All Chapters of They Buried Me Alive, I Rose As A King: Chapter 61
- Chapter 70
95 chapters
61. Son of a bitch
A couple of hours after the drive-by attempt, Lucas Stevens was pacing in the living room of his Upper East Side penthouse. The clock read 4:37 a.m., but sleep was far removed from his eyes. He had gone to bed hours ago with Evelyn by side but woke to the buzzing of his phone at 3:15 a.m. and since then he had been on the phone. The first buzz was from a discreet source from his network in the NYPD, a sergeant who owed him favors from the mayoral campaign.The text had been short.**There was a Drive-by in Forest Hills and the target was Bradley Turner. The assailants were captured with no fatalities on his side. Some Cops are still on scene and Fingers are pointing your way, some say it's tied to the Jordans. So Tread carefully**Lucas had stared at the screen for a moment longer than necessary with his rage building like a storm. A drive-by? On Bradley? The man was a senate candidate now, a public figure and would be protected. An attempt like this was clumsy, high-risk and would sp
62. Tying loose ends
Leo Jordan hung up the phone with a sharp click, the sound echoing in the empty warehouse where he had been waiting since dispatching the drive-by team. The space was cold and industrial with rusted beams overhead and concrete floors stained with years of neglect. The distant hum of the city was barely penetrating the thick walls. He had chosen it deliberately because it was far from the estate and has no ties to the family. It was a place where loose ends could be tied without witnesses. The call from Victoria and Lucas had been a storm of rage with demands for him to report home immediately. But Leo’s voice was steady despite the fury bubbling inside. ‘I can't. I'm handling something important. We'll talk later.’He pocketed the phone as the initial tremor of defiance was gone and his hands were steady now. Victoria's anger didn't scare him anymore. Not after the primary loss, not after Bradley's resurrection and most especially not after seeing the family name dragged through whis
63. The media storm
Exactly two days after the drive-by attempt on Bradley Turner's life, the media frenzy exploded across New York City. The story broke on the morning news cycles, fueled by leaked police reports and anonymous tips that painted a picture of violence in the quiet neighborhood of Forest Hills. The headlines on NY1 boldly bared, "Senate Candidate Survives Drive-By Shooting and Assailants Found Dead in Holding Cell." The Post screamed "Mystery Hits targeting Turner. Suspects committed Suicide in Custody." Speculation ran wild ranging from gang-related to political rivalry. The assailants' deaths which were ruled as suicides by overdose sparked logics and conspiracy theories. Talk radio hosts debated whether it was ‘Coincidence or cover-up?’ Online forums buzzed with ‘Jordan ties?’ all were whispers because nothing solid linked the family to the actions. Social media trended #TurnerAttack, with voters split between sympathy for Bradley's ‘underdog survival’ and questions about ‘who wants
64. Justice must prevail
The following day Lucas Stevens stood at the podium in the conference room of his Midtown campaign headquarters, at the backdrop was a blue banner emblazoned with ‘Stevens for Senate – Experience for New York.’ The room was packed with reporters as their cameras kept flashing continuously with their microphones clustered like a metallic bouquet, and notepads poised, ready to take notes. It was his first major press conference since filing for District 28 and the energy was electric. Lucas adjusted his navy blue tie and smiled with the elegance of a man who had spent decades in politics, answering questions with precision honed from countless debates and interviews."Good morning, everyone," he began, his voice smooth and commanding. "Thank you all for joining me as we kick off this campaign for State Senate in District 28. New York needs experienced leadership in Albany. Someone who knows how to cut through red tape, deliver for families and build a stronger economy. And I'm that lea
65. First physical meet-up
Lucas Stevens sat in his Upper East Side penthouse study, the TV was mute as the channel kept circling around speeches of different Senatorial candidates and their various views and reaction towards the drive-by attempt on Bradley’s life. Then it circled back to Bradley Turner’s first official speech after the drive-by attempt.Although he had successfully delivered a convincing speech at the conference, pulling out a compelling and believable act about not knowing who was behind it and scorn for the attempt while promising Justice must prevail. It fueled his fury because his perfect plan was ruined by the death of the assailants and Bradley was turning the attempt into sympathy fuel, causing his polls to tick up in District 30.He then picked up his phone and dialed the number Kane had pulled up from his investigation which was Bradley’s campaign line. It rang twice before someone picked up."Turner for Senate. How can I help?""This is Lucas Stevens, calling for Bradley Turner," Luc
66. Mass rating
The NY1 studio in Chelsea buzzed with anticipation as the clock ticked toward 8 p.m. It was the chosen venue for the debate showdown between Bradley Turner and Lucas Stevens. The venue was a sleek, modern set having two podiums facing each other under bright spotlights, a moderator's table in the center and a large screen behind for viewer questions to be displayed. The audience was small, about fifty selected members of the public who were vetted for diversity involving teachers from Queens, business owners from Manhattan and families from the outer boroughs. But cameras rolled for the live broadcast, so the city's eyes were on the "Senate Rivals Face-Off: Turner vs. Stevens." It was billed as a town hall-style debate conference for easy answering of questions from the masses submitted via social media, phone lines and email. The air was thick with tension because this wasn't going to be just on politics, it was also going to be personal, since the two men linked by a shared ex-wif
67. Family vows
Victoria Jordan sat at the head of the long mahogany table in the estate's formal dining room, her facial expressions carried a mask of controlled authority. The room was filled with red Jordan pins on the map from earlier meetings, but tonight it was a family-exclusive gathering, one that Lucas wasn't invited to, just the extended clan summoned for what Victoria called ‘a matter of legacy.’Leo sat to her right with his arms crossed and his jaw tight in defiance after his rogue drive-by attempt and the deaths in holding. Evelyn was to her left, pale and silent, the anonymous call about Maya was still haunting her including the recording she had from her secret meeting with Bradley, though she hadn't shared any of it.Around the table were the cousins, aunts, uncles, second-tier Jordans from upstate properties and Hamptons estates, all called in because the fight against Bradley Turner had escalated beyond the inner circle.The family's business was discussed first with matters of re
68. Quest Failed.
Bradley paced the study of the Forest Hills colonial as the system's alert kept echoing in his mind. The house was quiet since Maya was fast asleep in her room upstairs. The clock read 8:45 p.m., just minutes after Kane's call to Leo confirming Nick's capture. The words had hit him hard like a gut punch.“Payne has been captured in an upstate garage. He is still alive but they're heading to a secure location for interrogation.” Bradley got the intel from Elena's hack on Kane's drive, but it was too late to prevent the capture. The system chimed urgently, a few seconds after he got the intel.[New Quest Unlocked: Rescue the Insider][Objective: Intercept Victor Kane and rescue Nick Payne before the Jordans extract information and silence him.] [Purpose: Prevent exposure of your role as the strategist and protect network integrity.][Difficulty: Extreme.][Kane's team is armed, their location is unknown and Leo Jordan involvement is likely possible.][Current Host Level: 10][Reward
69. Face off
Bradley froze in the doorway of the Hunts Point warehouse. The scene before him was a nightmare frozen in time. Nick Payne was slumped in the chair, zip-ties cutting into his wrists, his throat slit open in a ragged gash, blood pooling on the concrete floor in a dark, spreading stain. Leo Jordan stood over the body, knife still in hand, his face twisted in a mix of triumph and surprise. Victor Kane hovered a step back with crossed arms, wearing an impassive expression but alert. The swaying overhead light casted long, grotesque shadows across the rusted beams and abandoned crates, making the horror feel even more surreal.This was the first time Bradley had met Leo face-to-face since the assault charges years ago due to that garden fight where Bradley had finally hit back, leading to his arrest, imprisonment, and death. Leo looked older, harder in Bradley’s eyes. His once-gym-sculpted body was now softened by alcohol and rage, his eyes were bloodshot and his jaw was clenched. The man
70. A dead man's threat
Bradley Turner drove through the dark streets of Hunts Point with the image of the warehouse receding in his rearview mirror like a fading nightmare. His hands gripped the wheel so tightly that his knuckles began to ache, but he barely noticed it. Nick Payne's final image replayed in his mind, the ragged gash across his throat, the blood pooling on the concrete, Leo Jordan standing over him with the knife and Kane watching impassively. Bradley beat himself for being just a few seconds late, seconds that cost a life. The system had warned him, guided him all the way like previous times, yet he had failed the quest. And the penalty hit hard, -500 XP, Willpower -1 (temporary) and repairable network loyalty drop 5%. But the numbers meant nothing compared to the human cost. Nick had trusted him, infiltrated Lucas's camp, fed intel that helped win the mayoralty that made it possible for him to resurface and now run for senate. And now he was dead, silenced forever.The drive home to Forest