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Just as I'm getting crazy sideways stare from a fellow detainee, and I'm feeling like I may have defend myself, a guard approaches. "Mr. Jeffries, let's go. You're free to leave."
I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god; I mean, I wasn't going to last much longer in this place and I have much more important things to do. 10,000 jobs are at stake here. I stand up and walk to the sliding gate. The guard let's me out and I'm greeted by my lawyer. He walks over and gives me a solid pat on the back.
"Rough day, huh?" "What took you so long?" I ask.
"I came as fast as I could. You're lucky this incident isn’t all over the news. I heard you made quite the scene."
"Look, I didn't start this."
"That's not what I was told. I'm hearing you stormed into the Harvard Club ready to pick a fight with the Governor."
"Not a fight. A discussion, OK? I just needed to talk to Governor Andrews. But I guess the Governor is more hotheaded than anyone anticipated. He threw the first punch."
"You never should have been there."
"Instead of telling me where I should and shouldn't be, just do your fucking job as my lawyer and fix this shit storm. All of it. Understand?"
"Yes, sir. It'll be tricky, but I'll work my magic."
"That's what I like to hear," I say, resting my hand on his shoulder. I pay him enough damn money to be my lawyer. That's the least he can fucking do. We walk outside and the daylight is momentarily blinding. How long was I locked in there? I wonder. My lawyer ushers me to a parked limo.
"Over here, Mr. Jeffries," he points.
The limo is black with deeply tinted windows, and I can't see inside of them. The driver steps out to open the door for me and usher me in.
"We'll talk again soon," my lawyer says, and waves goodbye. I watch as he walks off and then I scoot into the backseat of the limo.
As soon as I'm inside, I look up and see an unexpected face; it's Carter.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask.
"I'd like to ask you the same damn thing."
"Is there something I should know, Carter?" My voice is tense.
"Why do you always think I'm plotting against you?"
"Because you are." Does he think I'm that much of an idiot that I don't know he's been plotting against me with Vivian. I mean even Tina Ling, the Mayor of fucking Shanghai, knows about it.
"Look, I'm not planning on landing back in jail anytime soon, but if you keep this up, it's not going to end pretty. That much I'm sure about."
"I'd fucking watch it if—"
"Vivian and I are on the same page," Carter says, cutting me off mid-sentence. "I know this is all stemming from my meeting with her—all this pent up hatred of yours—let's be honest, we're both adults here, but listen to me Liam, she cares about the environment just as much as I do. And she cares about following the new environmental legislature."
"That's funny because she clearly wasn't on the same page with you when I was sleeping with her the other night." I watch as Carter balls his fists again, and jail be damned. I know I just said I want to get as far away from this place as possible, but I'm ready to hit him where it hurts, both physically and emotionally. And I refuse to let him have the first punch this time. If he wants this to get physical, I'm ready for him.
Just then, the door of the limo opens and I see a flash of blonde hair emerge. It's Vivian. What is she doing here? How does she know we're both in this limo?
"This needs to stop," she says, sliding into the backseat with us. "You're both leaders. The people of New Kingston need you to cooperate and quit this fighting. We aren't going to accomplish anything with you two acting like angry schoolchildren."
"That's convenient," I say. "It's easy to come here and say that when you're the reason why we're fighting in the first place."
"Me?" she asks, looking at us with a surprised look on her face.
"Don't look so shocked," I say. "First you search me out at a bar, and you sleep with me, and then you find Carter and devise a secret deal that's aimed at taking me down."
Vivian laughs as if I'm not making any sense. Like I'm crazy.
