Chapter 7 - Rebuilding the Foundation
With the threat of Derek Vance and his family's criminal syndicate permanently neutralized by federal indictment, my life in Chicago settled into a steady, productive rhythm.
The freelance graphic design work I had picked up online quickly expanded through word-of-mouth recommendations from local small businesses who appreciated clear, transparent contracts and honest communication. By December, I had secured a permanent contract rebranding visual identities for several regional logistics firms that operated with actual ethics, transparent payrolls, and zero shady relocation riders.
I moved out of the temporary studio in Lincoln Park and signed a legitimate, multi-year lease on a sunlit two-bedroom loft in Wicker Park—reading every single word of the contract twice, verifying the landlord's property tax records at City Hall, and keeping my original passport locked securely in a home fireproof safe where no "helpful friend" could ever touch it.
On a bright Saturday morning in early December, I was walking back from the neighborhood farmers' market carrying a canvas bag filled with fresh apples, artisanal bread, and coffee beans when my phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar local number with a Washington D.C. area code.
I stopped on the sidewalk, shifted the grocery bag to my left arm, and swiped to answer.
"Marcus Hayes?" a crisp, professional voice spoke through the receiver.
"Speaking," I said.
"This is Director Evelyn Vance—no relation to the defendants, I assure you," the woman chuckled dryly. "I’m with the Wage and Hour Division at the United States Department of Labor. Special Agent Sterling forwarded me the compliance audit notes you compiled regarding the Vance Logistics network."
I raised an eyebrow, leaning against a brick storefront. "Is that right? How can I help the Department of Labor, Director Vance?"
"Well, Mr. Hayes," she said, her tone shifting from formal to deeply respectful. "We are currently restructuring our nationwide task force on commercial debt-peonage and fraudulent employment contracting. We are establishing an advisory panel of civilian compliance specialists—people who understand how these predatory syndicates operate from the inside. Agent Sterling tells me you have an encyclopedic knowledge of their standard operating procedures."
I looked down at the grocery bag in my arm, then up at the brilliant, clear blue winter sky stretching over the Chicago skyline.
May you like
In my first life, I had been a helpless victim chewed up by the gears of a hidden machine. In this life, I had become the wrench thrown directly into the machinery.
"Director Vance," I said, a slow, confident smile spreading across my face. "Send me the appointment brief. I start on Monday."
