The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 27

The late evening sun was sinking over the city as Mackin Jones stood at the edge of the rooftop balcony, his gaze fixed on the glittering skyline. From this vantage point, he could see almost everything. His empire, growing in the shadows, now commanded a significant portion of the business landscape, and his control over the family had solidified. Yet there was an undeniable tension in the air, a feeling that all of it could be shattered with the wrong move.

Lambo approached from behind, his footsteps light, though there was no need for stealth here. This was Mackin’s fortress. He was safe—for now. Lambo leaned against the stone railing, his sharp eyes scanning the streets below.

“We’ve got another problem,” Lambo said, his voice low but serious.

Mackin didn’t look at him, still watching the horizon as the sun dipped further below the skyline. “Another?” he asked, his tone betraying a hint of exhaustion. “It’s becoming a daily occurrence.”

“Bruno’s men,” Lambo continued his voice tight with frustration. “They’ve started mobilising again. Quietly under the radar. But they’re preparing for something.”

Mackin turned his gaze towards Lambo, his expression calm, but there was a glint of steel in his eyes. “How do you know?”

Lambo handed him a folder, thick with surveillance photos, reports, and transcripts of intercepted conversations. “We’ve been watching them closely, and we’ve picked up chatter. Bruno’s not done. He’s trying to regroup, to gather the allies he has left. He knows we’re coming for him.”

Mackin opened the folder, flipping through the pages. The familiar faces of Bruno’s men stared back at him, and as he skimmed the reports, a slow, calculating smile spread across his face. “Good. Let him try. He’ll fail.”

Lambo leaned in slightly, his brow furrowing. “We can’t underestimate him. He’s been quiet for too long, biding his time. Whatever he’s planning, it won’t be small.”

Mackin closed the folder and handed it back. “He’s desperate. And desperate men make mistakes.”

Lambo wasn’t so sure, but he didn’t push the point. Mackin was right in one sense—Bruno had lost most of his leverage, and with every day that passed, his power diminished. But there was a danger in underestimating what a man like Bruno might do when his back was against the wall.

“What’s the move, then?” Lambo asked.

“We push forward,” Mackin replied, his voice firm. “We take what’s ours. Bruno’s men will fall in line, or they’ll be dealt with. This family has no room for weakness.”

Lambo nodded, though he knew the next few weeks would test them all. He trusted Mackin’s leadership, but there were things in motion that even he couldn’t predict. And in the shadows, there were still forces at work that hadn’t yet revealed themselves.

Meanwhile, across the city, in a darkened room lit only by the dim glow of a single lamp, Bruno sat in silence. His once-vibrant features were now shadowed, his eyes sunken from sleepless nights and the weight of his crumbling empire. But even in defeat, there was a fire in him—a stubborn refusal to yield to the man who had taken everything from him.

A knock sounded at the door, and one of his lieutenants, a grizzled man named Renzo, entered.

“They’re ready,” Renzo said quietly, closing the door behind him. “Everything’s in place.”

Bruno didn’t respond immediately, his fingers tracing the edge of a glass on the table before him. He had always been meticulous and careful with every move he made. But now he knew he was running out of options.

“They think I’m finished,” Bruno said softly, almost to himself.

Renzo frowned. “We still have options. We still have men willing to fight.”

Bruno’s eyes flicked up to meet Renzo’s. “Mackin has the power now. He’s got most of the family behind him. The businesses, the contacts... they’re loyal to him.” His voice hardened. “But he doesn’t have the streets. Not yet.”

Renzo’s frown deepened. “The streets are dangerous. We can’t control them like before.”

Bruno stood slowly, his expression dark. “We don’t need control. We just need chaos.”

Renzo looked uneasy. “What are you planning?”

Bruno moved to the window, looking out over the city, his mind turning over the possibilities. “Mackin took everything from me. But he’s forgotten one thing—he’s not invincible. Everyone has weaknesses. And I’m going to find his.”

Renzo shifted, sensing the danger in Bruno’s words. “If we make a move now, we risk everything. We can’t go back if this fails.”

Bruno’s smile was cold. “I don’t plan on going back.”

Days later, the first signs of unrest began to ripple through the city. Mackin’s men were keeping a close watch on Bruno’s operations, but it was clear that something was brewing. It started small—rumours of meetings in abandoned warehouses, whispers of new alliances being formed in the darkest corners of the criminal world. But soon, those whispers turned into something more.

Lana sat in her apartment, her mind racing as she read through the messages on her phone. She had distanced herself from the family in recent weeks, but it was impossible to ignore what was happening. She had been pulled into this war before, forced to choose sides, and now it seemed the battle was reaching its peak.

Her phone buzzed again, and she glanced at the screen. It was from her father.

We need to talk.

Lana hesitated. She hadn’t spoken to her parents since they had aligned themselves with Bruno, but something in her father’s message made her uneasy. With a sigh she picked up her coat and headed out the door.

Later that evening, Mackin sat at the head of the long dining table in the Mackin mansion, a place that had once been filled with the noise and laughter of family gatherings. Now, it was silent, save for the occasional clink of glass or the rustle of papers being shuffled.

Around the table sat his most trusted allies, including Lambo, who was deep in conversation with another of Mackin’s lieutenants. The atmosphere was tense, everyone aware that the next move could change everything.

“We’re close to breaking them,” Lambo said, looking up from the map he had spread out on the table. “Bruno’s men are scattered. They’re holding on, but they don’t have the resources to last much longer.”

Mackin nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. He knew the war with Bruno was far from over. Bruno had always been unpredictable, and Mackin couldn’t shake the feeling that his cousin had one last trick up his sleeve.

“Keep the pressure on,” Mackin said finally, his voice steady. “I want Bruno’s operations shut down completely. No loose ends.”

The men at the table murmured their agreement, but Lambo caught Mackin’s eye, sensing the unease behind his calm facade.

“You think he’s planning something?” Lambo asked quietly.

Mackin leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on the surface of the table. “Bruno doesn’t give up easily. He’s desperate now, which makes him dangerous. He’ll try to hit us where we least expect it.”

Lambo frowned. “You want me to pull more men from the businesses? Reinforce the security.”

Mackin shook his head. “No. Keep things as they are. If we overextend, we play into his hands.”

There was a brief pause before Lambo nodded, his trust in Mackin evident despite the tension in the air. They had been through too much together to question each other now.

As the meeting broke up and the men began to leave, Lambo lingered behind, watching as Mackin stood and walked to the large windows that overlooked the city.

“You’ve got that look again,” Lambo said, his voice half-teasing, though his concern was real.

Mackin didn’t respond immediately, his gaze still fixed on the skyline. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the past,” he said after a long pause. “About how we got here. Bruno, the family, everything.”

Lambo shifted uncomfortably. “We did what we had to do.”

Mackin’s expression remained distant, his mind turning over the years of betrayal, loyalty, and bloodshed that had brought him to this point. “I’m not sure there’s a ‘we’ anymore, Lambo. This has always been personal. It was never just about the family.”

Lambo frowned, stepping closer. “It’s about survival, Mackin. Always has been.”

Mackin finally turned to face him, a hard edge in his eyes. “Survival isn’t enough. Not anymore.”

Lambo opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Mackin’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing as he saw the message.

It was from Lana.

Mackin, we need to talk. It’s about Bruno.

Mackin’s car sped through the streets of the city, the lights flashing by in a blur. His thoughts raced, fuelled by a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Lana hadn’t contacted him in weeks, not since she had chosen her family over him. But now, she was reaching out, and it couldn’t be a coincidence.

Lambo sat in the passenger seat, his fingers tapping nervously on the armrest. “You sure about this? Meeting with Lana?”

Mackin didn’t take his eyes off the road. “I need to know what she knows.”

Lambo sighed. “She’s been playing both sides for too long. She’s not trustworthy.”

“She’s still family,” Mackin replied, though even he wasn’t sure if he believed that anymore.

They pulled up outside a small café on the edge of the city, the kind of place where people went to disappear, to meet in secret. Mackin got out of the car, his eyes scanning the area before he stepped inside.

Lana was already there, sitting at a corner table, her face pale and drawn. She looked up as Mackin approached, her eyes filled with something between guilt and fear.

“Mackin,” she said quietly as he sat down across from her.

“Why are we here, Lana?” Mackin’s voice was cold, businesslike.

She swallowed hard, her hands shaking slightly as she placed them on the table. “It’s Bruno. He’s planning something. Something big.”

Mackin’s eyes narrowed. “And why are you telling me this?”

Lana hesitated, her gaze dropping to the table. “Because... I don’t want to see you get hurt. I don’t want to see this family destroyed.”

Mackin’s jaw tightened, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

“He’s desperate,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “He’s trying to use the last of his connections—the people he still has left. He wants to take everything from you.”

Mackin leaned back in his chair, his eyes cold. “You should have thought about that before you sided with him.”

Lana flunked, but she didn’t argue. She knew she had made her choice, and now she was paying the price.

“There’s still time to stop him,” she said softly. “But you have to move fast.”

Mackin studied her for a long moment, his mind working through the implications of what she was saying. He didn’t trust her—not completely—but if there was even a chance that she was telling the truth, he had to act.

“Where is he?” Mackin asked, his voice steady.

Lana looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. “He’s moving tonight. I don’t know all the details, but he’s meeting someone. Someone powerful.”

Mackin’s gaze hardened. “Then we stop him.”

Back in the car, Lambo shot Mackin a sidelong glance. “You really believe her?”

Mackin’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as they drove through the night. “I don’t know. But if there’s even a chance she’s right, we can’t afford to ignore it.”

Lambo nodded, though his unease was palpable. “Then let’s move fast. We’re not letting Bruno slip through our fingers again.”