Chapter 22: A Free Man (Part 1)
Arias left his room to dispose of his notebook and cell phone in the garbage, knowing there was nothing else to do but wait. After that, he returned to his suite and awaited the appointed hour.
His wait ended just after ten in the morning when a loud banging echoed through the door. Before he could even open it, several officers barged in, the door unlocked with a master key by a hotel employee. Arias, already dressed and appearing ready to leave, was met with several guns pointed at him as one of the officers shouted.
"Arias Markovic, you are under arrest for alleged kidnapping, theft, and attempted murder. Put your hands where I can see them and do not resist."
Arias complied with the request, but as he raised his hands, his eyes caught sight of one of the officers whose finger was inching dangerously close to the trigger. As the trigger was pulled, a ready Arias dove under his bed, narrowly avoiding the shot. Instead of fear, a smile played on his lips.
'So this is Gregor's attempt to get rid of me? Claim I resisted and got shot.' Arias grinned before starting to speak.
"The cameras in this room deliver a feed to a private drive account! If I don't stop the automated release manually, this tape will be leaked to numerous video sites! I hope whatever they're paying you is worth spending your lives in jail."
The officer who fired the gun and the others turned to look in the corner, and there, indeed, was a camera with a tiny red dot indicating it was filming. Their faces darkened as the realization set in.
As Arias stood up and patted down his suit, he made his threat clear. "Why don't you escort me to the airport like you were supposed to and tell me exactly who sent you, and we can forget any of this happened."
The officers exchanged wary glances, knowing they had no other option. Given the age of those present, Arias could tell they had families. Police officers imprisoned for unjust killings always died young. Once accused, how would society treat their families?
They lowered their guns and explained that they had been informed by higher-ups that he was a brutal killer who would just be let loose on the streets. Arias found this amusing but didn't comment further. He couldn't afford for his plan to fail now; Gregor's betrayal would have to be dealt with later.
…
Aside from the attempted murder, Arias arrived at the airport without incident and was taken by flight back to Gotham. When he arrived, he saw some excited reporters outside, bombarding him with questions as the police led him to their vehicles.
"Did you really kidnap your childhood friend, the new mayor's son?"
"Did you try to kill Eric Valentine? If so, why?"
"Reports say you made millions from gambling, but some claim it's from dirty money. What do you have to say about this?"
Arias maintained a neutral expression, refusing to respond as they escorted him to a car. The case was drawing attention because it involved several well-known individuals, including the current mayor, Gregor. Arias had no doubt that more attempts on his life would be made, but he knew that once he was back in Gotham, he was untouchable.
Once in the car, the officer removed his handcuffs.
"Sorry about that extra-large crowd. The mayor has been on edge and has been making calls since morning, trying to delay your case. The deputy told me to tell you that," an older-looking officer revealed as Arias rubbed his wrists and smiled.
"He's becoming very desperate. Regardless, he has no direct control over criminal procedure, especially not when the commissioner himself takes an interest in my case."
Arias said nothing more and relaxed for the rest of the trip from Archie Goodwin International Airport to the GCPD headquarters. Upon arrival, they were met by another throng of reporters eager for the juicy story on the alleged abduction of the mayor's son.
The officer seated with Arias in the back placed the cuffs back on him as they exited the car. Flashes from cameras captured his every move as he walked towards the building, while the police officers kept the reporters at bay with barricades.
Waiting at the bottom of the stairs leading to the main building was Police Commissioner James Gordon. The straight-faced man with red hair and a stubbly jaw, sporting a brown trench coat, watched as they brought a handcuffed Arias toward the entrance.
They came to a complete stop in front of him, and he immediately gave the officer accompanying Arias an appreciative glance.
"Remove the cuffs," Gordon ordered, and the officer complied. Commissioner Gordon then looked up at Arias before muttering, "We have a lot to talk about. This way."
The commissioner motioned for him to follow, so the two entered the building and walked to the commissioner's office. Once there, they even offered Arias a cup of coffee.
"I hope black coffee is alright with you? It's all that's left," the commissioner inquired as he walked around his desk and sat down across from Arias. The commissioner sent the two officers, who were posted at the door, away before he sighed and started to talk.
"Let's get right to the point."