Rise of the Street King

Chapter 8 – Blood and Chaos

The first bullet shattered the neon light above Razor’s throne, showering sparks across the smoky room. Chaos erupted instantly. Men dove for cover, guns drawn, shouting over one another. The music cut, replaced by the roar of automatic fire pouring in from outside.

Jayden’s body reacted before his mind caught up. He dropped low, clutching the briefcase to his chest as splinters rained from the doorframe.

“AMBUSH!” someone screamed.

Razor stood tall in the storm, cigar still clamped between his teeth. The scarred king didn’t flinch as glass rained from shattered windows. He barked orders like a general in the trenches. “Hold the damn line! Cut them down!”

His men obeyed instantly, returning fire through every crack and broken pane. The den thundered with gunfire, smoke thickening until it stung the eyes.

Jayden’s heart pounded. This was his chance.

He crawled toward Hassan, who was still bound and bleeding, slumped against the wall. The guard who had been holding the knife was down, his chest a ruin from the first volley.

“Stay with me, old man,” Jayden whispered, sawing at the ropes with the dead guard’s blade. Hassan groaned but managed a weak nod.

More bullets tore into the room, plaster and brick exploding. Razor’s voice cut through the chaos, furious but steady. “Push back! Whoever they are, I want their heads on my floor!”

Jayden’s gut twisted. Whoever had launched this attack wasn’t here for him. They were here for Razor. And that made him nothing but collateral.

The ropes snapped. Hassan collapsed into his arms, too weak to stand.

“Can you move?” Jayden hissed.

Hassan coughed, blood flecking his lips. “I’ll… manage.”

Jayden dragged him behind a broken couch, shielding him from the storm of lead. His mind raced. He could slip out in the chaos. Run. But Razor wasn’t a man who forgot. Leaving him alive meant a death sentence tomorrow.

A shadow loomed over him.

Razor.

His scarred face glistened with sweat and fury. He looked down at Jayden, his good eye burning like a coal.

“You little bastard,” Razor growled, yanking Jayden up by the collar. “Did you bring this on me? Did you?”

Jayden’s breath caught. He wanted to deny it, but Razor’s grip was steel, his knife already flashing in his free hand.

“I should gut you right here,” Razor snarled, pressing the blade to Jayden’s cheek. “But first”

Another explosion rocked the den. The front doors blew inward, men in black masks storming through with military precision. Their rifles barked in controlled bursts, cutting Razor’s soldiers down like wheat.

Jayden ducked as Razor released him, turning his fury on the intruders. “KILL THEM ALL!”

The firefight turned brutal, bodies hitting the floor every second. Blood streaked the walls, smoke curling in every direction. Jayden’s ears rang, his vision blurred. He dragged Hassan toward a side corridor, desperate to find an exit before they were both swallowed in the crossfire.

The briefcase thudded against his side, heavy, relentless. Ghost’s words came back like a curse: Leverage. Power.

He stumbled into the hallway, Hassan leaning heavily against him. The gunfire echoed behind them, screams cutting short.

“Jayden…” Hassan croaked. “Leave me. Save yourself.”

Jayden shook his head violently. “Shut up. You’re not dying here. Not like this.”

Hassan’s weight dragged on him, but adrenaline pushed Jayden forward.

Then a masked gunman burst from the stairwell ahead, rifle raised.

Jayden froze.

The man’s aim shifted not at him, but at the hallway behind. Three of Razor’s men charged in, shouting. The gunman cut them down in seconds, blood splattering the walls.

Jayden stared, wide-eyed. The gunman turned, his face still hidden, then gave a sharp nod. “This way. Move!”

Jayden hesitated. “Who the hell are you?”

“No time!” the man barked, firing another burst over Jayden’s shoulder. “Unless you want to die, MOVE!”

Something in his tone cold, commanding forced Jayden forward. He half-dragged, half-carried Hassan up the stairwell, the masked man covering them.

The building shook with another blast below. Razor’s voice still roared, refusing to be silenced. The king of the slums was fighting back with everything he had.

On the second floor, they burst into a narrow hall lit by a single flickering bulb. The masked man pressed Jayden against the wall, rifle ready.

“Stay here,” he ordered.

Jayden snarled, adrenaline spiking. “Like hell. I’m not hiding while Hassan

The man cut him off, his voice low, urgent. “You don’t understand what’s at stake. That case you’re holding? It’s bigger than Razor. Bigger than this block. That’s why we’re here.”

Jayden’s blood ran cold. “You’re after the case?”

Before the man could answer, footsteps thundered up the stairs. Razor himself appeared, blood streaking his scarred face, shotgun in hand. His good eye locked onto Jayden like a predator sighting prey.

“You,” Razor spat, rage twisting his features. “You’re not leaving this block alive.”

He raised the shotgun

BOOM!

The hallway shook as the blast tore through the wall inches from Jayden’s head. Plaster rained down. Hassan cried out, clutching his side.

The masked man shoved Jayden hard. “RUN!”

Jayden grabbed Hassan and bolted down the hall, the briefcase pounding against him. Another shotgun blast ripped through the air, nearly taking his leg off. He stumbled, heart clawing its way out of his chest.

Behind them, Razor’s roar echoed like a demon unleashed.

“You think you can take from me? You think you can steal my crown? I’ll skin you alive, boy!”

Jayden and Hassan burst through a broken door at the end of the hall, tumbling onto a fire escape slick with rain. Sirens wailed faintly in the distance, drawn by the thunder of battle.

The masked man covered them from the doorway, rifle blazing as Razor charged.

Jayden pulled Hassan to his feet, rain soaking them both. He looked back one last time. Razor’s good eye locked with his through the chaos, promising death.

Then the masked man shouted over the storm of gunfire:

“Go! If you want to live, keep that case safe. Don’t stop. Don’t look back.”

Jayden’s breath came ragged. His legs burned. But he knew one thing he couldn’t run forever. Razor wasn’t going to stop until one of them was dead.

As Jayden and Hassan stumbled into the night, the masked man held Razor at bay. But just before the door slammed, Razor’s voice thundered out, cold and certain:

“RUN, BOY. I’LL FIND YOU. AND WHEN I DO, YOU’RE MINE.”

---