Chapter 1 - The Black Envelope
Julian held the black envelope steady in his hand.
Ryan the security guard stared at it and let out a booming laugh.
He did not even bother to reach out and take it.
"I am not going to ask you again, buddy," Ryan warned.
"Turn around and walk back to whatever bus stop you came from."
Julian did not move a single inch.
"This envelope guarantees my entry into the Blackstone Summit," Julian stated calmly.
A billionaire standing nearby leaned over and whispered a joke to a senator.
Both men erupted into a fit of arrogant laughter.
Ryan shook his head and tapped his earpiece.
"Mr. Sterling, we have a vagrant at the front door causing a scene," Ryan reported.
A moment later, the head of event security marched out through the glass doors.
Mr. Sterling wore a pristine tuxedo and an angry scowl.
He snatched the black envelope from Julian's hand without a word.
Sterling did not open it to read the contents.
He simply tore the thick cardstock in half and threw the pieces onto the wet pavement.
"If he is still standing here in ten seconds, break his legs," Sterling ordered Ryan.
Sterling turned his back and began walking back inside the luxurious hotel lobby.
Julian slowly reached into the pocket of his faded gray jacket.
He pulled out a battered older model cell phone.
Julian pressed a single button on the keypad and raised the phone to his ear.
"Lock it down," Julian whispered into the receiver.
Suddenly, every light in the Grand Crescent Hotel flickered and shifted from warm gold to harsh red.
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Massive steel security shutters slammed down over every window and door of the building.
Sterling spun around in pure horror as the front doors locked shut right in front of him.
