Chapter 1 - The Midnight Drive
The drive to Daniel Voss’s massive suburban mansion took exactly twenty-two minutes.
I kept my truck exactly at the speed limit.
A man carrying a baseball bat in the middle of the night does not need to give the police a reason to pull him over.
The grip of the bat felt heavy and familiar on the passenger seat.
It was a solid piece of American ash wood.
My late wife had bought it at a garage sale because she knew I loved the game.
I had never used it to hit a ball.
I parked at the end of Daniel’s long driveway.
The house was completely dark except for the porch lights.
I walked up the concrete steps and pressed the doorbell.
I waited in the cold night air.
The heavy oak door swung open after a minute.
Daniel stood there wearing a silk robe and a smug smile.
He expected to see Claire crawling back to him in tears.
His smile vanished completely when he saw me standing there instead.
He looked at my dirty work boots and the bat resting on my shoulder.
"What do you want, old man?" he asked with forced confidence.
I did not raise my voice.
"You told my daughter her father was a nobody," I said quietly.
"I just came to introduce myself."
Daniel tried to slam the heavy door shut.
I jammed my steel-toed boot into the doorframe.
The wood splintered loudly as I forced my way into his expensive foyer.
I swung the bat with everything I had.
It bypassed his head and smashed directly into a priceless crystal vase on a pedestal.
Glass shattered across the marble floor like ice.
Daniel screamed and stumbled backward onto the ground.
He scrambled away like a frightened child.
"Are you crazy?" he yelled.
"I am going to call the cops and have you locked up forever!"
I took a slow step toward him.
"Call them," I said calmly.
Daniel reached into his pocket, but he did not pull out a phone.
He pulled out a small black remote and pressed a red button.
May you like
The doors to the dining room instantly burst open.
Three large men in tactical gear stepped out with their guns drawn and aimed directly at my chest.
