The night came down slow over the city, casting shadows that stretched like secrets across the broken pavement. Dre sat on the edge of a rusted water tank, high above the streets of Ajagunle. He wasn't up here for peace — peace was a luxury. He was here for clarity.
Below him, a crowd gathered around a small street fight — two boys swinging fists while others cheered like it was a festival. Dre didn't even blink. That kind of chaos was a distraction. And Dre had learned long ago: real power doesn't yell. It whispers. Silently. Strategically.
He pulled out a small notebook and flipped it open. Inside, were names — real ones, street ones, nicknames only known by those who mattered. Zion's name was underlined twice.
Zion had everything Dre lost — attention, fear, respect. But he was reckless, loud, and most importantly, emotional. That made him vulnerable.
A soft voice broke the silence behind Dre.
"You still spying on ghosts?" Vanessa asked. She wore a black hoodie, blending into the dark like smoke.
"No," Dre replied. "I'm watching pieces move."
Vanessa joined him, legs dangling off the tank's edge. "Zion's people are growing fast like wildfire . You sure you want to go against him without anyone behind you?"
"I don't need people. I need leverage."
Vanessa gave a quiet laugh. "You sound more dangerous than he does."
"I plan to be."
---
Earlier that day, Dre had paid a boy named Seyi to follow Zion's delivery runner. Not to rob. Just to note details — timing, behavior, habits. When Seyi returned, his eyes were wide.
"They switch routes randomly," he said. "But they always drop at that orange kiosk beside Oyinbo bridge."
"Same time?"
"Between 4:50 and 5:10. Every time."
Dre smiled faintly. Predictable. Sloppy.
He opened a folded paper on his bed — a map of the area, hand-drawn. Zion's operation, Wale's pickup points, two rivals on the other side of the bridge. It was all there.
A plan was forming.
Not a fight.
A setup.
---
Later that night, Dre met Emmanuel near an abandoned school field. The floodlights were off, and the crickets filled the silence between them.
"You're going to start a war," Emmanuel said.
"No. I'm going to make one start itself."
"And if Zion finds out?"
"He won't. He'll be too busy looking for who betrayed him."
"You sure you want to be this guy, Dre?"
Dre didn't answer at first. His hands tightened in his pocket. "They turned me into this. I'm just becoming what the world demanded."
Emmanuel looked at him like he was meeting someone new. "Don't forget why you started this."
"I didn't," Dre said, stepping into the night. "That's the only reason I'm still alive."