The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 101

The night was electric; the air charged with the tension that always preceded something big. The city felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for the first crack in the facade to appear. Luis and Maria were watching from the shadows, their plan unfolding exactly as they had anticipated.

Jaxon and Miguel were about to collide, and when they did, it would be the beginning of the end.

Luis stood in the control room of an old warehouse, his eyes fixed on the monitors that showed live feeds of the dockyard and the east side. Everything was in place. Jaxon’s forces were spread thin, trying to hold onto territory that was slipping through his fingers, while Miguel’s men were gearing up for an all-out assault.

“They don’t see it,” Luis said quietly, more to himself than to Maria, who stood beside him. “They’re too busy trying to outmanoeuvre each other to realise that we’re the ones pulling the strings.”

Maria’s smile was cold, calculated. “And by the time they do, it’ll be too late.”

Luis watched as Miguel’s men began to move, their vehicles rolling into the Southside, ready to strike at Jaxon’s weakened defences. The tension in the air was palpable, and Luis could feel the moment approaching—the moment when everything would fall apart for both of them.

“Let it play out,” Luis said, his voice calm. “We’ll move in when they’re too busy fighting each other.”

Maria nodded, her eyes glinting with anticipation. This was what they had been waiting for. The moment when control shifted when the power they had once held would be theirs again.

And as the first shots rang out in the distance, Luis knew one thing for certain: the city was theirs to take.

The first sound of gunfire cracked through the night like thunder, a sharp and sudden rupture in the tense stillness that had gripped the city. Luis stood perfectly still in the control room, his eyes fixed on the monitors, watching as chaos began to erupt. Miguel’s men were moving in, charging into Jaxon’s territory with the kind of reckless force that only came from overconfidence. Jaxon’s crew outnumbered and caught off guard, scrambled to push them back, but it was clear from the start that they were losing ground.

“They’ve taken the bait,” Maria said softly, her voice tinged with satisfaction. She stood beside Luis, her posture relaxed, but her eyes gleamed with cold focus as she watched the pieces fall into place.

Luis didn’t respond, his gaze locked on the screen where the dockyard flickered with bursts of gunfire and shadowy figures darting between buildings. This was it—the moment they had been waiting for. Both Jaxon and Miguel had been led into a conflict they couldn’t control, and now they were too preoccupied with tearing each other apart to see the larger game unfolding around them.

“It’s only a matter of time,” Maria continued her voice barely a whisper as if savouring every second of the unfolding chaos. “Miguel thinks he has the upper hand, but once his men are spread too thin, he’ll fall apart.”

Luis nodded, though his mind was already racing ahead, calculating the next steps. He could see it clearly—the moment when both Jaxon and Miguel would realise, too late, that they had been outplayed. This was how the game was won—not with brute force but with precision, with control. And Luis had always been a master of control.

“Bones?” Luis called out, his voice calm but firm.

Bones, standing near the door, stepped forward. “Yeah?”

“Have our men start moving in from the southside,” Luis ordered, his tone steady. “I want them ready to take over as soon as Miguel’s forces are occupied. No mistakes.”

Bones nodded, already pulling out his phone to relay the orders. “They’ll be in position within the hour.”

Luis didn’t need to say anything else. The plan was unfolding exactly as they had intended. With Miguel focused on Jaxon, the Southside was vulnerable, and once Luis’s crew took control, there would be no way for Miguel to recover. By the time he realised what was happening, he would be trapped—hemmed in on all sides, with no escape.

“Jaxon’s losing ground,” Maria said, her eyes narrowing as she watched the fight on the monitors. “His men are pulling back.”

Luis didn’t flinch. “Let him fall.”

Maria’s lips curled into a small smile. This was the moment of no return. Once Jaxon’s forces were pushed out of the dockyard, it would be over for him. And then, once Miguel’s forces overextended, it would be over for him too.

“They’ll both burn,” Luis said quietly, his voice dark with certainty.

Maria nodded. “And we’ll be there to take what’s left.”

Across the city, the dockyard had become a war zone. The streets were littered with debris and shell casings, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and gunpowder. Miguel’s men moved through the shadows, their weapons drawn and their faces hard with determination. They had already pushed Jaxon’s crew back into the inner parts of the dockyard, and it seemed like victory was within their grasp.

But something was wrong.

Miguel, watching from his car a few blocks away, felt the first pangs of doubt creep into his chest. His men were pushing forward too easily, and the resistance from Jaxon’s crew was weaker than he had expected. It felt like a trap, but he couldn’t pull back now—not when he was so close to taking control.

“Keep pushing,” Miguel ordered over the radio, his voice tight. “I want them out of the dockyard by sunrise.”

But even as he gave the order, the doubt lingered. Something didn’t feel right. As the sounds of the battle continued to echo through the streets, Miguel couldn’t shake the feeling that he was walking straight into a setup.

His lieutenant, a wiry man with sharp eyes, turned to him from the passenger seat. “Something’s off. Jaxon’s not putting up the fight we expected.”

Miguel’s jaw clenched. He had already come too far to back down now, but the unease gnawed at him. “Keep going,” he said through gritted teeth. “We’re too deep to pull out now.”

The lieutenant hesitated but nodded, relaying the orders to the rest of the crew.

But Miguel wasn’t a fool. He knew how this city worked—how quickly things could turn. And as the minutes dragged on, his instincts told him that something was coming—something he couldn’t see yet.

Back at the penthouse, Luis and Maria were watching everything unfold in real-time. The cameras placed strategically throughout the Dockyard gave them a clear view of the battle and of the way Miguel’s forces were moving deeper into the territory, spreading themselves thin. It was exactly what they had planned for.

“They’re stretched too far,” Maria observed, her voice calm but edged with satisfaction. “They’re vulnerable now.”

Luis nodded. “Bones, have our men move in. I want them to start cutting off Miguel’s supply lines.”

Bones was already on it; his phone pressed to his ear as he gave the orders. The trap was closing, and soon Miguel would realise just how deep he had walked into it.

“We’ll take the Southside first,” Luis said, his gaze cold and calculating. “Then we’ll close in on the Dockyard.”

Maria’s smile widened. “And when it’s all over, Miguel will have nothing left.”

In the Dockyard, the shift came suddenly. One moment, Miguel’s men were pushing forward, confident in their victory. The next, they found themselves surrounded. Luis’s crew had moved in from the Southside, cutting off the escape routes and taking control of key positions before anyone realised what was happening.

The first sign of trouble came when Miguel’s lieutenant called in, his voice tight with panic. “We’ve lost contact with the Southside crew. Something’s happening.”

Miguel’s heart raced. This wasn’t part of the plan. He grabbed the radio, his voice sharp. “Pull back. Now.”

But it was too late.

As Miguel’s men tried to retreat, they found themselves blocked at every turn. Luis’s crew had already taken control of the key routes, and Jaxon’s forces, though weakened, were regrouping, launching a desperate counterattack.

Miguel’s pulse quickened as he realised what was happening. He’d been played. Luis had set him up and used Jaxon as bait to lure him into a trap.

“We’re surrounded!” came the panicked voice of one of his men over the radio. “We need backup, now!”

Miguel’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, his mind racing. He had to get out. Now. If he stayed, he’d be crushed between Jaxon’s counterattack and Luis’s advancing crew. The empire he’d tried to build was crumbling right in front of him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Fall back!” Miguel shouted into the radio, his voice filled with desperation. “Get out of the Dockyard!”

But even as he gave the order, he knew it was too late. The trap had closed, and there was no escape.

In the control room, Luis watched as Miguel’s men scattered, trying desperately to find a way out of the dockyard. But there was nowhere for them to go. It was over.

“Jaxon’s crew is moving in,” Maria said, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “He’ll take what’s left of Miguel’s forces, but it won’t matter. He’s already lost control.”

Luis nodded, his expression cold and focused. “We’ll move in as soon as they’re done.”

Maria’s smile was sharp. “The city’s ours again.”

Luis didn’t respond, but the truth of it settled over him like a weight. They had won. The game was theirs now, the pieces moving exactly as they had planned. But even as the victory loomed, Luis felt the familiar tug of the city—the way it never let you go completely.

The fire was still burning, always waiting for the next move, the next player to step up. And this time, Luis knew they wouldn’t be leaving.

As the final pieces fell into place, the city stretched out before them—alive, hungry, and theirs for the taking.