London, England, 2022.

The basement smelled like damp clay, sweat, and fear. A smell that Toby recognized from the first time he'd broken into judge Hector Blake's house. Upon Toby's first visit here, this basement had appeared to be nothing but a pottery studio. But he'd poked around because he'd had a bad feeling, and discovered a prison cell disguised as a panic room, where a man had been imprisoned. Toby had freaked out and taken a couple of pictures to show to the police before leaving, but he never got the chance to. So now, he was back, but this time his intention was to free that young man. But when he managed to pick the lock and open the door, he was gone. Toby's heart wrenched painfully in his chest. There was a spot of blood where the man had been. Did Hector murder that man? Toby poked around the basement some more, looking for something, anything. But he didn't notice Hector sneaking up on him behind until it was already too late. Thankfully, he heard the bat whooshing through the air, and managed to side step before it connected with his head. The next few minutes were brutal, with Toby fighting for his life as Hector tried to beat him to death. But Hector had a bat, and Toby only had his hands. He was thrown to the ground, his head connecting with the leg of a table with a painful crack. He was dazed and bleeding. He saw Hector lift the bat above his head, preparing to deliver a fatal blow. Toby vaguely wondered if this is how he'd die, but a deafening crack rang through the basement. Red bloomed along Hector's chest, and he dropped the bat, hitting the floor with a sickening "thud". Toby blearily lifted his eyes to see a maid standing there, clutching a shotgun.