The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 112

The city stretched out beneath them, a sea of glittering lights and shadows.

From the balcony of the penthouse, Luis could see the whole expanse—his empire. But its weight pressed down on him. Every building, every street, every deal made in dark alleys was a piece of the puzzle he and Maria had put together.

And now, it felt fragile, like the wrong move could shatter everything.

Maria joined him, her silhouette sharp against the backdrop of the city. She leaned on the railing, eyes scanning the skyline. There was no satisfaction in her gaze, only calculation. They had fought too hard to get here, and she knew just as well as Luis did that the fight was far from over.

"Volkov's people are scattered," she said. Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. "We've taken them down, piece by piece."

Luis nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. They had crushed Volkov’s network, wiped out his loyalists, and dismantled his empire. But something about it all felt unfinished. Volkov’s death should have been the end, yet the city didn’t feel any safer, any more secure. It felt more like a temporary ceasefire.

"And yet," Maria continued, her tone sharp now, "you’re still thinking about something. What is it?"

Luis turned to her, his eyes dark. “This city never stays quiet for long. There’s always someone else.”

Maria scoffed, her lips curling into a slight smile. “Of course there is. But we’ll deal with them like we always do.”

Luis knew she was right. They had risen through fire and blood and built an empire on the ruins of their enemies. But Volkov’s final words echoed in his mind, a warning that felt like more than just an empty threat. There will always be someone else.

"We took down Volkov," Luis said, his voice quiet. "But his people... they were planning something. Something bigger."

Maria frowned, her gaze shifting to Luis, the usual confidence flickering for a moment. “What are you saying?”

“Volkov wasn’t just running his network,” Luis continued. “He had connections, backing from outside the city. People we haven’t even seen yet.”

Maria’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

Luis shook his head. “I don’t know yet. But if Volkov was smart enough to build what he did, then he was smart enough to have something in place for after he was gone.”

Silence stretched between them, the hum of the city filling the space where words failed. Maria was the first to break it.

“We hit him hard, Luis. Took everything he had. His empire is ours now.”

Luis met her gaze, his expression hard. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

The next day, Luis and Maria sat in their penthouse office, the faint light of morning creeping through the windows. The city, still waking, seemed calm. But beneath the surface, they both knew a storm was brewing. Bones entered, his face grim.

“We’ve got a problem,” Bones said, his voice rough. He tossed a folder onto the desk, and Luis opened it, his eyes scanning the documents inside. Maria leaned in, her expression tightening as she read over his shoulder.

“They’re calling themselves Avernus Holdings,” Bones explained, crossing his arms. “It’s a new player, but they’ve been making moves. Quietly. They’ve been snatching up properties all over the Westside.”

Luis’s eyes narrowed. “Avernus. Who’s behind them?”

Bones shrugged, his gaze flicking towards the window. “No one knows. Whoever’s running the show is keeping their head low. But they’ve got serious money behind them. And they’re moving fast.”

Maria closed the folder, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk. The Westside was always a dangerous place to expand. It was different from the Southside and Eastside—more polished, more connected to legitimate business. But now someone was using that to build an empire in the shadows.

“How many properties?” Maria asked.

“Five that we know of,” Bones replied. “And they’re not just buying real estate. They’re recruiting. People from Volkov’s old network, some of the smaller crews that used to run the Westside. They’re bringing them all together.”

Luis leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. Avernus Holdings wasn’t just another upstart gang trying to make a name for itself. This was organised and deliberate. Someone had been waiting for Volkov’s fall, and now they were stepping into the vacuum he’d left behind.

“They’re making a play for the Westside,” Luis said, his voice low. “And if we don’t stop them now, they’ll be too big to take down.”

Maria’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Then we hit them before they get a foothold.”

That night, Luis and Maria moved quickly. They had learnt over the years that hesitation meant death in their world. Avernus was building something, and they couldn’t allow it. They had worked too hard and fought too long to let anyone take what they had built.

Luis sat in the back of a sleek black car, parked just outside one of Avernus’s new properties—a high-rise building on the edge of the Westside. The building was quiet, its dark windows reflecting the lights of the surrounding city. But inside, Luis knew, Avernus was making deals, bringing in new recruits, solidifying its power.

Bones sat in the front seat, his fingers tapping nervously on the steering wheel. “We’ve got eyes on the inside,” he said quietly. “One of our guys is posing as a recruit. He says there’s a meeting happening tonight. Big players. Could be our chance to see who’s pulling the strings.”

Luis glanced at Maria, who sat beside him, her gaze sharp, unblinking. “We go in, get the information, and get out,” he said.

Maria smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Let’s make this quick.”

Inside the building, the atmosphere was tense, charged with the weight of unspoken deals and hidden alliances. Luis and Maria moved through the shadows, their steps silent, their presence unnoticed. They had done this a hundred times before, slipping into places where they weren’t welcome, learning the secrets of their enemies before striking.

Luis’s heart raced as they made their way to the top floor, where the meeting was supposed to be taking place. Every sense was heightened, every shadow a potential threat. He could hear the faint murmur of voices behind a closed door at the end of the hall.

“This is it,” Maria whispered, her hand resting on the grip of her gun.

Luis nodded, his fingers tightening around his weapon. They were close now. All they needed was to see who was inside and who was leading this new threat. Then they could plan their next move.

They reached the door, and Luis pressed his ear to it, listening.

“I want results,” a voice growled from inside the room. It was deep, rough, and unfamiliar. “We need more properties. More people. The Borsens are distracted right now, dealing with the fallout from Volkov. Now’s our chance.”

Luis exchanged a glance with Maria. This was it. The voice inside was the one running Avernus. And they were already planning to move against them.

Another voice spoke up, this one calmer, more measured. “We’ll have everything in place within the week. The Westside will be ours. The Borsens won’t even know what hit them.”

Maria’s eyes flashed. “Not if we hit them first,” she whispered.

Luis nodded. It was time.

The next day, Luis and Maria gathered their team. Bones had spent the night tracking down every piece of information they could get on Avernus Holdings—locations, assets, key players. It was all coming together.

“They’re operating out of five main locations,” Bones explained, pointing to a map spread out on the table. “We’ve got the highrise we were at last night, plus four other buildings. All in the Westside.”

Luis studied the map, his mind already racing through the possibilities. They needed to strike fast, hit hard, and leave no survivors.

“We hit them all at once,” Luis said, his voice cold and steady. “No warning. No time for them to regroup.”

Maria nodded, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. This was the part she thrived on—the calculated violence, the precise destruction of their enemies.

“What about their leader?” she asked. “The one running the show?”

Bones hesitated. “We still don’t have a name. But whoever they are, they’re staying out of sight. Letting their people handle the dirty work.”

Luis’s jaw clenched. That was a mistake. Whoever was behind Avernus thought they could stay in the shadows and pull the strings without getting their hands dirty. But Luis was going to drag them into the light.

“We’ll find them,” he said quietly. “And when we do, they’re dead.”

Later that night, the city was alive with tension. Luis, Maria, and their team moved swiftly, hitting each of Avernus’s locations with precision. It was a coordinated assault, designed to cripple the enemy before they even had a chance to fight back.

Luis stood outside the high-rise, watching as his men stormed the building. Gunfire echoed through the night, but Luis remained calm, his eyes cold. This was what he did. This was what he had always done—taking down anyone who dared challenge his empire.

Maria moved beside him, her gun at the ready. “They never saw it coming,” she said, her voice filled with satisfaction.

Luis nodded. Avernus was crumbling, just as quickly as they had risen. But it wasn’t enough. Not yet.

“We need to find their leader,” Luis said, his voice low. “This isn’t over until we cut off the head.”

Hours later, the dust had settled. Avernus’s operations were in ruins, their people dead or fleeing. But Luis and Maria weren’t celebrating yet. They still hadn’t found the one pulling the strings.

Back at the penthouse, Bones handed Luis a folder. “We found something,” he said.

Luis opened the folder, his eyes scanning the documents inside. It was a name. A man connected to Avernus, someone who had been working in the shadows, coordinating the entire operation.

Maria leaned in, her gaze sharp. “Who is he?”

Luis’s eyes darkened. “Someone we’re going to kill.”