Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm

The city felt different now—quieter, like the calm before the storm. D couldn't shake the feeling that things were moving too fast, like the walls were closing in on him. He sat on the rooftop of the safe house, looking out over the sprawling urban landscape. The city was alive, but D could feel the weight of every shadow, the eyes that watched him from every corner.

Malik had already started making calls, lining up allies, gathering intel on Jordan's next move. The plan was simple: they were going to hit Jordan's operations all at once, throw him off balance, and take the war to his doorstep. But the more D thought about it, the more he realized that Jordan wasn't just a rival anymore—he was a predator, and D and his crew were the prey.

A voice pulled D from his thoughts. Amir stepped onto the roof, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his eyes scanning the streets below.

"You good?" Amir asked, his tone low, but laced with concern.

D didn't answer right away. Instead, he lit a cigarette, taking a slow drag before looking over at Amir. "I don't know, man. Something about this feels wrong."

Amir raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me you didn't feel the heat the minute we set fire to those docks?"

D chuckled bitterly. "No, I knew the heat was coming. But now? I don't know. Jordan's been too quiet. And that woman—she came to us with information, but she wasn't running out of fear. She's hiding something."

"You think she was playing us?" Amir asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't know," D said, flicking the cigarette away. "But she knew too much. And she didn't look scared enough for someone who just sold out her boss."

Amir frowned. "So, what do we do? We can't back off now. Jordan's coming for us, and we can't wait for him to make the first move."

D stood up, his gaze never leaving the horizon. "I'm not backing off. But we need to make sure we're not walking into a trap. Something doesn't add up. If Jordan's been watching us, there's no way he didn't see us coming after his operations."

Amir stepped closer, his voice becoming more serious. "You think he's got a leak?"

"I think we've been played," D replied, his voice steady. "We hit his supply lines, but he already knew. He was ready. Which means someone gave us up."

They both stood in silence for a moment, the weight of D's words settling in.

"We need to tighten up," D said finally. "Double the patrols. No more leaks. We handle this ourselves. No one else gets in the way."

Amir nodded. "Understood. But what about Malik? He's already got the team on standby. We can't just cut them out of the loop."

D glanced at his phone. Malik had been working non-stop, coordinating with their allies, getting the right people in place for the big raid. But if there was a leak in their own camp... "I trust Malik. But even he doesn't know everything I'm planning."

"You've got something up your sleeve, don't you?" Amir asked, a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

D finally looked at Amir. "We're going to take the fight to Jordan. But not the way he thinks."

---

**Hours Later:**

The tension in the air grew thick as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the city in shades of purple and orange. D was pacing back and forth inside the safe house, running over the plan again in his head. They were moving in the morning—attacking Jordan's main operations, the places where his money and power flowed. The supply routes, the warehouses, the muscle. Every major asset would be hit at once. No mercy.

Malik came through the door, his face set in stone. He had the same look D had seen a hundred times before—a man with a plan.

"It's all set," Malik said. "We hit Jordan's warehouses, take out the guards, and burn the rest. I've got eyes on all his spots. It's gonna get ugly, but it'll be quick."

"Too quick," D muttered, not looking up. "This doesn't feel right."

Malik raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," D said, his tone darkening. "I think we've been played. Jordan's too quiet. He knows we're coming, Malik. He's expecting us."

Malik's eyes narrowed. "You think he's trying to set us up?"

"I'm sure of it," D replied. "He's trying to draw us into something bigger. A trap. I don't care what we hit tomorrow. It's not just about him anymore. He's trying to take us off the board. And that's what I'm gonna stop."

Malik was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. So what's the plan?"

"We're not going in blind. We've got our own people, but I want to hit him where it hurts. I'm talking everything—money, weapons, power. If we're going in, we're doing it on our terms. I want him panicking by the time we're done."

"I can get that done," Malik said. "We go for the heart. Cut off everything he relies on."

"Exactly," D said. "And if I'm right about this being a setup, we need to make sure we've got eyes on every angle. We hit him hard, but we're not leaving ourselves open."

---

**The Next Morning:**

The first light of dawn barely touched the city as D and his crew moved out, taking separate vehicles to keep their movements unseen. The plan was simple on the surface: hit Jordan's warehouses, neutralize his muscle, burn everything to the ground. But D knew it wasn't going to be that easy. He'd been in this game too long not to see the bigger picture.

Malik and Amir were in their own cars, D riding in the back of a blacked-out SUV with a small group of his closest men. As they made their way through the city, D could feel his nerves tightening. Today was going to change everything.

When they pulled up to the first location—a rundown warehouse on the outskirts of town—D felt it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and his instincts screamed at him that something was off. The streets were quiet, too quiet. There weren't any cars around, no extra security. Nothing felt right.

"Hold up," D said, his hand held out in a fist to stop the group. "Something's wrong."

Malik's voice came through the radio. "What's the play, D?"

"Don't move in yet," D said, scanning the area. "Something's off. I want eyes everywhere. We don't go in until we know for sure."

The silence on the radio was telling. Malik knew the gravity of the situation.

D's gut twisted. He had a bad feeling about this.

---

The chapter ends with D standing in the shadows, the calm before the storm thick in the air. He knew they were about to walk into something much bigger than they'd prepared for. But with the stakes higher than ever, there was no turning back now.