Jason Blackwell's Rise To Power

CHAPTER 5

The black vehicles raced through the rain.

Jason sat in the back seat, gripping the strange black card tightly. His eyes remained fixed on Marcus.

"What did you mean when you said nobody told me about the second test?"

Marcus sat opposite him. "Exactly what I said."

Jason's voice became impatient. "Then explain it."

Marcus remained silent.

Jason leaned forward. "My mother has less than ten minutes."

"Your mother will be fine."

"You keep saying that." Jason snapped.

"Because it's true."

"Then prove it." Jason said loudly. 

Marcus looked at the driver. "How much longer?"

"Four minutes." The driver replied. 

Jason frowned. "Four minutes until what?"

Marcus looked back at him. "Until the hospital receives the money."

Jason's eyes widened. "You already transferred it?"

"No."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Jason asked.

"The authorization."

"Authorization from who?" Jason asked again.

Marcus didn't answer.

Jason's patience disappeared.

"Listen, Marcus. I don't know who you people are, and honestly, I don't care."

"I only need one thing. My mother's surgery. After that, you can take your card and your stupid lottery and disappear."

Marcus gave a faint smile. "You really think that's possible?"

Jason frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Once you enter this world, you don't simply walk away."

"What world?"

Marcus looked out the window. "The world you've been hiding from."

Jason laughed bitterly. "I've been hiding from nothing."

Marcus turned toward him.

"Are you sure?"

Jason's expression hardened. "What are you implying?"

Before Marcus could answer, Jason's phone rang. He immediately picked it up.

"Hello?"

The doctor's voice came through. "Mr. Blackwell?"

"Doctor!"

"Where are you?" The doctor asked.

"On my way."

"There has been a development."

Jason's heart dropped. "What happened?"

"The hospital just received a payment."

Jason froze. "What payment?"

"The full surgical deposit."

Jason looked at Marcus. "How much?"

"Five hundred thousand dollars."

Jason's mouth opened slightly. "You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Who sent it?" Jason asked.

"We don't know."

Jason looked at Marcus again and Marcus simply nodded.

The doctor continued. "We're preparing your mother for surgery now."

Jason released a long breath. "Thank you."

"Mr. Blackwell..."

"Yes?"

"There's something strange."

Jason frowned. "What?"

"The payment didn't come from a bank." The doctor said. 

Jason's expression changed. "What do you mean?"

"It came through a private financial clearing system."

"What is that?"

The doctor hesitated. "I don't know."

"Can you just save my mother?" Jason asked.

"That's what we're doing." The doctor said and the call ended.

Jason lowered his phone and stared at Marcus. "How did you do that?"

Marcus shrugged. "You won."

Jason shook his head. "That's impossible."

Marcus smiled. "Yet your mother is receiving surgery."

Jason looked down at the black card. "How much is really on this thing?"

Marcus answered calmly. "One hundred billion dollars."

Jason laughed. "You expect me to believe that?"

"You don't have to." Marcus leaned back.

"Your bank will tell you."

"My bank?" Jason asked. 

"Yes."

Jason immediately pulled out his phone.

He opened his banking application.

The screen loaded, then stopped. An error message appeared.

ACCOUNT TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE.

Jason frowned.

Marcus smiled. "Try again."

Jason did but still nothing.

He looked at Marcus suspiciously. "Did you block my account?"

"No."

"Then why can't I access it?"

"Because you're looking at the wrong account."

Jason stared at him. "What?"

Marcus pointed at the black card. "That card isn't connected to your old bank account."

"Then what is it connected to?"

Marcus leaned closer. "An account created for you."

Jason's eyes narrowed. "Under whose name?"

"Yours."

"When?" Jason asked.

"Three minutes after you won."

Jason stared at him. "That's impossible."

Marcus smiled. "Not for us."

The car suddenly slowed. Jason looked outside.

They were approaching a massive underground facility.

He frowned. "Where are we?"

Marcus opened the door. "Your new financial headquarters."

Jason didn't move. "I thought we were going to the hospital."

"We're not."

Jason immediately became angry. "Then stop the car."

Marcus looked at him. "Why?"

"I need to see my mother."

"You can." Marcus answered simply.

"When?" Jason asked, becoming even more angry.

"After you meet the people who gave you the money."

Jason froze. "What people?"

Marcus stepped out. "The three billionaires."

Jason slowly followed.

The doors of the underground facility opened. Inside stood dozens of people in expensive suits.

Everyone immediately turned toward Jason. Nobody spoke.

Then a large screen came alive and a man's face appeared.

Jason recognized him instantly.

Christian Morgan.

Jason's face darkened. "What is he doing here?"

Marcus remained silent.

Christian smiled from the screen. "Good evening, Jason."

Jason clenched his fists. "You."

Christian laughed. "You really didn't recognize the game, did you?"

Jason took a step forward. "What game?"

Christian's smile disappeared. "The game that determines who deserves to control the future."

Jason stared at the screen. "I don't understand."

"You will." Christian leaned closer to the camera. "Because your one hundred billion dollars..."

He paused. "...was never the prize."

Jason's blood ran cold. "What?"

Christian smiled again. "The money was only bait."

The screen suddenly went black.

Then another message appeared.

TEST TWO: IDENTIFY THE ENEMY.

Jason slowly turned toward Marcus. "What the hell is going on?"

Marcus's expression was unusually serious. "That's what we're about to find out."

Suddenly, every light in the facility went off. Complete darkness swallowed the room.

Then a voice echoed from somewhere behind Jason.

"Jason..."

He froze. He knew that voice.

It was Davina. 

"Don't trust them." Davina said. 

Jason slowly turned around. But there was nobody there.

Then another voice whispered from the darkness.

"Especially Marcus." Jason's eyes widened.

The lights suddenly came back on. Marcus was standing directly in front of him. But his expression had completely changed.

He was holding a gun.

And it was pointed directly at Jason.