Chapter 4: The Price of a Felony

Sterling returned thirty-seven minutes later, his face drawn and his expensive suit wrinkled from stress. Davidson trailed behind him like a funeral director, carrying a manila folder thick with documentation. Both men moved with the defeated shuffle of condemned prisoners walking to their execution.

"Mr. Thorne," Sterling began, his voice hoarse, "we've reviewed our certified pre-owned inventory and selected several vehicles that might be suitable replacements."

Alex remained perfectly still, his hands clasped behind his back in a pose that somehow managed to convey both patience and barely restrained menace. "Show me."

Davidson opened the folder with trembling fingers, spreading glossy photos across Sterling's desk. "We have a 2019 Honda Accord with thirty-two thousand miles, a 2020 Toyota Camry with twenty-eight thousand miles, and a 2018 Lexus ES with forty-one thousand miles."

Leo's eyes widened as he looked at the vehicles. Any one of them was worth more than his original Honda by a factor of ten. These weren't just replacements—they were significant upgrades that would have been fantasy purchases for someone in his financial situation.

Alex studied the photos with that same mechanical precision Leo had come to recognize, his eyes flickering with streams of invisible data. After a long moment, he pointed to the Lexus.

"This one. Full warranty, clean title, complete service history."

"The Lexus?" Sterling's voice cracked slightly. "That's a forty-thousand-dollar vehicle!"

"And Mr. Martinez's trade-in was worth fifteen hundred dollars, which you stole through fraudulent documentation," Alex replied calmly. "Consider the difference a small down payment on your legal fees if this matter goes to court."

Davidson leaned over to whisper urgently in Sterling's ear, but Alex's enhanced awareness caught every word about "exposure" and "pattern evidence" and "RICO implications." The lawyer was clearly advising surrender, and Sterling's crumbling expression suggested he was finally ready to listen.

"Fine," Sterling said through gritted teeth. "The Lexus. Paid in full, clean title, warranty transferred."

"Excellent." Alex's smile held no warmth whatsoever. "Now, about the matter of compensatory damages."

Sterling's face went ashen. "I thought the car was the compensation."

"The car replaces what you stole. The damages compensate for what your theft cost Mr. Martinez." Alex's voice carried the inexorable weight of mathematical certainty. "Six months of fraudulent payments at eight hundred sixty-seven dollars each. That's five thousand, two hundred and two dollars."

"Five thousand—" Sterling started to object, then caught sight of Alex's expression and deflated. "This is extortion."

"This is arithmetic," Alex corrected. "Would you prefer I calculate the interest and late fees Mr. Martinez accrued on his other bills because your fraud consumed his budget?"

Leo watched the exchange with growing amazement. Six months ago, he'd been nothing more than prey to these people—a working-class kid with dreams bigger than his bank account, perfect for exploitation. Now, Alex was systematically dismantling their entire operation with the precision of a master surgeon.

Davidson was scribbling notes frantically, occasionally pausing to whisper calculations in Sterling's ear. The numbers clearly weren't adding up favorably for the dealership.

"We don't have that kind of cash on hand," Sterling said finally. "Our working capital is tied up in inventory and—"

"Then you'll finance it," Alex interrupted smoothly. "I'm sure a dealership of your... reputation... has access to credit lines."

Sterling's jaw worked silently for several seconds. Behind his desperate eyes, Leo could see the man calculating his options and finding them all equally unpalatable. Prison, bankruptcy, or paying the price for his crimes. The choice was obvious, even if it was bitter.

"There's one more thing," Alex said, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.

Sterling's head snapped up. "More?"

"The manner in which this transaction is conducted." Alex pulled out his phone, swiping to what looked like a recording app. "I want you to state, clearly and for the record, that this settlement is compensation for fraudulent practices at Sterling Automotive."

"I'm not admitting to anything criminal," Davidson interjected quickly.

Alex's smile was pure winter. "Then we're done here. Mr. Martinez, shall we call the FBI now, or would you prefer to contact the local news stations first? I imagine they'd be very interested in a story about systematic auto fraud targeting working-class customers."

The blood drained from Sterling's face entirely. Leo realized that for all his bluster and expensive suits, the general manager was fundamentally a coward who'd built his success on preying on people who couldn't fight back. Faced with someone who could not only fight back but systematically destroy him, Sterling was completely helpless.

"What... what exactly do you want me to say?" Sterling asked quietly.

"The truth. That you engaged in fraudulent billing practices, that you're compensating Mr. Martinez for damages caused by those practices, and that you're taking steps to ensure it never happens again."

Sterling looked at Davidson, who gave a barely perceptible nod. The lawyer had clearly run the numbers and decided that controlled confession was preferable to federal investigation.

"Fine," Sterling said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Alex hit record. "State your name and position."

"GM Sterling, General Manager of Sterling Automotive." Sterling's voice was hollow, defeated.

"And you're providing this settlement to Mr. Martinez because?"

Sterling closed his eyes, looking like a man swallowing poison. "Because of irregularities in his purchase contract that resulted in financial damages."

"Be specific about those irregularities."

A long pause. "We... we credited his trade-in at a lower value than what was agreed upon during negotiations."

"And you submitted the higher value to the bank for loan approval?"

Another pause, longer this time. Davidson was making slashing motions across his throat, but Sterling had clearly given up fighting.

"Yes."

"Which constitutes bank fraud."

"I... yes."

Alex stopped recording and pocketed his phone. "Excellent. Now, shall we complete the paperwork for Mr. Martinez's new vehicle?"

The next hour passed in a blur of signatures and transfers. Leo watched in stunned silence as his crushing debt was transformed into clear title to a luxury sedan worth more than he made in a year. The fraudulent contract that had been slowly destroying his life was literally shredded before his eyes, replaced with documentation that made him the legal owner of a vehicle he could never have afforded.

But Alex wasn't finished.

"One final matter," he said as Sterling prepared to hand over the keys. "Mr. Martinez has suffered significant stress and inconvenience due to your fraudulent practices. I think an additional gesture of goodwill is appropriate."

Sterling's hand froze halfway to the key ring. "Additional?"

"Extended warranty. Five years, bumper to bumper. And premium maintenance package." Alex's tone suggested this was non-negotiable. "Consider it insurance against any... future misunderstandings."

Sterling looked like he might cry, but he nodded weakly. "Fine. Whatever you want."

As the final paperwork was completed, Leo found himself holding the keys to a car that represented more wealth than he'd ever possessed. The monthly payment that had been slowly drowning him was gone, replaced by clear ownership of an asset that would actually improve his life rather than destroy it.

"Gentlemen," Alex said, standing and straightening his suit, "it's been educational. Mr. Sterling, I trust you'll remember this lesson when dealing with future customers."

Sterling didn't respond, staring at his hands like he couldn't quite believe what had just happened to his carefully constructed empire.

Outside in the parking lot, Leo stood beside his new Lexus, still unable to fully process the transformation. Six hours ago, he'd been drowning in debt and desperate for help. Now he owned a luxury vehicle outright and had enough cash compensation to rebuild his destroyed finances.

"I don't understand how this is possible," he said finally. "How did you know all those things about their other fraudulent sales? How did you get access to their systems?"

Alex's eyes flickered with that strange light again, and for just a moment, Leo caught sight of something impossible—streams of data flowing like rivers of light, numbers and calculations processing at superhuman speeds.

"Let's just say I have particular talents when it comes to research," Alex replied. "The important thing is that justice was served."

As Leo drove away in his debt-free luxury sedan, he caught sight of Alex in his rearview mirror, standing in the dealership parking lot with that same predatory smile. The man looked like a force of nature in an expensive suit, someone who could reshape reality through sheer force of will and impossible knowledge.

Leo had no idea what Alex Thorne really was, but he knew one thing with absolute certainty: Sterling Automotive had just learned that some prey fought back, and the cost of their predatory practices had finally come due.

The old contract was gone, shredded into confetti. The new reality was written in clear title and settled debt, paid for by the very people who had tried to destroy him.

Justice, Leo realized, sometimes wore a tailored suit and had eyes like data streams.