The Rise Of Nicholas Hensaw

Chapter 8

It had never occurred to Nicklaus how important the watch could be. He had always worn it following his father's instructions, but never considered it anything special.

Gabriel left the room to fetch security, but by the time he returned, Nicklaus was sitting calmly in a chair beside his sister's seemingly lifeless body.

"Is she already dead?" Gabriel asked, rushing to Rita's bedside. He checked for a pulse but found nothing.

"She's dead," he announced smugly, and the security guards' expressions turned grim.

The nurses who had followed Gabriel into the room reported that Nicklaus had attempted to treat his sister despite not being a licensed doctor—a crime that had sent many people to prison.

The nurses approached Rita's body and confirmed she wasn't breathing.

"Sir, you're under arrest. You need to come with us to the station," one of the security guards said.

Nicklaus crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, asking calmly, "Where's your warrant?"

"Warrant? We don't need a warrant to arrest someone for murder," one guard replied, causing Nicklaus to chuckle softly.

Throughout this exchange, he remained relaxed, absently playing with his fingers. His stained clothes made everyone look at him with disgust.

"But she's not dead—she's alive. She's just in a coma," Nicklaus said calmly.

Gabriel's eyebrows shot up in fury. "You must be joking! Are you calling us medical experts liars?"

Nicklaus didn't even bother looking at Gabriel. He bit his lip and said quietly, "You might not know your job well enough to realize you are liars. You should take an IQ test."

"How dare you! Oh, I see—you've grown arrogant, haven't you?" Gabriel turned to the security guards. "What are you waiting for? Get him out of here. He needs to be where he belongs."

The guards approached Nicklaus, who remained nonchalant in his chair. They forced him to stand and dragged him from the room. The nurses moved closer to Rita's body and covered her with a sheet.

"It's a shame his sister died at his hands. Now he'll spend the rest of his life in prison for murder," Gabriel said loudly, ensuring Nicklaus could hear him.

"If only you had listened and sold your organs as I suggested. At least then you would have been useful. Now you're just trash heading to prison for life," Gabriel continued, pulling out his phone to record as the guards dragged Nicklaus through the hallway.

Several medical students watched from a distance, recognizing Nicklaus as the man who had fallen down the stairs and been badly injured earlier.

The security guards threw Nicklaus into their vehicle and drove straight to the police station, tossing him into a cell with other criminals and accused murderers.

Without saying a word, he sat on the ground with his eyes closed, trying to process all the new information flooding his mind.

He noticed a young woman sitting across from him. She was quiet, and unlike the other intimidating men in the cell, she seemed out of place.

"Did you kill someone?" Nicklaus asked. Based on her clothing and appearance, he assumed she might be a model.

The woman slowly raised her head to look at Nicklaus before responding, "Are you one of them?"

"What do you mean by 'one of them'?" Nicklaus asked calmly.

The young woman waited exactly five seconds before responding, "Are you one of those people who think a pretty face like mine hides some dark truth?"

Nicklaus remained silent, sensing she had more to say.

"Say something!" she demanded.

"I think you have more to tell me," Nicklaus replied.

The woman seemed frustrated, running her hands through her hair. "I didn't do it! I didn't kill my best friend. It was a setup," she began crying.

"Who do you think set you up?" Nicklaus asked.

Before she could answer, a police officer began unlocking the cell door.

"Nicklaus Henshaw, come with me!" he barked rudely.

Nicklaus stood respectfully, but as he looked at the officer, millions of data codes appeared before his eyes. He tried to comprehend what was happening, but it was nearly impossible—this was all completely new to him.

The officer led him to an interrogation room and gestured for him to sit in a wooden chair.

"Why am I here?" Nicklaus asked angrily.

"For murder! Why did you kill your sister?" the officer demanded.

Nicklaus found the entire situation absurd. Resting his hands on the table, he chose not to respond immediately.

"I didn't murder my sister," Nicklaus said firmly.

The officer narrowed his eyes and moved closer. "Don't make me force the truth out of you! What did you stand to gain?"

The man was clearly aggressive. Nicklaus narrowed his eyes, having no intention of engaging in this type of conversation.

"I know you're not deaf, officer. I didn't kill my sister," he repeated.

The officer took offense at being indirectly called deaf and immediately struck Nicklaus across the face with tremendous force. The impact was so strong it nearly knocked over the chair.