At exactly 2:00 AM, the attack began.
A convoy of black SUVs roared through the empty streets of Emerald Heights, their engines humming like death itself. Inside, the assassins of the East Shadow Syndicate sat in silence, clad in black tactical gear, their faces hidden behind masks.
Their target: The Black Orchid Hotel.
At the rooftop, Ochieng stood tall, watching the night with piercing eyes. His long black coat swayed in the wind, and his grip tightened around the silver pistol in his hand.
"They're here," Linet murmured, stepping up beside him.
Ochieng smirked. "Good. I was starting to get bored."
Below, the assassins moved in like shadows, scaling the walls, disabling security cameras, slipping past the guards like ghosts.
Then—
Bang!
A sniper's bullet whizzed past Ochieng's head. He didn't flinch.
A second shot. He caught it.
The bullet stopped in his gloved fingers. Linet gasped.
"You… you caught it?"
Ochieng smirked. "They sent the wrong killers."
He tossed the bullet aside. "Let's welcome our guests."
The hotel exploded into chaos.
Jeff and Wendy led the Black Orchid Enforcers, engaging the assassins in a deadly firefight. Gunshots rang through the corridors. Blood splattered against marble walls.
On the 15th floor, Tielen was a storm, spinning through the air, his dual daggers cutting down attackers with lethal precision.
Down in the lobby, Linet fought with grace—a whirlwind of kicks and strikes, her blade singing through the air.
And on the rooftop—
Ochieng waited.
The leader of the assassins, Shadow, stepped forward, his men fanning out behind him.
"Ochieng," Shadow said, voice like gravel. "Your time is up."
Ochieng tilted his head. "Then come and take it."
Shadow moved first. A blur of steel and death.
Ochieng met him head-on.
Their blades clashed, sparks flying. Shadow struck with lightning-fast speed, but Ochieng was faster, weaving through the attacks like a phantom.
Then—
Crack!
Ochieng's fist connected with Shadow's ribs. A sickening crunch. Shadow stumbled back, gasping.
"You're… a monster," Shadow whispered.
Ochieng stepped forward. "No. I'm a king."
With one final strike, he ended it.
Shadow's body hit the floor.
By dawn, the Black Orchid stood victorious. The assassins were dead. Richard Ochieng's last move had failed.
As Ochieng stood on the rooftop, watching the sun rise over his city, Linet stepped beside him.
"It's over," she whispered.
Ochieng exhaled. "No, Linet. It's just beginning."
But before she could respond, the distant hum of helicopter blades echoed across the city.
Ochieng's eyes narrowed as a black chopper approached, its insignia barely visible under the breaking dawn.
Linet stiffened. "That's… the government."
"Correction," Ochieng said, cracking his knuckles. "That's the real enemy."
He turned to his people—Jeff, Wendy, Tielen—his most trusted warriors.
"Prepare for war," Ochieng commanded. "Tonight, we take everything."
---
That evening, the Black Orchid Hotel was alive with celebration. A grand gala had been arranged, an extravagant party to mask the storm that was coming. The city's elite, unaware of the chaos that had unfolded the night before, arrived in their finest attire, sipping champagne under crystal chandeliers.
Luxury cars with astonishing number plates lined the entrance—black Rolls Royces, red Ferraris, silver Bugattis, and matte-black Lamborghinis. The air smelled of expensive colognes, fine wines, and power.
Ochieng, dressed in an all-black designer suit, sat at the VIP section, sipping a glass of rare Louis XIII cognac. Linet, stunning in a silk crimson gown, sat beside him, but her eyes flickered toward the distant figure of a man she never thought she'd see again.
Richard Ochieng.
The man who had once controlled the city's underground. The man who had once thought himself invincible.
But tonight—he was a guest at Ochieng's table.
The tension was electric.
"You lost," Ochieng finally said, swirling his drink. "You sent assassins, and they died. What do you want now?"
Richard smirked, his fingers drumming against the table. "You might have won the battle," he said. "But war, my dear nephew, is a different game entirely."
Linet's grip on her wine glass tightened. "What do you mean, Richard?"
Richard leaned forward. "Did you really think the government would ignore your little empire?" His grin widened. "Did you think your father built his legacy alone?"
Ochieng's breath stilled.
A memory flashed—his father's unsolved murder.
Richard chuckled. "That helicopter you saw this morning?" He pointed upwards. "It wasn't the government. It was the people who really own this city."
Ochieng's world shifted.
"You're lying," he growled.
Richard raised his glass. "Am I?"
The room darkened.
Ochieng knew then—this was far from over.
The real battle was just beginning.