7Brock Lane is on top of the world even though his NBA team, the St. Louis Trojans, was eliminated from playoff contention. He had a breakout season in his fourth year as a pro basketball player, and he received a lucrative contract extension for his efforts. However, Brock's stepfather is kidnapped by two hardened criminals after he came back to Chicago on the eve of Mother's Day weekend, and they demand one million dollars for his release by Friday at midnight. Will Brock raise the money in time or will there be dire consequences if he misses the deadline? The Root Of All Evil is a short story based on the book Ulterior Motives.