“Dad!” the young man yelled, waving the bat. “Dad, look at this mess! This crazy old bastard called his little biker buddies to try and block our shipment! Have your guys clear them out so we can get back on the road.”
Vance didn't look at his son.
He ran past the young man, his eyes darting frantically across the barricade of SUVs, the silent army of bikers, and the tailored men holding suppressed rifles.
Then, his eyes fell on the crushed Indian Scout motorcycle.
He saw the shattered pieces of a plastic flip phone scattered on the asphalt.
Finally, Vance saw the old man sitting in the dirt, leaning heavily against the gas pump, his torn shirt exposing the JUDGE - 01 tattoo.
Vance stopped dead in his tracks.
The billionaire trafficker, a man who ordered executions without blinking, let out a raw, involuntary gasp. His knees buckled instantly, hitting the hard, sharp gravel with a sickening thud.
The young man stopped, his triumphant smile completely vanishing. He stared at his father in profound shock.
“Dad?” the young man asked, confused. “Dad, what are you doing? Get up. The ground is filthy.”
Vance didn't get up. He didn't even look at his son. He kept his eyes glued to the pavement, his hands pressing flat against the sharp rocks, assuming a posture of total, absolute submission. He was visibly trembling.
“Sir,” Vance choked out, his voice cracking, directing his words entirely to the old man bleeding in the dirt. “I didn't know. I swear to you on my life, my son didn't know.”
Chapter 3: Absolute Authority
The silence that fell over the gas station was suffocating.
The idling engines, the chopping helicopter blades, the wind—everything seemed to fade into a vacuum of absolute tension.
The young man stared at his billionaire father, a man who essentially owned half the state, kneeling in the dirt before a battered old biker. The aluminum bat slipped from the young man’s fingers, clattering loudly against the concrete.
“Dad, what the hell is wrong with you?” the young man demanded, his voice frantic, his reality completely unraveling. “Who is this guy? Why are you kneeling?”
Vance ignored his son entirely. He didn't dare lift his head. Sweat was pouring down the billionaire's face, mixing with the dust.
Leo slowly pushed himself up.