Wrong side of the float Life in the Big Easy

Chapter 3: "Lines Crossed"

"Lines Crossed"

The Charger rolled through the streets of Central City, windows cracked, the smell of smoke and summer heat creeping in. No one said a word for the first five minutes after leaving the East.

Zo sat up front, eyes on the road like he was driving even though StackZ had the wheel. His mind was spinning.

Ace.

He knew the name. Everyone did. Ace wasn't just a hustler—he was a problem. An OG in the Lower 9th, connected to dudes who didn't talk, didn't tweet, and didn't miss.

Roc finally broke the silence.
"So what? We just gon' let this ride? He kill Ray and we—"

Zo cut him off. "Ain't nobody said we lettin' it ride. But this ain't Trez we talkin' about no more. This Ace. We move sloppy? We all dead."

Roc leaned forward, fists tight. "Man, we already in it. If we gon' slide, let's slide!"

Zo turned, his voice low but heavy.
"You ready to die, Roc? Huh? You ready to bring this heat to your mama's house? 'Cause that's what Ace do. He don't just kill you—he kill everything around you."

Roc froze, jaw clenched. He didn't say another word.

Colla, who had been quiet the whole ride, spoke up.
"Zo right. We can't just run at Ace like we wild dogs. He's different. We gotta think bigger. Smarter."

Derrin, hoodie pulled up, sat in the back, staring out the window. He finally turned his head.
"What if he come for us first?"

The car went silent again.
Nobody wanted to admit it, but the thought had already crossed their minds.

StackZ shifted gears and glanced at Zo.
"So what's the move?"

Zo stared out at the city lights flashing by. He wasn't sure yet, but he knew one thing—running wasn't an option.

"We find out everything about Ace," Zo said finally. "Where he be. Who he trust. His weak spots. If he want war... he gon' get one. But we not rushing into a fight we ain't ready for. We play the game like chess. No mistakes."

Colla smirked. "And if he already watching us?"

Zo looked over his shoulder, straight at him.
"Then we watch him harder."

Next Move
That night, they met up in an abandoned shotgun house off Washington Ave. They spread out everything they knew about Ace —names, streets, whispers from the block.

But for the first time, the crew felt the weight of who they were up against.

This wasn't just about revenge anymore.
This was survival.