Fatal Accusation

by Rachel Dylan

  It wasn’t like there were witches in a coven out to get him. People were entirely irrational when it came to religion. Luckily for him, he wasn’t one of those people. He might be the only sane person in the entire litigation, and he planned to stay that way. One thing he was certain about. A jury was going to eat this stuff up.

  “Hey, boss man.” Ryan Wilde stood at Grant’s door.

  “What’s going on?” Grant asked.

  “I asked around town trying to find info on Astral Tech, but most of my contacts had never heard of them, and the few that had didn’t really have anything useful to say except that they’re trying to become players in the tech space.”

  Ryan was only about two years younger than Grant. They’d both worked in a law firm together for years, and Grant was glad that Ryan had joined him at the firm. If all progressed as planned, Grant was going to add Ryan as his partner in the firm.

  “If you do hear anything, just let me know.”

  “Anything else you need from me?”

  “Not on this. How are your other cases going?”

  “I’m meeting with potential clients this afternoon on a products liability class action. It would be a good case to have.”

  “Keep me posted.”

  Ryan nodded. “You got it.” Ryan walked out the door and then turned around and laughed. “I have to say, I’m glad that you’re working this case and not me. I don’t think I’d know how to approach it.”

  “Just like anything else. It’ll be fine.”

  “If you say so. I hope you don’t end up with a hex put on you or something like that.”

  Grant laughed. “Don’t even tell me that you would consider believing in any of this.”

  Ryan shook his head. “Nah. I’m just messing with you.”

  Ryan walked out and Grant was anxious to start the discovery process and put pressure on the other side. It was one of those things he loved about being a plaintiff’s lawyer. He was in the driver’s seat and planned to take an aggressive stance in this case to really turn the heat up on the other side. Going through these steps reminded him how glad he was that he went out and started his own firm. He truly loved his work.

  His office phone rang, jerking him back to reality.

  “This is Grant Baxter,” he said.

  “Hello. My name is Olivia Murray from the law firm of Brown, Carter, and Reed. I just wanted to call to introduce myself. We’re representing Astral Tech in the suit filed by your client. So I’ll be your point of contact for anything related to the case.”

  Well, well he thought. Astral Tech had gone and hired a high powered law firm based in Washington, DC to defend them. “Perfect timing. I was just getting ready to send out discovery requests for documents. BCR doesn’t have a Chicago office, right?”

  “No, but I’m actually in town. I’m working at the client’s office in Windy Ridge. So you can send any hard copies of anything to the Astral Tech office, and I would appreciate getting everything by email also.” She rattled off her email address.

  “Of course. And I have the feeling we’ll be talking a lot. This litigation is going to be fast tracked if my client has anything to say about it. We’re not going to just wait around for years letting things pass us by.”

  She laughed. “Yes, I know how it is. I’ll look forward to your email.”

  He hung up and leaned back in his chair. Know thy enemy, right? He immediately looked her up on the Internet finding her BCR firm profile. A brunette with big brown eyes smiled back at him. He read her bio. Impressive, double Georgetown girl. Seventh year associate at BCR where she’d spent her entire legal career. That would make her about two years younger than him—but definitely still a seasoned attorney and worthy opponent.

  Astral Tech wasn’t messing around. That let him know that they took this litigation seriously. They didn’t see this as a nuisance suit. Game on.

  **

  “Do you think Olivia’s ready for this fight?” Micah asked Ben looking directly into his dark eyes.

  “It doesn’t matter if she’s really ready, Micah. It’s a battle she has to fight and the time is now. We have no one else. She’s the one God has chosen who has to stand up and take this on. She has some idea that she’s meant to be here. But it might take her a little time to figure out exactly what she’s going to be involved with.”

  The angels stood behind Olivia watching over her in the conference room. But she hadn’t sensed their presence as she continued to type away on her laptop and hum a tune.

  “She isn’t fully appreciative of how strong she is, but she’ll get there,” Micah said. He stood tall, his blond hair barely touching his shoulders. The angel warrior was strong but kind—and fiercely protective of Olivia.

  Ben nodded. “At least she has the foundation to build upon. A strong faith that has been growing ever since she was a little girl.” Ben paused. “Unlike our friend Grant.”

  “I’m much more worried about him. He has no idea what he’s going to be facing, and he doesn’t have the skills to defend himself. Nina Marie and her followers are building up strength by the day, and she’ll surely want to go after him. We can only do so much to protect Olivia and Grant against the forces of evil running rampant on this earth.”

  “But we’ll do everything we can.”

  Micah looked at him. “You and me—quite an angel army.”

  “The best kind.”

  “Let’s pray for her now.”

  The two laid their hands on her shoulders to help prepare her for the fight to come. A fight unlike anything they’d ever known before.

  ***

  Excerpt from Lethal Action: Danger in the Deep South Book 1

  Danger in the Deep South Series

  Book 1: Lethal Action (Hope & Gabe)

  Book 2: Devoted Defender (Annie & Caleb)

  Book 3: (Jen & Mac)

  Five years. Hope Finch was celebrating her fifth anniversary as an attorney at the prestigious New York law firm of Rice and Taylor by chugging down another cup of lukewarm coffee. She’d lost count at mug number six. As a fifth-year associate, she still had a lot to prove. Not only to the firm, but to herself as well.

  She glanced at the clock on her computer screen and saw that she’d worked late into the night and skipped dinner again. Nothing unusual for her. The Wakefield trial was taking up all of her time—and then some. But there was no way she was going to say she couldn’t handle the workload. As a midlevel associate, she should be able to run with the big boys. Or at least pretend like she could. If that meant coffee would be her only source of sustenance, then so be it. If she wanted to make partner within three years, then she had to stick to the game plan.

  Hope shut down her computer and grabbed her laptop bag embroidered with the bright red R&T logo. It was very possible she’d still put in a little bit more time working tonight at home. Also part of her normal routine.

  The big New York City law firm was relatively quiet for a weeknight. Only a couple of other associates were working away in their offices. She felt a tiny shred of guilt for leaving, but then quickly dismissed it. She was still on track for getting all of her work done in time for trial and sleep was necessary. She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes right now. There was too much on the line. Both for her client and for her.

  When the cold winter New York air blew against her face, she was glad to head home to her cozy apartment. It cost her a good chunk of her lawyer salary to live in a five hundred foot box close to her office, but it was worth it.

  Cinching her pink pea coat tightly around her waist, she walked quickly down the dark street. Even at this hour, there were still plenty of people walking around. She loved the anonymity and hustle and bustle of the city. It gave her the freedom she felt she’d earned. She never understood how people could live in small towns where everyone knew every detail about your life. If she had it her way, no one would know anything about her. Except what she chose to share with them.

  When she arrived at h
er high-rise apartment door, she turned the key in the lock, and dropped her bag on the floor. Immediately, she kicked off her tall heels, took off her coat, and unbuttoned her grey suit jacket. Home sweet home. It wasn’t much, but it was hers, and for that she was proud.

  She started to reach for the light switch but a strong hand grabbed her wrist throwing her off balance. She screamed as her pulse thumped wildly. The hand moved to her mouth and the other wrapped securely around her waist pulling her into him. The intruder stood behind her, and she couldn’t see him.

  This was it. This man was going to kill her. He was strong. She was no match for him. In that moment, she found herself clicking back through the events of her life like a movie reel. Her horrible childhood front and center. Not enough time to make all of her dreams come true and to fully recover from her past. Wondering how much time she still had left and filled with regret. She fought harder.

  “Stop struggling. I’m not here to hurt you,” he said. “I’m Special Agent Gabe Marino. I’m a federal agent. I work for the FBI.”

  The FBI? What was an FBI agent doing in her apartment? She didn’t believe him, so she kept fighting. She bit down hard on his hand, and he let out a groan. Unfortunately, he didn’t let go. Not willing to give up, she gathered up her strength and stomped on his foot.

  Nothing was working though.

  “Listen to me, Ms. Finch. I am going to drop my arms and step away from you. Don’t scream.” He slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth and loosened his grip. Then he turned on the lights, and she got her first look at her assailant. He was tall with short dark hair and chocolate-colored eyes. He wore a dark suit and a striped navy tie. He looked the part of an FBI agent, but he could be anyone.

  “Here, let me show you.” He slowly reached into his suit jacket and pulled out his credentials. He showed her his FBI badge and identification.

  His identification looked legitimate, but she also knew it was easy to forge credentials if you had the right resources. She didn’t believe him yet. “Why would an FBI agent resort to breaking and entering?” she asked.

  “I didn’t break into your apartment. Actually, I have a warrant.” He reached into his pocket and handed it to her. “Go ahead, take a look.”

  She didn’t want to take her eyes off of him, but she glanced down quickly and read the warrant. This guy might actually be legitimate. The fact that he hadn’t hurt her yet added to his credibility. But what if he was trying to gain her trust only to hurt her? Hadn’t she had enough struggles in her life?

  “What do you want with me?”

  He stood with his hands in his pockets. “Information. I need to know what your involvement is with Carlos Nola.”

  She took a step back providing her a little distance. “Mr. Nola is a board member of Wakefield Corporation. My biggest client at Rice and Taylor. Or I guess I should say that Wakefield Corporation is technically a client of my firm. Not me specifically. I work on their cases. Have since I started working there.”

  “I know that.”

  “If you know so much about me, then why did you have to break into my apartment? Why not set up a meeting with me at the firm?”

  “Because I needed to be discreet. I’m working on a very sensitive case.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re after here.” She looked up into his dark eyes and wondered what was really going on. If he was really FBI and asking questions about her client, that couldn’t be good. He definitely had her attention.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Ms. Finch.”

  She crossed her arms, not appreciative of his bossy tone. “I’m not saying another word, Mr. Marino, until you explain why you’re really here. If you really are a federal agent then you know that I can’t reveal privileged information about my firm’s client, Wakefield Corporation.”

  “It’s not Wakefield I’m that interested in. At least not directly. It’s Carlos Nola. Like I said, I have a reasonable suspicion that you’re involved with him and his questionable business practices. You’ll get much more leniency if you work with us rather than if you try to protect him. So let me help you.”

  Could this really be happening? What was Nola involved in that was getting this scrutiny from the FBI? “Mr. Nola lives in Georgia. I’ve worked with him, and met him about five or so times in person, and every single time he was entirely professional. I would like to help you, but I really have no idea what you’re talking about. He’s a legitimate businessman. Respected in his community.”

  “This is about what is going on in his community—Maxwell, Georgia. That’s where Wakefield’s home office is.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” she shot back. She wasn’t telling this suit anything. She wasn’t guilty, so that led her to believe that he was purely on a fishing expedition. She’d worked enough government investigations of big corporations to sense when there was actual evidence. If he had solid evidence he certainly wouldn’t be hounding her.

  “And you’re sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?” He took a step toward her.

  “How do I even know you’re from the FBI? For all I know you work for Cyber Future.”

  “Ah.” He smiled. “No, I’m definitely a federal agent. How is the litigation between Wakefield and Cyber Future going?”

  “That is not your concern, Mr. Marino. Now I’m going to have to ask you to leave my apartment.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “Yes. Please leave.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “If you are innocent, it’s in your best interest not to say we had this conversation with anyone at your law firm. And if you’re working with Nola, you’re in danger. So don’t say that you haven’t been officially warned. This conversation isn’t over, though. We’ll be speaking again soon.”

  Before she could say anything he turned and walked out her door.

  “No, we won’t,” she said out loud to herself.

  What should she do? Should she tell the partners at the firm? No. First, she needed to figure out what was really going on. And that’s exactly what she planned to do. If she went to her supervising partner at the firm right now he might pull her off the case. So she’d have to get to the bottom of this on her own. A constant theme of her life.

  The litigation between Wakefield and Cyber Future had turned ugly. The breach of contract case should have been all business and routine, but it had gotten personal between both the executives and the lawyers representing the two companies. Cyber Future wanted to take down her client. Cyber Future was quickly becoming a competitor of Wakefield. Was Cyber Future behind this FBI inquiry? She certainly wouldn’t put it past them. Cyber Future was out for blood.

  **

  Gabe Marino wrapped his navy scarf tightly around his neck and let out a deep breath. Hope Finch knew that he didn’t have a solid case against her. Even getting the warrant was difficult. She put on a good show, that was for sure. When she looked at him with her big brown eyes and played dumb, he almost believed her. She would have most people fully believing her innocence, but she’d been working with Nola for five years. She admitted that much herself.

  He’d been watching her for the past few days. All she did was go back and forth from the office keeping very long hours. It didn’t appear that she even took a lunch break. He pictured her eating some microwavable meal at her desk and drinking coffee made in a fancy espresso machine supplied by the law firm.

  He hadn’t really known what to expect. Her file had made clear that she was a rising star at Rice and Taylor. She’d graduated top of her law school class. Obviously smart. She was also an attractive woman. Not that he was taking particular note of that. Every time he’d seen her over the past few days she’d worn her long blonde hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Her suits looked expensive. Maybe even designer. But he wasn’t surprised given that she worked at one of the most prestigious law firms in the city and had the stellar salary to match. She would need to look the part. Her salary m
ade his look laughable. It irked him that big firm lawyers were so grossly overpaid as they defended massive corporations. Meanwhile, federal agents who routinely put their lives on the line were often barely making ends meet.

  He had a job to do, and he couldn’t help the feeling that Hope was right in the middle of it all. He didn’t believe in coincidences. Too many unanswered questions made him uneasy. Was she part of the plot that Nola was cooking up, or was she in potential danger? Gabe believed that Nola was running several illegal businesses in Maxwell using Wakefield resources to help him. Those businesses included drug trafficking and money laundering. All things that had no place in Maxwell.

  As he walked to his hotel, he tried to focus. The cold New York City weather was messing with his brain. He could never live up here; he couldn’t get back to Georgia soon enough.

  This case was personal for him. He worked in the Atlanta field office of the FBI, but he was born and raised in Maxwell, Georgia, and he planned to always live there. The commute to Atlanta was forty five minutes, but it was well worth the drive and extra gas to live in Maxwell and maintain his quiet lifestyle. A lifestyle that was threatened by people like Carlos Nola.

  There was something sinister going on in his town—the town he loved. And he intended to stop it. Hope Finch might be the key to unraveling the entire mystery. She knew more than she was letting on. She had to.

  Carlos Nola was up to no good. Gabe knew that Nola was using Wakefield Corporation to help further his criminal enterprise that was infecting Maxwell. What he didn’t know was if only Nola was involved. How far did Nola’s influence reach?

  Hope had been telling the truth about her meetings with Nola. His research indicated that they’d met recently in New York and periodically at her firm before that. Even if she wasn’t working for him as part of his criminal ventures, she could still be useful in his investigation. As one of the Wakefield lawyers, she’d have unprecedented access to Nola. He wasn’t giving up on her. There was still a lot of work to do, and Hope Finch was the center of it all.

  **