Trial & Tribulations

by Rachel Dylan

  “So we’re going into court today and telling the judge that the parties have agreed to a settlement?”

  “Yes. And the best news for you is that you can be on a plane home by tonight. Isn’t that great?” Nina Marie smiled.

  Olivia wasn’t so sure about any of this. But one thing she did know was that there was no way she’d be on a plane home tonight. “Aren’t you going to need my help with the settlement agreement?”

  “Layton and I will hammer out the terms. Any legal advice that I need from you can certainly be done over the phone or by email. I wouldn’t want to keep you away from your home any longer.”

  “I’m just shocked that you would let Layton win.” This was her only play to try and see if she could convince Nina Marie to continue with the trial.

  But Nina Marie grinned. “Oh, Olivia. Layton will never beat me. I’m always looking at the long game. This is just a short term move that is in the best interest of the company.”

  “Surely you don’t trust that man?”

  Nina Marie laughed loudly. “Absolutely not, especially after he attacked me—and you for that matter. But I don’t have to trust him for the purposes of this settlement. I just have to be able to put up with the annoyance and short term financial loss. I’m willing to live with that to be able to move forward with my work.”

  “If you’ve made your final decision, then that’s what we’ll tell the court.”

  “Yes, it’s definitely my final decision.”

  “I’ll work with Grant on any legal details.”

  “Actually, you won’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Layton and Grant had a bit of a falling out, and Layton let Grant go. It’s not like he needs him any more.”

  “I’m sure Grant’s not too thrilled about that.”

  “You can do better, Olivia.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think Grant has taken a liking to you. Go back to Washington, DC and find a man who really deserves you. Grant is too weak for a strong woman like you.”

  Olivia couldn’t believe that the conversation had shifted in this way. “If we’re going to start giving each other unsolicited advice, then I have some for you too.”

  “I guess I deserve it after my comments.”

  “You should stay away from Layton. That man is toxic.” Olivia reached out and touched Nina Marie’s arm. “And you should see someone about whoever hurt you so badly in the past. I know you’ve sought solace in the darkness, but it’s never too late to turn away from that.”

  Nina Marie’s brown eyes narrowed. “You really think that I could ever be like you?”

  “I think that you have some deep wounds that you haven’t ever healed from. And I’m offering you a way out of that. To start over fresh and move on from this life you’ve set up for yourself. A way to start anew.”

  “I admire your tenacity, Olivia. And I’ll be forever grateful for you trying to protect me against Layton. But in the same way that you feel so strongly about your faith, I feel about mine.”

  Olivia never wanted to give up on anyone. Even though she knew this woman probably worshiped the devil and practiced the dark arts. If there was even a one percent chance that Nina Marie would change her ways, then Olivia had to try. “I’m a fighter.”

  “That you are. But let me make one thing clear, Olivia. You will not be a fighter in this community. Go back to DC where you belong. I’ve grown fond of you, but if you stand in my way, I’ll have no choice in the matter.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  Nina Marie didn’t respond.

  “We need to go into court and let the judge know what’s going on.” Olivia stood up from the table.

  They walked in silence toward the courthouse. When Olivia entered the courtroom, she saw Layton sitting at his table, but there was no sign of Grant. What a mess.

  The judge entered the courtroom, and raised an eyebrow in confusion at Grant’s absence.

  “Your Honor, there’s a matter we need to discuss before the jury is brought in,” Olivia said.

  “Yes, well, where is your opposing counsel?”

  “Your Honor, I can answer that.” Layton stood up.

  “Please someone tell me what is going on,” she said.

  “I have terminated the attorney client relationship with Mr. Baxter. Also, both sides have come to a settlement on this matter.”

  The judge’s eyes widened. Olivia thought it interesting that Judge Martinique wasn’t in the know.

  “Ms. Murray, what do you have to say on this?”

  “I was informed this morning that a settlement had been reached between the two parties. That is why you are just hearing about the settlement, because I myself just found out before I came into the courtroom this morning.”

  “Has a settlement agreement been drafted up?” Judge Martinique asked.

  “We’re working on that, Your Honor,” Layton said.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to dismiss this jury. For all purposes, the trial is stayed pending the execution of the settlement agreement. If the settlement falls through, then we’re back to square one. Does everyone understand?”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” Olivia and Layton said.

  “Mr. Alito, I would advise you to retain new counsel for the purposes of negotiating and executing the settlement. Ms. Murray you will continue to represent Astral Tech for the purposes of the settlement?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  “Very well then. I’ll dismiss the jury, and we can all be on our way.”

  **

  Two weeks later on a Saturday morning Nina Marie and Layton sat in the Optimism conference room. The settlement agreement had been executed on Friday, so the lawsuit was finally over.

  Nina Marie didn’t like the continuous meetings on his turf, but right now she wasn’t going to argue until it was about something that really mattered.

  This alliance was something that the evil one wanted—at least for now. Nina Marie had sought him out and knew that she had to obey.

  “So what is our objective here?” Nina Marie asked.

  “First we decimate their congregation. The more people we can pull away for whatever reason and by whatever method we choose to employ the better. Just you watch, if things go as planned, the attendance will be down by around twenty five percent tomorrow. Also, if we have every member of our group convince just one person they know that attends Windy Ridge Community Church to miss Sunday morning service, we’ll have a huge impact.”

  “And after that?” she asked.

  “To close down that church once and for all.”

  “You do realize that Windy Ridge Community Church is just one church?” She could feel the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

  But he didn’t seem to be fazed. “Yes, it is only one church, but it’s the most powerful church in this community. If we can take it out, then the rest of the churches will follow. Then once Windy Ridge is completely rid of churches, we can move onto the next city.”

  “Layton, I appreciate your enthusiasm, really I do. But in our spiritual efforts, just like in our businesses, we have to be realistic about what is achievable. Shutting down all the churches in this town is not feasible.”

  “I realize it’s a lofty goal, and I’m not saying it’s going to happen overnight. This is my life’s work, Nina Marie. And I won’t stop until the goal is reached.” He reached out and grabbed her hands. “This is why we need to work together. If we’re really going to change this community, then we’ll need everyone on our side working together.”

  “That’s going to be a challenge, but I’ve already had multiple meetings with my people. I’ll tell you that they are skeptical of this all working out, but they are willing to try.”

  “We should have a joint meeting at my house. A party to celebrate our forming an alliance. Once we’re all in the same space, I think our membership will enjoy getting to know each other better.”

  “I suppose if
you and I can bury the past and move forward together then everyone else should be able to do the same.” The thing was that Nina Marie hadn’t exactly buried anything, but she was willing to play this game out to see if they could really achieve something great together. Layton was right that they had a better chance to reach their goals if they worked together.

  “Then it’s all agreed. I’ll throw a fabulous party and we can start our work together.” He paused. “There’s one more thing I need to talk to you about. I’m excited to say that I’ve activated our secret weapon.”

  “And exactly what is that?” she asked. He was so cryptic.

  “You’re even going to be impressed with this one, Nina Marie.”

  “Well, why don’t you enlighten me?” She sipped her hot tea and waited for him to explain himself.

  “We have someone on the inside at Windy Ridge Community Church.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Someone who has been working with us for quite a while. Feeding us information on what’s going on at the church. It’s time we launch the first missile in this battle.”

  A loud knock sounded on the conference room door.

  “Come on in,” Layton said.

  The door opened and in walked Beverly Jenkins. Nina Marie knew her as one of the members of the church leadership team. Confused as to what was going on, Nina Marie looked at Layton. “What is she doing here?” Nina Marie asked.

  Layton grinned. “Nina Marie, meet Beverly Jenkins—our secret weapon.”

  **

  Olivia and Grant sat at his dining room table having dinner Sunday night.

  “Church attendance was way down today,” Olivia said. “That absolutely can’t be a coincidence.”

  “I mentioned it to Dan on the way out today, and he noticed. I think the leadership team was going to have a meeting tonight to discuss it.”

  She smiled. “At the rate you’re going, you’re going to want to be on that leadership team pretty soon.”

  He leaned toward her and took her hand in his own. “I have to thank you for all you’ve done for me, Olivia. You have undoubtedly changed my entire life.”

  “It wasn’t me, Grant. It was God.”

  “But He used you, and you stuck with me even though I was completely unreceptive for quite a while. You didn’t give up on me.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Giving up isn’t in my vocabulary.”

  “What are you going to do now since the settlement is finalized?”

  “Well, Nina Marie basically told me that if I didn’t hop on a plane back to DC that she was going to come after me. She had wanted me to leave immediately but then acquiesced to me handling the details of the agreement from here. Now that the agreement is signed, she will expect me to go.”

  “It would be safer for you to return home.”

  “My work isn’t done here, Grant. The battles that this community face lie ahead not behind. And the fact that Layton and Nina Marie are teaming up only makes them even more dangerous to all the believers in this town.”

  “It’s still mindboggling to me that she’d want to work with someone who tried to kill her.”

  “I hear you, but she has a different mindset than we do.”

  “So what are you thinking of doing?”

  “I’m going to ask for some time off. I more than deserve it after all the hours I’ve billed on this case. I know Chet will give it to me, especially since I have so much vacation time built up.”

  “You’re going to stay here?”

  She thought she heard hopefulness in his voice. “I would like to. If you’re willing to rent your condo out to me.”

  He smiled. “Of course you can stay at the condo, but I’m not letting you pay rent.”

  “You’re a good friend, Grant. I know you talk about how I’ve influenced you, but our friendship has helped me get through this incredibly difficult litigation and everything that has come along with it.”

  They sat hand in hand not saying a word. Olivia looked into Grant’s blue eyes and felt a sense of belonging. She was thankful that they had found each other. Where this road would take them beyond that, she didn’t know. But she knew she wasn’t leaving Windy Ridge anytime soon.

  **

  “Phase one is complete,” Micah said.

  Ben nodded. “But the true battle hasn’t yet begun. I’m filled with joy over Grant’s acceptance of Christ. I was worried there for a while that he might not ever be willing to open up his heart and embrace faith.”

  “God is good, and He worked wonders for Grant. The plan of the Lord is still in place. Olivia and Grant are a very strong team. One that will only gain strength as their friendship continues to grow—as does their faith.”

  “But we have another alliance we have to worry about. Layton and Nina Marie are out to destroy this community.”

  “No doubt it will be a long and hard battle. But the church will rise up. There is no other option.”

  “Yes there is,” a loud male voice said.

  The two angels turned around to face the intruder.

  “Othan,” Ben said. “You have no place here”

  “Be gone,” Micah added.

  Othan laughed. “This entire community will fall. You have no chance against the power of the evil one. Look at the two of you. Pathetic. Couldn’t your God send anyone better? Someone worthy to fight against Satan’s finest legion of demons?”

  A searing pain shot through Micah as Othan wielded his dark powers. But Micah stood steadfast. “We aren’t going to ask you to leave again,” Micah said.

  “Or what, you’ll cast me out? That’s only a temporary solution. The evil one’s plan for this community is taking shape. And once the first shot is fired, you will be the one cast out. And your church be will destroyed. Burnt down to the ground by the flames of hell.”

  Othan disappeared leaving the two angels standing alone. Ben looked at Micah. “We must warn the others. It has begun...”

  Sneak Peek of Fatal Accusation – Windy Ridge Book 2

  Chapter One

  Pastor Dan Light sat in his office at Windy Ridge Community Church and prayed. A chill shot through him, but it wasn’t from the Windy Ridge winter night. No, it was from knowing that there was a battle on the horizon.

  Ever since the settlement a couple of months ago in the lawsuit between the New Age companies that plagued Windy Ridge, he’d had an uneasy feeling that the groups known as Astral Tech and Optimism were planning a direct attack on the church. And on all the believers in the community.

  Lord, help me prepare the people in this church for what is to come.

  He was broken out of his prayer by the loud sound of heels clicking down the church corridor toward his office. He looked up at his doorway and smiled. Finally, some good news.

  “Olivia, it’s so good to see you.” He stood up to greet her.

  While Olivia Murray was small in stature, she was strong in her faith. The petite brunette attorney greeted him warmly with a hug.

  “I’m glad to be here,” Olivia said.

  “How was your vacation?”

  “It was great. I went back to DC and visited my best friend Lizzie. Along with dealing with some firm business.” She took a seat on his couch. “And that’s actually why I’m here. I have some news. Big news actually.”

  “What kind of news?”

  “The managing partner at my firm wants me to help start up the Chicago office of Brown, Carter, and Reed. Grant has already told me I can continue to stay at his rental condo for free. Even though I’m going to still insist on paying him.”

  “That’s great news,” he said.

  “So what have I missed while I was gone?” she asked.

  “While there haven’t been any direct attacks that I know of from Astral Tech or Optimism, I can see the results of their clandestine efforts. Church attendance is at its lowest point since I started preaching here.”

  “Oh no.” Her dark brown eyes widened full with concern.
<
br />   “Yes. And I also hate to report that Stacey Malone hasn’t stepped foot back in the church at all. I fear that she may now be fully entrenched with Layton Alito and his people at Optimism.”

  She stood up and walked over to where he sat behind his desk. “I’m not going to walk away from here. You know that, right?”

  “I do. But I also don’t want you to underestimate how difficult this is going to be. We have to assume that Layton and Nina Marie have fully joined forces.”

  “As two powerful CEOs of lucrative companies, they have a lot of resources at their disposal. We knew that the lawsuit was just the beginning. I’ve been praying a lot about this, and even though it may seem like they have the upper hand, we’re going to prevail. But we have to get organized and have a plan of our own. This isn’t something that can be dealt with piecemeal.”

  He admired Olivia’s staunch reliance on her faith. She was going to need it, as was he.

  “Looks like I came to the office at the right time.” Associate Pastor Chris Tanner walked through the door and made a beeline for Olivia.

  “I didn’t realize you were back,” Chris said.

  “Just got back from DC today. This was one of my first stops. I just told Dan the news so I’ll also let you know that I’ve been asked to help start the Chicago office of BCR. I’ll be here in the Chicago area indefinitely.”

  “That’s great news, right?” Chris asked.

  “I think so. I didn’t want to leave Windy Ridge because I felt I had a lot of unfinished business to take care of. But I was concerned about how I could stay here given my job.”

  “The Lord really works in amazing ways, doesn’t He?” Chris asked.

  Olivia nodded. “I hear things are pretty tough right now.”

  “Yeah,” Chris said. “Dan and I have been scratching our heads wondering how the forces of evil have been able to get to so many of our church members. We don’t know their exact strategy, just that they’re chiefly responsible for our shrinking numbers.”

  Olivia frowned. “We have to find a way to stop them.”