Back in the opulent office of Leo, the supreme leader of 7Katz reclined in a plush leather chair, his tailored suit unbuttoned and a glass of aged whiskey in one hand. Two servants attended to him: one meticulously polishing his shoes, the other massaging his shoulders with practiced precision. The lion’s head carving on the wall behind him loomed like a silent sentinel, a testament to his dominance.
The boss was in a good mood. Panthera had informed him an hour ago that he had secured some guys in the prisons to eliminate Viper Squad associates locked up there. Five minutes earlier, Panthera had sent a text confirming the execution of the incarcerated associates. Now as he sat back, receiving luxury treatment from his servants, he was in the best of moods, anticipating further confirmation of 7Katz’s triumph over their disrespectful former distributors.
A few minutes passed, and his phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the quiet. He gestured for the servants to pause and picked up the phone, nodding as he saw the caller ID. “Yes, Pardus,” he started as he answered the call, his voice smooth but expectant. “Talk to me.”
Pardus’s voice crackled through, steady and triumphant. “It’s done, Leo. Tigris and I took them out. Tigris handled those two buffoons, Rocki Boi and Salazar, and I dealt with the rest of them. They’ve been battered to death, and their headquarters are ash, burned to the ground. None of them left to challenge us.”
Leo’s lips curled into a satisfied smile, his fingers tapping the armrest. “Well done, Pardus. Clean work. Get back to the capital safely. We’ll celebrate properly.”
He ended the call, his grin widening as he set the phone down, savouring the next instalment of good news. The servants resumed their work, but before Leo could take another sip of whiskey, the phone buzzed again.
He picked it up, noted the caller, and answered. “Uncia. Talk to me.”
Uncia’s deep, stoic voice came through. “The city’s clean, Leo. Every Viper Squad associate is down. Onca and I swept the entire city: corner shops, hideouts, all of them. No one’s left standing. Viper Squad’s finished.”
A low chuckle escaped Leo’s throat. “Excellent. Outstanding work, Uncia. I knew you and Onca would complete the task. The 7Katz are untouchable because of men like you. Get back to base. We have a celebration to do.”
He hung up, setting the phone aside with a deliberate slowness, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
He waved the servants away, standing to pace the room. As they obediently exited, he crossed over to the window, gazing out at the busy roads behind their warehouse.
How good it felt to know that the Viper Squad was no more! These dumb distributors once worked faithfully under them, until Rocki Boi and Salazar took charge and decided they were too big to be subordinates to him. After rejecting their demands for a seat at the table and cutting ties with them completely, one would have thought they’d simply tow their own path and have nothing to do with 7Katz.
Clearly, they were too stupid to do that, and thought taking shots at them was worth it. Well, they had reaped what they had sown.
“I knew my brothers wouldn’t disappoint,” he murmured, almost to himself, his voice thick with pride. “The 7Katz have crushed that irrelevant little Viper Squad and asserted our dominance. No one will dare to ever stand against us now.”
***
Later that evening, it was going down in the dining room. In a solemn but celebratory way.
A magnificent fortress of elegance, tucked deep within the 7Katz’s stronghold, a long mahogany table gleamed under a chandelier’s golden light, its surface set with crystal glasses filled with bubbling champagne. The seven men were seated in high-backed chairs, with their emblems carved into the wall behind them.
The air was thick with triumph, the scent of victory mingling with the crisp aroma of the champagne. Leo sat at the head, his tailored suit pristine and his dark eyes gleaming with pride. Flanking him were Tigris, Uncia, Onca, Panthera, Jabatus, and Pardus, each radiating their unique brand of finesse and menace.
As the servants had served them champagne and duly left the room, Leo rose to his feet and lifted his glass.
The room was silent, with each person’s attention on the upcoming words of the cartel’s supreme leader.
“Brothers,” Leo began, “tonight we celebrate a notable victory. The morons called Viper Squad are officially history now. Their worthless leaders are dead, their headquarters a pile of dusty ash, and all their associates wiped from the face of the earth. Our dominance is unquestioned, our reputation remain intact, and it’s official: not a soul on this earth can fuck with 7Katz and go scot-free. And it’s because of each of you. You all have contributed to this triumph, and as the supreme leader, I honour you all for keeping 7Katz on top of the food chain.”
The six men nodded solemnly, looks of pleasure and gratitude on their faces.
Leo then turned to Tigris, and lifted his glass.
“Tigris, you were one tough son of a gun when I brought you on board. Forged and formed in the crucible of the heartless streets. As a homeless kid in the roughest parts of town, you learned early that life is not a bed of roses, and that survival meant blood. Every fight, every scar, made you the tiger who tears through our enemies without mercy. Your brutality crushed Viper Squad, and your fire keeps us feared by all and sundry. Thank you.”
Tigris’s dark eyes glinted, a rare nod acknowledging the tribute as he gripped his glass tightly.
Leo’s gaze shifted to Uncia, broad and stoic, his face unreadable.
“Uncia. My favourite emotionless slayer. From growing up in the mountains on the east side and living as a loner to taking your place at this table… you have come far, my man. Your village people may have called you cursed for your silence, but that solitude made you a master of precision. You strike like a snow leopard: quiet, deadly, and flawless. Your work with Onca leaves no disloyal or stupid rat standing, and you did it once again with the Viper Squad. Thank you.”
Uncia’s lips twitched, a faint acknowledgment, his champagne untouched.
Next to receive his tribute was Onca.
“Onca… you crazy motherfucker! I knew there was something valuable in you when I took you up. A young rebellious street racer, dodging police with ease in the underbelly of this city. That adrenaline junkie in you has turned into a smooth predator who thrives on chaos. Your madness and ruthlessness keep our enemies off balance and our name loud. And they came to the fore once again in this mission. Thank you.”
Onca chuckled, raising his glass slightly.
Leo then turned to Panthera.
“Panthera, you were a hacker prodigy, breaking into corporate systems as a kid to pay for your mother’s hospital bills. That mind of yours, sharp as a panther’s claws, has turned our operations into one fucking unstoppable machine. Your tech tracked the boys, pinned Viper Squad’s agents, and keeps us one step ahead. You may not pull the trigger, but you sure as hell guide us on where to aim. Thank you.”
Panthera adjusted his glasses, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Jabatus was next.
“Jabatus, you were a youth track star turned smuggler, running contraband across borders when the law caught up with your family. In the eyes of many, that sounded like a waste of potential, but that was perfect for me when I met you and brought you on board. That cheetah-like speed and ruthless focus of yours made you our enforcer of discipline. And dear god, you enforce it to a fucking T. You keep our men sharp and our rules ironclad, and help clean out all the useless shit that’ll derail our activities. Thank you.”
Jabatus nodded quickly, taking hold of his glass.
Finally, Leo faced Pardus.
“And last but certainly not the least, Pardus. You were a con artist, charming your way through high society to swindle the elite. I knew your trickery could be used to good effect, and I’m pleased that I was right. That cunning nature of yours was instrumental in catching Viper Squad off balance and blazing them to the ground. Your deception makes our enemies underestimate us, and they pay in blood. Thank you.”
Pardus’s eyes gleamed, his silence louder than words.
Leo raised his glass higher, his voice resonating with authority. “To the 7Katz: an unbreakable, unstoppable force that will never be put down or defeated. We will continue to rule these streets, and all others will bow to us. To continued dominance!”
“To continued dominance!”
The leaders raised their glasses, the clink of crystal echoing in the vast dining space. They drank deeply, the champagne a fleeting luxury in their world of violence.
As the glasses lowered, Leo’s smile faded, his tone hardening.
“We have done well. But one task remains. The foolish Izar’s still out there, and he’s still the root of this mess. We will find him. Make sure he pays for his failure, and we close this chapter.”
“Rest assured, Leo, we will find him,” Panthera assured. “We’ll slaughter that shitbag as we should. And we will celebrate once again.”
Leo smiled once again. “Amen to that, Panthera. Amen to that.”
Hmm. They’re not just ruthless, they’re really thorough. It’s gonna be a miracle if Izar evades them…
