Ring of Power: The Billionaire's Secret

8 - I Can Take Them All

Derek was grinning. Actually grinning. "Oh man. Oh man, this is perfect. You just assaulted security. You're going to jail. Like, actual jail."

Maya looked scared. Her hand was over her mouth. "Derek, maybe we should—"

"Shut up," Derek said. "I want to watch this."

The ring was burning now. Jake could feel power coursing through his veins. Every muscle. Every nerve. His vision was crystal clear. He could see each guard's stance. Their weaknesses. How they'd move. Where they'd strike.

'I can take them,' he thought. 'All of them. Easy.'

The guards were right there. Hands reaching for him. Tasers drawn.

Jake took a breath. Let the energy flow. Prepared himself.

One guard lunged first. Baton raised high. Aiming for Jake's head.

Jake didn't move. Just watched. Waited.

The crowd was yelling now. Some cheering. Some gasping. Derek's voice cut through it all.

"Get him! Break his arms!"

Maya joined in. "He's dangerous! Don't let him get away!"

More voices. More encouragement. The guests gathering around like this was entertainment. Like Jake was some animal in a cage.

"Take him down!"

"Show him what happens when you mess with us!"

"Pathetic loser thought he could waltz in here!"

Jake's expression didn't change. He stood there. Calm. Still. Like the guards weren't even a threat.

The first guard's baton came down. Fast. Brutal.

Jake moved. Faster.

He sidestepped. The baton whooshed past his ear. Missed by inches. Before the guard could recover, Jake's hand shot out. Grabbed the baton. Twisted.

The guard's wrist snapped. The sound was like a twig breaking. Sharp. Clean.

The guard screamed. Dropped to his knees. Clutching his arm.

Another guard rushed in. Taser aimed at Jake's chest.

Jake grabbed his wrist. Squeezed. The taser fell. Clattered on the ground. Jake pulled the guard forward. Used his momentum against him. The guard stumbled. Jake's foot came up. Connected with the guard's knee.

Another snap. Another scream.

Two down. Four to go.

The crowd had gone quiet again. Watching. Nobody was cheering now. Nobody was encouraging the guards.

They were scared.

Derek's grin had disappeared. His face was white. "What the hell..."

Maya grabbed his arm. "Derek, we should go. Right now."

"No." Derek pulled away from her. "No, this isn't... he can't..."

But Jake could. And he was.

The third guard came in with his baton. Swung hard. Jake ducked under it. Came up inside the guard's reach. Palm strike to the chest. The guard flew back. Hit another guard. Both went down in a tangle of limbs.

The last two guards hesitated. Looking at each other. At their fallen colleagues. At Jake standing there without a scratch.

"What are you waiting for?!" the first guard yelled from the ground. Blood still dripping from his mouth. "Get him!"

They moved in together. Coordinated. Smart. Batons high. Coming from both sides.

Jake waited until they were close. Then dropped. Swept his leg out. Caught both guards at the ankles. They went down hard. Heads cracking against the pavement.

They didn't get up.

Jake stood. Brushed off his suit. Not even breathing hard.

Six guards. All down. In less than thirty seconds.

The silence was thick. Heavy. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.

Then footsteps. Fast. Angry. Coming from inside the building.

A man burst through the entrance. Forties. Balding. Suit that looked expensive but rumpled. His face was red. Sweating. He looked at the guards on the ground. At Jake standing in the middle of them. At the crowd of stunned guests.

"What the hell is going on out here?!" he shouted. His voice echoed off the building. "This is a professional event! Not a street brawl!"

The injured guard struggled to sit up. Pointed at Jake with his good hand. "That man! He attacked me! Used a fake invitation to get in and when we tried to remove him, he assaulted us!"

"Fake invitation?" The man's eyes narrowed. He looked at Jake. "Is this true?"

"No," Jake said. His voice was calm. Steady. "I have a real invitation. They refused to believe me."

"He's lying!" Maya stepped forward. Her voice was shrill. Desperate. "His name isn't even Jake Vale! It's Jake Morrison! The card has to be fake!"

"She's right," Derek added. He'd found his confidence again. Stepped up next to Maya. "I know this guy. He's a nobody. A con artist. He probably made that card himself."

The man walked toward Jake. His shoes crunched on the pavement. Glass from someone's phone that had been dropped. "Give me the card."

Jake reached into his pocket. Pulled it out. Handed it over.

The man examined it. Turned it over. Held it up to the light. His brow furrowed. Deeper and deeper.

"This..." He looked at Jake. At the card. Back at Jake. "This doesn't look like any of our standard cards."

"See!" Derek was practically jumping. "It's fake! I told you!"

"The design is different," the man continued. His voice had gone cold. Suspicious. "We use a specific template for all our executive access cards. This one has modifications. Different font. Different spacing."

'Of course it's different,' Jake thought. 'Marcus had it specially made. But how do I explain that without—'

"It's a counterfeit," the man said. His tone was final. Decided. "A poorly made one at that."

He dropped the card. It hit the ground. Skidded across the pavement.

Jake watched it go. Felt something hot and angry build in his chest.

"I'm calling additional security," the man said. He pulled out his phone. "We're going to restrain you properly this time. And then the police will handle you."

"Finally," Derek said. "Some common sense."

The man dialed. Put the phone to his ear. "Yeah, this is Stevens. Lobby manager. I need backup at the main entrance. Six guards down. We have a violent intruder who—"

"STEVENS!"

The voice cut through everything. Loud. Commanding. Filled with authority.

Everyone turned.

A man strode out of the building. Older than Stevens. Maybe sixty. Gray hair. Sharp suit. He moved like he owned the place. Like everyone else was just visiting.

Stevens's face went white. "Mr. Harrison! Sir! I was just handling—"

The slap came out of nowhere. Sharp. Loud. Stevens stumbled sideways. His phone clattered to the ground.

"You idiot!" Harrison's voice boomed. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"Sir, I—"

"Shut up!" Harrison turned to the guards on the ground. At the guests staring. At Jake standing in the middle of it all. "Where is it? Where's the card?"

"It's... it's on the ground, sir." Stevens touched his red cheek. "But it's fake. I examined it myself. The design is all wrong—"

"You examined it." Harrison's voice was deadly quiet. "You. A lobby manager who's been here for what, three years? You think you know every card design we use?"

"I... yes, sir. I was trained on—"

"Trained on the standard cards, you moron!" Harrison pushed past Stevens. Walked toward where the card had fallen. "Not the custom ones. Not the executive ones. And certainly not the ones issued to family members of the board!"

He bent down. Picked up the card. Held it carefully. Like it was made of glass.

The crowd started whispering. Murmuring. Confused.

Harrison turned to face them all. Held the card up high.

"This," he said, his voice carrying across the entire entrance area, "is not a fake. This is a Tier One Executive Access Card. The highest level of clearance in this entire company. There are only three of these in existence."

Silence.

Complete. Total. Silence.

Stevens's face went from white to green. "But... but the design..."

"The design is different because it's customized!" Harrison was yelling now. "Custom made for the select few who have authority over everyone in this building. Including you. Including me. Including the entire board of directors!"

Derek's mouth fell open. Maya grabbed his arm. Her nails digging in.

'No,' Jake could see her thinking. 'No no no this can't be happening.'

Harrison walked toward Jake. Each step deliberate. Purposeful. When he reached him, he stopped. Then slowly, carefully, bowed.

A full bow. Respectful. Submissive.

"Mr. Vale," he said. His voice had completely changed. Soft now. Apologetic. "I apologize. Sincerely and deeply. For the incompetence of my staff. For the assault you endured. For the disrespect shown to you."

He straightened up. Met Jake's eyes. "Please. I'm begging you. Forgive us."