Dark Trade

by Miranda Kavi

  She was almost home when her agent called—her condo was being shown right now, so she couldn’t go home.

  Darn. She needed to stay busy. She didn’t have any running clothes on her or else she would have run along the bayou until her legs gave out.

  She pulled into the nearest grocery store. Once inside, she tugged out a small cart and began walking through the aisles.

  He hadn’t called. Still hadn’t called. She’d wanted him to call. She’d wanted to see him again. She’d cared for him, more than she’d wanted to admit. It wasn’t love, but it was something. Something that hurt now.

  She paused in the middle of an aisle, bringing her shaking hand to her mouth as if she could use it to keep the emotions bottled up inside. She’d never admitted it to herself before. She’d pushed it all away, focused on running and being happy and coloring her hair like that was going to transform her.

  But she wasn’t any different. She was the same. She felt the same. It was all a façade.

  “Sophia?” a familiar feminine voice intruded on her thoughts.

  She snapped to attention, dropping her hand. It was Sarah. Joshua’s ex-wife. Landon’s mother. She hadn’t seen her since the funerals.

  Not today. Please.

  “Hi, Sarah,” she said. “How are you?” Her voice came out a little wobbly.

  A wisp of a smile crossed Sarah’s face. She was pretty, in the girl next door sort of way with dark blond hair and blue eyes. They’d always gotten along well. They weren’t friends, but they’d respected each other. Sarah and Josh had married right after high school and divorced a couple years later, but remained friendly. “I’m okay. Are you? You looked a little upset.”

  Sophia glanced at the aisle she was in. She didn’t even know where she was. The brightly colored bottles in front of her swam into focus. Shampoo. “Oh, you know. Just having a hard time picking the right one,” she said.

  Sarah smiled and fidgeted with her purse. “I almost didn’t recognize you with dark hair. You look really good.”

  “Thanks. You look great, too. As always.” Sophia shifted her weight. “How are you really doing?”

  Sarah sighed. “I’m here. I survived. I keep going.” She pushed her lips together and looked away. Sophia knew the gesture. She’d done it herself many times. Composing yourself for public when you’re ripping apart on the inside.

  Sophia nodded. “I know,” she squeaked. She couldn’t imagine how Sarah felt, losing her only child so young. Sophia had loved Landon intensely, like he was her own, and she felt his loss every day in her bones.

  She could only imagine how Sarah felt; losing the child she’d carried and cared for from day one. They’d had the magical mother-child bond that only they could.

  “Look, I’ve been wanting to thank you, but I’ve been too big of a coward to call,” Sarah said abruptly.

  “What?” Sophia sad. “Thank me?”

  Sarah smiled, but her eyes were spilling tears. “You were so good to him, Sophia. You made it so much easier for him to have a step-mom and live in two homes. You loved him, and he knew it. He really loved you. It made his short life so much sweeter. And I’m thankful. I’ll always be thankful you did that for him so we could all have peace.”

  Pain washed over Sophia and her knees almost gave out. Tears rolled down her cheeks before she could stop them. She curled up her shaking fingers and rested them on her chin. “You’re too kind. He was a wonderful child. I was lucky to have him in my life,” she managed to speak.

  Sarah patted her arm. “I’m sorry you lost Josh. I miss him, too. You’re a good person. I hope you find happiness.” Then she walked away, leaving Sophia in pieces behind her.

  Sophia wrapped her fingers around the shopping cart, clenching it until her fingers went numb. She took deep, shaky breaths as tears ran down her cheeks. She struggled to gain control.

  She bit her lip, and the sting made her tears stop. She used the sleeve of her suit jacket to dab at her eyes and then swiped her knuckles under her eyes. They were smeared with her black mascara.

  She abandoned her empty shopping cart and made a beeline for the exit. She jumped in her car, her jaw trembling as she fought back the fresh wave of pain. She drove home, soon finding herself parked in her lot. She ran up the stairs, unlocked her door with fumbling hands, and went inside.

  “Hello!” she called. She did a quick walk through to make sure the potential buyers were gone.

  It was empty, thank God. She shut and locked her front door. As soon as she was alone, the tears came. Sobs racked her body. Her chest heaved violently. Moans escaped her lips.

  Wave after wave of sadness hit her.

  Dmitri. She’d cared for him. She’d have to admit it now and deal with it. Her heart wrenched as she thought of his cool expression. How easily his eyes slid away from her and back to the table. He’d been out of custody, and he never called. Didn’t give a shit about her.

  She knew it was stupid. He was bad news. There was no possibility of a future together, but she still missed him. She still thought about him all the time. She’d have to let it go, but she needed to grieve.

  Then the second wave of hurt crashed into her. Seeing Sarah. The words about Landon ripped her apart and made her feel wonderful at the same time. She’d loved them both so much, Joshua and Landon. She’d fought with reality for so long that they were really gone. That she’d driven the car that had led to their deaths. She’d hurt and hurt and hurt until she was empty inside.

  She sobbed until she couldn’t any more. She’d sunk to the floor and was propped against the door. She crawled forward until she was on all fours, taking deep breaths in and out until she calmed down.

  She lurched to her feet and kicked off her heels. She picked them up off the floor and walked into her room, throwing them in her closet. She peeled off her suit and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.

  She faced her reflection in the mirror. She was red and puffy and pathetic looking. A headache threatened to close in, pounding the side of her head. She washed off her face with splashes of cool water and then drank a glass of water.

  She sat at the table with her cell phone in hand. She spun it around and around. She thought of calling Andrea, but all she did was complain to Andrea about her problems.

  Andrea believed in her. She thought that maybe Sophia wasn’t gone. That the real Sophia hadn’t died in the crash with Landon and Joshua.

  Maybe she was right. Maybe she was finally done being pathetic.

  She took the rose out of the vase on the counter and threw it in the trash, then retrieved her purse from the floor, digging through it frantically. She yanked out her wallet and rifled through it until she found the little card she was looking for.

  She dialed the numbers before she could second guess her decision.

  Chapter 17

  Sophia slipped out of her office at ten o’clock that morning, mumbling something about getting coffee. She headed down through the lobby of EBCasp, taking the elevator to the parking garage. She retrieved the box from her car and carried it into the tunnel system that wound below downtown Houston, underneath all the glossy, shiny buildings.

  She passed coffee shops and stores until she found the tunnel loop she was looking for: it went directly to the building that was her destination. Her arm felt like it was going to fall off by the time she made it to the light, airy lobby.

  “Welcome, how can I help you?” the receptionist asked. There were three at the large desk in the lobby, all pretty, all busy answering phones, and directing visitors.

  Sophia set the box down at her feet and then gave the woman a polite smile. “Sophia Latrude here to see Reginald Joshua.”

  The receptionist directed her to take a seat, which she did, dragging the box with her. She cursed herself for not grabbing a dolly or a rolling cart. She took the opportunity to dab some powder on her face and recompose herself.

  A tall black man with graying, closely shaved hair and sharp eyes approached her. �
�Ms. Latrude?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Reginald Joshua. Nice to meet you.”

  She stood and took his offered hand. He had a firm grip, which she returned. She followed him down the long hallway and into his office. He offered to help carry the box, but she declined. She’d made it this far, might as well finish the job.

  His office was large, with a window behind him that showed off the skyline district. She could see EBCasp’s building from there. Three ornate brown leather chairs were in front of an imposing large desk.

  “Please, take your pick,” he said.

  “Thank you.” She chose the middle one, placing the box on one of the chairs next to her.

  He sat down too, unbuttoning his charcoal gray jacket as he did. “So you know Andrea?” he said.

  “Yes. We’ve been friends since undergrad.”

  He smiled. His face was kind, but his eyes were assessing her. “She seems to know everyone, that one.”

  “That she does.” She let her eyes wander around the office, taking in degrees on the wall. Undergrad at Harvard, master’s at UPenn, law school at Yale. This guy was smart. Really, really smart, and it made her feel better. “I’m hoping you can help me, Mr. Joshua. Andrea trusts you. She said you’re the best, and you’re a good person. If she trusts you, so do I.”

  “That’s high praise coming from her, and call me Reggie, please. I’m not very formal.”

  She smiled and relaxed even more. “Then please call me Sophia.” Her smile slipped. “I need help. I think the company I’m working for is doing unlawful things. And I’ve gotten pulled into it.”

  “All right. Let’s talk about it.” He folded his arms in front of him.

  “If I tell you these things, is there an attorney-client privilege?” she asked.

  “There is, if there is an attorney-client relationship. The law on when exactly that begins can be fuzzy. I am only required to disclose your information if it will stop death or imminent serious harm. ”

  “Let’s make it a clear line then. I don’t want any confusion,” Sophia said. “Can I sign something?”

  “Yes. I bill at $575 an hour for private clients like you, my associates charge a little less. Will that work?” he said.

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t seem surprised that she could afford him. “Before we go any further, please tell me the name of your employer and nothing else.”

  “Red Bluff International,” she said. She pushed her palms together. “I’ve been seconded to EBCasp National, but I am on Red Bluff International’s payroll.”

  He nodded. “I’ve heard things about Red Bluff International. They’ve been investigated by the SEC before. But they’re not our clients, so no conflict. I’ll have my admin draft up a retainer and bring it in here for you to sign. That will formalize our relationship.”

  “Thank you.”

  He picked up his phone and called his admin, spelling out Sophia’s name. She came in not two minutes later with a form. Sophia read through it and signed at the bottom, almost crying with relief when she was done.

  She was going to do this. She was really going to do this.

  Reggie took the papers and stacked them neatly on the desk. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”

  She told him about all the LLCs she’d found and all the other weird documents. She told them about the shredded file room. She told him how she was kicked off the network and her computer files deleted. She did not talk about Dmitri.

  He asked a lot of questions, mostly about how she gained access to the files and why she printed them.

  Two hours later, she was exhausted. He looked a little worn, too.

  “We’ll go through these files and see what you’ve uncovered. Clearly, something is going on, but I won’t know until I get my hands on the data.”

  She nodded. “Good. Because I don’t understand the technical aspect. I just know something is very wrong there.”

  He leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen down. “I’m surprised they haven’t confronted you about anything. They’ve just passively deleted you off the network. That worries me.”

  “Why?” Sophia said.

  “It’s an odd way to handle things. Please watch your back. Watch for people following you. Be careful and get out of there.”

  “I’m working on it,” she said.

  “Good.” He stood. “I’ll get a couple of my associates to help me go through these and call you with what we find out. We’ll go from there—figure out if you want to report them or go public. Either way, so far, you’re not culpable for anything here. You won’t be in any legal trouble, but that won’t stop them from making your life a living hell.”

  “I understand.”

  “Is there anything else I need to know? Anything they could use against you?” He must have seen the stricken look on her face, because he sank back down in his chair. “I can’t help you unless you tell me. Believe me, I’ve heard it all.”

  She hesitated, pushing her lips into a firm line. She’d wanted to leave Dmitri out of it for a multitude of reasons.

  “The worst thing that can happen is for me to be surprised by information I didn’t know. I can’t properly represent you unless I know everything.” He folded his hands in front of him again and watched her, waiting for her to confess her sins.

  “I became...involved, with one of the men from EBCasp.” She took a deep shaky breath and then filled in the gaps. She started with the meetings with the guns and ended with the plane ride and the bust by federal agents. She left off that she’d seen him recently.

  Reggie was passive. He didn’t even flinch as she told him she’d slept with an arms dealer. She’d guessed he’d probably heard just about everything in his career.

  When she was done, he nodded. “I’m glad you told me. We’ll be prepared for any questions they bring up about that. It could hurt your credibility.”

  “As it should,” she said.

  “Sophia, I…” He trailed off, tapping his fingers. “I don’t mean to intrude or talk down to you. You’re my daughter’s age, so I feel…” He cracked his knuckles. “You are very intelligent, clearly. Very well educated. Why did you get involved with this man?”

  “It was a chemical reaction. Nothing I could help. I’m not sure why I let it go on. That’s something I’m working through right now.”

  He nodded. “I see. I won’t belittle you by pointing out the obvious, but you need to be careful. Quite frankly, I’m concerned for your personal safety at this point. I’m going to advise you to hire some private bodyguards. If you can afford me, then you can afford them.” He flipped through his rolodex and slid a card across the table. “These guys are good. They protect dignitaries and celebrities. They’re the best.”

  “Thank you.” She tucked it into her purse. “I’ll think about it.’

  “Please do.”

  He walked her to the lobby, they shook hands, and she left.

  She was relieved of the physical weight of the boxes and the responsibility of it all. It felt good to have someone else in on it. Reggie would sort it out. He would help her worry about what to do. She didn’t have to do this alone.

  She finally made it back to EBCasp after most people were coming back from lunch. If anyone noticed her three hour departure, they didn’t say anything. She sat in her office, working diligently on her requisitions, only pausing to sit in on interviews for the finance positions.

  She worked late to catch up. By the time 6:30 rolled around, she was exhausted. She made her way back to the parking garage, but she had a smile on her face. She was doing something, and it felt good. Someone knew all her secrets. They would help her. She had backup.

  She would take Red Bluff International down and then she would go on with her life. Consequences be dammed.

  Her stomach was growling, and all she could think about was food as she charged in the front door and straight into her kitchen.

  Maybe that’s why she didn’t notice any
thing was wrong at first.

  Her stuff was everywhere. Drawers were emptied out on the floor. Furniture was overturned and cut open. Picture frames were smashed.

  Chapter 18

  She stumbled forward, fumbling with her purse to get out her phone. She gave up and sprinted for the front door. She needed to get the heck out.

  “Not another step or I will decorate the wall with your brains.” A loud, mechanical click followed the menacing statement.

  She froze, heart pounding, pulse swishing in her ears.

  “That’s right,” the male voice said. He was American. No accent. Deep. “Don’t you fucking move. Hands up.”

  She raised her shaking hands. Her knees where shaking. Fear rolled over her like a tidal wave, pulling her under. This might be it. She said nothing. Her face was wet. When did she start crying?

  “Turn around,” he said.

  She did. Slowly pivoting on her heels. He was leaned against her coat closet, partially cloaked the shadows. Black gloves adorned his hands, and he was pointing a hand gun with a very long barrel right at her. He was calm, expressionless.

  Hit man. That’s a silencer. He’s here to kill me.

  This was it. This was her end. She hoped Andrea didn’t find her body. She was glad Reggie knew everything. At least she had that. A story. A truth that one person knew, even if it was because she paid him to know.

  She didn’t speak. Just waited.

  He was waiting too, probably for her to beg for her life.

  “What are you doing here?” she finally said.

  “Don’t fucking do that.” He leapt forward, shoving the barrel of the gun into her head. The cold metal pushed into her temple.

  More tears came. It was so close. These were her last moments, and she was scared and alone. She wished she’d died with Joshua and Landon if she was going to die. Then she wouldn’t have ever had to know the pain of losing them.

  “Okay, okay.” She tried to move away from him, but he pushed the gun harder into her head.