Power Book IV: Force

On his way to California, Tommy decides to stop in Chicago to lay flowers at the grave of his deceased grandmother, only to learn that she is still alive. The revelations keep coming when he meets JP GIBBS, the half-brother he didn't know he had. Thrown for a complete tailspin, Tommy must reevaluate whether to stuff these skeletons back in the closet or put down roots in the Windy City. Never one to shy away from moving weight and making paper, Tommy gets in on a deal involving VIC FLYNN and JENARD SAMPSON. When bullets start flying, Tommy steps in and saves them all. His actions draw the notice of WALTER FLYNN, Vic's father and head of the Chicago Irish Mob, as well as DIAMOND SAMPSON, Jenard's brother and a recently released convict and former head of the CBI crew. Tommy is already making waves in the drug game.

When JP's blues club is shot up, Tommy comes to his brother's aid and learns that between repairs and his father's failing health, JP is in dire financial straits. Tommy tells JP he might have a way to help--Tommy approaches Diamond in hopes of forminga lucrative business connection with the gang leader. But their introduction takes a turn when Tommy and Diamond are kidnapped by hitters --LALO and PEANUT--seeking revenge against Diamond for a past crime against their boss. Tommy and Diamond are forcedto make dangerous drug drops all over the city. The pressure is compounded when Lalo and Peanut kidnap Jenard as collateral. As Tommy makes the drops, he gets a sense of the Chicago drug landscape and meets potential connections. After Tommy and Diamond successfully complete their mission and get Jenard back, the two men know their paths will cross again.

Tommy apologizes to Diamond for how things went down with Walter--he didn't know Walter's heart was filled with such hatred. Similarly, Vic comes to Tommy and Diamond, hat in hand--he doesn't share his father's views and wants to work altogether. Meanwhile, Liliana finds herself at the mercy of Serbian gang members--her stash of coke belongs to them. Tommy saves Liliana, but they both know more Serbs are soon to follow, including TATIANA, the Serbian who spared Tommy's life in POWER. Tommy asks for Diamond and Vic's support, but Diamond declines. He's not willing to cross a vicious crew like the Serbs. But with Vic's help, Tommy manages to take down Tatiana and her men. But while this battle has been won, Tommy knows the war against the Serbs is just beginning.

Claudia introduces Tommy to her new designer drug: DAHLIA. The high is unlike anything Tommy has ever experienced. He brings a sample to Liliana; she discovers it's impossible to cut. He and Claudia strike a deal--if he can eliminate a problem for her, they'll partner up on this operation with Tommy running point. Meanwhile,the leader of the Serbian Crew --RODOVAN MIRKOVIC--arrives in Chicago to exact revenge and get his drugs back. Tommy knows he has to hit them first so he brings Diamond, Vic, Jenard, and other FLYNN and CBI SOLDIERS together to form an army. Their attack against the Serbs doesn't come without costs--Vic and Jenard's respective lieutenants --SIMON and ELIJAH--are killed in the crossfire. Liliana is kidnapped by Mirkovic and Tommy must rush to save her--giving Mirkovic his drugs back in exchange for Liliana.

Tommy and Claudia work together to recruit distro for Dahlia,setting up locker drops at the Chicago Convention Center. Claudia chafes at the plan, thinking it's too low-rent for a high-end drug like Dahlia. But Tommy pushes back--Claudia is new to this game, she needs to listen to him and play by his rules. Thinking she knows better, Claudia doesn't follow Tommy's guidance and almost pays the price when Reggie comes after her and she's forced to kill him. Vic and Gloria reconnect but their happiness is short-lived when the Serbs make an attempt on Vic's life. Vic and Gloria both survive, but Walter is furious. He takes matters into his own hands, killing a room full of Serbs in retribution, not knowing that he's fanned the flames of a full-blown gang war.

Dahlia is moving like wildfire all across the city. Tommy, Claudia, Liliana, and LAURYN are raking in cash from the drug. But good isn't good enough for Tommy. He wants them to make a cheaper street version that will open up the drug to more buyers. Claudia bristles, she wants to keep Dahlia premium. But what Tommy says goes so Liliana and Lauryn set to work trying to cut thedrug. Meanwhile, Jenard and Vic each get their own taste of Dahlia at the clubs. Jenard brings the drug to COUSIN BUDDY, a wild card who rules the Gary, Indiana drug game, and promises that he can get his hands on more if Cousin Buddy puts up the money. Tommy is thrilled when Liliana and Lauryn finally crack the formula for street Dahlia--this will change the entire landscape of the Chicago drug game.

So Tommy extends an offer to JP--he can safely work in the lab and pay down his debt. Later, Tommy discovers that D-Mac is JP's son and that his family is now more intertwined in his business than he even realized. Vic and Gloria decide to run away together and start their lives out from under Walter's thumb. But when Tommy catches wind that Walter wants Gloria dead, he warns Vic to take precautions--a different car, alternate routes. But Vic doesn't know who to trust and ultimately doesn't listen--a deadly choice. Vic and Gloria are gunned down by the Serbs and Gloria is killed, changing the game for everyone.

Vic is reeling from the loss of Gloria. Walter manipulates Vic into believing Tommy (along with the Serbs) is to blame for Gloria's death. Walter is ready to go to war and sends for the Four Horsemen, hitters from the Irish mob in Dublin. Tommy needs backup if he's going to go up against the Flynns. When Diamond turns him down, Tommy has no choice but to turn to the Serbs. Meanwhile, D-Mac and Marshall go behind Jenard's back to Cousin Buddy. Jenard is furious when he hears of the deal and puts a hit on the kids. D-Mac is shot by Jenard's men. Tommy rushes him to the hospital and calls JP, revealing that D-Mac is JP's son. JP is livid that Tommy kept this secret from him. Tommy is on the brink of losing everything--his family, his money, and his life.

Backed by the Serbs, Tommy prepares to go to war with the Flynns. Butwhen Jenard makes a deal with Mirkovic to broker a truce between the Serbs and the Irish, Tommy finds himself without an army. Things get even more complicated when an unexpected visitor arrives in Chicago: Kate. Tommy wants her gone but she's not leaving until she meets JP and D-Mac--who is still fighting for his life. With few allies left and his family to protect, Tommy goes to Diamond for help. After learning that Jenard tried to have him killed, Diamond is a changed man, willing to fight alongside Tommy and go against his brother. During the final showdown, lives are lost and truths come to light, forever shifting the power balance of the Chicago drug game. This battle may be over, but the war is far from won.