It is 9:00 AM; the sun had barely begun its descent, the streets of Midtown were still heavy with tension.
Moving out for Bryan and Jazmin was much like trying to breathe through a thick fog of smoke.
Sirens howled in the distance. Bryan had been silently ghosting around Oak Park, watching the warehouse that had been ruined by the shooting last night and now sealed up by the cops,
Bryan is picking up whatever information he could get from the streets, knowing quite well that the war isn't over yet.
Jazmin must leave Midtown to give him space to regroup. He was tired of ghosting and couldn't ghost forever; this was the time to end it all, to break free from the clutches of the Devil's gang.
Back In The Underground Safehouse
Jazmin was already awake and worried about what might have happened to Bryan.
She has no mobile phone on and can't think of anything to do... so she hanged on to the hope that Bryan will be back soon.
From the decoy roof door Bryan jumped in. "Where have you been?" Jazmin asked. "
Trying to get you out of here," Bryan replied. "Good, because I'm done with this place."
"Yes, but not yet," Bryan replied.
"What is going on? Are you trying to get us killed, Bryan?
"I don't feel safe here," Jazmin said, pacing the room like a caged lioness.
Bryan sat at the edge of the bed, "we can't stay here," she hissed. "They'll find us, James crew... the cops... someone."
Bryan didn't look up, "Relax, there's a guy, old Cuban smuggler, he owes me plenty favours, his name is Ricky, he will get you out.. he owns speed boats, we go down the valley and he wait for him at the bank of the river; but first... Bryan paused unzipping his backpack.
I stole more than product , Jaz. I have something bigger."
"What?" Jazmin asked hurriedly.
He reached into his backpack and pulled out a hard drive, wrapped in electrical tape.
"This" he said, has everything - the Devil's money trail, Malik's offshore account, City council bribes, even police payoffs. We expos this, we end it all.
Jazmin starred, "You kept that from me?"
"I had to, the less you know, the safer you will be."Bryan said chuckling.
She grabbed the drive, you think blowing up the Devils makes you a hero?"
"No," he replied without hesitation
"I'm not trying to be a hero, I'm trying to be free." he said grabbing the drive back from her.
Ricky's Arrival
Bryan's phone rang; it was Ricky, the Cuban smuggler. He picked up the phone.
"Hello, Ric."
"Yo, B! My men and I are close to Oak Park Valley; I hope the coast is clear?" he asked, chuckling.
"Yeah, lil' chicken," Bryan answered, teasing Ricky for sounding fearful.
"I'll come pick you up; we leave no trails," he said, ending the call.
"Are they here now?" Jazmin asked enthusiastically.
"Not really, but very close; I'll leave now," Bryan said, getting up and grabbing his backpack.
Bryan wasn't leaving anything to chance; he already had a mask to conceal his identity and two new 9mm Glock 19 handguns, which he tucked into his jeans, concealing them with his jacket.
As he went down the valley, he removed the mask and held one gun; his finger remained on the trigger while he waited for Ricky's arrival.
Five minutes later, they arrived. He shook hands with Ricky and his men, and they moved towards the woods, carefully avoiding heading straight to the safe house just in case someone was trailing them.
"The Devil's are fierce Bryan... What's your plans? "Ricky asked.
Bryan carefully unzipped his backpack, the fabric now worn and faded from countless excursions, and retrieved the drive along with a neatly folded brown envelope.
The weight of the moment was heavy in the air, charged with the gravity of what lay ahead.
"Here it is," he said, holding up the drive, his voice steady yet filled with an intensity that underscored the importance of what he was presenting.
"This is evidence that can put them behind bars for a very long time. It's not just about justice for my men; all of them are gone now, and I need to ensure that they pay dearly for their actions. I can't do this alone, Ricky. I need your help." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if to keep the gravity of this conversation from curious ears of Ricky's men standing a yard away as he was just meeting them for the first time and did not yet trust them.
"The second part of my plan is to bring them into a war with the Iron Teeth Cartel. Their camp is in complete disarray; half of their men have already been wiped out. The Iron Teeth Cartel has the numbers and the sheer ferocity needed to crush them now."
Ricky looked at Bryan with a mix of admiration and concern. "I've waited for a long time to repay the favors you've done for me over the years," he stated firmly. "You've always had my back. I'm with you all the way, Bryan."
A smile spread across Bryan's face, one filled with relief and anticipation. He had been biding his time for what felt like an eternity—six long months spent lurking in the shadows, masquerading as a small-time hustler while quietly observing the rise of the Devils gang that had steadily taken control of the territory, growing increasingly arrogant and feeling invincible in their newfound power.
"As for Malik, James's godfather and right-hand man, he's the dirtiest player in this entire game. He orchestrates side deals that even James himself did not know about, doing shady deals in James name and faking is signature, deals that will make James the main culprit should it go burst. That's our leverage. If we can expose him, that would be the crack—the poison that will seep into the very heart of the Devils' unity," Bryan explained, his tone dripping with determination and a hint of vengeance.
A glint of curiosity sparkled in Ricky's eyes. "So, how exactly do we come into play in this?" he asked, eager to unravel the layers of Bryan's plan.
"There's this Chinese lady who runs a grocery store," Bryan clarified, shifting gears to reveal a crucial element of his strategy. He continued, "Her name is Xin Yi, and she is a good lady and very loyal to the hustlers and in return of that loyalty no one touches her business, She's a well-known figure in the neighborhood, respected and trusted by many, which makes her the perfect help for us. If we can convince her to help us deliver this evidence to the police it will instigate the chaos we need."
Bryan leaned back slightly "By planting the right seeds of doubt and misinformation too we can manipulate them into fighting internal war. This could be our chance to dismantle the Devils from within.
Are you in, Ricky? Because once we start this, there's no turning back."
"I got this, I'll handle it myself," Ricky said confidently as he snatched the drive and the envelope.
"Alright then," Bryan replied. "Listen, her store is right next to Oak Park Central Mosque. Make sure you mention it's from Bryan and that what's inside could really bring back some peace to the neighborhood. Trust me, that's going to motivate her to act. Oh, and don't let her get any funny ideas—tell her to just go straight to the police with it. Hand over the evidence, and boom, that's job done."
Ricky took the instructions seriously and executed the plan with precision.
The Survival plans kicking off
Meeting with Ricky, Xin Yi felt a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. She was scared, but there was something in it for her, and she couldn't afford to lose her grip with the local hustlers. Resolutely, she locked up her store and made her way directly to the police station with a sense of purpose.
As she approached the desk, she spotted a Chinese-American officer she trusted like family. "Hello officer Levi Chan, I found this after the shootout," Xin Yi said, trying to keep her voice steady. She handed over the drive, her heart pounding with every word.
"I was just doing my usual cleaning around the neighborhood—not that it's particularly clean most days, if I'm being honest," she added, attempting to lighten the mood. "I tried to move this busted chair around that warehouse waiting for someone to toss it out, and lo and behold, I found this hiding underneath. I thought it might help out with the recent shooting and everything." Her carefully rehearsed lie flowed easily off her tongue, even while she battled a fluttering sense of guilt.
The officer looked at her with a mixture of suspicion and appreciation. "Okay, we'll take a look," he said, then nodded. And just like that, the police took her story seriously, and the intel from the drive was clean—clear as day. They were willing to believe her, and suddenly, what had started as a daunting task began to feel like a crucial step in taking back control of her life and her neighborhood.
Just a few hours after the initial chaos erupted, the police quickly kicked off a brand-new investigation. They were all hands on deck, getting those surveillance orders signed faster than you can say "criminal mastermind." Word began to spread like wildfire—hushed whispers and loud speculations bounced around the streets, and you could practically feel the mounting pressure on the devils camp, But this was merely the first step in Bryan's meticulously crafted plan.
Fast forward, and now Bryan, Jazmin, and Ricky have made their way to the bustling streets of New York City. Heading to Brownsville Brooklyn this place is a concrete jungle, a vibrant mix of chaos and opportunity, but they felt safe now and at peace to relax and see what's about to unfold. It's officially time for phase two of Bryan's elaborate game plan.
With the city's bright lights shining down and the endless maze of streets pulsating with energy, they know they have to move fast and think smart. The stakes are higher than ever, and Bryan is ready to roll up his sleeves and dive into the next part of his strategy.