Chapter 4 - The Confession in the Interrogation Room
The interrogation room at the downtown federal precinct smelled of stale coffee, bleach, and cheap floor wax. The stainless steel table reflected the harsh glare of a single overhead fluorescent bulb that buzzed with an irritating, high-pitched frequency.
Sebastian sat handcuffed to the bolted metal chair, his back straight, his expression completely unreadable. The door swung open, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Cole walked in, flanked by two armed guards. Cole tossed a thick manila folder onto the table with a loud thump and pulled out the opposite chair, sitting down with a theatrical sigh of satisfaction.
"End of the line, Sebastian," Cole said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. "The federal RICO indictments are already being typed up downstairs. We have you tied to illegal waterfront arms shipments, tax evasion, and now, conspiring to obstruct a municipal eminent domain seizure through a sham marriage."
Sebastian didn't blink. He slowly raised his wrists, the heavy steel handcuffs clinking together in the small room. "You put a lot of effort into this, Cole. Mayor Vance must be paying you an absolute fortune to clear that land for his casino partners."
Cole’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, his eyes flashing with sudden paranoia. "Watch your tongue, Ror. You're in federal custody now. Your money and your thugs can't save you here."
"Can't they?" Sebastian murmured softly. He leaned back in his chair, a chilling, razor-sharp smile cutting across his face. "You made one fatal mistake, Marcus."
"Oh, really? And what's that?" Cole scoffed.
"You assumed that because I married Audrey Whitaker to protect the hospice, I was vulnerable," Sebastian said, his voice dropping to an icy, rhythmic cadence. "You assumed I didn't check the title deeds, the municipal financial audits, and Mayor Vance’s offshore shell accounts before I ever stepped foot near that altar."
Cole’s face drained of color. He sat back sharply, his professional mask slipping for the first time. "What are you talking about?"
"I’m talking about the fact that three hours ago, before your tactical team even kicked down the door at St. Jude’s, my legal team transmitted a complete, unassailable dossier of Mayor Vance’s bribes, kickbacks, and your personal wire-transfer receipts to the state Attorney General, the FBI’s anti-corruption division, and every major news outlet on the East Coast."
Sebastian leaned forward across the table, his dark eyes locking onto Cole’s panicked gaze like a hawk descending on a rabbit. "The moment you filed that fraudulent eminent domain seizure on a federally protected historic charitable trust, you triggered an automated dead-man's switch. By tonight, Mayor Vance will be in a federal penitentiary. And you, Marcus... you’ll be sharing a cell right next to him."
Before Cole could stammer out a denial, the heavy steel door of the interrogation room flew open. A panicked junior prosecutor rushed in, holding a trembling tablet computer out to Cole.
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"Sir! You need to look at this right now!" the junior lawyer gasped, his voice cracking. "The Attorney General’s office just issued an emergency arrest warrant for Mayor Vance... and federal marshals are downstairs in the lobby demanding your immediate surrender!"
Cole stared at the screen, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The color completely vanished from his cheeks, leaving him looking like a corpse under the harsh fluorescent lights. He looked up at Sebastian, finally realizing the horrifying truth: Sebastian Ror hadn't been cornered. He had walked straight into the trap as bait, drawing them all out into the open so he could snap the jaws of the trap shut once and for all.
