The explosion ripped through the docks with a deafening BOOM! The force sent Carrick hurtling backward, slamming into a stack of crates. His ears rang, the world spinning in a haze of fire and smoke.

For a moment, all he could hear was the distant roar of flames and the muffled screams of the dying. His body ached, his head throbbing.

Then.. Gunfire.

Carrick forced his eyes open, vision blurred. Through the smoke, he could make out figures moving-some running, some crawling, some lying motionless in pools of blood.

Maximus was already on his feet, dragging an injured Jack behind cover. His face was smeared with ash, a gash bleeding at his temple.

"Carrick!" Maximus's voice was urgent. "Can you move?"

Carrick gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. Pain lanced through his ribs. "Barely," he muttered.

Jack groaned, clutching his side. "Fucking bastard had a detonator the whole time..."

"Of course, he did." Maximus scowled, peering through the smoke. "Where the hell is Domino?"

Carrick's pulse quickened. Domino.

He scanned the wreckage, but his brother was nowhere to be seen.

"He ran," Carrick spat, fists clenching. "Like the coward he is."

Maximus wiped the blood from his face. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Just then, Alex's panicked voice crackled through the earpiece.

"Carrick! You need to move, NOW!"

Carrick's stomach twisted. "What is it?"

"Domino's got reinforcements inbound, two armored convoys, plus a goddamn chopper!"

Carrick's mind raced. They were already badly outnumbered, if those reinforcements arrived, they'd be annihilated.

Maximus cursed. "We need an exit plan."

Carrick turned to Jack. "How bad are you?"

Jack let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, you know. Just got blown the fuck up. I'll live."

Carrick glanced around. Lila's sniper fire had stopped. Either she was repositioning, or..

"Lila, do you copy?" Carrick pressed his earpiece.

Silence.

Then, static.. followed by a weak voice.

"...Carrick..."

His blood ran cold. "Lila, where are you?"

"South side... took a hit... leg's fucked..."

Carrick clenched his jaw. "Hold on. We're coming."

Maximus grabbed his shoulder. "Carrick, we don't have time.."

"I don't leave my people behind."

Maximus studied him for a moment before nodding. "Then let's move fast."

They sprinted through the wreckage, dodging flames and bodies. The air was thick with gunpowder and death.

Carrick spotted Lila slumped against a collapsed metal beam, her rifle discarded beside her. Blood pooled beneath her leg, her face pale.

Carrick dropped to his knees. "Shit, Lila.."

"Don't," she breathed, her lips trembling. "I'm not dying. Just... need a hand."

Carrick nodded, gripping her under the arms. "Jack, help me."

Jack, wincing, crouched beside him. Together, they hoisted Lila up.

Maximus's voice cut through the chaos. "We got company!"

Carrick turned. Silhouettes emerged through the smoke.. armed men, closing in fast.

"Fucking hell," Jack grunted.

Carrick pulled his pistol, leveling it at the advancing figures. "You guys keep moving. I'll.."

A gunshot rang out.

One of the approaching men collapsed.

Carrick's eyes snapped toward the shooter.

Standing atop a wrecked container, rifle in hand, was Victor Alistair.

His sharp blue eyes met Carrick's, lips curving into a smirk. "Looks like I got here just in time."

Carrick exhaled, relief flickering in his chest. "Couldn't have picked a better moment."

Victor hopped down, his men fanning out beside him. "Got word that Domino was pulling some underhanded shit. Figured you might need backup."

Carrick grinned. "You figured right."

Maximus raised a brow. "I assume you brought a way out?"

Victor nodded toward the docks. "I've got three speedboats waiting. But we need to move now."

Carrick didn't hesitate. "Then let's go."

The battle wasn't over.

As they made their way toward the docks, Domino's men surged forward.

Bullets tore through the air. Maximus led the charge, his movements precise and merciless.

Jack fought with reckless fury, his injuries forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Victor's men covered their retreat, their weapons singing death.

Carrick carried Lila, his arms burning with exertion. "We're almost there!"

The boats came into view. Sleek. Fast. Their engines humming like predators waiting to pounce.

"GO!" Victor shouted.

Carrick reached the first boat, carefully setting Lila down. Jack collapsed beside her, breathing hard.

Maximus hopped in next, his pistol still aimed at the enemy.

Victor was the last to board, barking orders at his men.

Then, just as the last of them leaped into the boats..

A voice cut through the night.

"You think this is over, Carrick?"

Carrick turned.

Standing at the edge of the burning docks was Domino.

His black suit was stained with blood and ash. His golden revolver gleamed.

And his smile was pure, unfiltered hatred.

Carrick locked eyes with him. "Oh, trust me, brother."

The boat's engines roared to life.

"This is just the beginning."

Domino tilted his head, a slow smirk curling his lips. "Then you better watch your back."

Carrick didn't blink. "You should worry about yours."

The boat shot forward, cutting through the dark waters.

As the burning docks faded into the distance, Carrick exhaled.

The battle was over.

But the war had only begun.

The speedboat cut through the dark waters like a blade, leaving behind the burning docks and the bloodshed. The salty wind whipped against Carrick's face, but he barely felt it. His mind was still back there, on Domino, on the battle, on the war that had just begun.

Lila groaned beside him, her face pale, sweat slicking her forehead. Her injured leg was wrapped in a torn piece of Jack's shirt, but the bleeding hadn't fully stopped.

"Stay with me, Lila," Carrick said, squeezing her hand.

She smirked weakly. "Not dying today, boss. Still got too many people to shoot."

Maximus, sitting at the front of the boat, watched the horizon, his eyes sharp. "We need to get her to a medic. Fast."

Victor nodded from the driver's seat. "I've got a guy. Discreet. Won't ask questions."

Carrick glanced at him. "Appreciate it, Victor."

Victor smirked. "You can pay me back by making sure Domino dies screaming."

Carrick's grip on the boat's railing tightened. "Oh, I intend to."

Jack, who had been silent up until now, chuckled darkly. "Good. Because that bastard isn't gonna stop. Not after tonight."

"Let him come," Carrick muttered. His voice was low, cold. "I'll be ready."

The boat sped toward the city's outskirts, away from the main ports, toward a hidden dock Victor's men controlled. As the fire from the battle faded into the distance, the weight on Carrick's shoulders only grew heavier.

This wasn't victory.

It was only survival.

They arrived at a secluded marina, where Victor's men were already waiting. A black SUV idled nearby, its engine rumbling softly.

A burly man in a leather jacket stepped forward as they docked. "Got your medic inside," he said to Victor. "She's ready."

Carrick helped Lila onto the dock, her arm slung over his shoulders. She winced but gritted her teeth.

"Next time," she muttered, "I want a raise."

Carrick smirked. "Survive, and we'll talk."

Victor led them to the SUV, where an older woman with graying hair and sharp eyes was waiting in the backseat. She wore a plain black dress, her hands already gloved.

"You're the patient?" she asked Lila.

"Unfortunately."

The woman.. Dr. Yelena, according to Victor, gestured. "Get in. I'll patch her up."

Carrick carefully helped Lila inside, and Yelena immediately got to work, unwrapping the makeshift bandage. She clicked her tongue.

"Bullet grazed the femur. You're lucky, no artery damage. But you're not walking properly for a few weeks."

Lila exhaled. "Guess I'll be on sniper duty full-time, then."

"More like bed rest," Yelena corrected, shooting her a glare.

Carrick shut the door, giving Lila one last glance before stepping away. He turned to Maximus and Victor.

"We need to talk."

Victor motioned toward a nearby warehouse. "Inside. It's secure."

The warehouse was dimly lit, with crates stacked against the walls. The smell of oil and steel lingered in the air.

Carrick stood in the center, Maximus to his right, Victor leaning against a table across from him. Jack was still outside, keeping watch.

"This wasn't just a battle," Carrick said, voice low. "It was a message."

Victor folded his arms. "Domino's not going to sit back and lick his wounds. He'll hit back. Harder."

Maximus nodded. "And next time, he won't just send foot soldiers."

Carrick exhaled slowly. He knew what this meant. The Gale Family had ruled the underworld for years, not just with money and power, but with fear.

And now, Carrick had given them something they hadn't had in a long time.

A real threat.

Victor pushed off the table. "We need to strike first."

Carrick looked at him. "I agree. But we can't just react. We need a plan. A real one."

Maximus smirked. "You have something in mind?"

Carrick's eyes darkened. "I do."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a flash drive, tossing it onto the table. Victor picked it up, raising an eyebrow.

"What's this?"

"Information," Carrick said. "Everything Alex hacked from the Gale family's servers before tonight's battle. Business records, offshore accounts, dirty deals."

Victor's smirk widened. "Well, well. Aren't you thorough?"

Carrick continued. "We won't win this war by just shooting our way through. We need to bleed them dry."

Maximus chuckled. "You want to cripple their empire before you burn it?"

"Exactly," Carrick confirmed. "If we hit their supply chains, their finances, their alliances, Domino won't just be fighting me. He'll be fighting his own people."

Victor tapped the flash drive against his palm, considering. "Smart. But this won't be easy."

Carrick met his gaze. "Nothing worth doing ever is."

A silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken agreement.

Then..

A buzzing sound broke the tension.

Victor pulled out his phone, frowning at the screen. His expression darkened.

"What?" Carrick asked.

Victor's grip tightened around the phone. "Domino just made his move."

Carrick's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Victor turned the screen toward him. It was a news article.

Carrick's stomach twisted as he read the headline:

"Prominent Businessman Zachary Gale Announces $10 Million Bounty on Notorious Criminal Aurum Zenith."

Carrick's blood ran cold.

His father.

This wasn't just a retaliation. It was a declaration of war.

Victor exhaled. "That's not just a bounty. That's a death sentence. Every mercenary, every assassin, every low-life in the country is going to be after you."

Maximus ran a hand through his hair. "Hell, even cops will take a shot at you for that kind of money."

Carrick clenched his fists. Zachary.

Of course, his father wouldn't sit idly by.

He wasn't just sending men after him.

He was turning the whole world against him.

Carrick's breathing slowed. His heartbeat steadied.

Then, he did something that caught both Victor and Maximus off guard.

He laughed.

A low, dark chuckle.

Maximus frowned. "What's so funny?"

Carrick's eyes gleamed with something dangerous.

"It's cute," he said. "He thinks I'm the one being hunted."

Victor smirked. "So... what's the next move?"

Carrick looked at them, his voice calm.

"We don't hide."

He picked up the flash drive and slipped it back into his pocket.

"We hunt."

Carrick paced the dimly lit warehouse, his mind running through every possible angle. A ten-million-dollar bounty. His own father had just turned every mercenary, assassin, and low-life scumbag into an enemy.

Maximus leaned against a crate, arms crossed, watching him with an amused smirk. "So, what's the plan now, Zenith?"

Carrick stopped pacing. He exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the situation. The bounty changed things. It wasn't just about taking down Domino or the Gale Family anymore. It was about surviving the entire underworld.

He glanced at Victor, who was still reading through the article on his phone. The older man shook his head. "Your father isn't playing games, kid. Ten million will have everyone gunning for you. Even people who wouldn't normally cross you might be tempted."

Carrick rolled his shoulders, his expression unreadable. "Let them come."

Maximus raised an eyebrow. "Confident, aren't you?"

Carrick met his gaze. "I'm not confident. I'm prepared."

Victor sighed, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Alright. Let's hear it. What's the next move?"

Carrick didn't hesitate. "We hit back. Hard."

Maximus chuckled. "Straight to revenge, huh? I like it."

Carrick shook his head. "This isn't just revenge. This is control. My father wants to turn the world against me? Fine. But I'll show them that hunting me is the biggest mistake they'll ever make."

Victor leaned forward. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Carrick smirked. "We set an example."

Silence settled over the warehouse.

Maximus's eyes gleamed with interest. "Go on."

Carrick turned to Victor. "We have their financial records. That means we have leverage."

Victor nodded slowly. "You want to start cutting off their power."

"Exactly." Carrick's expression darkened. "We go after their money, their weapons, their alliances. We make it so that even Domino's own people start questioning whether he's worth protecting."

Maximus's smirk widened. "Not just brute force, then. You're playing the long game."

Carrick nodded. "But first, we send a message."

Victor's eyes narrowed. "What kind of message?"

Carrick's voice was ice.

"We kill the first person who tries to collect that bounty. And we make sure everyone sees it."

The streets were already buzzing with rumors by the time Carrick stepped outside the warehouse. The bounty had spread like wildfire. Every gang, every mercenary crew, every wannabe killer in the city was talking about Aurum Zenith's head price.

Carrick didn't have to wait long for the first attempt.

They came fast.

Sloppy.

Two men in cheap leather jackets, their hands hovering near their pistols, thinking they were fast enough to take him by surprise.

Carrick didn't even let them blink.

Bang.

The first man's head snapped back as a bullet tore through his skull, splattering blood onto the cracked pavement.

The second man froze.

Carrick was already moving. Before the fool could even think about pulling his weapon, Carrick had closed the distance, slamming the barrel of his gun against his forehead.

"You're the first," Carrick said quietly. "Unlucky."

The man begged. "Wait, wait! Please-"

Bang.

His body crumpled to the ground.

Carrick exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He turned to Victor, who had been watching with cold indifference.

"Think they got the message?" Carrick asked.

Victor smirked. "Let's make sure."

Maximus was already pulling out his phone, snapping a picture of the bodies. He tapped the screen a few times before nodding. "It's done."

Carrick arched an eyebrow. "Where'd you send it?"

Maximus grinned. "Every major crime syndicate in the city. Every bounty hunter forum. Every mercenary network."

Carrick smirked. "Good."

They needed to set the tone. If anyone thought collecting that bounty was easy money, they'd realize soon enough that it was a death sentence.

Later that night, in an undisclosed location, Zachary Gale sat in his office, sipping expensive whiskey. A large TV screen in front of him showed the same image Maximus had just sent out-two dead bodies lying in a pool of their own blood.

His jaw clenched.

Domino stood beside him, arms crossed, staring at the screen with a dark expression.

"He's not hiding," Domino muttered.

Zachary exhaled through his nose. "No. He's not."

A moment of silence passed.

Then, Domino grinned. "Good. That makes it easier."

Zachary didn't return the smile. Instead, he turned to his personal bodyguard, a hulking man dressed in a tailored black suit.

"Send a message to Samael."

The bodyguard hesitated. Even Domino's grin faltered.

"...Samael?"

Zachary nodded slowly. "Tell him I have a job for him."

Domino whistled. "Damn. Calling in the big guns, huh?"

Zachary's eyes never left the screen.

"This has gone on long enough."

Carrick sat in the back of an SUV, staring out the window as the city passed by in streaks of neon light. Maximus drove, while Victor sat in the passenger seat, flipping through files.

Jack's voice crackled over the radio. "Boss, we got chatter on the mercenary networks. People are scared."

Carrick smirked. "Good."

Jack hesitated. "But we also got a problem."

Carrick's smirk faded. "Go on."

Jack's voice dropped lower. "Word is... Zachary hired Samael."

The car went dead silent.

Even Maximus cursed under his breath.

Victor turned around in his seat. "You're sure?"

Jack exhaled. "Confirmed it myself. The bastard's in town."

Carrick tapped his fingers against his knee. He had heard of Samael before. Everyone had.

An elite assassin. The kind of man you never wanted hunting you.

Maximus shook his head. "That's not just any hitman, kid. That's a ghost."

Victor rubbed his jaw. "If Samael is on your trail, you better start sleeping with one eye open."

Carrick's grip on his gun tightened. He wasn't afraid. But he wasn't stupid either. This was different.

Zachary wasn't just sending men after him anymore.

He was bringing monsters to the table.

Carrick exhaled.

Fine.

Let them come.

He wasn't the same helpless kid his father had betrayed years ago.

He was Aurum Zenith now.

And he was ready.