Ochieng sat in the dimly lit bar, his fingers drumming against the whiskey glass. The weight of Elaine's words still lingered in his mind.
Jafari was alive.
And he was coming for revenge.
The city was already shifting—subtle movements, whispers in the underground. The kind of silence that came before a storm.
Veronica sat across from him, her expression unreadable.
"What's our next move?" she asked.
Ochieng took a slow sip, his eyes sharp. "We prepare."
Veronica scoffed. "For what? An all-out war?"
Ochieng's gaze darkened. "Exactly."
Veronica hesitated. "Ochieng, if Jafari is really alive, this isn't just another fight. He doesn't come for revenge—he comes to erase."
Ochieng clenched his jaw.
He knew that.
Jafari didn't believe in leaving survivors.
And that meant everyone close to him was in danger.
---
A cold wind blew through the alley as Ochieng and Veronica stepped outside. The streets of Nairobi were alive, but beneath the surface, an eerie tension hung in the air.
Then—a shadow moved.
Ochieng's hand went to his waist instinctively, his fingers grazing the handle of his concealed gun.
A hooded figure emerged from the darkness.
"Don't shoot," the man rasped. "I have a message."
Veronica narrowed her eyes. "From who?"
The man hesitated before slipping a folded note into Ochieng's hand.
Ochieng unfolded it, his pulse quickening.
Three words.
"You're already surrounded."
His body tensed.
A trap.
The man bolted before they could react.
Ochieng's eyes scanned the rooftops. The streets. The moving figures in the distance.
Then—gunfire.
Bullets whizzed past, hitting the walls in sharp bursts.
Veronica cursed, pulling her gun. "We need to move—now!"
Ochieng grabbed her wrist. "No." His voice was cold, calculating. "We take them head-on."
Veronica stared at him in disbelief. "Are you insane?"
Ochieng's lips curled into a smirk.
"This is just the beginning."
---
The first attacker lunged from the shadows.
Ochieng sidestepped, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting it with brutal precision. A sickening snap followed—a scream cut short.
Another came.
Veronica fired, taking him down in one clean shot.
More emerged from the alleys—five, six… maybe more.
Ochieng didn't hesitate.
He moved like a shadow, his fists striking like steel, his kicks swift and deadly. Each move was calculated, controlled, ruthless.
A blade slashed through the air.
Ochieng ducked, spinning behind the attacker and driving his knee into the man's spine.
He heard the satisfying crack.
Veronica reloaded, breathing heavily. "There's too many."
Ochieng wiped blood from his lip. "Then we make an example."
A figure stepped forward.
Larger. Meaner. More dangerous.
The leader.
And Ochieng knew—this was just a taste of what was coming.
Jafari was sending a message.
And Ochieng was about to send one right back.
In blood.
-..
Ochieng adjusted his stance, his muscles tensed. The leader smirked, a jagged scar running down his left cheek.
"You really thought you could escape the past?" the man sneered.
Ochieng remained silent.
The leader lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
Ochieng barely dodged as a blade whizzed past his face, slicing the air with deadly precision.
But Ochieng was faster.
He grabbed the man's wrist mid-swing and twisted, sending the knife clattering to the ground. With a swift movement, he drove his elbow into the man's gut, following up with a knee to the face.
The leader stumbled back, dazed.
Ochieng didn't give him a chance to recover.
A brutal kick to the chest sent him crashing into the wall.
The rest of the attackers hesitated.
Veronica took aim. "Run, or die."
Most of them ran.
The leader spat blood, glaring at Ochieng. "You think you've won?"
Ochieng crouched beside him.
"I'm just getting started."
Then, without hesitation, he snapped the man's neck.
The alley fell silent.
Veronica let out a slow breath. "We need to get out of here."
Ochieng stood, wiping his hands. "Jafari knows I'm alive."
Veronica frowned. "And?"
Ochieng's eyes burned with something dangerous.
"Now he knows I'm not hiding."
---
The drive back was tense. Veronica gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white.
"Ochieng, we can't keep doing this."
Ochieng stared out the window. "We don't have a choice."
Veronica exhaled. "There has to be another way."
Ochieng turned to her, his voice low. "There isn't."
They pulled up to a mansion on the outskirts of the city. The gates opened automatically, revealing the estate beyond—vast, luxurious, but heavily secured.
Inside, Elaine was waiting.
She took one look at Ochieng's bloody shirt and sighed.
"Rough night?"
Ochieng smirked. "You could say that."
Elaine crossed her arms. "We need to talk."
Ochieng nodded. "Yeah. We do."
Jafari had made his move.
Now it was his turn.
---