Chapter 6 - The Federal Trap
At six o'clock the next morning, the storm broke.
Arthur stood in the kitchen, watching Leo teach little Maya how to spread butter on warm toast. Hope was cradled in Arthur’s left arm; the baby was awake now, cooing happily, her tiny fingers reaching up to play with the silver buttons on Arthur’s vest.
Every time Arthur held the child, he felt a soothing, gentle energy thrumming through his body, as if her presence was continuously reinforcing his newly healed nerves.
Suddenly, the high-speed private elevator in the foyer chimed.
Marcus rushed into the kitchen, his expression tense. “Mr. Vance! We have a problem. Federal agents and local police are in the lobby. They have a signed federal court order demanding the immediate surrender of the infant under emergency child protection warrants.”
Victoria stepped into the room, holding her legal briefcases, her face set in a fierce, determined glare. “Dr. Croft moved fast, Dad. He bribed a corrupt federal judge in the Seventh Circuit to sign an emergency custody order naming Vanguard Bio-Tech as Hope’s legal guardian.”
Leo panicked, dropping his butter knife onto the marble island. “No! Please, Mr. Vance! Don't let them take her! If she goes back to that lab, she’ll never come out!”
Maya and Toby began to cry, hiding behind Leo’s back.
Arthur looked down at the innocent baby in his arms. Hope looked up at him with clear blue eyes, completely trusting him to keep her safe.
“Nobody is taking this child,” Arthur said with absolute finality.
He looked at his daughter. “Victoria, take the children down to the subterranean garage via the private service elevator. Marcus has an armored transport waiting. Take them to my private estate in Geneva Lake.”
“What about you, Dad?” Victoria asked anxiously. “If you refuse to comply with a federal warrant, they will arrest you!”
“Let them try,” Arthur smiled thinly. “I’m going to hold the front line right here.”
Two minutes later, the heavy oak doors of the penthouse foyer were pushed open.
Four armed Federal Marshals stepped into the grand living room, accompanied by Dr. Harrison Croft himself and two high-priced corporate attorneys from Aegis Global.
Croft was a tall, thin man in his late fifties, with slicked-back silver hair and gold-rimmed spectacles. He wore a crisp tweed suit and carried an air of supreme intellectual arrogance.
“Mr. Vance,” Croft said smoothly, looking around the expansive penthouse. “Where is the child?”
Arthur stood in the center of the room, flanked by two of his personal security officers. He wore a tailored navy suit, looking every bit the ruthless billionaire titan who owned half the city’s skyline.
“She isn't here, Croft,” Arthur said calmly.
The lead Federal Marshal stepped forward, holding up a badge and a document. “Arthur Vance, you are obstructing a federal court order. If you do not produce the ward immediately, we will place you under arrest for kidnapping and harboring a fugitive.”
Arthur didn't flinch. He walked over to a leather armchair, sat down comfortably, and crossed his legs.
“Do it,” Arthur challenged quietly. “Arrest me.”
Croft frowned, stepping toward Arthur. “Vance, don't be a fool! You’re a businessman! You received the cure you needed! Why ruin your life and reputation for an orphan child who means nothing to you?!”
May you like
Arthur looked Croft dead in the eye.
“Because for twelve years, I was trapped in a body that couldn't move,” Arthur spoke, his voice echoing off the glass walls. “And during those twelve years, I learned what it feels like to be completely helpless. That baby gave me back my strength, Croft. And I am going to use every dollar, every connection, and every ounce of my influence to make sure you rot in a federal prison for what you did to her mother.”
