The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 88

The strike in the Dockyard has bought Luis some time, but the city is still restless, and the cracks in his control are growing wider. As he contemplates the price of survival and the inevitability of his fall, Luis must face the reality that the city will never stop taking.

The fires are still burning, and the underworld is always hungry for more. As Luis fights to hold everything together, he begins to realise that no matter how many battles he wins, the city will never be his. It belongs to itself.

The final toll is coming, and Luis must decide how much more he’s willing to give before the city claims everything.

The city’s skyline gleamed in the rain, its sharp edges softened by the mist that hung over the streets. Luis watched it all from his penthouse, his mind a tangle of decisions yet to be made and consequences waiting to unfold.

The dockyard had gone quiet after the hit on Nico’s old crew, but Luis knew better than to be lulled into a false sense of security. The Southside, too, was fragile—held together by Miguel’s careful balancing act.

Everything felt like it was balancing on the edge of a knife, and all it would take was one wrong move to send the entire city tumbling into chaos again.

Maria sat across from him at the large oak table, her eyes scanning the latest intel reports. The glow of the city lights reflected in the windows behind her, casting an eerie shadow across her face. She looked tired—more tired than Luis had ever seen her—but she didn’t let it show in her voice. She was too composed, too sharp for that.

“They’re still moving,” she said, flipping through the pages of the report. “Nico’s remnants. They’ve gone underground for now, but we’re tracking them. They’re not done.”

Luis rubbed his temples, the weight of it all pressing down on him. “They never are.”

Maria looked up at him, her gaze piercing. “You knew this wasn’t going to stop. The city’s always going to push back.”

Luis let out a long, tired breath. “I know. But we’ve been playing this game for too long. Sooner or later, something’s going to give.”

There was a long silence between them, broken only by the sound of the rain tapping against the window. Luis stared out into the dark streets below, watching the city pulse with life. He had spent years fighting for control, bleeding for this city, but the city always wanted more.

“We have to make a move,” Maria said after a long pause. “We can’t keep reacting. We need to take control of the situation before it slips any further.”

Luis turned to face her, his expression hard. “And how do you suggest we do that? Every time we make a move, another problem pops up. It’s like fighting ghosts.”

Maria stood, crossing the room to stand beside him by the window. Her reflection in the glass was sharp, her eyes as focused as ever. “We’ve been too careful. We’ve been trying to hold everything together, but the city doesn’t work that way. It’s time we start dictating the terms.”

Luis stared at her, considering her words. She was right—they had been reacting to every threat, every crisis, trying to maintain the fragile balance of power in the underworld. But the city didn’t care about balance. It thrived on chaos, on power shifts. And if Luis wanted to stay in control, he would have to embrace that chaos, not fight it.

“What are you suggesting?” Luis asked, his voice low but filled with intent.

Maria’s expression was hard, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes—something close to determination. “We go after the remaining factions. Hard. We don’t wait for them to regroup. We don’t give them the chance to strike first. We take them out, one by one, until there’s no one left to challenge us.”

Luis stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in. It was a dangerous plan, but it was also the only way to stop the cycle. The city had always been about survival of the fittest, and if Luis wanted to survive, he would have to stop playing defence.

“We’ll start with the Dockyard,” Luis said, his voice cold with resolve. “We take out the last of Nico’s crew. Once they’re gone, we move on to the Southside.”

Maria nodded, her gaze steady. “I’ll make the preparations.”

The dockyard was still wet from the earlier rain; the air was thick with the smell of saltwater and diesel. Luis’s men moved through the narrow streets like shadows, slipping past rusting shipping containers and abandoned warehouses. They were heading towards a small, decrepit building on the edge of the docks—a safe house that Nico’s remnants had been using as a base of operations.

Luis had sent Maria ahead with a small team to scout the area, but tonight he was going in himself. He couldn’t afford to delegate this one. It had to be him, standing at the forefront, reminding the city who was in charge.

He moved quickly through the shadows, his gun ready in his hand. His men were close behind, silent and deadly. Luis had learnt long ago that in this city, you couldn’t rely on anyone else to do your dirty work. You had to lead from the front and show strength, or the city would eat you alive.

As they neared the safe house, Luis could hear the muffled voices of Nico’s men inside, unaware of what was coming. Luis’s jaw clenched. He had given these men a chance—he had offered them a way out when he took down Franco, but they hadn’t listened. Now, they were about to pay the price.

With a quick hand signal, Luis motioned for his men to surround the building. They moved into position, silent and efficient, cutting off any escape routes. Luis could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he prepared to make his move.

He gave the signal, and the assault began.

The door to the safe house exploded inward as Luis’s men stormed the building. The sound of gunfire echoed through the night as Nico’s men scrambled to defend themselves, but it was already too late. Luis moved through the chaos with cold precision, his gun steady in his hand as he cut down anyone who stood in his way.

Inside, the battle was brutal but brief. Luis’s men were well-trained, and Nico’s remnants were no match for their speed and efficiency. In minutes, the safe house was cleared, and the remaining members of Nico’s crew lay dead on the floor.

Luis stood in the centre of the room, his chest heaving with the aftermath of the fight. Blood stained the concrete floor, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and death. But despite the victory, Luis felt no sense of relief. This was just another battle in a war that would never end.

Maria approached him, wiping blood from her hands as she surveyed the room. “It’s done,” she said quietly.

Luis nodded, though the satisfaction he had hoped for never came. “How many?”

“Six,” Maria replied, her voice flat. “No survivors.”

Luis exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “Good. We’ll move on the southside next.”

Maria hesitated, her eyes dark. “Luis, this isn’t going to stop. You know that, right? We can keep taking them out, but there’s always going to be someone else.”

Luis didn’t respond immediately. He knew she was right. The city never stopped. It was always hungry, always demanding more. But Luis had come too far to stop now. He had bled for this city, sacrificed everything, and he wasn’t about to walk away.

“We keep going,” Luis said finally, his voice hard. “Until there’s no one left.”

Maria didn’t argue. She simply nodded, understanding the weight of his words.

The Southside was next.

Luis and Maria spent the next few days gathering intel and preparing for the next strike. Miguel had been holding the Southside together, but barely. The smaller crews were still restless, still waiting for a moment of weakness to make their move. Luis knew that if he didn’t act soon, the Southside would erupt, and the chaos would spread across the entire city.

But this time, Luis wasn’t going to wait for the fire to start. He was going to light it himself.

The operation was set for the following night. Luis’s men were already in position, waiting for the signal to move. This time, the target was a warehouse controlled by one of the more aggressive crews in the Southside—a crew that had been testing Miguel’s leadership, pushing the boundaries of their territory.

Luis had given Miguel strict orders to keep them in line, but it was clear that the crew wasn’t listening. Now, Luis was going to send a message that they couldn’t ignore.

As the sun set over the city, Luis stood on the rooftop of a nearby building, watching as his men moved into position. The warehouse was quiet for now, but Luis knew that once the shooting started, the entire district would be on high alert. This wasn’t going to be a clean operation like the one in the dockyard. This was going to be a bloodbath.

Maria stood beside him, her expression calm but focused. “You ready for this?”

Luis nodded, his eyes fixed on the warehouse below. “It’s time.”

Maria gave the signal, and the assault began.

Luis’s men hit the warehouse hard, breaking through the front gates and cutting down anyone who tried to stop them. Gunfire erupted in the night, the sounds of bullets ricocheting off metal and concrete. Luis moved with deadly efficiency, taking out targets with cold precision. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him—this was more than just another hit. This was about showing the Southside that he wasn’t to be tested.

Inside the warehouse, the crew fought back fiercely, but they were no match for Luis’s men. One by one, they fell, their bodies littering the floor as the battle raged on. Blood splattered the walls, and the air was thick with smoke and violence.

Luis pushed deeper into the building, his gun raised as he made his way towards the heart of the operation. He could hear the shouts of the crew’s leader—a man named Ortiz—barking orders to his men, but Luis knew it was over. Ortiz’s days were numbered.

As Luis entered the final room, he found Ortiz standing in the centre, a pistol in his hand, surrounded by the last of his crew. Ortiz’s face was twisted with rage, but there was fear in his eyes too—he knew he was beaten.

“Luis,” Ortiz snarled, his voice filled with desperation. “You think you can take the Southside from me? You’ll never hold it. This place belongs to us!”

Luis stepped forward, his gun steady. “It belongs to me now.”

Without another word, Luis pulled the trigger.

Ortiz fell to the ground, the last of his crew collapsing beside him.

The Southside was his.

But even as the smoke cleared and the bodies were counted, Luis felt no sense of victory. He had won the battle, but the war was far from over. The Southside was quiet for now, but it wouldn’t last. The city was always hungry, always waiting for the next spark.

As Luis and Maria left the warehouse, the night air thick with the scent of blood and rain, Luis couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all leading to something bigger—something darker. He had fought so hard to keep the city from tearing itself apart, but now it felt like he was the one being torn apart, piece by piece.

“How long do you think we can keep this up?” Maria asked quietly as they walked through the darkened streets.

Luis didn’t answer right away. He stared ahead, his thoughts heavy with the weight of everything he had done, everything he had lost. “As long as it takes.”

Maria glanced at him, her expression unreadable. “And when it’s over? What then?”

Luis exhaled slowly, the truth of her question settling over him like a cold fog. He didn’t know. He had never thought that far ahead. All he knew was that the city was always hungry, always demanding more. And one day, it would come for him too.

But for now, he was still standing. And that was all that mattered.