Confidential Footage Released: Loyalty is a Lie

The morning air was cool, but Nathan Callaghan’s mood was anything but as he stormed down the front steps of Southie Syndicate Manor. His eyes were locked on the grotesque sight before him: a dead snake laid out with cold precision at the entrance, a note pinned beneath its coiled body. He muttered a stream of curses, his face twisted in disgust and anger as he bent down to rip the note from beneath the lifeless creature.

“What kind of sick fuck would pull this crap?” he growled, reading the cryptic message scrawled on the paper: “Loyalty is a lie.” The words echoed in his mind, fueling his rage.

Just then, Kian Laroux appeared from inside, rubbing his eyes as he tried to make sense of the commotion. His gaze fell on the snake, and he recoiled, grimacing. “That’s disgusting. Who would leave a damn snake here?”

Nathan didn’t look at him, his jaw clenched as he shoved the note into Kian’s hand. “Guess what, kid. You’re cleaning it up. Since you’re so eager to see what’s going on around here, get rid of that… thing. And don’t take all day about it.”

Kian opened his mouth to argue, but one look at Nathan’s expression and he clamped it shut. “Fine. I’ll take care of it,” he muttered, grabbing a pair of gloves and a garbage bag from inside. The whole scene was caught on the security cameras, and Nathan knew they’d be reviewing the footage soon enough. Whoever pulled this stunt wasn’t going to get away with it.

Meanwhile, across town at The Division Manor, Julian Savell leaned against the doorframe, surveying the scattered remains of three dead rats left on the doorstep, each positioned with unsettling precision. A sadistic grin spread across his face as he crouched down, chuckling softly. “Well, well… looks like someone’s feeling brave.”

As he straightened, he heard footsteps approaching. Olly joined him, his expression neutral as he took in the scene without so much as a raised eyebrow. He shook his head, crossing his arms. “Someone’s got guts. But if they think they can get away with threatening us, they better pray I don’t find out who they are.”

Olly’s tone was calm, almost bored, but there was an underlying menace to his words. “Because if I do,” he continued, voice lowering, “I’ll make them pay. Tenfold.” He turned to Julian, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. “Guess we’re popular.”

Julian smirked, tossing one of the rats into a trash bin with casual disdain. “Oh, they’re going to learn real fast who they’re messing with. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to making them suffer.”

The entire exchange was recorded on the manor’s security system, capturing Julian’s dark amusement and Olly’s promise of retribution.

Hours later, in a dimly lit security room, the four faction heads—Julian Savell, Nathan Callaghan, Chris Night, and Kiki Masters—stood before a large screen displaying the footage of both disturbing discoveries. Each leader wore a different expression: Nathan was visibly seething, Julian appeared amused, Chris watched with narrowed eyes, and Kiki observed with an air of detached analysis.

The screen flickered, showing the masked figures planting the snake and the rats in the dead of night. They moved with practiced stealth, dressed in black from head to toe, revealing nothing of their identities.

Nathan spoke first, his voice a low growl. “Whoever’s behind this is gonna regret it. No one messes with the Syndicate and gets away with it.”

Chris scoffed, his eyes not leaving the screen. “You’d find this funny, wouldn’t you, Julian? Only a psychopath would laugh about dead animals on their doorstep.”

Julian shot him a glare, his amusement replaced by a flash of anger. “Keep calling me names, Chris. It doesn’t change the fact that your little kingdom isn’t as safe as you thought it was.”

Kiki raised a hand, cutting through the tension. “Enough. This isn’t about personal grudges.” She focused on the screen, rewinding the footage of the masked woman planting the snake and the man setting up the rats. “Whoever did this is organized, and they knew exactly where to hit us. They’re sending a message—to all of us.”

Nathan crossed his arms, his voice tense. “If they think this is going to intimidate us, they’re dead wrong. We’ll find out who’s responsible, and we’ll make an example out of them.”

Chris finally tore his gaze from the screen, looking at the other leaders. “Agreed. But we don’t act recklessly. Whoever did this knows us well enough to stay hidden, which means they’re not amateurs. We don’t need any heroes running off on their own.”

Julian rolled his eyes, clearly unfazed. “Speak for yourself, Chris. I don’t need a committee to handle this. But fine, let’s pretend to work together—for now.”

Kiki’s gaze hardened. “This isn’t about any one faction. This is about control. If someone’s brazen enough to come after the Division and the Syndicate like this, then no one’s safe. We need to find out who they are, why they’re doing this, and how far they’re willing to go.”

Julian leaned back, his smirk returning as he looked over at Nathan. “Fine, let’s hunt them down together. But don’t be surprised if I take a little… satisfaction in the process.”

Nathan glared back, unwilling to let Julian’s taunts go unchallenged. “Just don’t get in my way. I’ll deal with them my own way once we know who’s behind it.”

Chris clenched his fists, clearly struggling to keep his temper in check. “Let’s stay focused. We’ll go over every second of this footage, every angle, until we figure out who they are. Then, we’ll deal with them together, as leaders.”

Kiki nodded in agreement. “Until then, let’s not tip our hand. Whoever they are, they’re watching us, testing us. We make a move, and they’ll know. We handle this in-house, keep it contained.”

The leaders exchanged wary glances, a reluctant alliance forming among them as they realized the scale of the threat. Despite the tension, each of them understood that their power and control were being challenged—and none of them intended to let it go unanswered.