Chapter 5 - The Trap at City HallBy 4:00 AM, we were hiding inside a private medical clinic owned by a trusted friend of mine who had no ties to the Vance empire. I had stitched up my jaw and bandaged my cuts while Dash lay fast asleep on an examination table, still clutching his rabbit, completely oblivious to the war being fought over him.
I sat with a seam ripper in my hand, carefully slicing open the heavy white stitching on the back of the stuffed rabbit. Laurel watched with bated breath.
Inside the cotton stuffing, wrapped in a layer of waterproof silicone, was a small, sleek black micro-USB drive.
I pulled it out and plugged it into an encrypted, air-gapped laptop.
The screen flickered to life. Directory after directory opened up. It was a digital goldmine of corruption. Audio recordings of Victor Vance ordering hit jobs on union leaders, wire transfer receipts linking Vance Enterprises to offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, and—most importantly—a signed, notarized codicil to Victor Vance’s will, establishing that Dash was the sole legitimate heir to 60% of the voting shares of the company.
“This isn't just evidence of a crime,” I whispered, staring at the screen in awe. “This gives Dash total legal control over Vance Enterprises the moment he turns eighteen. Victor isn't trying to just hide the crime—he’s trying to strip Dash of his birthright before the board finds out the boy exists.”
“What do we do now?” Laurel asked, her voice filled with exhaustion. “We can’t run forever, Michael. They have eyes everywhere.”
“We don’t run,” I said, turning the laptop screen toward her. “We hit them where they are most vulnerable. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM, Victor Vance is holding a public press conference at City Hall to announce his candidacy for Governor. Every news camera in the state will be there.”
Laurel gasped. “You want us to walk into the middle of his political rally?”
“It’s the safest place on earth,” I replied, a fierce smile touching my lips. “Victor can’t kill us in front of fifty live television crews and two hundred reporters. We ambush him on live TV. We hand the evidence directly to the State Attorney General, who will be standing right next to him on stage.”
“It’s insane,” Laurel said, shaking her head. “If we fail, he’ll have us arrested for trespassing or domestic terrorism before we even reach the podium.”
“Not if I use my status as a legal officer to request an emergency injunction on stage,” I countered. “I’m taking the hit, Laurel. You and Dash will stay in the crowd until I give the signal.”
Dash stirred on the bed, rubbing his big dark eyes. He sat up, looking around the sterile room, then looked at me.
“Mr. Lawyer?” he squeaked softly.
“Yes, buddy?”
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“Are we going back to the park bench soon? Herbert is gonna miss me.”
I walked over, knelt down next to the bed, and patted his shoulder. “No more benches, Dash. Tomorrow, you’re going to help your mom take back your home.”
