The detectives continued working overtime trying to figure out the next moves of the Black Diamond. Little did they know, Shiro and Kuro had already set their plans into motion by utilizing another pawn.

  Jimmy was strung out. He’d been up for days on amphetamines and hadn’t eaten a meal in almost twenty-four hours. There was a certain combination of features that made anyone who saw him think, “There’s got to be something wrong with that guy.” Perhaps it was the dark bags that hung under his eyes. Maybe it was his swiveling jaw and grinding teeth. If it wasn’t either of those then it was surely the bathrobe and jeans combination while the robe hung open just enough to reveal a large scar across his abdomen.

  Jimmy drove up the hill of North Dam road and parked his jalopy on the side of the road about a mile before the checkpoint for dam entry. He got out, grasping a convenience store bag loaded with junk food and cigarettes. He looked both ways to make sure he wasn’t seen, then ran off through thick brush, to make his way deep into the forest. His bathrobe caught and ripped on tree branches and the haste caused him to sweat profusely.

  After a short time of flailing through the woods, he made it back to the excavation site. One large yellow backhoe seemed to be responsible for all the work. There were several deep trenches dug into the ground next to the river. The crevices were dug diagonally to the flow of the river and seemed to span on for hundreds of feet. Jimmy walked over to the machine and climbed into the cockpit. He reached into the plastic bag and took out some chips and an energy drink. “This is what the goons be livin on,” he said quietly to himself with an uneasy smile. He cracked open the energy drink and chips and wolfed them down as quickly as possible. He then lit a cigarette and got back to work.

  He worked all through the day and into the night to finish the job he’d been given by Shiro and Kuro with the promise of money and drugs waiting for him once he’d finished. The instructions were simple, once he’d managed to sneak the excavator into the woods with the cover of night, all he had to do was keep digging trenches next to the river. They were to be twenty feet deep and twenty feet across. They also needed to be long enough to reach just shy of North Dam road in order to keep the operation secret. If he got too close to the road, the machinery would be seen through the trees and reported. They wanted this to be confidential and to happen as quickly and quietly as possible, hence Jimmy working almost nonstop and being the only person on the project.

  After finishing the tenth trench he looked over all of his work. He even broke out the measuring tape to make sure they were up to the standards he’d been provided. He took photos of his work, sending them to Shiro in order to confirm that it was done. Ten trenches in total were dug along the river between the dam and the closest housing development. He didn't dare get any closer to risk people hearing the machinery. With that, he contacted the Black Diamond twins and told them that the job was finished.

  The rain had stopped, but thick clouds still lingered above Strongzinburg city. The twins suited up in their tactical gear upon receiving word from Jimmy.

  “It appears the operation has begun as planned,” said Shiro.

  “Yes, the city has become a festering and pungent place. I can smell it even now,” said Kuro in his dull voice.

  “The city will never recover. Not in our lifetime. If we can’t have it, we can make sure that no one can.”

  “Yes, brother. That is what we will do,” said Kuro with a laugh. He passed a duffel bag of weapons and equipment to his twin and then pulled thick black gloves onto his hands.

  “We’re going to teach this city a lesson they’ll never forget,” said Shiro proudly. Now that Jimmy has made the preparations, we can flood this damned place. The river, which would normally channel most of the water straight out to the coast, will not be an issue. The trenches will allow the water to divert and make its way down these filthy streets and wash them clean. Jimmy was a pawn but an important one at that. We cannot afford to move around right now. If our faces are seen we will be caught.”

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  ”We’re going to show them what it means to try and back the Black Diamond into a corner, huh brother?”

  “Like our father before us. He built this empire and we aren’t going to let it go out like this because of some damn brat and his group of sidekicks. We’re going to unleash a flood of near biblical proportions and drown this putrid city of rats. It will not be easy. Once the water starts flowing, the reports will send our enemies to us. We will have to kill them all or they will stop us. It is a problem that our enemies have united, but we are strong. We have always been strong. That’s how we kept that dog, Jin, under our control for so long. That’s how we’ve controlled half of Strongzinburg for all these years. When it comes down to it, only the strongest survive and thrive. Now, let’s go and rally the troops.”

  They sent a message to all of their Black Diamond captains. Currently fourteen in total. It was an order for them to meet on the rooftop of a hotel deep in their territory later that night. They were told to bring as many members of their team that they could gather on the short notice.

  Once night fell upon the city, the captains started to show up one by one to the designated location. On the rooftop, there was a bar and pool. Dark brown wicker chairs were covered by faux straw cabanas and decorated with tiki torches. Two bartenders hustled around behind the counter to serve drinks to the Black Diamond members that had begun to show up and order. The rooftop was not packed, but there were plenty of members present. Some of the captains brought only one of their squad mates while others brought a handful.

  They were all on edge. It had been years since there’d been a meeting that included every captain all at once. Many thought it felt reckless to have all of their leaders in the same place at the same time, but the drinks helped to ease tension and anxious thoughts.

  Once everyone had settled in and had a drink or three, the twins came up to the rooftop to address the group. They walked out of the elevator doors and everyone in the entire area looked at them. A few of the newer captains hadn’t even ever seen the twins in person. They cast a commanding aura as they confidently strode through the group and over next to the pool.

  Shiro stood tall and addressed the room. “Hello, and thank you all for attending this meeting today. If my count is correct, then all fourteen of our captains are here tonight.” He paused and looked around the room for a moment before continuing. “As you all know, Jin is dead. He was the face of the Black Diamond and one of our most powerful allies. He died because he betrayed the Black Diamond and allowed weakness to tempt him into siding with the enemy. Now, it’s time for us to strike back against them and this entire city. We will show them just how strong the Black Diamond can be.”

  The audience all clapped and cheered. “Long live the Black Diamond!”

  “Let’s show them!”

  “This is our chance!”

  Shiro allowed the applause to die down and then continued. “Tomorrow, my brother and I will be leading a full scale attack on the city. We are going to take control of what’s rightfully ours and crush The Organization and the forces of the law. In order to do this, we need all of you to be present tomorrow at the North Dam. You all must be there at dawn and be prepared for a war.”

  There was a cheer from the crowd again. The twins smiled evil grins even as the applause quieted.

  One of the captains stood up from across the pool. He was an older captain who wore a leather jacket and sported a long beard. “Should we really be trying to battle our enemies all at once? I think that if we continue to chip away at the enemy, and weaken them the-”

  His voice was silenced by the sound of a gunshot. The barrel of Kuro’s pistol emanated a whiff of smoke. The bearded captain looked down at his chest in surprise and then collapsed forward into the pool. The room was silent as the blue water was tainted a murky red.

  “Does anyone else have any questions?” asked Shiro before pausing for about five seconds. “Well what are you all waiting for? Don’t you have some preparing to do?”

  The room erupted into chaos as everyone made for the elevators and stairs at once.