Wilderness Borne

by Mikayla Gabby-Green

  The Wilderness Outreach Incubators didn’t just fund environment start-ups; they operated how they wanted to change things. The building was reclaimed, their food naturally sourced, their power coming from a mix of solar and wind systems they had added or paid a solar company so that their energy all technically came from a solar source instead of power plants.

  They took the elevator to the fifth floor and stepped out. They were met with another desk.

  “Miss Thomas?” the secretary asked.

  “Yes?” Daphne smiled and walked up to the table.

  “Come with me. Dom should be in the meeting room already.” The secretary guided them past the desk, entering an office with staff having meetings with different start-ups and others answering emails or calls.

  There were more drinking coffee and talking about projects.

  The secretary opened the meeting room’s door. A slim man sat, talking on his phone. He looked up as the door opened and smiled as he saw Daphne and Reggie, putting his phone away.

  “Hello! Please come in, I’m Dom.” He offered his hand.

  “Daphne.” She shook his hand as he moved to Reggie.

  “Reggie.” He smiled.

  “Good to meet you both. Please, take a seat. Don’t worry, James will be here in a few moments.” Dom indicated the seats. “Thanks, Karen!” he yelled to the retreating secretary.

  “No problem, Dom.” She flashed him a smile.

  Daphne settled into her seat and pulled out her files. She started to organize them as Reggie sat next to her, pulling out a pen and paper, ready to take notes if needed.

  “Hello, everyone. Sorry I’m late, was just talking to my daughter.” A man walked in the room.

  Daphne looked up, her brows furrowed. She knew that voice. “I’m James Waters. I’m in charge of the Wilderness Outreach Incubator.”

  It’s him! Daphne’s eyes went wide as James, that James, looked around with that smile that seemed to lighten one’s spirits.

  His eyes found hers and he frowned, looking her over before he cleared his throat, hiding his expression. “All right, let’s get down to it.” He quickly took his seat.

  Daphne lowered her head. Shit, this is the biggest contract we’ve ever seen and he’s that James. Shit. Daphne couldn’t help but curse as she sent furtive glances at James. She noticed him looking over at her and then his eyes sliding away. His smile seemed to have dulled.

  Dom cleared his throat. “This is a class action lawsuit against the Mera Corporation. Several families have come forward complaining about their practices, citing that they have constant aches and pains, as well as other health issues. Originally we had asked them to gather more concrete data. Now we have it.” Dom looked down at the piece of paper in front of him. “The small community runs off of wells. Heavy metals have been recorded in the drinking water and the air contains contaminants. We’ve advised them to keep logs of the amounts of heavy metals in their water and the air and have sent them more testing kits.

  “It is believed that this source of heavy metals and contaminants comes from the processing plant located near their community.

  “The community wants to fight the Mera Corporation, but they do not have the funds or means to do so and they have come asking for assistance. The Wilderness Outreach Incubator will take on the costs of this case and will be the bridge between the legal team and the people in the community. They will earn ten percent of the lawsuit if it is carried through; otherwise, they will foot the bill for the legal case, unless there is reasonable grounds for them to not continue pursuing this case.”

  “Today, we want to hear from you and see what you have so far.” James looked at Daphne and her secretary, Reggie.

  Daphne cleared her throat as she looked over the summary that she had put together, drawing on her years of experience to stay neutral, even when seeing James.

  “Thomas and Santiago LLC has looked into the case. The information is good enough to spike interest, but it isn’t good enough for us to fully press charges against the Mera Corporation. We would advise medical tests on those who are affected. If they have medical tests in the past, then seeing their records would strengthen our case. We do advise that this case shouldn’t be quick. The Mera Corporation is a large company. They have the money to draw this case out for a long time and spend your money. The best move would be to bring this to a criminal case of neglect and immediate health concern instead of an environmental case, at first,” Daphne said.

  “Why?” James asked.

  “Sadly, people’s health is a hotter topic than the environment, and the government’s new stance on bringing clean water to remote groups means that they will want to push this through if we can make a big enough deal out of it. It puts them in a good light—helping people who don’t have clean water and stopping an environmental concern in one shot,” Daphne said.

  Dom and James shared a look. The two only needed a few glances to communicate to each other.

  James was the one to speak up. He gave them a weak smile, one Daphne couldn’t read anything from. “Thank you for this presentation. As you probably know, we are looking at different firms to work with on this case. We will have an answer as to which firm we will give this case to within the week, if that’s okay?”

  “That’s fine,” Reggie said as Daphne paused for too long.

  “Thanks. Feel free to grab something to eat and we hope you have a great day.” James stood.

  Reggie and Dom sensed the odd atmosphere but they chose to ignore it for the meeting.

  “We have these files here for reference as well.” Reggie pulled out a group of files as everyone stood up.

  “Thanks. I’ll take those.” Dom smiled.

  Daphne didn’t know what to do. She had been in hundreds of meetings like this—they were simple—but she didn’t know what to say with James, the James, right there.

  James opened the door for them. “Have a good day.”

  Daphne nodded her head, her smile barely existent. “Thank you.” She left the meeting room and walked off.

  Reggie smiled at the two others and moved to follow Daphne.

  As the meeting room door closed behind them, James and Dom started talking to each other immediately but the walls made it impossible for Reggie and Daphne to hear them.

  “What the hell was that?” Reggie asked Daphne in hushed tones as they got to the elevator lobby.

  “That was the James,” Daphne said in a hiss, starting to feel a building headache. “I thought that he was an engineer!”

  “He is, or was, an engineer but he turned his pursuits toward building green homes, made some new cleaner and easier insulation. That’s the seed money he used to get this incubator running,” Reggie said. “Wait, you said the James—as in paddle board and camper James?” Reggie hissed.

  Daphne just looked at Reggie.

  “Fuck.” Reggie pinched the top of his nose.

  “Yeah.” She sighed and walked into the elevator.

  The doors closed.

  “If we get this job, I don’t know if it’s because he likes me or wants us to win. If he doesn’t, then I don’t know either,” Daphne said, letting it all out to Reggie.

  “Do you still like him?”

  “I...I don’t know, Reggie. I met him at a campground in British Columbia on the other side of Canada,” Daphne said.

  “Well, at least he’s good-looking, if you’re looking for that whole lumberjack thing,” Reggie said in a light voice.

  “I thought you were into lumberjacks?”

  “Please. That was in the summer. Now I’m into skiers—got better technique.” Reggie winked.

  Daphne laughed, letting out her stress as everything seemed a bit easier. If they didn’t get the contract, they could get others in the future. It would be okay.

  “Thanks,” she said, feeling relieved with Reggie’s joke letting her take a step back.

  “That’s what I’m here for, girl. How about we go and get some wine? Brothers
Food and Wine?”

  “You read my mind.” Daphne had been working nonstop. Seeing James had brought up a lot and she felt now that all of her time was wasted.

  ***

  James and Dom were now in the cafeteria. He sat back in his chair, nursing a glass of water.

  Dom looked up at the ceiling. “All right, so, something went on but you don’t want to talk about it, and you want Lucy and me to make the decision?”

  “Yes.” James trusted Dom and Lucy completely and he knew that they would do the best for the case. He was just a bit too close to this to make the decision himself.

  “I have no idea what I’m going to do with you. All right, I’ll tell her and we’ll look into it. Now that we have all of the information from the different legal offices, it shouldn’t take more than a day before we make a decision.”

  “Sounds good,” James said. “Thanks, Dom.”

  “You better tell me afterward what the heck this is about.”

  “I will.” James had told Dom about Daphne, but he hadn’t made the connection yet. He hoped that Lucy didn’t. She was much sharper when it came to relationship things.

  Chapter We Got It?

  Daphne walked into the office. As it was reaching midday, she brought coffee and food with her. Reggie perked up from his desk as she dropped off a bag and a coffee.

  “Tomato bagel with herbs and garlic cream cheese with chili and one double double,” Daphne said.

  “You are an angel,” Reggie said, taking the different bits. “I have something to tell you,” Reggie said saucily as he stood.

  Daphne looked at him with a questioning glance. He didn’t say anything, instead tilting his head toward her office with a “will you get your ass in their already!” look.

  She walked to her office. Reggie closed the door behind them as she put her own coffee and lunch on her desk.

  “We got it,” Reggie said.

  “Hmm?”

  “We got the contract with Wilderness Outreach,” Reggie said, gauging her reaction.

  “What?” Daphne’s eyes went wide. “We actually got it?”

  This was amazing for the company, but she didn’t know what this meant with James. Had he made this decision to keep her close-by? Was it emotional or was it on her own merits? It started to play with her mind.

  “Dom sent the message over,” Reggie said, reading her mind.

  Still it doesn’t tell me much. Daphne took off her jacket, thinking it over. Daphne looked to Reggie, lost.

  “We just got the contract, so we should get to work on it. It will also give you a chance to talk to James, get some closure or see where things go. Maybe you’ll even upgrade to an apartment this time.” Reggie grinned.

  Daphne rolled her eyes but smiled even with the hangover hitting her hard. “Get back to work. It looks like our life won’t be easy in the near future.”

  Chapter Near Misses

  Daphne focused on her work. The files came in later in the afternoon after the contract was signed. It was a complicated case and she had already started to send off her requests to Dom, according to what she had said in the meeting.

  She had Reggie talk to some investigators and people he knew who had dealt with the Mera Corporation, as well as people in government who were interested in looking out for public health and increasing the amount of clean water for people in remote communities.

  This kind of case could go on for ten or more years. With the support Reggie was gaining before they brought the case to court, the government would want to push it through, fighting against the corporation’s attempts to stall.

  Reggie was checking on his different media people. Sometimes it was good to get public opinion and media on the topic. They hadn’t said anything to them, but they were interested in the tidbits Reggie had given them.

  It was a month later when Daphne got all of the medical records, both past and present. She sent them to medical professionals she knew to confirm their information and that they were related to the supposed pollution and malpractices by the Mera Corporation.

  Air and soil samplings were passed on to different groups that could properly analyze them. Daphne wanted to make sure that their case was solid before they started moving forward.

  “We’ve got confirmation from the soil people.” Reggie entered her office.

  “All right, then let’s start pooling together the people who were or are residents and wish to fight against the Mera Corporation.” Daphne sighed. It looked as though this would be moving forward.

  In a few more weeks, they were firmly into winter. The sidewalks turned into icy disasters and were covered in snow.

  They got their results from the medical professionals. There was a clear change in the bodies of the people in the area. From previous medical records, it was clear that there was a sharp uptick in the heavy metals in the people’s diet in the last four years. The Mera Corporation had been operating there for six years.

  Daphne once again found herself at a meeting at the Wilderness Outreach Incubator. She was sitting down with Dom.

  “Sorry, James is out. His daughter is down with the flu so he’s at home,” Dom said.

  Daphne felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t met Julia, only heard about her. She’d run away before Julia had arrived back at the cabin. “Ah, I hope she gets better soon.”

  “We all do.” Dom looked genuinely sad. It was clear Julia wasn’t just the boss’s daughter to him. “So you said that it’s time to pull the trigger on this?”

  “Yes.” Daphne pulled out the different documents she had compiled. “We have the reports on air, water, and soil. They’re telling us what the residents said. Their medical history compared to their current state paints a nasty picture. We are ready to submit our case to the Supreme Court of Ontario on behalf of family members, residents, and former residents relating to injuries to people’s health and contamination in the residential neighborhoods immediately surrounding the Mera Corporation.”

  “Okay,” Dom said. This was a big step forward and the start of everything.

  “If you agree, I can file this class action lawsuit today. It will take some time to be processed. Once it is, then we can start talking to our environmental friends, people in government and if needed, the media,” Daphne said.

  “Thinking from all angles.” Dom smiled.

  “That’s what you pay me for, Mister Eves.” Daphne smiled.

  “All right, let’s get this thing rolling then!” Dom pushed back his chair and slapped his legs.

  Daphne also stood and pulled her files back together.

  “To winning this damn thing.” Dom held out his hand.

  She shook it as he opened the door for her.

  Daphne walked out of the office with a fire in her eyes and her steps confident. This was what she did and damn did she feel alive when she got herself into a new case.

  Chapter A Plan Forms

  Daphne sipped on her coffee as she kept an eye on her emails, replying to one as she went back to her inbox. She pursed her lips and let out a deep breath before she picked up her phone and made a phone call.

  It had been three weeks since they had submitted their lawsuit against the Mera Corporation. The legal team from the Mera Corporation had been informed of the lawsuit against them and had already started to fight back.

  Daphne didn’t need to read the fine print; she had been in enough of these cases to know that the corporation was playing for time. They had the money and the capital—they could just keep on holding on, pushing it out further and further.

  “Daphne?” Reggie answered his phone. He was currently off filing papers for another client.

  “Reggie, let’s push the Mera Corporation a bit more. Shall we get those political figures involved?”

  “Got it,” Reggie said.

  Daphne cut the call. Reggie might seem really playful on the outside, but his contacts and work acumen when he got serious were the reasons that Daphne got along so well with him an
d the reason that she had wanted to work with him in their new firm.

  ***

  James stood in his home in Oakville as he looked over the news broadcast.

  “In today’s top story, chemical giant Mera Corporation was served with a class action lawsuit. The American-based company denies allegations that their plant in the Timmins region is affecting the local residents, polluting their air, soil, and water. They were not available for further comment. Today, we have learned that the case, that has already been on hold for weeks, might be placed on hold for weeks more as the corporation reviews new documents that they have found on the topic. The federal court has ordered the plant to be closed down as the case continues, putting some one hundred employees on leave. We will continue to follow this case and bring you the latest updates.”

  James clicked the television off as he checked the time. “Hurry up, Julia, or you’ll be late for school.” James looked at his daughter, who was digging through her cereal.

  She pouted and let out a huff. It was a Monday and all she wanted to do was watch TV, not go to boring school.

  James smiled. There wasn’t much he could do. He patted her head. He knew the trouble it took to get her hair to stay up; he’d spent enough time doing it—he didn’t want to ruin it.

  He got her bundled up and into the car before they headed to school. He dropped her off at the school and she ran off to meet her friends. Then he headed off, moving to the highway and his long drive into work.

  He got a call from Dom.

  “James, I’m adding you in on the call with Daphne and me,” Dom warned over the car’s speakers.

  “All right,” James said, sensing that there was something serious going on for Dom to do so.

  “Morning.” Daphne’s voice sounded odd.

  “Morning,” James grunted out, trying to get his mind focused on business.

  “I have just got information from the people you are supporting in this class action. It looks like the Mera Corporation wasn’t pushed by the government’s drive over the last couple of weeks. Now that we’re getting close to Christmas, they’ve put in for an extension and they got it. We won’t be able to do anything until the new year when everyone’s back to work,” Daphne said.