Chapter 42: The Two Sides Of Justice
Music blasted from speakers, loud enough for Nathan to feel the vibrations through the heated floor.
He let out a burp as he finished the last slice of gourmet beef he had ordered using room service hours ago.
Aside from that, his table was littered with empty plates of other items, some of them he had trouble pronouncing when ordering.
Nathan made sure to order just what he could eat instead of just spending wildly as he hated wasting food.
He downed everything, savoring the flavors. But eventually, he realized he had gone overboard.
So, he laid on the couch in the living room and rubbed his stomach in satisfaction, feeling the music blast from the speakers.
At that volume, he doubted he would hear anyone knocking, which was the plan, considering he had used the do not disturb feature in the tablet.
He had spoken to Moe earlier, paying his bill and also talked to Theo.
Things were looking up for his cell mate as his attorney told him his case had reached the right judge and could get appealed in less than two weeks.
Veronica had kept her agreement which made Nathan wonder just how much reach the doctor had.
He pushed the thought aside and got up, feeling his stomach wobble.
Nathan walked over to the penthouse balcony. The wind graced his face, whipping his hair against him.
Leaning against the guardrail, he gripped the glass. From this height, the city below looked small, making him feel strangely weightless.
He looked straight down and for a split second, the call of the void took over: a sudden, dizzying urge to just step off into the air.
Shaking off the residual adrenaline, he went back inside to his laptop.
He pulled up a shopping website and began browsing for gear, his focus shifting to a checklist of microphones, cameras, audio recorders, and various other surveillance devices.
He had spent the past days reading, not just comics and books but also materials on technology. Robotics, programming and related topics.
While Nathan didn’t have formal training, he had always loved how tech worked. He’d look up WeTube videos on building devices he could afford components for.
That wasn’t the case now as he looked up the specs of the various devices he wanted.
He sorted them by price - highest, and added them to the cart.
Cameras - x3
Microphone - x5
Raspberry Pi - x4
Graphics card - x3
Smartwatches - x4
.
.
.
The list went on until Nathan was satisfied. The total went up to around seventeen thousand.
He confirmed the order and paid with the system card.
[Spent: $17,000]
[Rebate (2x) : $34,000]
[System Balance : $32,185,300.31]
Nathan stared at the screen, frowning at what he saw. If he wasn’t laying low, he would have bought much more exotic items like a Lamborghini to get more rebates.
He rested a hand on his chin. What if I buy it for myself and give it to someone else?
The package arrived within the hour. Nathan opened it, laying out the devices across the coffee table.
He picked up a camera, examined it, tested the lens, and connected it to his laptop.
Then he worked slowly, taking it apart and learning how it worked.
With the knowledge he’d absorbed from books and the WeTube video in the background he pushed on and examined the other devices.
Hours later, after several failed attempts, Nathan finally had something that resembled a cyberdeck.
He raised it, examining the various components. He had gone for a retro feel similar to old Sci fi movies.
But the moment of truth came when he powered it on. He pressed the power button and watched the device come to life.
He played around with it for a bit, testing the screen, keyboard and other additional parts.
He kept it and decided to move on to the next project. A remote-controlled drone that could be programmed with locations.
After tinkering with several other projects, he stopped and returned to the big screen.
His eyes moved across it as he checked the various social media profiles of his friends.
Jayden didn’t have many posts aside from motivational quotes and images of hooded figures.
Zach’s posts were mostly of him and his family, all smiling happily. Nathan narrowed his eyes and closed both of them.
Unsurprisingly, Leon’s page was the most active. Most of his posts featured exotic locations, night clubs and parties.
One of them was an image of him at a restaurant with the other two. It was taken the day Nathan had gotten the death sentence.
They were seated at a table, smiling and drinking.
The sight made Nathan grit his teeth.
Seeing them living as they pleased with their families caused him to clench his hand into fists.
Any moment soon, Catherine and his father would receive the news of his death and they’d both be devastated.
He could already imagine how she would lean on her father crying. His chest squeezed at thought.
Meanwhile, the real culprits of the crime who had sent him to death row and now forced him into hiding were walking free and happy.
Nathan shook the thoughts away and continued scrolling until he had seen enough.
His suspicions were confirmed. Leon still frequented the same clubs, and the other two were sure to follow.
His primary goal was to gather enough evidence to incriminate them. But a part of him knew that wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him.
They had ruined his life and in so doing disturbed his family. And the justice system had simply watched it happen.
It wouldn’t be enough to just hand them over to law enforcement.
Satisfied, he closed their profiles. He was going to check out the night club tonight. But before anything else, he needed a proper disguise
Nathan stood up, grabbed his coat, some devices, and walked toward the door. His hand rested on the handle before he paused.
"This is it," he muttered.
He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. From this point on, he was committed. There was no going back.
He would clear his name, get revenge and expose the fraudulent lawyer.
For Nathan, all he wanted was two things and both seemed to be in alignment with his goals.
Justice and Vengeance
----
Meanwhile, at the Arkis Police Department...
A fair man sat in the lobby of the precinct. He had slick black hair and wore a pinstripe suit.
Police officers moved about him, doing various tasks like restraining criminals, answering calls, and getting ready to head out.
Moments later, two officers dragged a boy outside in front of him. The boy pleaded for his case but they paid him no heed as they took him to jail.
The man watched the scene without so much as a change in his expression.
A minute later, an officer walked up to him.
"Mr Specter, the captain would like to see you now."
He got up from his seat and walked to the office. He glanced at the name tag for a moment before opening the door.
He came face to face with a bald man in his fifties wearing a brown suit.
"Raymond Specter," the captain stood, extending his hand to shake.
Specter returned it. "Captain Reece. How are things going?"
"Great, I hope you’ve been fine."
"Of course."
Both of them settled down. Reece interlocked his fingers. "So what brings you here today?"
Specter gave a sly smile and reached into his jacket pocket, bringing out a cheque.
"Just making sure the department is doing its best as a concerned citizen."
He slid the cheque to the captain, who picked it up with a grin that could shame a goblin. "Of course. Arkis PD appreciates your continued... support."
He stared at the numbers on it then turned to Specter. "Would you like something?"
Specter raised a hand to decline. "Asides from the continuous support of the department? Nothing else."
He stood up. "I have to get going."
The captain groaned in disappointment. "You’ve been so busy with the pursuit of justice, I rarely see you these days."
He let out a heavy sigh. "But it’s alright. Do take care of yourself and as always the department.. and I appreciate your good gesture."
Both of them shook hands then Specter left, closing the door behind him.
As he walked to his car, he recalled the captain’s words.
Justice?
Specter stopped beside his car, titling his head to look at the precinct.
"There’s no such thing as justice."