Mayor Stacey woke up and squinted against the glare of the incandescent light on the ceiling.
His vision gradually came into focus: a white ceiling, white walls, and a row of metal medicine cabinets against the wall.
He recognized the medical room in his own mansion.
Ever since his wife had become mentally unstable after being disfigured, he had set aside this fully equipped medical room in the house so she could be treated privately, without word leaking out and giving his political opponents a scandal to exploit.
He tried to move, only to discover that his wrists and ankles were secured to the edges of the bed with soft cloth straps.
He hastily shouted, "Someone-"
No one answered.
A voice carrying a cold smile came from above his head:
"Mayor Stacey... what an honor it is to meet you here."
Stacey strained to lift his head and see who was speaking, but all he could make out was a black silhouette against the light overhead.
"Y-you, who are you?"
Jerome leaned closer so Stacey could hear him clearly:
"You're always so busy. It must have been a long time since you last played a game with your son."
"My... my son..." He turned his face and saw someone lying on the medical bed beside him, his face deathly pale and his eyes tightly shut. A dark red stain had spread beneath the bed.
"What have you done to Goring?"
"The game is simple," Jerome continued, explaining the rules without answering him. "Just tell me who you bought those children from, and both you and your son will live. If you don't..."
He gestured toward the IV bag at the head of Goring's bed. "The 'nutrient solution' in here is specially formulated. In just one minute, your son will be