The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 95

The city was on fire.

Not literally—yet. But in every corner, in every backroom deal and shadowy exchange, the first embers had been lit. The dockyard had fractured. The Southside was crumbling under the weight of its infighting. And the Eastside, always the most fragile, was now a battleground for every crew with an ounce of ambition.

Luis watched it all from a distance, a small part of him savouring the chaos. It was like watching dominoes fall, each one triggering the next in a beautifully orchestrated collapse. It was the result of years of work, years of building power, and quietly dismantling the competition from the inside out.

Now, as the city tore itself apart, all Luis had to do was wait.

“They’re starting to panic,” Maria said as she handed him another report, her voice calm despite the growing turmoil outside. “We’ve got crews turning on each other, businesses folding overnight. The Southside’s looking to Miguel for answers, but he’s in too deep.”

Luis scanned the report, his mind working through the implications. It was happening even faster than he’d expected. The city was a beast, and once it smelt blood, it couldn’t help but devour itself.

“We’re almost there,” Luis said quietly, setting the report down. “Just a little longer.”

Maria nodded, her expression unreadable. She understood what was at stake here—everything they had built, everything they had torn down—and she knew that once the collapse was complete, they’d be free. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. At any moment, something could go wrong, and if they weren’t careful, they’d be caught in the fallout.

“I’ve got the exit plan ready,” Maria said after a moment. “We’ll be out of here before anyone knows what hit them.”

Luis didn’t doubt it. Maria was meticulous, always thinking three steps ahead. She had made sure every loose end was tied up, every trace of their involvement erased. By the time the city realised what had happened, they’d be long gone.

Still, Luis couldn’t shake the feeling that there was one more move to make. One final piece of the puzzle.

“We need to deal with Kane,” he said suddenly, his voice cold.

Luis's gaze hardened, the name Kane hanging in the air like smoke, dark and dangerous. For too long, Kane had been circling, waiting for the moment to strike, and now, with the city on the brink, he’d think his chance had come. But Luis knew better. Kane was a loose end, and if there was one thing Luis couldn’t afford, it was leaving loose ends.

Maria, standing beside him, was already one step ahead. Her eyes narrowed as she processed the implications, her mind working through the possibilities. Kane was ruthless and patient, and he had a personal grudge. He wasn’t the kind of man who would sit idly by while the city burnt—he would come for them, or worse, try to use the collapse to carve out his empire.

“You’re right,” Maria said, her voice cold and measured. “If Kane’s still standing when we’re gone, he’ll come for everything. He’ll fill the vacuum we’re creating.”

Luis didn’t need her to spell it out. They’d built the city to depend on them, and once they were gone, there would be chaos. But Kane—he thrived in chaos. He would be waiting, watching for the moment to move in. And Luis wasn’t about to let him.

“He’ll move soon,” Luis said quietly, more to himself than to Maria. His mind was racing, calculating the moves and countermoves that lay ahead. Kane was the final obstacle, the last thing standing between them and freedom. “We have to get to him first.”

Maria nodded slowly, her fingers tapping lightly against the glass in her hand. “He thinks he has time. That’s his mistake.”

Luis turned to her, his eyes sharp. “He won’t see it coming.”

“No,” Maria agreed, a slight, dangerous smile curving her lips. “He won’t.”

Later that night, Luis sat alone in the penthouse office, the city still flickering beneath him like a wounded beast. The reports had been pouring in for hours—businesses folding, factions crumbling, alliances breaking apart as the empire he had so carefully constructed began to unravel.

And Kane, watching from the shadows, waiting for his moment. Luis could feel it. Kane had always been patient, too patient. But this time, Luis would make sure he never got the chance to act.

The phone on his desk buzzed, breaking the heavy silence. Luis picked it up without looking at the screen.

“Bones,” Luis said, his voice sharp and to the point.

“I’ve got a lock on Kane’s location,” Bones replied, his tone serious. “He’s been laying low, but we tracked him to a spot in the dockyard. Looks like he’s meeting with some of his old contacts.”

Luis felt a flicker of satisfaction. The Dockyard—of course. It was the perfect place for Kane to consolidate power. With everything falling apart, the Dockyard was ripe for a takeover. But Kane wouldn’t get that chance.

“Good,” Luis said. “Keep him there.”

There was a brief pause on the other end. “And what do you want me to do after that?”

Luis leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. “You know what to do, Bones. Make sure he doesn’t walk out of there.”

Bones didn’t need any more instructions. He’d been with Luis long enough to understand what was required. Kane had been a thorn in their side for years, lurking in the background, waiting for his opportunity to strike. But tonight, that opportunity would slip through his fingers.

As Luis ended the call, the tension that had been simmering beneath his skin began to ease. Kane was smart, but he wasn’t invincible. And Luis had learnt, over the years, that the smartest men often made the biggest mistakes. Kane’s mistake was thinking he could outlast the storm Luis had created.

Maria entered the room, her steps soft but purposeful. She didn’t need to ask what the phone call had been about—she already knew. She could see it in the set of Luis’s shoulders, in the quiet satisfaction that lingered in his eyes.

“Bones?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Luis nodded. “Kane’s at the Dockyard. It ends tonight.”

Maria’s expression remained cool, but there was a glint of something in her eyes—something dark and dangerous. She had never trusted Kane, and now, as they stood on the precipice of burning everything down, he was the last piece that needed to fall.

“You’re sure this will take care of him?” she asked, her voice low.

Luis stood, moving towards the window, his gaze fixed on the distant glow of the dockyard. “He’s smart, but he won’t see it coming. By the time he realises, it’ll be too late.”

Maria stepped closer, her eyes never leaving his face. “And when it’s over?”

Luis turned to her, his expression hardening. “When it’s over, we’re gone.”

Meanwhile, in the Dockyard, Kane sat in a dimly lit warehouse, the faint hum of machinery filling the silence around him. The air smelled of oil and saltwater, the distant sound of the bay lapping against the old docks mixing with the quiet shuffle of men moving in the shadows.

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the room. His contacts had been nervous, but that didn’t matter. Kane had survived worse than this. He’d waited years for this moment, watching as Luis Borsen built his empire, knowing that one day it would all come crashing down. And now, the pieces were falling.

But Kane wasn’t just here to pick up the scraps. He had his plans. Plans that went deeper than anyone realised. Luis might think he had the upper hand, but Kane knew the truth. The city wasn’t loyal to anyone. It didn’t matter who sat on the throne or who held the power. It only cared about survival. And Kane had always been a survivor.

The door to the warehouse opened, and one of Kane’s men stepped inside, his face pale under the low lights.

“There’s movement outside,” the man said quietly. “Could be nothing, but—”

Kane waved him off, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “It’s something.”

The man hesitated, then nodded and slipped back into the shadows.

Kane stood slowly, his fingers brushing the edge of the desk. He could feel it—the tension in the air, the quiet hum of violence waiting to erupt. It was the same feeling he’d had all those years ago when Luis had betrayed him when the empire had slipped from his grasp. But tonight, it wouldn’t be him who lost.

“I always knew it would come to this,” Kane muttered to himself, his voice barely audible in the dim warehouse.

But even as he spoke, the shadows began to shift.

The first gunshot rang out, sharp and sudden, echoing through the dark space. Kane didn’t flinch. He knew what was coming. Bones had arrived.

The warehouse erupted into chaos—men shouting, scrambling for cover as bullets tore through the air. Kane ducked behind the desk, his mind racing as he calculated his next move. This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be. Not yet.

But as the gunfire intensified, Kane realised that Luis had outplayed him. There would be no escape tonight. Not for him.

He had always thought himself smarter, and more patient. But now, as the walls closed in around him, Kane saw the truth: Luis had never planned to let him survive this. This had been the plan all along.

Back in the penthouse, Luis sat in silence, his phone on the desk in front of him, the reports from Bones coming in every few minutes. Kane was done. The dockyard was burning.

“It’s over,” Luis said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Maria stood beside him, her gaze locked on his. She didn’t say anything—she didn’t need to. They had won. They had outlasted the city. Now, all that was left was to disappear before the fire reached them.

“We leave tonight,” Luis said, his voice firm. “No more loose ends.”

Maria nodded, a slow smile curving her lips. This was it. The end of the game.

As they stood there, the city glowing beneath them like a battlefield, Luis felt something shift inside him. For the first time in years, the weight of it all—the power, the control, the endless fight—began to lift. The beast was finally at rest.

But even as they prepared to leave, Luis knew the truth. The city would never really let them go. It would always be there, waiting for the next fire to start. Waiting for the next king to rise.

But that was no longer his concern.

They had lit the match. And now they would walk away from the ashes.