The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 102

The sun rose over the city, casting a pale light over the streets that had been bathed in violence the night before. The dockyard was eerily quiet.

The echoes of gunfire and the chaos of battle faded into the stillness of the morning. But beneath the silence, the power shift was unmistakable.

Luis stood on the balcony of the penthouse, watching the city awaken beneath him. The game was over—Miguel had been crushed, Jaxon was a non-factor, and now the city was his again.

Maria joined him, her sharp gaze sweeping over the skyline. “It’s done,” she said quietly, her voice filled with satisfaction. “They’re finished.”

Luis nodded, though he didn’t feel the same sense of finality. The city was never truly finished. It would keep moving and keep evolving, and so would they.

“We’ve reclaimed what’s ours,” Maria continued, her voice steady. “But now we make sure no one ever tries to take it from us again.”

Luis’s gaze darkened, the weight of her words sinking in. This time, there would be no mercy. No loose ends. The city had taught them that much.

“What’s the next move?” Maria asked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Luis turned to her, his expression hard. “We consolidate. Strengthen every part of the empire. We make it clear that we’re back—and we’re not going anywhere.”

Maria’s smile widened. “Good.”

As they stood there, the city stretched out beneath them, alive with possibility. They had fought their way back to the top, and now they would hold it—tighter, stronger than ever before. The city would bow to them again, and this time, there would be no challengers.

No one was coming to take the crown.

Luis watched the sun inch higher into the sky, its pale rays painting the city in gold. Victory had a strange taste this time, a mix of triumph and something else—something darker. He had everything he had fought for—everything he and Maria had burnt their way back to reclaim. But deep down, Luis knew the city would never really be theirs. Not in the way they wanted it to be. It wasn’t a prize to be won, but a beast to be fed—and it would always demand more.

Maria turned away from the view, stepping back into the penthouse. “We need to move quickly. Miguel’s power base is shattered, but his lieutenants could try to regroup.”

Luis nodded, though his mind was already working through the next moves. “We’ll take care of them. Make sure anyone loyal to Miguel knows there’s no way back for them. They either fall in line or disappear.”

Maria crossed the room, her eyes cold and calculating. “We should start with the dockyard. That’s the heartbeat of their operation. If we control that, we control the flow.”

Luis turned, following her into the room. The Dockyard was essential—the territory that would cement their hold on the Southside. Jaxon had underestimated its importance, focussing too much on the muscle and not enough on what it represented. Miguel had understood the value, but his ambition had blinded him to the fact that he had never truly controlled it.

“We’ll need to make a statement,” Maria continued, her voice firm. “Something that shows the rest of the city that Miguel’s time is over.”

Luis smiled faintly. “We’ll make sure they know.”

Later that afternoon, Luis and Maria made their way to the dockyard. The streets were quieter than usual, the weight of last night’s battle still hanging heavy in the air. The remnants of Miguel’s crew were scattered, some fleeing, others trying to regroup, but it was clear that they had lost the fight. The Dockyard now belonged to Luis and Maria—again.

As they stepped out of the car, Bones was waiting for them near the entrance to one of the main warehouses, his expression hard as he gestured towards the inside. “It’s all clear. Miguel’s people scattered when they realised what was happening.”

Luis glanced at the massive structure, its rusted metal exterior reflecting the pale afternoon light. This was the heart of Miguel’s operation, and now it was empty—waiting for someone to claim it.

“Good,” Luis said, his voice low. “Let’s take a look.”

They walked through the wide entrance, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. The warehouse had been used for smuggling, weapons storage, and as a base for many of Miguel’s illegal operations. Now it was theirs, but Luis wasn’t satisfied with just reclaiming it. He needed to transform it into something more, something that would cement their power over the city.

As they moved deeper into the warehouse, Maria’s eyes narrowed. “This place was always the key. Miguel knew it, but he never used it properly.”

Luis nodded, scanning the area. “We’ll change that. This will be the centre of our operations now. No one touches the Southside without going through us.”

Bones followed closely behind, his gaze flicking between the dark corners of the warehouse, making sure no surprises were waiting for them. “There’s still a lot of inventory left. Miguel was running weapons through here, but there’s more to it than that. It looks like he was trying to branch out.”

Maria raised an eyebrow. “Into what?”

“Drugs, mostly. He was setting up connections with some of the Eastside crews, trying to expand into new territories,” Bones replied.

Luis’s lips tightened. Miguel’s ambition had always been his downfall. He had tried to control too much, too quickly, and it had cost him everything. But Luis wasn’t interested in overextending. He wanted control—real control—and that meant focussing on the Southside first.

“Burn it,” Luis said coldly, his eyes hard as he looked around the warehouse. “We don’t need Miguel’s supply lines or his connections. We make our own.”

Bones nodded, already moving to relay the orders to his men.

Maria’s gaze flickered with approval. “Smart. We take control of the dockyard and make it clear that anyone who wants a piece of the Southside has to go through us. But we don’t rely on what Miguel built. We create something new.”

Luis’s expression darkened. The empire they were building now wouldn’t be like the one they had before. This time, it would be stronger and more resilient. There would be no weak points and no cracks in the foundation. And anyone who thought they could challenge them would find themselves cut out of the game permanently.

“We’ll start by securing the dockyard,” Luis said. “Make it our base of operations. Then we expand, but only when we’re ready.”

Maria nodded, her sharp gaze locking onto his. “And what about Jaxon?”

Luis smiled coldly. “He’ll play his part for now. But when the time comes, he’ll be dealt with.”

Maria’s smile matched his. There was no room for loyalty in this city, not when survival depended on eliminating threats before they even had a chance to rise.

Over the next few days, the dockyard was transformed. Luis’s men moved in, clearing out the remnants of Miguel’s operation, securing the territory, and setting up a new base of control. Word spread quickly through the streets that Luis and Maria were back, and they weren’t just reclaiming their old territory—they were rebuilding it from the ground up.

Luis stood on the second-floor balcony of the warehouse, looking out over the dockyard. The sounds of activity echoed around him—men moving crates, vehicles rumbling through the streets, and the low murmur of conversations as his crew solidified their presence. It was a familiar sound, one that reminded him of the early days, when they had first started building their empire.

But this time, it was different. This time, there was no room for mistakes.

“We’re already getting messages from the Eastside,” Maria said as she stepped onto the balcony beside him. “Some of Miguel’s former allies are trying to figure out where they stand now.”

Luis didn’t take his eyes off the dockyard. “Tell them to stay out of it. The Southside isn’t their concern.”

Maria’s gaze sharpened. “And if they try to push in?”

Luis’s expression darkened. “Then we remind them who runs this city.”

Maria nodded, satisfied. There could be no hesitation. The moment they showed weakness, the vultures would circle again, and Luis wasn’t about to let that happen.

“We’ll need to keep a close watch on Jaxon,” Maria added. “He’s been quiet, but I don’t trust him.”

Luis turned to face her, his eyes cold. “He’ll make a move eventually. But when he does, he’ll find out he’s not as powerful as he thinks he is.”

Maria’s smile was sharp, her eyes glinting in the low light. “Good. Then we keep him in check, and when the time’s right, we finish him.”

The following week, the Dockyard was fully under their control, and Luis and Maria had re-established their presence across the Southside. The power vacuum that Miguel had left behind was quickly filled, and those who had once thought they could take advantage of Luis’s absence now found themselves on the outside, looking in at an empire they would never touch again.

Jaxon had remained quiet, but Luis knew that wouldn’t last. Men like Jaxon didn’t stay quiet for long. He would try to make a move to assert his control, but Luis was ready for him. He had already planted seeds of doubt within Jaxon’s crew, whispering doubts about their leader’s strength and his ability to hold onto power. It was only a matter of time before those seeds grew into something more.

“They’re starting to turn on him,” Maria said one evening as she sat across from Luis in their penthouse, her legs crossed, a glass of wine in her hand. “Jaxon’s losing control just like we planned.”

Luis leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Good. The more divided they are, the easier it’ll be to take them out.”

Maria smirked. “And what about the Eastside? There are whispers that they’re getting nervous.”

Luis’s gaze darkened. “Let them be nervous. But if they try to move in, we’ll cut them off before they even get close.”

Maria’s smile widened. They had rebuilt their empire, but this time it was built on stronger foundations. There would be no more challengers, no more power plays that could topple what they had created.

The city was theirs now, and anyone who tried to take it would find themselves crushed under the weight of their ambition.

Days later, as the sun set over the city, casting long shadows across the streets, Luis and Maria stood on the rooftop of the penthouse, watching as the city pulsed with life beneath them. The fire they had started had burnt through everything, and now they stood on top, the only ones left to claim the ashes.

“We’re back where we belong,” Maria said quietly, her voice filled with satisfaction.

Luis didn’t respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the skyline. The city was a beast, always hungry, always waiting for the next move. But this time, Luis and Maria weren’t just playing the game—they were the ones who controlled it.

“We won,” Maria said, her voice softer now but edged with something darker.

Luis turned to her, his expression unreadable. “The city never lets you win. It just lets you think you’re in control—until it takes it away again.”

Maria raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Then we’ll just have to keep it from taking anything from us.”

Luis’s eyes gleamed in the fading light. This was the end of the game—but only for now. The city would always hunger for more, but Luis and Maria had proven one thing: they weren’t just survivors. They were kings and queens in a city that devoured everything.

And this time, they weren’t going anywhere.