Chapter 3 - The Raid on St. Jude’s
"Federal Marshal Service! Nobody move!"
The bellowing command echoed through the quiet hallways of St. Jude’s, sending the elderly residents scattering in sheer terror. Before Sebastian could draw his concealed weapon, six armed federal agents in heavy tactical gear swarmed the kitchen, their automatic rifles pointed directly at his chest.
Leading the tactical unit was Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Cole—a man Sebastian knew all too well. Cole was a corrupt federal prosecutor secretly on the payroll of Mayor Vance’s real-estate syndicate, using his badge as a personal sledgehammer against anyone standing in the way of the casino development.
Cole stepped through the doorway, a smug, venomous grin stretching across his tailored suit-wearing face. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at Sebastian with theatrical amusement.
"Well, well, well. The great Sebastian Ror, caught red-handed consorting with felons and harboring illegal zoning violations," Cole mocked, gesturing to the agents to lower their weapons slightly now that they had him cornered. "And right after a high-society wedding, too. Romance is truly dead."
Sebastian’s face hardened into a mask of pure ice. He didn't look at the guns pointed at him; his cold, calculating gaze locked onto Cole. "You’re out of your jurisdiction, Cole. And trespassing on private property without a signed federal warrant is a federal offense."
Cole pulled a folded paper from his breast pocket and waved it teasingly in the air. "Oh, I have a warrant, Ror. Signed by Judge Alpert less than twenty minutes ago. An emergency eminent domain seizure. St. Jude’s Hospice is officially being condemned under public safety codes due to structural neglect and illegal financial shielding. Everyone out—now!"
Panic erupted behind them as elderly residents began weeping, clutching their walkers and blankets as tactical officers rudely began herding them toward the exit doors into the freezing morning rain. Audrey let out a sharp gasp, her maternal instincts overriding her fear. She pushed past Sebastian, stepping directly in front of Agent Cole.
"You can't do this!" Audrey shouted, her voice trembling with righteous fury. "These people have nowhere to go! Most of them are terminally ill! You're throwing dying human beings out into the snow for a parking lot!"
Cole sneered, looking down his nose at her with utter contempt. "Take it up with the city zoning board, sweetheart. Or better yet, ask your brand-new mafia husband here why his illegal business empire brings so much unwanted federal attention to your doorstep." He turned to two agents nearby. "Get these people out of the building. And slap cuffs on Ror for obstruction of justice."
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Two burly tactical officers lunged forward, grabbing Sebastian’s arms to force them behind his back. Sebastian didn't resist—not because he was defeated, but because a terrifying, predatory calm had settled over his mind. In the underworld, when your enemies finally overplayed their hand and stepped out into the open, you didn't fight back immediately. You let them expose their entire network so you could crush them in one fatal blow.
As the officers forced him toward the exit, Sebastian locked eyes with Audrey across the chaotic room. Her face was pale, carved with deep sorrow, but she gave him one single, imperceptible nod. She wasn't begging him to save her. She was waiting to see what kind of man he was when nobody gave him the missing piece.
