Michael spent his first night in custody alone.
They did not place him in a crowded cell with drunks, petty thieves, and men who would recognize his face before his name. His case was too public for that. The officers called it a security decision. Michael understood what it really was. They wanted him contained, watched, and separated from anything he could use.
The room had a narrow bench fixed to the wall, a camera in the corner, a metal toilet behind a half partition, and a door with a small reinforced window. No phone. No laptop. No watch. No belt. No private corner where he could pretend he still had control.
At first, he allowed himself to relax.
The arrest had looked dramatic from the outside, but Michael knew what came next. Silas had moved too quickly. That meant Silas believed he had solved the problem, and belief was not the same as truth.
Michael sat on the bench with his back against the wall and replayed the check-in route in his head.
