*“This is Thomas Miller. If you are hearing this, Detective Marcus Vance is currently attempting to murder my son in Room 712. The blue ledger on the desk contains the record of every bribe Vance has taken from Linda Sterling. The files are currently being uploaded to every major news outlet in the state.”*
Vance’s face went white. He lunged for the door, but it was reinforced steel. He turned back to me, his eyes wild.
“You’re dead!” he screamed, raising the syringe.
But the door didn’t just lock. The vents in the ceiling began to hiss. A thick, white mist poured into the room.
“Halothane,” I coughed, my vision beginning to swim. “Puts you out… in seconds.”
Vance gasped, his knees buckling. He tried to reach for his gun, but his fingers were like lead. He collapsed onto the carpet, the syringe shattering beside him.
As I felt the darkness pulling at me again, I heard the sound of footsteps. Not the heavy boots of the police, but the light, rhythmic step of a man who moved like a shadow.
The door to the bathroom opened. A man stepped out, wearing a gas mask. He knelt beside me and snipped the zip-ties with a pair of professional shears.
He pulled off the mask.
It was my father.
He looked older, his hair completely white, but his eyes were blazing with a fierce, triumphant light.
“The bait worked, Leo,” he whispered, hauling me to my feet. “Now, let’s go finish the job.”
***
### Chapter 4: The Gala of Reckoning
The **Grand Ballroom** of the **Metropolitan Hotel** was a sea of silk, champagne, and lies.
Linda Sterling-Miller stood on the podium, the spotlight bathing her in a golden glow. She looked like a queen. Behind her, a massive screen displayed the logo of the **Sterling Foundation**, a symbol of “Hope and Renewal.”
