Rise of the Street King

Chapter 11 – The Unexpected Ally

The shotgun blast tore through the night.

The SUV’s windshield exploded, glass spraying into the rain-soaked alley. The vehicle swerved hard, tires shrieking, before slamming sideways into a wall with a bone-shaking crunch. Smoke hissed from the hood as its engine sputtered out.

Jayden blinked through the blinding headlights, his ears ringing. Hassan sagged against him, half-conscious, while Kade rose from behind the dumpster, rifle aimed at the wreck.

“Stay down!” Kade barked.

But Jayden’s eyes were locked on the figure who had fired the shot.

She stepped out of the mist like a ghost.

Slim, athletic build wrapped in a black leather jacket, dark jeans tucked into combat boots. A hood shadowed her face, but the glint of her eyes cut sharp even through the rain. The shotgun rested casually on her shoulder, smoke curling from its barrel.

She walked straight toward them, calm as if she hadn’t just crippled a death squad’s ride.

Kade’s rifle tracked her. “Don’t move another step.”

The woman stopped, tilting her head just slightly. When she spoke, her voice was low, steady, and carried a weight that made Jayden’s skin prickle.

“If I wanted you dead, soldier, you’d already be bleeding in this gutter.”

Kade’s grip didn’t waver. “Name.”

She slowly lowered her hood. The streetlamp caught her face sharp cheekbones, damp strands of dark hair plastered to her forehead, lips set in a line that spoke of discipline.

“Aria,” she said simply. “And unless you’d prefer to die choking on Syndicate smoke, you’ll follow me. Now.”

Jayden’s chest tightened. He didn’t know her, didn’t trust her but she’d just saved them. And right now, trust was a luxury he couldn’t afford to reject.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded, adjusting Hassan’s weight on his shoulder.

Aria’s gaze flicked to the briefcase clutched in his other hand. Something unreadable flashed in her eyes.

“The only person standing between you and a shallow grave,” she said. “Now move.”

Kade cursed under his breath but lowered his rifle, just slightly. “If this is a trap

Aria cut him off, tone flat. “You’ll shoot me. I know the drill. But if we stay here, Razor’s dogs and the Syndicate both will have us boxed in within minutes. So, decide, soldier. Lead or follow.”

Kade hesitated only a beat before jerking his head. “Fine. But I’m on your back the whole way.”

Aria didn’t argue. She simply turned, striding down the opposite end of the alley with confidence that made Jayden’s gut churn. He struggled to keep up, Hassan groaning weakly against him, the briefcase like lead in his grip.

They weaved through the city’s underbelly—abandoned lots, narrow passages slick with rain, rooftops where stray dogs barked into the night. Aria moved like she knew every corner, every blind spot. Not once did she hesitate.

Finally, she led them into what looked like a shuttered laundromat. Inside, the smell of detergent still lingered faintly under the damp musk of disuse. Aria locked the door behind them, drew the blinds, and nodded at the back room.

“Safe enough for now.”

Jayden laid Hassan gently on a folding table, brushing wet hair from the old man’s clammy forehead. He looked pale, his breaths shallow. Panic clawed at Jayden’s chest.

“He’s getting worse,” Jayden muttered. “He needs real help.”

Aria was already rummaging through a crate tucked under a counter. She pulled out a battered med kit and tossed it onto the table. “This’ll hold him. I’ll stitch him myself.”

Jayden’s head snapped up. “You’re a doctor?”

A faint smirk tugged at her lips. “Not the licensed kind.”

Kade leaned against a washer, rifle still in hand, eyes never leaving her. “You patched soldiers before?”

Aria’s smirk faded. “I’ve patched worse.”

Her hands were quick, steady, as she disinfected the wound and began stitching with practiced precision. Jayden hovered, torn between awe and suspicion.

Finally, he couldn’t take it. “Why are you helping us? You don’t even know us.”

Aria didn’t look up. “I know Razor. And I know the Syndicate. Which means I know anyone carrying that case doesn’t have long to live. Call this… evening the odds.”

Jayden’s grip tightened on the briefcase. “You know what’s in it?”

Aria’s eyes flicked to his, sharp. “Enough to burn half the city if it goes public. But fire spreads, kid. Burns everything including the one holding the match.”

Jayden swallowed hard, Hassan’s weak breathing loud in his ears.

Kade finally spoke, his tone clipped. “You didn’t stumble into that alley by chance. You were waiting for us.”

Aria tied off the last stitch, wiped her hands clean, and finally met his stare head-on.

“You’re right,” she said. “I was waiting.”

Jayden’s pulse spiked. “Why?”

Her answer was calm, but her words hit like gunfire.

“Because the Syndicate isn’t just after Razor. They’re after me too.”

Silence dropped heavy over the laundromat.

Kade’s jaw flexed. “You’ve crossed them?”

Aria gave a humorless laugh. “Crossed them? I buried one of their generals in a shallow grave six months ago. They’ve been hunting me ever since.”

Jayden’s stomach twisted. “So you’re saying”

“I’m saying,” Aria cut him off, her gaze burning into his, “our enemies are the same. And if we don’t work together, none of us make it to the next sunrise.”

The room felt smaller suddenly. The rain outside pounded harder, like a ticking clock. Hassan moaned softly, his stitched wound seeping, fragile but stable.

Jayden looked from Aria to Kade, caught between a soldier who trusted no one and a woman who carried secrets sharp enough to cut.

He finally found his voice. “So what’s the plan?”

Aria leaned back against a dryer, arms crossed, eyes shadowed but steady.

“The plan,” she said, “is to hit first. Razor’s licking his wounds, but the Syndicate won’t wait. They’ll move fast, tighter than ever. If we want to survive, we don’t run. We strike.”

Kade narrowed his eyes. “You want us to go on the offensive? With one kid, one half-dead mentor, and one ghost with a shotgun?”

Aria smirked faintly. “Better odds than you think.”

Jayden’s chest tightened. The idea of going after Razor instead of hiding made his blood ice over but also lit something else inside him. Anger. Hunger.

For the first time, the thought of taking the fight to Razor didn’t feel impossible. It felt inevitable.

Aria pushed off the dryer, stepping closer, her gaze never leaving his. “The case is power, Jayden. But power without guts is nothing. So tell me are you just running with it, or are you ready to use it?”

Jayden’s throat tightened. He thought of Hassan’s plea. Promise me you’ll finish what I couldn’t.

His grip tightened on the briefcase. “I’ll use it.”

Aria’s smirk grew sharper. “Good. Then we start tonight.”

Before Jayden could ask what she meant, a thunderous bang rattled the laundromat door.

Three more followed, louder. Deliberate.

Kade swung his rifle up, eyes narrowing. “They’re here.”

Aria grabbed her shotgun, chambering a round with a cold, practiced snap.

Jayden’s pulse roared in his ears as Hassan stirred weakly behind him. The briefcase felt heavier than ever.

The final bang bent the steel lock.

The door gave one last groan, ready to burst. Outside, heavy boots pounded the wet pavement, voices shouting orders. Jayden’s breath caught as Aria whispered, low and deadly:

“Get ready, kid. The Syndicate just knocked on our door.”

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