The unstoppable vengeance of Micheal Krux.

2. Inferno

Chapter two, The Inferno

Michael Krux POV

The stadium was still burning when they shoved me into the back of an armored van.I sat on the metal bench, wrists cuffed to a belly chain, and watched the fire through the tiny rear window.

Orange flames licked the sky like they wanted to eat the stars.

The driver inside the Phoenix was already dead, I’d seen the cockpit turn into a furnace when the van lurched forward.

Sirens howled.

My tuxedo jacket was gone, shirt soaked with sweat and someone else’s blood from the scuffle on stage.

After some minutes later, the doors opened into an underground garage lit by harsh white floods.

I immediately knew where thie was, it was the Federal holding Sub-basement. No cameras allowed.

They marched me to a steel table bolted to the floor where two men waited together with one old prosecutor I recognized U.S. Attorney Harlan Crowe, the guy who put three governors away within the space of five years.

The younger ones were dressed in five grand suits and looked like they still used hair gel.

Crowe slid a tablet across and on the screen, bank records appeared showing sixteen million dollars wired from my personal account to a Macau shell company.

Then photos of me shaking hands with a known arms dealer in Dubai.

Then a grainy video of someone who looked like me, with the same height, same structure and walking posture handing over a briefcase in a parking garage.

Everything looked so perfect and planned out that even I would confuse the person on the screen with myself. It all seemed perfect, a little too perfect.

I was waiting for Crowe to tell me something, maybe he was going to tell me someone was posing as me, smile or even say it was a prank.

But he didn’t smile.“Plea’s on the table for thirty minutes,” he said.

“Twenty-five years, you confess and we can let you keep your teeth.”I stared at the frozen image of “me” handing over the briefcase.

“Nice Photoshop,” I said. “You missed the shadow under the left shoe.” There was no way they could convince me into accepting that I was the one that screen.

One of the younger man then leaned forward and said, “We have your wife on live television right now.” He tapped the tablet and a Live feed appeared.

Layla stood in front of our mansion, surrounded by reporters.

Hair perfect, eyes red, voice shaking just enough to sell it. “I loved Michael with everything I had,” she said, “but the evidence is undeniable. For the safety of this nation I have to stand with the victims.”

Gabriel stepped into frame behind her, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder like he belonged there, my stomach turned to stone at such an unbelievable sight.

Crowe tapped the screen again and Another clip surfaced, Gabriel in a navy suit, tears in his eyes.

“Michael acted alone. I trusted him like a brother. I had no idea he was capable of this.” The younger guy in black suit smirked after seeing my expression. I was disgusted by such pretentious act my wife and best friend were putting.

If anyone was to vindicate me and proved me innocent, I expected that they would be the ones in the forefront, yet, the matter wasn’t even up to twenty four hours, and they were denying me already.

“The Clock’s ticking, Krux. Fifteen minutes left on the deal.” The man in black suit said.

I looked Crowe dead in the eye. “Tell Gabriel his new office chair is going to feel real cold when I get out.” There was nothing left again, seeing my wife and best friend betray me in national TV, I knew I had lost the fight I never got chance to even fight.

Crowe’s jaw flexed. He stood up and signed some papers then ordered the policemen that brought me, “Take him to isolation.” He said.

They dragged me down a corridor that smelled of bleach and blood, three me into a six by eight box and left.

It only had one tiny steel toilet and a concrete slab, there was no window and only one dim light bulb that stayed on 24/7.

I sat on the slab and waited for the panic to hit me but it didn’t. Instead something colder slid into my veins.

Anytime I closed my eyes, I saw the Phoenix burning again. And I made myself a promise right there, with the taste of smoke still on my tongue.

Every single person who smiled while I fell was going to learn what fire really feels like. Starting with the two who were supposed to love me most.

Hours later the door opened. Two guards in riot gear. “Court tomorrow,” one grunted.

“Try not to cry on camera. The country loves a villain.” I said as I stood up slowly.The first guard who was a big guy with steroid neck laughed.

“Look at the pretty billionaire. Bet you’re scared now, huh?” I stepped close enough that he could smell the smoke still on my skin.“Scared?” I said, voice low. “No.

I’m counting.”He frowned.“Counting what?”

“The days until I get to spend making every one of you regret this.”He swung a baton at my ribs in disgust.

I took the hit, didn’t flinch, this made him smile, then he actually stepped back and left. They slammed the door. I sat back down. And started counting.

One…

Two…

One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five…