July 24, 2021 – New Kingston, Jamaica

Kyle – The Son at the EdgeThe silence between them was unbearable. Kyle stared at the man before him, his mind fighting to accept what his eyes swore was true. Derrick Wilson—his father, the ghost, the myth—was standing less than ten feet away.

"You're supposed to be dead," Kyle finally said, his voice low but shaking.

Derrick smirked, hands in his pockets, posture too calm for someone who had just crawled out of the grave. "Dead? That's what they told you. That's what they needed you to believe."

Kyle's fists clenched. "Why? Why let Mom suffer like that? Why let me grow up thinkin' you abandoned us?"

Derrick tilted his head. "Because the truth would've killed you faster than my absence ever could."

The words landed like a blow.

Derrick – The Man Who Refused to DieDerrick stepped forward, and for the first time Kyle saw the details: the lines on his face, the scar that ran from his temple down to his jaw, the way his eyes flicked to the shadows as if expecting enemies everywhere.

"Son," Derrick said, his voice graver now, "you think I wanted to disappear? You think I didn't want to see you take your first shot, your first win? But men like me don't get that luxury. I made choices. Choices that put targets on every back I loved. Walking away was the only chance you had."

Kyle swallowed hard. "Walking away is one thing. Faking your death? That's cowardice."

Derrick chuckled bitterly. "You sound just like your mother. You don't know half of what I buried for you."

Omar – Watching from AfarAt the edge of the parking lot, hidden behind a rusted car, Omar's heart raced. He had followed Kyle, against better judgment, and now his eyes confirmed his worst suspicion.

Derrick Wilson was alive.

Omar cursed under his breath. If word got out, Kingston would erupt. Old debts would be collected. Rivals who thought Derrick was gone would resurface like sharks smelling blood.

He pulled out his phone, thumb hovering over a number he swore he'd never dial again.

If I don't warn somebody, this boy going to get dragged under…

But the call he was about to make could also paint a target on Kyle's chest.

Coach T – An Old Wound ReopenedAcross town, Coach T couldn't sleep. Something gnawed at him, something deeper than pain in his limp. He poured himself a drink and stared at the old photograph he kept tucked away—himself, Derrick, and two others, all smiling like brothers before everything fell apart.

The phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number flashed on the screen:

"He's back."

Coach T's hand trembled. His drink spilled on the table.

"No…" he whispered, pressing his palm against his temple. "If Derrick really back, then the war never end. And Kyle? That boy caught in the middle."

The Meeting – Father and Son"Why now?" Kyle demanded, his chest heaving. "If you're alive, why show yourself to me? Why not stay gone?"

Derrick's eyes softened, but only for a second. "Because you're asking the wrong questions in the wrong places. Word's already out you're looking for me. That makes you a liability. And in this country, liabilities don't live long."

Kyle stepped closer, refusing to back down. "So what? You came to protect me now? After all these years?"

Derrick's smirk returned, though it was colder this time. "Protect? No, son. I came to see if you're ready to carry what's coming. Blood carries weight—and mine is heavier than you know."

Kyle's stomach twisted. "What are you saying?"

Derrick leaned in, voice low, deliberate.

"I'm saying the past isn't past. The same men who wanted me gone… they never left. They're still here. And now they'll come for you."

The Shadow Closing InFrom the far corner of the car park, headlights flared. A black SUV rolled in, silent but menacing.

Derrick's jaw tightened. "Too late."

Kyle turned, confusion giving way to fear as three men stepped out, weapons visible beneath their shirts.

Derrick grabbed Kyle's shoulder. "Listen to me. You want to know the truth? Survive tonight. Then I'll tell you everything."

Kyle's mind raced. Ball was all he ever knew. Not this. Not men with guns.

But tonight, survival meant stepping into his father's world.

And Derrick Wilson's world was one built on shadows, lies, and blood.

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