The Trials of Being Loved

Part 44 - Awaken, Orca, Someone Needs You

Tay fought the fog. He heard him. New was here! He needed him!

It was black, the white... but the black kept trying to suck him down, but he struggled and struggled, trying to find the light. "Why is this so fucking hard?" He screamed, tears welling in his eyes. "Newwie! Help me!"

He fought his way back to his feet, and once more, pushed through the thickening darkness, towards the light. He could swear that he felt someone holding his hand, so he whispered. "I'm coming, New. Wait for me."

The darkness was too much. He passed out, the light was too far away.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was a waiting game now. Waiting for Tay to wake, waiting for New to forgive. Waiting for her husband to speak. 

Ms. Tam was used to playing the waiting game, but she never played it idle. Instead, she kept busy pulling all the strings in play. She swore deeply, in anger, as the news of the Captain's death came. 

"Fuck! Tam, we have a problem. I need to talk with the Boss. Now."

From his spot at the door, her husband stood at attention. "Dear, you are fucking kidding me, correct?"

"No. I have the first reports about that lawyer, Sayen Sangenthian. I need to speak to the Mafia Boss, sooner than later. I believe that someone murdered his son. I think he's out of the loop and this goes damn high."

"How fucking high are we talking?" Tam's toe started tapping, getting an uneasy feeling in his belly. 

"So fucking high I want you to contact your clean man in the precinct and tell him his commander is fucking dirtier than the Captain. The latest drug seizure was just released back on the streets." She looked up at her husband and compressed her lips. "Back to being sold in less than five minutes."

"How do you know? No," Her husband shook his head. "I don't want to know. So, what you're saying is, we had it all wrong." Tam breathed. "The boys were collateral damage." He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, leaving a code. "I'll see what I can do."

Ms. Tam shook her head. "No. Don't try, succeed." She glanced around the room. "This is home for now. Let's make it comfortable." She pulled out her laptop and proceeded to use the military tricks he taught her for security. "We will protect these boys. Get me a meeting with The Boss. I won't let any son of mine die, especially from ignorance."

~~~~~~~~~~

The Commander knelt on the floor, head pressed firmly to the ground, arms akimbo. How long he lay there, he wasn't sure. The last time, he stayed that way for almost a day. At his age, he needed two of men to help him stand. He prayed, not to the gods, but to the money sitting in his offshore account, that it wouldn't be that long. 

Finally, the Secretary to the Minister of Finance returned and spoke, softly, "Follow me." 

With a quiet, internal groan, he rose and followed the small man to a lavishly decorated office, where, once more, he dropped to his knees. This time, he waited, again, patiently, to be acknowledged. Fuck, he wondered, Why torture me by calling me and making me wait? I have my own fucking job to do.

After two hours on his knees, finally, the man behind the desk sighed, dropped his pen and spoke. "You've been quite busy."

The Commander didn't bother to speak, understanding the statement was rhetorical. He kept his eyes averted, knowing that the man was volitive. There was rustling, still he didn't dare move a muscle. Until, he was violent hit across the side of his face, landing on the floor. Not a sound could he make or the beating would be worse. He knew. It had happened before, when he had hired the damn kid, without telling the Minister of Finance first.