Oblivion {James Rodriguez} {Book ONE}

the kerensky kase

I walk into the bustling law firm, clutching a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and a stack of case notes in the other. I break into a smile as I greet the receptionist, Cindy. She is a lovely woman, late thirties, with fiery red hair and the right pair of glasses to frame her delicate features. She has been a receptionist in the firm for nearly seven years and is a wonderful lady in general.

I quickly flash her my ID card, the normal check-in procedure, and she responds with a kind smile before registering my attendance on the system.

I then proceed to walk down the narrow hallway, making a few abrupt turns until I finally reach my cosy office. I shove the slightly ajar door open with my shoulders and step in, quickly heading for my massive mahogany desk so I can deposit the heavy cargo that was taking a toll on my arms.

I place the mug of coffee gently first, then slam the papers into the desk with a loud thud, followed by my almost mute sigh of relief. I place one hand in my hip and the other gently massaging my temples.

The amount of workload today, thankfully, was average. That means that I won't have to stay in the office till 10 PM negotiating client terms or formatting briefing papers. Today I am supposed to be lightly working on the Kerensky case, a notorious Russian criminal with bad blood between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a few wealthy investors in the Swiss Bank.

This case has been unsolved for over six years, with the most exceptional lawyers opening the case only to close it shortly after because of its extreme difficulty. The details, alibis and take-downs all are too much for one person to handle.

But because I thrive on seemingly-impossible challenges, I had opened the case nine months ago, and so far I am still going head strong regarding evidence and follow-ups. There has been moments where it all became utterly frustrating, when all I wanted to do was slam shut the damned Kerensky file and shove it back into the alphabetically-arranged drawer, but then I remember all the positive outcomes and opportunities that cracking this case will provide me.

I snap out of my little trance and sigh softly, looking around the modernly furnished office space.

"Right, then, let's get to work." Was the only thing I muttered before diving in head-first into the case files.

***
"Yes, but then I have a conference at four, and then a client meeting at five thirty, so I really don't understand how you expect me to-"

"Ms. McKinney?" I was abruptly interrupted by Cindy gently opening my door.

"Hold on a second." I say into the phone before clutching it to my chest. I look up at Cindy with a patient smile. "Yes?"

"Mr. Porter is calling for an emergency briefing." She informs me, trying really hard not to look alarmed.

My heart sinks in my chest a little. My boss rarely calls for group meetings, and even if he did, it has to be extremely important.

"Sorry. I'll have to call you back." I speak back into the phone before cutting the line. I sigh deeply and clutch the arms of my chair, hoisting myself up.

"Thanks, Cindy." I say to her, picking up my phone and putting on my blazer. She gives me a sympathetic smile before gently shutting the door behind her.

I compose myself and walk towards the door, pulling it open. I am greeted by the usual sounds of a law firm: grave voices, printers, telephones and heels clicking on the polished floor.

I hurriedly make my way to the conference room and push it open. There are a few people there already: Amy, Lola, Andrew, and Ryan. All of them being very close colleagues.

I relax a little as I make my way to their small clique huddled in the middle of the room.

"Hello," I greet them as I stand in between Lola and Ryan.

"Wait - prayer circle." Announces Andrew, grabbing Amy and Ryan's hands. Everyone hesitates for a second before grabbing the rest of the hands and bowing their heads down.

"Are we serious?" I whisper.

"Shh!" Lola scolded me. I closed my eyes and decided to get along with it. Hell, I have no idea what to expect either.

Thirty-five seconds and a full conference room later, our prayer circle dispersed. The room is dead silent as Mr. Porter and a few other important executives walk in. Without a word, Mr. Porter silently makes his way to the slightly elevated podium with the other men standing not too far behind him.

The atmosphere is thick and intense, and it feels like every person in the room is holding their breath simultaneously. Mr. Porter looks very worn out and strained. We know that kind of look means major trouble.

"Am I right to assume that all the lawyers in this room had opened the Kerensky Case before?"

And the second that sentence came out of his mouth, I felt my knees weaken and my vision turn blurry. I clutched Lola's arm for support and her weight instantly supported mine.

I already know where this is going.

***

A/N: Hello. My name is Ree and I will be accompanying you on this chosen journey.

You normally won't see a lot of A/N's in this story because they're boring and people almost always skip them, so I'll only post one on special occasions; like this.

I'm sorry if the plot isn't clear to you guys yet. Over the next few chapters you will literally see it unfold: Who Carter is, the Kerensky case and details about Mia as a person in general.

I also apologize about the length of the chapters so far. I am still very new to this and ideas don't flow that easily. Gradually they will become more lengthy and exciting.

Also, if you're reading this right now, PLEASE drop a comment below. That is the only way that will motivate me to not bore you in the following chapters.

Feel free to point out any flaws/grammatical errors and ask any questions you like (make sure it's not a spoiler!)

See you guys in the next chapter.