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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 114: THE VULTURES CIRCLE
The rain returned with a vengeance, sweeping across the city like a curtain of ice. The streets shimmered with oil-slick reflections, broken only by the flashing red-and-blue of distant patrol cars. Somewhere in the city’s pulsing heart, a war was being written in the blood of its kings.Inside a dimly lit jazz bar in Eastwood...neutral ground for the old families...Arturo Salvi sat alone at a corner booth, a heavy glass of bourbon in hand. The music was low, slow, melancholic. A trumpet cried the blues into the smoky air.Across from him, Alessia De Luca leaned back in her seat, the flickering candlelight dancing against her sharp features. Her usual steel was hidden beneath a composed smile, but her eyes...those dangerous, storm-churning eyes...never stopped calculating."You’ve heard the latest?" Arturo asked, breaking the silence.“About the ambush in Midtown?" Alessia replied. "Carrick lost four men. One of them was his courier."Arturo nodded. "You’re bleeding him. Slowly. Preci
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 115: THE TIES THAT CHOKE
Rain fell over the city like a funeral veil, turning alleyways into streams and rooftops into drumheads. Thunder cracked low in the distance, and lightning danced over the skyline like the wrath of forgotten gods.In a darkened basement beneath an abandoned theater on Varnum Street, Carrick Gale stared at a wall of photos, maps, and red-thread connections pinned together in a sprawling web of vengeance. His shirt was soaked at the collar, blood flecks speckling his sleeves, and the half-empty glass of whiskey in his hand trembled slightly as he drank.Victor stood nearby, arms crossed. "Three more trucks gone tonight. Docks, north line, and the salvage yard. Alessia's moving faster than we predicted."Carrick didn’t look away from the board. "She’s not trying to cripple us anymore. She’s trying to humiliate us. Publicly. Repeatedly."Victor nodded. "She wants the city to see you bleeding."Carrick downed the rest of his drink and set the glass down hard enough that it cracked. "Then w
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 116: SMOKE BEFORE FIRE
The Gale estate was quiet...too quiet. It was the kind of stillness that blanketed a place right before a storm broke, before sirens screamed and bullets ripped through the night.Inside the war room, Carrick leaned over the city map, his palms pressed flat against the table. The flickering overhead light cast deep shadows across his face, sharpening the grim lines carved by sleepless nights and too many bodies.Victor entered without knocking. His shirt was soaked from the rain, his brow furrowed.“They hit the convoy outside Westbridge,” he said, tossing a blood-stained envelope onto the table. “Four of our men dead. One of the trucks burned. They left this behind.”Carrick didn’t move at first. Then slowly, he picked up the envelope. Inside was a single black feather and a slip of parchment. On it, scrawled in crimson ink: ‘For Elena. For every name you buried beneath your throne.’His jaw tightened. “Alessia.”Victor nodded grimly. “She’s escalating. These aren’t just retaliatory
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 117: THE BLOOD TAX
The storm that had lingered over the city for three straight days finally broke, leaving behind a thick veil of fog that crawled between alleys like a living thing. In the early morning light, the city looked like it was holding its breath.Inside a shuttered café in the North Quarter, Alessia De Luca met with her captains.Lucien stood against the counter, arms crossed, while two lieutenants...Vincent and Isla...leaned over a map spread across the table. The scent of old coffee and gun oil filled the room."We crippled the last of his Southbridge shipments last night," Vincent said, tapping the map. "Ammo, fuel, bribes to the port guards. All gone.""And the port guard?" Alessia asked."Paid off and packing bags. Some of them want to switch sides."Alessia glanced at Lucien. "Vetting them?""Thoroughly. Nobody gets through unless we own them, body and soul," Lucien said.Isla, a scarred woman with cold eyes and a voice like gravel, added, "Carrick's starting to panic. He pulled men f
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 118; FAULTLINES
The warehouse in Southpoint was supposed to be a routine supply drop. Neutral ground. Nothing more than a checkpoint to move arms and launder money through the docks. But when Enzo pushed open the side door and found three of Carrick's men hanging from the rafters, blood still dripping from their slashed throats, he knew neutrality was dead."Holy shit," muttered Luca, the youngest of the crew. He backed away, eyes wide, stomach already heaving. Enzo pulled his gun immediately, sweeping the room."Clear it. Now."They moved fast, years of training kicking in. But the place was empty. No shooters. No threats. Just three corpses strung up like warnings, their chests carved with the mark of the De Luca family...a dagger through a serpent.Enzo crouched by the nearest body, jaw clenched. "They were tortured. This wasn't just a hit. It was a message.""Think it's Alessia?" Luca asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Enzo stood slowly. "She's not playing around anymore."At the Gale estat
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 119: WHEN THE KNIVES CAME OUT
Rain fell in fine needles over the city, soft but ceaseless, muting the hum of traffic and neon. It was the kind of rain that made streets feel deserted even when people passed you by. It clung to everything, soaking the sidewalks, the cigarette butts crushed into gutters, the shoes of men walking to war.Carrick Gale stood at the balcony of his estate, coat unbuttoned, letting the rain slide off his skin. He needed the cold. It grounded him. The city looked blurred from up here, dreamlike, as if it were trying to disguise its sins behind a veil of water.Victor approached from behind, his footsteps soft. "We have a problem."Carrick didn’t look back. "Just one?"Victor handed him a phone. "It’s Enzo. You need to hear this."Carrick took the phone and brought it to his ear. Enzo’s voice was a mix of urgency and exhaustion."They hit the South Ward stash. Burned it. Took everything. Left our guys in pieces."Carrick's jaw tightened. "Alessia?""Her style. They were efficient. Precise.
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 1 : THE OUTCAST
Carrick Gale felt like an outsider at the party. He looked around the fancy room and saw people laughing and having fun. But he didn't feel like he belonged.His mom, Janice, was smiling and talking to others. She was beautiful, and everyone seemed to like her. But Carrick knew the truth. She was treated poorly by the Gale family, even though she was kind and loving.Carrick's mom called him over, but he didn't want to go. He felt awkward, and the other kids were staring at him. They whispered to each other, making fun of him.Carrick's mom wanted him to join her, but he felt like he didn't fit in. The other kids were mean, and he felt like he was walking through mud as he approached them.Their dirty looks and snickers hurt Carrick. He clenched his jaw and tightened his fists. He was used to being left out, but it still hurt."Hey, bastard, what are you doing here?" one of them sneered, a tall, muscular boy with a cruel grin, his voice like a rusty gate scraping against Carrick's ner
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 2: A STAB IN THE BACK
Carrick walked to the garage, wondering what his father's mysterious business deal was about. He felt uneasy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. If this business deal was as important as his father made it out to be, then why didn't he send Domino? Domino had always been his favorite. Carrick decided to see this through.. as this was the only way to redeem himself and earn the family's respect.Edgar, the driver, greeted him and asked if he was ready. Carrick nodded and got into the car. As they drove, Carrick's mind kept going back to his father's words: "Clear away the shame." But something didn't feel right.The car stopped at a deserted warehouse. Edgar told Carrick to wait while he checked if everything was ready. Carrick watched as Edgar entered the warehouse, feeling his heart pound in his chest.Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the shadows. A voice called out, "Carrick Gale, welcome." Carrick turned to see a figure emerging from the darkness."Who are you?" Carrick as
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 119: WHEN THE KNIVES CAME OUT
Rain fell in fine needles over the city, soft but ceaseless, muting the hum of traffic and neon. It was the kind of rain that made streets feel deserted even when people passed you by. It clung to everything, soaking the sidewalks, the cigarette butts crushed into gutters, the shoes of men walking to war.Carrick Gale stood at the balcony of his estate, coat unbuttoned, letting the rain slide off his skin. He needed the cold. It grounded him. The city looked blurred from up here, dreamlike, as if it were trying to disguise its sins behind a veil of water.Victor approached from behind, his footsteps soft. "We have a problem."Carrick didn’t look back. "Just one?"Victor handed him a phone. "It’s Enzo. You need to hear this."Carrick took the phone and brought it to his ear. Enzo’s voice was a mix of urgency and exhaustion."They hit the South Ward stash. Burned it. Took everything. Left our guys in pieces."Carrick's jaw tightened. "Alessia?""Her style. They were efficient. Precise.
CHAPTER 118; FAULTLINES
The warehouse in Southpoint was supposed to be a routine supply drop. Neutral ground. Nothing more than a checkpoint to move arms and launder money through the docks. But when Enzo pushed open the side door and found three of Carrick's men hanging from the rafters, blood still dripping from their slashed throats, he knew neutrality was dead."Holy shit," muttered Luca, the youngest of the crew. He backed away, eyes wide, stomach already heaving. Enzo pulled his gun immediately, sweeping the room."Clear it. Now."They moved fast, years of training kicking in. But the place was empty. No shooters. No threats. Just three corpses strung up like warnings, their chests carved with the mark of the De Luca family...a dagger through a serpent.Enzo crouched by the nearest body, jaw clenched. "They were tortured. This wasn't just a hit. It was a message.""Think it's Alessia?" Luca asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Enzo stood slowly. "She's not playing around anymore."At the Gale estat
CHAPTER 117: THE BLOOD TAX
The storm that had lingered over the city for three straight days finally broke, leaving behind a thick veil of fog that crawled between alleys like a living thing. In the early morning light, the city looked like it was holding its breath.Inside a shuttered café in the North Quarter, Alessia De Luca met with her captains.Lucien stood against the counter, arms crossed, while two lieutenants...Vincent and Isla...leaned over a map spread across the table. The scent of old coffee and gun oil filled the room."We crippled the last of his Southbridge shipments last night," Vincent said, tapping the map. "Ammo, fuel, bribes to the port guards. All gone.""And the port guard?" Alessia asked."Paid off and packing bags. Some of them want to switch sides."Alessia glanced at Lucien. "Vetting them?""Thoroughly. Nobody gets through unless we own them, body and soul," Lucien said.Isla, a scarred woman with cold eyes and a voice like gravel, added, "Carrick's starting to panic. He pulled men f
CHAPTER 116: SMOKE BEFORE FIRE
The Gale estate was quiet...too quiet. It was the kind of stillness that blanketed a place right before a storm broke, before sirens screamed and bullets ripped through the night.Inside the war room, Carrick leaned over the city map, his palms pressed flat against the table. The flickering overhead light cast deep shadows across his face, sharpening the grim lines carved by sleepless nights and too many bodies.Victor entered without knocking. His shirt was soaked from the rain, his brow furrowed.“They hit the convoy outside Westbridge,” he said, tossing a blood-stained envelope onto the table. “Four of our men dead. One of the trucks burned. They left this behind.”Carrick didn’t move at first. Then slowly, he picked up the envelope. Inside was a single black feather and a slip of parchment. On it, scrawled in crimson ink: ‘For Elena. For every name you buried beneath your throne.’His jaw tightened. “Alessia.”Victor nodded grimly. “She’s escalating. These aren’t just retaliatory
CHAPTER 115: THE TIES THAT CHOKE
Rain fell over the city like a funeral veil, turning alleyways into streams and rooftops into drumheads. Thunder cracked low in the distance, and lightning danced over the skyline like the wrath of forgotten gods.In a darkened basement beneath an abandoned theater on Varnum Street, Carrick Gale stared at a wall of photos, maps, and red-thread connections pinned together in a sprawling web of vengeance. His shirt was soaked at the collar, blood flecks speckling his sleeves, and the half-empty glass of whiskey in his hand trembled slightly as he drank.Victor stood nearby, arms crossed. "Three more trucks gone tonight. Docks, north line, and the salvage yard. Alessia's moving faster than we predicted."Carrick didn’t look away from the board. "She’s not trying to cripple us anymore. She’s trying to humiliate us. Publicly. Repeatedly."Victor nodded. "She wants the city to see you bleeding."Carrick downed the rest of his drink and set the glass down hard enough that it cracked. "Then w
CHAPTER 114: THE VULTURES CIRCLE
The rain returned with a vengeance, sweeping across the city like a curtain of ice. The streets shimmered with oil-slick reflections, broken only by the flashing red-and-blue of distant patrol cars. Somewhere in the city’s pulsing heart, a war was being written in the blood of its kings.Inside a dimly lit jazz bar in Eastwood...neutral ground for the old families...Arturo Salvi sat alone at a corner booth, a heavy glass of bourbon in hand. The music was low, slow, melancholic. A trumpet cried the blues into the smoky air.Across from him, Alessia De Luca leaned back in her seat, the flickering candlelight dancing against her sharp features. Her usual steel was hidden beneath a composed smile, but her eyes...those dangerous, storm-churning eyes...never stopped calculating."You’ve heard the latest?" Arturo asked, breaking the silence.“About the ambush in Midtown?" Alessia replied. "Carrick lost four men. One of them was his courier."Arturo nodded. "You’re bleeding him. Slowly. Preci
Chapter 113: The Edge of Silence
The night was unusually quiet, but the silence didn’t bring peace. Carrick sat alone in the study, staring at a half-empty glass of bourbon. The fire crackled in the hearth, but it didn’t chase away the cold that had seeped into the walls of the Gale estate. His empire was beginning to splinter, not from outside pressure, but from within...from doubt, from fear, from the quiet unrest growing in the hearts of men who had once followed him without question. Victor stepped inside, his steps cautious. He didn’t speak right away. "Just say it," Carrick murmured. Victor leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "You want it straight? We lost two more distribution points in the Eastside. Alessia’s people moved in, paid off the local crews. Didn’t even fire a shot." Carrick rubbed a hand over his face. "She’s smart. She knows not every war is won with bullets." Victor nodded. "And she knows your men are scared. They see her growing stronger by the day. They’re wondering if maybe... t
CHAPTER 112. NO TURNING BACK
Rain soaked Carrick’s coat, seeping through to his skin, but he didn’t flinch. Across from him, Alessia De Luca stood beneath the arch of the cathedral, her hair dark with rain, her eyes burning with purpose. Around them, the city held its breath. For a moment, nothing existed but the silence and the war between their gazes. “Call them off,” Carrick said, nodding toward the rooftops. “Or what?” Alessia’s voice was sharp and steady. “You’ll kill me here and now? Go ahead. But you’ll die with me. You know that.” Carrick didn’t lower his gun. “Then why are we talking?” “Because you’re tired,” she said. “And deep down, you know this city deserves better than you. Better than a butcher king holding onto a throne built on corpses.” He stepped forward. “Better like Moretti? Like your sister? They talked of peace while hiding knives behind their backs.” “And you brought a flamethrower,” Alessia snapped. The wind picked up, carrying the sounds of distant sirens. Carrick glanced to
CHAPTER 111. BENEATH THE SURFACE
Rain beat steadily against the city streets, a relentless rhythm that matched the pulse of tension rising in every corner of the underworld. Carrick Gale’s war wasn’t over...not by a long shot. The death of Moretti and Elena had only shifted the battlefield, not ended it. And in the silence that followed the bloodshed, new enemies crept in from the shadows.In a warehouse far from the estate, Carrick stood in front of rows of crates filled with imported weapons. The place was supposed to be secure. It had been. Until two nights ago.“Third shipment hit in a week,” Victor growled, pacing behind him. “They’re not just stealing from us...they’re torching the rest. Sending a message.”Carrick crouched, inspecting the blackened remains of a crate. His voice was cold. “What kind of message do they think they’re sending?”“The kind that says they’re not afraid.”Carrick stood, brushing ash from his fingers. “It’s Salvi. And Alessia.”Marco stood near the door, arms crossed, jaw tight. “They’
