You are under arrest

Hood fixed his gaze on the secret door, his fingers hesitated a moment before slowly pushing it. The wood barely creaked, and at that moment, Proctor's hand behind his back held tightly trying to control himself. With a steady movement Hood took the door, finishing opening it with expectant calm, the night before he had been here and knew exactly what he was going to find.Proctor stood motionless on the threshold, his cold eyes fixed on Hood's, as if seeking to figure it out. Intrigued Ethan stepped forward into the secret room. The darkness inside seemed to devour the light from the hallway, but his fingers tripped over a switch on the wall.He activated it with a click that resonated like a shot in the silence, and the lights blinked for a few seconds and then turned on, bathing the room with a cold glow. Ethan let out a slight whistle as he looked inside, all day he had insisted on Hood to tell him what Proctor was hiding behind that door, but Hood had evaded each of his questions, fueling his curiosity.—This doesn't mean anything.- Proctor said coldly and unexpectedly calmly.Hood replied with a proud smile:—You are wrong. It means many things to many people. In front of the door, a small cross hung on the wall, with an inscription engraved in tiny letters, barely visible in the dim light.Ethan stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the inside. What he saw left him completely speechless.That was not just a secret room to store weapons; it was a carefully planned and maintained arsenal. A collection so imposing that it made anything Job had accumulated seem insignificant in comparison.Right under the cross, an impeccable formation of AR-15 rifles caught his attention. Ten units were aligned with millimeter precision, their butts glowed under the white lights of the room. Above them, a support exhibited a varied assortment of white weapons: machetes with sharp edges, oscillating nunchakus, heavy clubs and long swords of traditional design, each more lethal than the previous one.On the opposite side of the room, another wall featured a collection of ancient weapons. Among them, a rifle stood out for its disproportionate size: a thin and elongated barrel that measured more than two meters. Its design, although dated, emanated a lethal elegance that attracted Ethan's gaze like a magnet.The air seemed charged with history and danger.—Thank you for your generous gift —Brock said as he entered Emmett, unable to contain his amazement.Ethan, looking under the ancient weapons, swallowed hard. On a wooden table, there were twenty or thirty explosive grenades, and he had no idea where Proctor had gotten so many of those things.On another table were dozens of pistols of various models, while ammunition boxes were stacked in one corner, one after the other. No wonder Sugar always insisted that Proctor could not be confronted by force.He took a sword, grasped the hilt, and pulled hard, revealing a sharp blade gleaming in the light. Then he put it aside, grabbed an AR15, and headed for the door.—Mr. Proctor, do you have a license to possess these firearms?Proctor remained silent.Hood approached and, with a smile, informed him:—Kai Proctor, is under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. If you do not, everything you say can and will be used against you in court. You have the right to a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, the State will provide you with one. Do you understand your rights?Hood had practiced those words the night before, and now, saying them, he felt relaxed.Proctor, without resistance, allowed county officials to handcuff him and escort him outside. Hood shook his head, surprised by Proctor's lack of anger, which seemed somewhat anticlimatic. Still, the goal was accomplished.Hood ordered Proctor to be taken to the separations at the Commissioner, while he was going to the District Attorney's Office to discuss the next steps with Alison Medding.Meanwhile, Ethan and the others from the Banshee Police Department began photographing and searching each object in the secret room before transporting them.All weapons would be inspected and used as evidence at trial. Illegal possession of firearms was already enough to seriously complicate Proctor's life, but if any of those weapons turned out to be linked to scenes of crime or murder, his situation would be even worse.Moving so many weapons was exhausting. Ethan, after several trips, was covered in a thin layer of sweat.Dozens of grenades required special care. Emmett and Brock packed them in padded wooden boxes before cautiously removing them from the villa.Siobhan, meanwhile, carried a mace in one hand and a hammer in the other, looking like a real Viking. Meanwhile, Burton, visibly irritated, supervised them all while emptying Proctor's arsenal.When they finished, four police cars were full of weapons, attracting the attention of the curious when they returned to the police station.Already at the station, Emmett and Ethan organized the weapons, Siobhan labeled each one, and Brock hung them in the iron cage intended for evidence.Ethan took a long sword and unsheathed it again. White weapons had always fascinated men, and he was no exception.—If he had had one of these as a child, he would have cut all the flowers in the neighborhood —he said while brandishing the sword, enjoying the sound of the cut air.— Hey Jackie Chan! Could you stop playing and get to work? —Siobhan shouted, hitting the iron cage with a mace.—I'm coming, I'm coming ... —Ethan murmured, reluctantly sheathing the sword and handing it over to him.A little later, Hood hurried in.— How is the work going? Gordon said that someone will come early tomorrow to collect all the evidence, they will be taken to Philadelphia to be prosecuted for ballistics to see if they are involved in any other crime.—We should be able to finish tonight —Ethan replied, while reviewing a heavy revolver.—Good.Hood took an old rifle with a two-meter cannon. He inspected it for a moment before returning it to its place.—I didn't expect Proctor to like collecting weapons that much. Everyone has their hobbies, I guess.—This is not a hobby, it is a perversion —replied Brock, holding an iron ball with nails at the end of a chain.Hood snapped his tongue, weighing the ball with one hand. It was not difficult to imagine the damage it could cause.— How about the prosecutor? —Emmett asked, while carrying a box of bullets.—All good. Alison believes we have enough evidence. At least Proctor will not escape the charges of illegal possession of weapons, if any of them were used in any crime, they will pursue Proctor for him.While they were talking, Ethan noticed a folder among the confiscated objects. He opened it and, after leafing through a few pages, a smile appeared on his lips.Ethan quickly flipped through the documents, silently calculating in his mind.— Crack! —closed the folder tightly and clapped his hand to get everyone's attention —. Boys! —raised the folder — It seems I found something interesting here.Including Hood, the others left what they were doing and looked at Ethan. He stood up, pushed aside the pistols on the table, and extended the folders.—Here is information about the Kinaho Moon Casino. Take a look at it.Several approached and began to look at the information. The documents detailed the sales of each slot machine in the Kinaho Moon, data on casino income and expenses, a very well detailed report, so that it was in the hands of a third party and not Alex Longshadow.— What kind of surprise is this? —Brock asked, confused.—Maybe this will provide us with a plan B —Ethan said, hitting the folder firmly on the table —. Don't forget, although there is no conclusive evidence that Proctor was behind the attack on the new Kinaho tribe casino, where Alcance Kendall died, we all know it was him.—And now we find this information in Proctor's basement —he added, raising his voice as he pointed to the — folder. This shows that he has extended his tentacles to the casino. Although we don't know exactly how he did it, it's easy to deduce that this is not something our new boss wants to tolerate.Ethan reached out and slapped Emmett on the shoulder.—If you were Alex, wouldn't you have a problem with Proctor if something like this happened?Emmett nodded after thinking about it. Ethan then looked at Hood.—Exactly. If the opportunity arises, Alex will take advantage of this to use it against Proctor.Hood took the folder and carefully reviewed it. The smile on his face grew wider.—Ethan, you and I are going to the casino tonight to talk to Alex. Let's see if he has the courage to face Proctor.They had nothing to lose. If Alex decided to betray Proctor, they would get even more evidence against him.With renewed enthusiasm, everyone accelerated the count of weapons. When night fell, they had finished searching Proctor's entire arsenal. Ethan and Hood, with unfinished business, ate something quick at the Miles restaurant before heading to the Casino.The last time they were there, they caused a huge scandal by confronting Proctor and rescuing Rebecca. After that, Ethan had returned to Daria, only to discover that both he and Hood had been declared non grata by Alex.This time, they arrived in uniform and with police plates. At the entrance, security personnel did not dare to expel them, but they were detained while one of them spoke on the radio. Soon after, a tall and serious security guard approached.—Mr. Alex agreed to see them. Follow meThe man was familiar to them; the last time, he had asked Hood to hit him. Ethan smiled at him as if he didn't recognize him and followed the group, avoiding the main room of the casino. After all, their presence could affect the business.They soon arrived at Alex's office. The black guard opened the door and retired. Ethan and Hood entered. Alex was sitting in a large leather chair, holding a cigar with one hand and turning a silver revolver on the table with the other. Two burly guards were behind him, armed with Glocks and dressed in cheap suits.Alex watched them as he continued to spin the revolver.—I remember warning you the last time we saw each other not to step on my reservation or my casino again —Alex said, in a firm voice and a cold expression. — And yet here they are again. Recalling the problems they had had with Alex last time, they both left their belts with weapons at the entrance, as they had agreed. Hood held out his hands.—It is an official matter. Can we speak privately?Alex raised an eyebrow when he noticed the gesture, but made a gesture for the guards to withdraw.—Sheriff Hood —greeted Hood and then looked at Ethan — And you must be Ethan, right?—That's right.Alex tapped the handle of the gun.— What are you doing here?—We came in peace Mr. Longshadow —Hood said as he placed a blue folder on the desk. — Do you mind if we sit down?—Of course not.Ethan approached a chair.—Mr. Longshadow —Hood started, with a firm and measured tone —, you probably already know that today we arrested Kai Proctor for illegal possession of weapons.—Of course, it is a small town. News like gossip flies fast at Banshee.Alex's face remained calm, but inside he was euphoric. Proctor arrested was the best thing that had happened to him since he took office as boss. However, he knew that Proctor could get away with it, as always.Noticing the folder, he asked:— Does that have something to do with me?—With the evidence we have now, not —Hood replied directly, with his hand he gently pushed the folder onto the table —. But you might be interested in taking a look. This is what we found today in Proctor's basement.Alex, intrigued, opened the folder. As he reviewed the documents, his face hardened. As head of the Kinaho and the Casino, he immediately recognized the detailed data on the casino. Now more than ever Proctor's ambitions about the casino were more than clear to him.Ethan and Hood watched silently as Alex reviewed the information carefully, without skipping a line. When he finished, he closed the folder and put it aside. He looked at Hood in silence, his face tense.When this document appeared in Hood's hands, it wasn't exactly what Alex wanted to see. This was not good news for him. Police could use this document to target Casino Kinaho.Originally, laundering money for Proctor through the casino was already a considerable risk, but if the police attacked again, the consequences would be unpredictable.Furthermore, the level of detail in the file data made Alex feel a great threat. The financial data that he himself provided to Proctor was much less detailed, indicating that Proctor had infiltrated the casino.This double crisis made Alex feel a dull pain in the head.Hood retrieved the folder with a smile on his lips:—It doesn't just seem strange to us. I think you should also ask yourself why Proctor has so much information about your Casino.He closed the folder with a quick movement.—I mean, this is not normal.—This makes us suspect that the relationship between you and Proctor is not as simple as we imagined.Alex's face hardened.— Do I need to call a lawyer?—No need —Ethan stepped in, shaking the ashes out of his cigarette —. We are not accusing you of anything. We believe that even if you cooperated with Proctor, it was not of your own free will.Ethan bowed his head, staring at him:—We came to discuss a deal with you. Are you interested?—Speak, I hear you —Alex replied, biting his cigarette.Hood spoke up:—We will prosecute Proctor for illegal possession of firearms. From the evidence we have, there is a good chance that he will be convicted.He paused briefly, watching Alex's reaction.—But we don't want to take unnecessary risks. We can work together if you are interested.Alex, who had managed to stay calm until then, gave the cigar a drag before answering:— What do I win?Hood waved the folder, throwing it in front of Alex:—We will turn a blind eye to this information, take it as a gift of good faith.Ethan smiled, reinforcing the idea:—And you will have the opportunity to get rid of Proctor. It is up to you to take advantage of it.Alex inhaled deeply, looking at the portrait of his father hanging on the wall. He thought of the humiliation suffered in front of Proctor and the constant threat to his casino.It was the opportunity he had been waiting to take down Proctor once and for all.Without hesitation, Alex made a decision. He walked to a sideboard and picked up three glasses of wine.—When my father was alive, he had some business with Proctor —he said while serving brandy —. The two expanded many operations together.He returned to the desk and offered the glasses:—But after his death, when I took control, I was forced to accept an agreement with Proctor. So I had information from the casino, and he forced me to give it to him.He paused, raising his glass:—My father was a respected boss. I hope you understand.Hood solemnly nodded:—Don't worry. We highly respect the old boss. Your name will not appear on this.—Okay.Alex told them to have their drinks:—I will help you. I also have information on Proctor's blackmail that I can share in a timely manner.—Thank you very much —Hood replied, with a smile of satisfaction as they toasted.After they left, Alex, relieved, took off his tie and turned on the turntable.—This time, Proctor will not get away with it —murmured to himself, satisfied.The next morning, in the reception room of the city jail, Proctor, Rebecca and their lawyer Jackson were sitting around a round table.Jackson, a man in his forties, was wearing a light gray suit. He confidently opened his briefcase, pulling out a notebook.—Mr Proctor, don't worry. We have dealt with this many times. Tell me everything in detail.Proctor, now in a white prison uniform and with messy hair, wore a hardened face.—I understand —he said, in a serious tone.Proctor recounted in detail what had happened the day before and described everything they had found in his basement. When finished, Rebecca, visibly concerned, reached out her hand and gently took his hand.Proctor reassured her with a soft pat before looking at Jackson:—Tell me, what do you think?Jackson closed the notebook and put his hands on the table:—Our opponent has changed. He is no longer Gordon Hopewell. The new district attorney is Alison Meddin.The lawyer leaned forward:—She is smart and new to the job. If you are looking for achievements, it could be a problem for us.Proctor smiled smugly:—Everyone has a price. If you dare ask for it, I can pay for it.Jackson looked at him sternly:— Do you want to add attempted bribery to the gun possession charge?Proctor frowned and looked away:—Well, everyone has weaknesses.—Maybe, but it won't be easy —replied Jackson —. We can start by questioning the veracity of the police informant's accusations. As I understand it, the informant claimed to have seen many weapons in the basement.Proctor shook his head:—That is impossible.Jackson questioned him:— Why do you say so?—Because no one else knows —responded firmly —. Only Rebecca, Burton and I have access to that camera.A tense silence filled the room, until a voice from a corner broke the stillness:—Strippers.Burton emerged from the shadows, with an inscrutable expression.—In addition to the three of us, strippers frequently come to the house. It is not ruled out that anyone has accidentally discovered the secret room.Proctor nodded, picking up the innuendo.Jackson understood the message and got up:—Speak quietly. I'll be out for a moment.