. But his fingers tapped against the polished wood in a slow, controlled rhythm.Tap. Tap. Tap.It was the only sign of the storm brewing inside him.Finally, he spoke, voice calm. Too calm. “We’re not walking into this like amateurs. We plan. We counter. And when we strike, we leave nothing standing.”Ethan shifted uncomfortably. “But… if she’s already in his hands, we might not have time for strategy.”Carrick’s gaze snapped to him, sharp as a blade. “I am not losing her.”
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 77. BLOOD AND BETRAYAL
The heavy doors slammed shut behind Carrick, cutting him off from the chaos outside.Zachary stood across the grand hall, a smirk tugging at his lips as he set his whiskey glass down. The dim chandeliers above cast long shadows across the room, making the moment feel even more suffocating.Carrick’s grip on his gun tightened. “No more games, old man.”Zachary chuckled, his voice rich with amusement. “And here I thought you’d want to talk, son.”Carrick’s eyes darkened. “Don’t call me that.”Zachary sighed, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. “It’s funny, really. All this time, you’ve been trying to carve out your own empire. Trying so hard to erase the Gale name. But no matter what you do, you’ll always be my blood.”Carrick’s jaw clenched. He raised his gun, aiming straight at Zachary’s head.“Then I’ll spill that blood.”Zachary didn’t flinch. He simply smiled.Then...Click.The sound of multiple safeties being released echoed through the hall.Carrick barely had time to move before a
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 78: A STORM BREWING
Carrick stepped out of the grand hall, his breathing heavy, his side aching where Domino’s bullet had grazed him. The hallway was eerily silent, the scent of blood thick in the air. Bodies of Zachary’s men were strewn across the floor, testaments to the war that had just unfolded inside.Victor’s voice crackled in his earpiece again. “Carrick, are you clear?”Carrick wiped the blood off his lip with the back of his hand. “Yeah. Where is she?”“Safehouse. Northside. She’s shaken up, but she’s okay.”A weight lifted off his shoulders. He had worried that Zachary would use his mother as leverage. They had taken everything from him, but they wouldn’t take her.Not again.“Stay there,” he ordered. “I’ll be there soon.”Before Victor could respond, a new voice interrupted..Erebus.[You have completed the Family Reckoning Quest.][Rewards: 10,000 System Points, Increased Physical Endurance, Tactical Precision Upgrade.]Carrick barely reacted. The system had been his greatest asset, but now?
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 79. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
The road stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the eerie glow of streetlights. Inside the SUV, the silence was thick, broken only by the occasional hum of the tires against the asphalt. Carrick sat in the passenger seat, his fingers tapping against his thigh as he turned the flash drive over in his hand. The weight of it felt heavier than it should have.Victor stole a glance at him. “Are you going to tell me what’s on that thing, or are we just going to pretend like it doesn’t exist?”Carrick didn’t look away from the drive. “I don’t know what’s on it yet.”Victor scoffed. “Then why the hell did you take it?”“Because Zachary doesn’t play empty hands,” Carrick muttered. “If he went through the trouble of handing this over instead of dying with it, it means something.”Victor clenched his jaw. “You had him, Carrick. You could’ve ended him.”Carrick’s fingers stopped moving. “And what if this changes everything?”Victor exhaled sharply, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Or it
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 80. UNRAVELING THE TRUTH
The drive back to the Zenith Family estate was quiet, but not because there was nothing to say...because there was too much. Carrick sat in the back seat, flipping the flash drive between his fingers, his thoughts racing.Victor, sitting beside him, finally spoke. "We should check that thing somewhere safe. If Zachary gave it up so easily, there's no telling what’s on it."Carrick didn't take his eyes off the drive. "It might be the last piece of the puzzle."Victor scoffed. "Or another trap.""I'll take that risk."Victor sighed but didn't argue. Instead, he turned to the driver. "Get us to the safehouse. No stops."The driver nodded, and the car sped through the city streets.Carrick closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think past the chaos in his head. Domino’s words still echoed."Zachary isn’t the only one with insurance."What did that mean? Was there another hidden threat waiting for the right moment to strike?He gritted his teeth. If there was, he’d deal with it.The car p
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 81. ENVELOPED IN BETRAYAL
Carrick’s mind was a storm, but outwardly, he was ice. The flickering glow of the laptop screen did nothing to warm the cold rage seeping through his veins.Domino had been plotting against him all along.Victor was pacing now, his fists clenched. "That son of a bitch! We should take him out tonight. No waiting, no games. We strike first."Carrick exhaled sharply, closing the laptop. "We can’t act impulsively. Not yet."Victor stopped, glaring. "What the hell do you mean, ‘not yet’? The bastard's selling you out! He said it himself.”"I know," Carrick said, voice steel. "But I need to know exactly how deep his reach goes. If he’s working with someone powerful, then just killing him won’t solve the problem. It might make things worse."Victor ran a hand down his face, breathing heavily. "So what do we do?"Carrick turned to Elias. "Get every single one of my men on high alert. I don’t want anyone making a move without my direct orders. If Domino so much as breathes wrong, I want to kno
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 82. THE HUNT
Carrick stormed out of the meeting room, his mind razor-sharp with fury. The echoes of gunfire still rang in his ears. His men had subdued the traitors who fought back, but Domino...that bastard...had escaped.Victor was already barking orders into his phone as he walked alongside Carrick.“He couldn’t have gone far,” Victor muttered. “We have men stationed at every exit...he’s either hiding inside the estate or trying to break through security.”Carrick’s jaw clenched. “He’s not hiding. Domino’s too arrogant for that. He’ll be making a run for it.”Elias approached, his expression grim. “We’ve checked all the surveillance footage. He’s headed toward the garage.”Carrick’s eyes darkened. “Then he’s planning to steal a car and vanish before we can track him.”Victor cursed under his breath. “We should have killed him when we had the chance.”Carrick didn’t respond...there was no point in dwelling on what should have happened. Right now, he needed to make sure Domino didn’t escape.His
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 83. A DEVIL’S BARGAIN
Carrick’s grip tightened around the gun in his hand. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to pull the trigger and end Domino’s life.But his mind… his mind hesitated.She had suffered at the hands of the Gale family for years. If Domino had even the slightest bit of information that could change things...could reveal something Carrick didn’t already know...then killing him now would be a mistake.Victor stepped forward, his face a mask of disbelief. “Carrick, you can’t be serious.” His gun remained aimed at Domino’s head, his fingers twitching near the trigger. “We’ve chased this bastard through the city, risked our lives, and now you’re telling me we’re keeping him alive?”Carrick didn’t take his eyes off Domino, who was still sprawled on the ground, breathing hard. Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead where he had hit the pavement. And yet, despite being at gunpoint, he was smiling.That smug bastard.“I’m saying,” Carrick said coldly, “that he might have something useful.”
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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
CHAPTER 140: PRESSURE POINTS
Rain tapped against the windows of Arturo Salvi's West District estate, a relentless drizzle that mirrored the tension simmering within its walls. The storm outside was nothing compared to the one brewing behind closed doors."Where is she?" Arturo demanded, pacing back and forth like a caged wolf. His cigarette trembled in his fingers, ash falling unnoticed onto the ornate carpet.Lucien stood calmly near the fireplace, arms crossed. "Alessia will be here soon. You know she moves at her own pace."Arturo turned sharply. "There is no time for pacing. Carrick's latest move burned half our shipment. He knew exactly where to hit. Someone's talking."The door creaked open, and Alessia entered, trench coat soaked, eyes hard. "I heard.""Then you know we're bleeding," Arturo snapped.Alessia tossed her coat onto a chair, her movements sharp. "Carrick is desperate. That makes him dangerous, but it also makes him predictable. He strikes where it hurts, hoping we'll fold."Lucien interjected,
