The Reckoning
The veteran rose at last, his cap square on his head, his voice steady and strong.
“Respect,” he said, his words carrying through the room, “isn’t taken by force. It’s earned. Today, son, you showed everyone who you are. And now… so will I.”
The biker’s face drained of color. His fists unclenched. Step by step, he backed away.
When he bolted for the door, the veterans outside didn’t touch him. They simply parted in silence, a wall of eyes watching as he stumbled past, his bravado collapsing like paper in the rain.
