This story is inspired by the themes and atmosphere of , a gritty urban drama where street codes and personal history collide.

The city of Chatham never felt smaller for Marcus than it did on the morning he returned to the block. The air was thick with the scent of rain and motor oil, a familiar perfume of a life he had tried to leave behind. He had served his time, kept his mouth shut, and expected to find the world waiting for him with open arms. Instead, he found a mirror held up to his past.

"They say you’re a changed man, Marcus," Elias said, leaning against a blacked-out sedan while his crew watched from the shadows of a nearby warehouse. "But out here, change looks a lot like weakness. I need to know your heart is still with the set."