As police sirens wailed in the distance—they always did, five minutes too late—Marcus grabbed the dropped cash and ran. He didn’t run like an athlete. He ran like a fox: low, weaving through backyards and over fences, his lungs burning with the taste of copper and victory.

Stitch turned, a lazy grin spreading across his face. “Look, it’s little Slick. Where’s your crew, boy? Still running track for Ryder?”

Marcus chose a third option. He tossed the bottle. It didn’t hit Stitch; it shattered against the Cadillac’s fender. The sound was like a gunshot in the quiet alley. In the frozen second of shock, Marcus pulled the hoodie from his waist and wrapped it around his left fist.

Marcus saw a chessboard. He counted the cash. Four hundred and twenty dollars.