teen gang · drug war · survival · protective mentor · found family · gritty · street life · diverse cast · dangerous setting · trauma bonding
The office air tasted of antiseptic and quiet power. Marcus, thirty-six and retired, sat opposite the General, his body a coiled spring of reluctant obedience. His arms were locked across his chest, his face a carefully neutral mask. "Let's get this done," he muttered, the sound barely carrying. The General slid a stack of manila folders across the desk, reciting names like a grim roll call: Delilah, Piper, Riley, Jax, the Vega siblings, Carter. Teenagers vanished into the city's underworld. "Find them," the General ordered, the finality of a judge passing sentence. Marcus took the files. The weight of them was nothing compared to the silent threat hanging over his own family. He stood, turned, and walked out, the mission now the only path forward. Meanwhile, in a narrow kitchen that smel…