Chapter 6: A Price to Pay

The night after the docks burned, the air seemed different—thicker, like the city itself was holding its breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. D sat at the table in the safe house, his fingers drumming rhythmically on the wood. Malik was in the corner, flipping through a stack of papers, making phone calls, trying to keep tabs on everything. Amir was sprawled out on the couch, staring at the ceiling, but his mind wasn't resting.

D could feel the weight of it all pressing down on him. The decision to burn the docks had been a bold move, one that had sent a message to Jordan and anyone else who thought they could challenge him. But there were consequences. There always were.

"We're not gonna get away with this," Amir said, breaking the silence. His voice was low, like he didn't want to say it, but he knew it was true.

D didn't look up. "Jordan's a rat. He'll come for us, but we can't back down. We hit him hard, and we keep moving. He'll make his move, and we'll make ours. Simple."

Malik shot D a sideways glance. "It's never simple, man. You know that better than anyone."

"I didn't say it was easy," D replied, his voice tight. "But we've been taking hits for too long. Tonight's just the beginning."

There was a knock at the door. It was sharp, urgent, like the person on the other side had something important to say. D rose from his chair and signaled for Malik to cover him. Slowly, cautiously, D opened the door.

A woman stood there, breathless, her eyes wide with fear. She was young, barely out of her teens, but the look on her face told D she'd seen things most people never would.

"What is it?" D asked, his voice cold but curious.

"I—I need to talk to you," she said, her voice trembling. "It's about Jordan... I—I know what he's planning."

D stepped aside, letting her in. "Sit down. Talk to me."

The woman collapsed into the chair across from him. She looked over her shoulder like she was worried someone might be following her. Her eyes kept flicking to the windows, to the door. She was scared.

"What do you know about Jordan?" Malik asked, his tone wary.

She hesitated before speaking. "I was... I was with one of his men. He's planning something big, something that's going to hurt you. He's got a target on your head, D. He's ready to make his move."

"Tell me everything," D said, leaning in, his voice calm but deadly serious.

She swallowed hard before continuing. "Jordan's making a move on your territory. But not just any territory—he's going after your people. He's going to hit your inner circle, starting with Amir." She looked over at Amir, her eyes full of guilt. "He's already got people watching you."

Amir sat up, his body tense. "What's he planning, exactly?"

The woman looked around again, and D could tell she was struggling with whether or not to tell him. She took a deep breath. "He's targeting the weak spots, the ones you don't expect. But he knows Amir's the one holding you together. He's going to use that. If he takes Amir out, he thinks he can take the whole operation down."

D's heart sank, but his face didn't betray a thing. He turned to Amir, his eyes hard. "You've been keeping an eye out, right?"

Amir nodded, his jaw clenched. "Yeah. I've been watching for anything out of place, but I didn't know it was this bad."

D turned back to the woman. "How do you know all this?"

She met his gaze, her eyes filled with fear. "I was with one of his lieutenants, a guy named Travis. He told me everything. He's planning to move in on your base of operations tomorrow night. It's a full-on raid, D. He's not going to stop until he gets what he wants."

D leaned back in his chair, processing the information. This wasn't just a normal hit. Jordan had a plan, and it was personal. He was coming after everything D had worked for—and he was starting with Amir.

The room was quiet for a moment, as D considered his next move. He couldn't afford to wait any longer. Jordan's men were already closing in, and if they didn't act fast, they were going to lose everything.

Malik broke the silence. "We hit first, D. We hit hard."

D nodded slowly, his mind already working through the logistics. "Get your people. Get Amir out of here. We're gonna need him for what's coming."

The woman stood up, her expression softening. "Please... you have to stop him. He's too powerful now. It's too late for me, but you can still save yourselves."

D stood up, his decision made. "You did good coming to us. We'll take it from here."

She nodded, backing away slowly as if afraid of what might come next. "Good luck, D."

As she left, D turned to Malik and Amir. "You know what we need to do."

Malik was already on his phone, sending out texts, making calls. "We're not just hitting Jordan's men. We're going after everything he's built. His distribution, his enforcers, the money. If we're going to survive this, we need to cripple him before he has a chance to retaliate."

D was already walking toward the door, grabbing his jacket. "Time to make him regret ever thinking he could cross us."

---

The night was already starting to feel like it was slipping out of their control. The streets were alive with rumors, and D could sense that things were coming to a head faster than he had planned. But there was no turning back now.

The plan was set. They would strike first, take out Jordan's operations, and leave nothing for him to rebuild. But D couldn't shake the feeling that Jordan wasn't the only one they had to worry about.

The woman's words echoed in his mind: *Jordan's going after your people.*

And that's when D realized it wasn't just about power anymore. It was about survival. In the game of the streets, loyalty was nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

---

Later that night, the crew met in a warehouse outside the city limits, a place that was just far enough off the radar to be safe for now. D stood with Malik and Amir, the weight of the coming confrontation hanging over them.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Malik asked, his voice low.

D looked at him, his expression hard. "We've come this far. There's no turning back."

Amir clenched his fists, his mind focused. "Let's end this."

The chapter closes with the tension hanging thick in the air, each man knowing that the next 24 hours could either destroy them or cement their place at the top. The war with Jordan was no longer just about power—it was about loyalty, survival, and revenge.