Limiting Liabilities: Book Two - The Martinique Files

by Colette Alaine

  “I found him, Moder. He vill come home in tree days. He promised,” Loko assures Kelechie. Although he hopes she will not find out her oldest living son is a pirate, he suspects she already knows. Nwankwo’s adulation for his father means he will follow him no matter what the consequences.

  “Good. Good,” she replies weakly. “It vill be so nice to see my boy again. Ven too long.”

  “He’s coming to tend to the farm.” Loko tries to comfort her. Knowing that strong Nwankwo is going to defend them will be a relief to her.

  “Tell him to be kind.” In those few words, Loko realizes his mother knows much more than she will ever tell him.

  “He vill. Day are our neighbors. He vill be kind,” Loko says softly.

  “Nwankwo has lived more life dan you and your sisters, Loko. He sees vith different eyes now. You must remind him dat ve all suffer.”

  “I vill, Moder.”

  “Jesus came to show us de value of suffering. It is not bad dis suffering. It makes us closer to God, closer to Jesus. Ve ask Him to provide and He does. Don’t let Nwankwo ever forget.” He holds her closer as she shivers and shakes.

  “Ven ve pray we know dat God hears us. Dis life is so short. Heaven is forever. Don’t forget to be good, Loko. If Nwankwo doesn’t listen to you, you stay strong. You vremember to love vith all your heart. Promise me.” She looks deep into his sad eyes.

  “I promise, Moder. I promise and I vill tell Nwankwo too. He vill vemember dat love is better dan hate.”

  “Love is stronger dan hate,” she corrects him.

  ~

  In the meantime, Nwankwo prepares for the attack with his fellow bandits. They make changes to avoid the disaster they encountered on the last attempt. Better prepared and equipped with more guns and firepower this time, they have no doubt they will succeed. The new pirate leader of the captain is stronger and stricter than the previous one that led them without emphasizing the importance of following every order exactly as told. This new leader is meaner and more intimidating and the pirates have more knowledge of the risks involved after the failed hijacking.

  Nwankwo is a model pirate. He will follow orders and be successful. This attack will be the beginning of avenging his father’s death. He has no doubt it will work this time. They are too well prepared.

  Four skiffs head out in the wee hours of the morning and spy their target. Tying up to the stern, they quickly scatter throughout the deck and grab any crew members they can find. It does not take long for them to overpower the captain and the guards paid to protect him. It is a smaller group with a large cargo and now it belongs to Nwankwo and his gangly band of thieves.

  Dividing the spoils, Nwankwo takes his share and tells Okonko he must go to his mother and protect the family farm. The pirate captain is none too happy with this news. Nwankwo is one of his very best pirates and with another win under his belt will surely surpass all the others but Nwankwo insists with the promise of returning. Okonko relents and threatens that if he is not back for the next heist he will hunt him down and kill him and his family. Nwankwo understands and assures the pirate captain he will return as soon as the family farm is under control.

  As is the custom, Okonko anticipates waiting for the ransom for the tanker’s captain and crew. Money does not pass hands very quickly these days and so Nwankwo has some breathing room. He immediately sets out for home.

  His mother tries to disguise the pain but it is impossible. Bedridden, she can barely eat much less do housework, farming or even feed herself. The baby inside her is not moving and she fears the worst. Not able to pay a mid-wife, she is upset all the neighbors who want food for free and they refuse to help her.

  Her oldest daughter has been summoned and once she arrives, she will try to deliver the baby. She is the only one that can help her now but she will not be here for two days.

  Nwankwo’s oldest sibling arrives home a day too late. In a feverish attack, his mother dies from complications with the pregnancy. A younger daughter, Chinyere, does what she can to help deliver the stillborn baby. Both mother and baby are buried the next day.

  Nwankwo is in charge now. It is his family to feed and to protect. He instructs Loko and the other children to work the fields from dawn until dusk and he has no problems driving away would-be poachers, going as far as killing three of them. He is feared and he knows he must turn Loko’s heart to stone so that he can continue the defense when Nwankwo returns to the mothership.

  Loko is reluctant to hit anyone. He has his mother’s heart of gold. No matter what Nwankwo may tell him, Loko refuses to take the cruel measures that his older brother uses to defend the family farm. He says it is more noble to starve than to kill a man for food. He reminds him that they are Christians and that they should love, not hate.

  Nwankwo resists his younger brother’s words. He believed them at one time but now there is too much suffering. Suffering is hard. It wears a person down. He no longer prays to his God. Instead, he preys on the weak. Abandoning love, he desires money and power, the enemies of the Lord.

  Loko would like to share with his neighbors and tries to convince his older brother but Nwankwo points out that there is not enough for all of them. This fact alone will bring strife. If some neighbors are fed and others are not, it will surely end in bloodshed. Right now, they can defend their family’s right to the farm for themselves. Opening up to others will be the end to all of them.

  Loko disagrees and believes an alliance will form but Nwankwo sees the limited food supply and knows the truth. No matter how he tries, he cannot touch Loko’s loving heart with his cold words and he worries about leaving the family with him in charge.

  Chinyere is an exotically beautiful child. She is sixteen and has been the weakest of her mother’s children. She is gentle and loving. She is the image of her mother’s heart and she is protected by the family more than any other child and certainly more than the crops. She is desired by many men but is safe while the family guards her.

  Against everyone’s pleas, Nwankwo decides to send her to the fields for a short while. He hates what he has become but he knows the outcome and he needs it. At first, he does not leave her side but when the moment is right, he disappears. It takes very little time for a neighboring predator to spy her and seize her. Nwankwo makes certain Loko is near enough to defend her and upon her scream, Loko slays the perpetrator.

  Loko’s heart turns to stone in that moment. He is now capable of defending the family while Nwankwo returns to seize cargo from the next tanker falling victim to his pirate captain.

  CHAPTER 12

  F our months pass without finding the culprit dumping toxic chrome plating sludge into Lake Michigan. The summer months normally bring locals and visitors alike to its beautiful shores. Sailboats spatter the horizon as the wealthier Chicagoans and others in the surrounding areas with money indulge in the peaceful pastime. Soaking up the sun as a sailboat lazily moves through the still water, life is usually calm and life is usually good during the summer on the lake.

  But not this year. Not this summer.

  Not only are people abundant in the summer but so are the complaints. Despite Billy’s valiant efforts to keep them subdued, the community group discovering the presence of the hexavalent chromium in the lake went public. They created such an uproar, even they were fearful. No company in its right mind would dump into the lake now. The one chance of capturing the culprit disappeared overnight and Ken focused more on the clean-up than he did on any legal matters.

  Billy keeps Tawny busy researching for suspicious activity. She is working every angle imaginable. He knows a large case awaits them if he can just identify the dumping entity. The concern for healthy drinking water is at the forefront of the nightly news. Ken’s efforts are only beginning to show some results but it is clear that the toxic chromium 6 did pass through the water purification process and entered every person’s faucet. Bottled water is in demand as much as resolution is forced.

  Tawny understands that
the increased parts per billion in the drinking water, while elevated, is still not as bad as in other areas of the country. Her concern is not as great anymore and she tries to reassure as many people as possible. She is following Billy’s lead from newscasts and interviews that he and Ken are regularly having.

  Ken’s list of safety precautions is everywhere. Flyers and billboards color the city reminding its people to be careful and practice safe drinking, bathing and watering of crops. Everyone is apprehensive but actively participating in the required treatments.

  The levels have decreased ever so slightly since the news hit the airwaves and that alone is providing a wave of relief. Although no one is proclaiming it safe yet, many are not afraid to take a daily shower anymore.

  Everyone is asking who did it. Who destroyed their fun in the sun this summer? Who is poisoning them? Everyone has questions and no one is providing answers quickly enough.

  As Ken predicted, a villain has been created. Once that villain’s identity is discovered and revealed, the attorneys and the engineer fear an outbreak of a public demand to lynch whoever is responsible. Unleashing all this pent up anger is going to be difficult to control.

  Billy and Ken are working closely with law enforcement to minimize the impact as much as possible when it occurs. It certainly helped when the community group protesting in the first place relinquished their power with the pronouncement.

  Once the news about the contamination got out and the public’s fury erupted, there was no one to blame. Although the community group continues to scream about lawsuits they do not have anyone to sue at this time. It is not a government dumping and through Ken, the government is cleaning up a private mess that affects the entire population of one of America’s largest cities.

  Until the wrongdoer is located, the community group can go on crying about lawsuits but no one is listening much these days. They dug their own grave by nixing Billy’s advice and now they are paying the price for their failure to comply and their over eagerness to make themselves heard.

  It is September now and Tawny has produced at least twenty well-researched memorandums for Brandon. She rarely knows much about the cases but he is delighted with her work, even though he is hesitant to give her much praise. The fact that he continues to give her work and hand her a memo of what he wants instead of just dropping it in her inbox is her biggest clue of his approval.

  Brandon seems to have this disdain for her but cannot live without her either. It is a bit like her first work with Billy, except that Brandon is less than half the lawyer that Billy is and his cases are minor compared to Billy’s so she does not much care about the details. She simply does her work and waits for the next project.

  Billy got wind of Brandon’s icy treatment of Tawny and in no uncertain terms let him know that she is to be treated with as much respect as any other attorney at the firm. He already has to watch himself with the females so he certainly does not need another overly arrogant partner act in a way that risks a sexual harassment or hostile work environment charge in his department.

  Rebecca is immensely happy with her intern and has already begged Billy to hire him. Dudley lives up to his name. Sitting for hours behind his computer, he does exactly as Rebecca tells him. He is a perfect match for her. She is his master and he has no desire for freedom. It is clear that one day he will become Rebecca in every way possible. He is already twenty pounds heavier than when he arrived.

  With Mark’s move into Nick’s old office and Tawny’s move into Mark’s office, she is settled into the perfect spot. Close enough to Billy and Rebecca when she needs them and far enough away from Brandon to avoid him. He learned he either has to come to her office or call her to come to his. It is working for now and it will work until Billy finds his next big case to bring her in.

  With autumn just around the corner, Billy’s department prepares for the influx of the small firm it acquired to beef up environmental law at Bartoletti, Simon and Fraid. Their offices are ready and all the documents have been signed. The occupants on the floor have been asked to stay away from the building Friday night and all day Saturday so that the group of seven attorneys, four paralegals and three legal secretaries can get set up for work on Monday morning. The timing is perfect for Tawny. Her birthday is September 8th and she can party without worrying about not showing her face.

  Eric and Jaclyn are a permanent couple now. Either Tawny does not see Jaclyn at all or she sees Eric all the time. He is a nice guy and she is happy for her roommate but they are so affectionate when they are together it reminds Tawny how empty her love life is. Working so much, she rarely meets anyone interesting. Most of them are married anyway so that leaves them out. Billy is in and out of the office so much that she does not have any idea what his status is. She doubts he is alone.

  With her birthday on Saturday, Tawny is hoping Jaclyn has not forgotten. They briefly discussed dinner and dancing with the usual group. It is not terribly exciting but it also has been too long since Tawny has painted the town. Without Jaclyn and without a date, she spends more time at home watching movies or doing work than she should.

  Kicked out of the office at five o’clock to make room for the movers, Tawny goes shopping. With tomorrow being her special day, she wants a new outfit to tease the boys, even if it is just her old law school mates. Strolling through the rows of clothes and pulling a few cute outfits off the racks, she heads into the dressing room.

  Discarding several outfits she likes better on the hanger than on her body, she finally decides on a short brown dress with a scoop neckline and a watermark pattern that gives it some flair. It is a simple sheath but it accentuates all her curves and her topaz eyes compliment the fun dress. It will be an eye catcher with her black heeled sandals.

  Indulging a bit more, she has a pedicure and gets her thick long locks trimmed. Her parents sent her a birthday check for two hundred dollars and she decides this mini spa and shopping trip is their gift to her this year. They would probably prefer she use it otherwise but this is what makes her happy and that is what matters when it’s your birthday.

  After the pampering ends, she stops by the local department store and buys a movie she hoped to see at the theater but missed due to work. Now she can own it and watch it whenever she pleases. Jaclyn will most likely be at Eric’s or with him somewhere tonight since she will be with Tawny tomorrow. Since the apartment is hers for the evening, she picks up a bottle of wine and a pizza for a relaxing night.

  Arriving home about eight o’clock, Jaclyn surprises Tawny with a home cooked meal. Seeing the table set for two she first wonders if Eric is coming and she is going to be booted to her bedroom.

  “No. We broke up,” Jaclyn states matter-of-factly.

  “What? Are you kidding? I’m so sorry. What happened? Everything was so perfect.” Tawny is shocked by the news and, interestingly enough, Jaclyn does not appear too broken up by it.

  “He was upset that I’m spending your birthday with you and I told him he didn’t own me. It led into a big fight and I realized it wasn’t going to work if he’s so possessive. You and I are going to have a great night tonight and tomorrow night we’re going to dance until our feet hurt,” Jaclyn declares.

  “That’s it. No tears?” Tawny cannot believe this is the desperate friend she has known for years.

  “Yep. Now put that pizza in the fridge and give me the wine. We’ll finish this bottle first and then the one that I bought.” Tawny does as she is told and the two girls eat, drink and watch the movie like old times. Jaclyn is content to be where she is and does not mention Eric again.

  Waking up late in the morning, Tawny treats herself to sleeping in on her birthday. Drinking about a bottle of wine certainly helped in the endeavor. Slow to pull herself out of bed, it is the smell of bacon that brings her to her feet.

  Jaclyn is busy scrambling eggs, cooking bacon and hash browns for a birthday breakfast. Fresh fruit is already on the set table and bread is waiting to be toasted. A hot cup of
tea is smoking at her place and Tawny is giddy with excitement.

  “If only you were a guy, this would be absolutely perfect.”

  “Oh, so I’m not good enough, huh?” Jaclyn teases. “Well I’m the best you’ve got so you’ll have to deal with it.”

  Tawny opens up her arms and walking toward her roommate, hugs her tightly. “Thank you so much, Jaclyn. Last night’s dinner and breakfast this morning are wonderful gifts. Even though I’m sorry about what’s his name, I’m so happy I get to spend my twenty-sixth birthday with my best friend.”

  “Ah, that’s so sweet. Now sit down because once I toast this bread . . .” she pushes down the lever. . . “we will be ready to eat.”

  They enjoy a fantastic meal and Tawny inhales every bite of it. What a nice reprieve from her busy life this weekend is turning out to be.

  “This is for you and after seeing your new dress for tonight, I’m so excited it’ll match.” Tawny picks up the small box and knows the gift is jewelry.

  She unties the pretty bow holding the box together. “You really could be the perfect guy. Cooking for me and jewelry.”

  “Yeah, well we both know I’m all girl. The only reason you get jewelry is because I get a great discount. By the way, Drew picked these out as soon as they came in. He said these would be perfect for Tawny. I totally agreed and bought them three months ago. I’ve been dying to give them to you.” Jaclyn is brimming with excitement. She loves to watch others open little boxes containing beautiful jewels.

  Tawny opens the box to reveal the most gorgeous gold earrings: long hanging and encrusted with small widely spaced diamonds, both the gold and the stones shimmer when the light hits them.

  “They’re beautiful! But these are way too expensive. I can’t take these.” Tawny loves them but this is way too much.

  “Yes, you can and Drew really cut the price. I think he probably paid for half of them but he wouldn’t admit it. I’ve been hauling in the business and he’s been really good to me and we know how he wants you.” Jaclyn winks at her roommate.