Fallen 1: Berlin

Chapter III: Not Above the Law

Berlin looked down at the crumpled business card in his hand and shook his head tiredly. Sage Hillary. She was an assistant to a record keeper at her workplace. Berlin had the time to thoroughly look at her and though she had a pretty face that was framed by thick black curls and the biggest brown eyes he'd ever seen in a while, she wasn't in the right situation to afford his car wash bill. For one, the pair of brown heels she wore looked like they had seen better days, not to mention the black skirt that looked like it had been ironed one too many times and pink shirt that missed a button in one cuff. 

He saw the way worry skirted across her face when she looked at the wasted coffee not to mention, she lost color just thinking about how she was going to pay for the cleaning. 

My ego is wounded, sir. She said to him and Berlin never expected to react to that comment the way he did. It seemed that she missed the memo that warned people that the ego was the end of them. He wounded her ego but Berlin didn't see that ego. He just saw a woman who was trying to do the right thing but taking responsibility for her actions.

The only fault Berlin saw in her was getting overly excited in the middle of the road while she crossed. As funny as it sounded, Berlin was trying to figure out how he was going to contact Ottawa, Bucharest and Nebraska concerning War but Sage's cheerful expression deterred him from those concerns and he found himself escorting her across the road with his eyes--until she was nudged roughly by the running man on her side which her to lose grip on her coffee.

"...and this is our training room." The words trailed to Berlin as he approached Lucian with the new client. The relief that was reflected on Lucian's face when he saw Berlin made him smile as he stopped in front of the client who happened to be a professor and a very famous one in the science world. "And this is Berlin, head of the training department and your new bodyguard." 

One rule that Berlin asked from Lucian was not to mention to the clients that he was the owner of the company. Not even his employees knew that because during training, he trained with them. They all thought he was the favored one because he always got the big gigs and sometimes hated him for it.

The older man turned to Berlin and approval shone in his eyes as he accepted Berlin's hand in his firm grip. "I have heard great things about you. I am Dorian Knightley. I am looking forward to working with you." He said.

Berlin nodded and said. "Lucian tells me it is a four day contract..."

"Well yes. I will be here for four days conducting business and since my line of work is very competitive I thought I needed the extra eyes around me." Dorian spoke as they started walking again. "I must say you are an expensive man to get but your reputation precedes you and up to this moment, you kept your clients alive. I couldn't complain about the fee if my life was in your hands." 

Berlin remembered reading that the man was a scientist dealing some sensitive biological experiments. "I am glad that you understand my protocols. I read that you are a scientist. What sort of work do you do in your department?"

"Well, the work I do is very sensitive but just to hint on it; what do you think of a universal vaccine where our children will no longer be susceptible to pandemics?" The professor looked so excited as he spoke.

Cold dread settled deep inside Berlin's gut. If there was that kind of research being done, he understood why War was loitering somewhere in the south. He was there to stage circumstances for his sister and Cairo's would-be-ex, Conquest. Chaos needed to reign before a new order was forged among the people. Berlin had seen enough wars in his lifetime to know that they could start over such measly misunderstandings. 

"That would be a giant leap for mankind in the right direction." Berlin said but deep in his gut, he couldn't shake the thought that War being there and him meeting Dorian was not a mere coincident. The Power never made coincidences without hidden meaning.  

"Exactly!" Dorian said with a smile. "And we have a stake-holders' conference this weekend on the first talk of the vaccine. However, not everyone is happy with us. While there are those who are in competition with us, they are those who want to monopolize the market." 

Typical, Berlin thought tiredly. The professor was walking with a target on his back. He was tempering with the market the players had already established. Creating a universal vaccine meant all the other players in the vaccine field were going to lose their credibility. Berlin doubted they would agree to that. 

"I can understand with your situation but I want to assure you that I will keep you safe provided you always follow my instructions to the dot. Lucian will walk you through everything needed from you including access to your living quarters and work station--"

"My workstation is classified." Dorian protested.

Berlin's eyebrow arched up. "Then get me access to it. I will need your daily schedules, if there is any change in the schedule then it should be communicated to me immediately. I will go and mobilize the team."

He didn't wait for Dorian to start coming up with excuses to make his live hard and start off away from them as he dialed a number to start building his team. If Dorian paid that absurd amount of cash to stay safe then he probably knew that Berlin was no ordinary bodyguard and that he went over what was expected of him. Berlin could only do his job properly if everything was as he needed it to be. There were bigger things to think about other than classified workstations....like the apocalypse. 

                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you have all the files ready for the meeting?" Robert asked Sage as his chauffeur came up to remind him that it was time to leave early that weekend. 

Sage nodded showing him the three box-files she was holding. "Yes, sir."

"Good, take them down to the car--where is Charli?" He asked in irritation.

"Right here, sir!" Charli jogged inside as she picked up some of the things from Robert's desk then went to Sage, wanting to relieve her of the files and Robert suddenly snapped at her.

"What are you doing, Charli?" He asked her.

"Uhm--I was taking the files from Sage since she is not coming to the meeting with us." Charli turned innocently to her boss.

"Who said she is not coming?" Robert asked Charli and Sage felt the color drain from her face. She didn't expect to spend her well deserved weekend in a meeting. Her fridge and cupboards were starving just like herself not to mention she was supposed to go and visit her mother that morning. She had been excited the whole week because of that--and now Robert wanted her to attend a meeting that had nothing to do with her.

"Sir, I have plans this morning--"

"Everyone has plans this morning!" Robert exclaimed shutting her up then added. "Just cancel them or reschedule them for later this evening."

"But sir, I don't think that is fair for Sage. She has been working overtime this whole week--"

"And did I ask you for your opinion, Charli?" Robert snapped at her. Charli pursed her lips and shook her head. He turned to Sage and repeated his instructions. "Didn't I tell you to take those files down to the car?"

Sage swallowed back the painful lump on her throat and nodded before she followed the chauffeur out to the elevator as she removed her phone and called Zoe.

"Hey, Zoe."

"Hey, Sage. I just informed your mother that you are coming to visit her today and she became very happy. She can't wait to see you." Zoe said and Sage felt as if her breathing was going to stop at any minute. She made a promise to someone so dear to yet, she was going to have to break it. 

"Uhm--Zoe, can you tell my mom that I won't be able to make it today. Something's come up and I can't tear myself away from it." There was a long pause which told her that even Zoe was annoyed at her. 

"Alright. I will tell her though I know it will break her heart." Zoe answered softly, all the happiness in her voice faded away.

Zoe didn't know just how much it broke Sage's heart to cancel the visitation. She stood beside the chauffeur and looked down at her good pair of black heels. She was dressed to impress that morning because she wanted to go and assure her mother not to worry, that she was doing alright working in a good company and earning a good salary so that her mother got better faster but now, her short grey office dress and her elegant hairdo were going to waste. Her chin quivered and she blinked away the tears as the elevator binged and they entered the lift. The chauffeur immediately took the box files from her and gave her a smile.

"Robert is a goat bleating at everyone but do you know the best thing you can do about it? Not let it get to you." He told her. "Soon, you will realize that you are more than his words and his actions." 

Sage lifted her eyes to him and his smile encouraged her to calm down and see the day through. The meeting was being held in a very fancy hotel so Sage was glad she was dressed for it. She and the chauffeur made their way to the black cruiser and he placed the files at the back of the car before allowing Sage to enter and sit in the backseat. A few minutes later, Charli and Robert came down with Robert barking over his phone at someone while Charli walked ahead of him carrying his meeting equipment. Charli settled beside Sage while Robert took his position in the front passenger seat and they soon made their way to the hotel. 

The drive to the hotel seemed longer than usual and since it was the weekend, there wasn't much traffic in the streets. Sage kept her eyes down on her lap to avoid clashing with Robert's who took every chance to look back via the rear-view mirror. Good thing he was busy with his phone all the way to the hotel. Sage practically jumped out of the car the moment in stopped in front of the hotel but frowned almost immediately when she saw the large crowd of people making their way to the hotel. She could tell they were very important corporate people from the way they dressed and each one held a brief case or computer bag as they made their way in.

Sage didn't know that the meeting she was going to was such a big deal. She felt out of place until Charli patted her on her shoulder.

"Why are you so scared suddenly?" She teased as the chauffeur moved around the car and opened the door for Robert then removed the box-files from the back of the cruiser. 

"Are they all here for the meeting?" She breathed in hard seeing several people chatting on their phones while others had to do a little jogging to keep up with their bosses while typing things on their tablets. 

"No dummy. There is a very large science conference here today. I heard that some hotshot professor is presenting some ground breaking scientific evidence to the public." Charli assured her. 

That gave Sage a measure of calmness as Robert turned to them.

"Can you stop looking around like a bunch of lost children and come inside?" He said impatiently and walked on ahead leaving Charli and Sage to scramble through the crowd to catch up. Their meeting was taking place in a smaller conference room but the people who were supposed to be there, had somehow intermingled with the ones signing up for the conference. Sage had never seen so many corporate people under one roof like that before.

This could be her chance to get contacts after she got fired in three months' time. Sometimes she felt that Robert was also counting the days when he could be free of her because Sage had never done anything that impressed the man. She didn't know if it was because of her incompetence or his arrogance but either way, she felt that Robert couldn't wait to fire her ass and shove her out of his office and into the streets. She needed leverage because she wasn't making enough to save so that it sustained her for the months that she would be unemployed. 

"You look like you would rather be in there than here." Charli remarked as they queued up in front of their conference room.

"Because I feel I will be better appreciated in there than here." Sage said softly as she clasped the files tightly in her hands. The feeling of helplessness made her stomach heave tightly. "Ever thought of quitting your job and starting somewhere else--in a place where your boss isn't throwing things at you?"

Charli shrugged but Sage didn't miss the wistful look on her face. She, too, yearned to be on that other side. "Well, working for Robert has taught me a lot of things like dodging flying keyboards." The two women giggled softly. "I am more resilient because of him, I am more patient and I actually started perfecting my selective deafness talent."

Sage chuckled feeling the last of her anger for not going to see her mother leave her system. She didn't want to hold anything in her heart because life always threw lemons her way. If she hogged them and not do anything about them she was going to develop ulcers because of their high acidic content! 

"But if I got the chance to go and work in a healthier environment then I would not look back. I will be out of that office in a heartbeat." She said. "And Robert will die without me." she smirked. "That man can't even find his own phone on his desk!" 

The two women laughed as they entered the conference but were suddenly pushed to the side when a bunch of private security guards in clean black suits, white shirts and fancy earpieces entered the room with a familiar man in front of them dressed in all black. He stood out like a beacon and Sage's heart stuttered as she grabbed Charli's hand and squeezed it.

"Ouch..." Charli murmured as she tried to get rid of Sage but Sage quickly pointed to the man.

"That's him!" She whispered to Charli. "That's the Ferrari guy."

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen." He said and his voice traveled up and down Sage's spine causing goose-pimples to form on her skin. "This is just a routine checking, please remain where you are." He said then instructed his fellow guards to research the room as he spoke to someone over his earpiece. Suddenly he turned her direction and Sage hi-cupped before her hands turned into rubber and sent the box-files crushing to the floor. Her face felt hot with embarrassment as she bent down trying to retrieve them.

"For crying out loud, Sage!" Robert suddenly bellowed as he got up from his seat and approached her, his fury radiating out of him in ripples. "Can't you do anything right, you stupid girl!"

Sage gulped in hard knowing Robert was about to humiliate her in front of all those people. Before anyone could stop him, he picked up one of the files and tossed it towards Sage. Sage whimpered as the file sailed towards her but a hand suddenly shot out and caught the file, inches from her face.

The entire room was stunned into silence by the action but Robert didn't seem to understand the repercussions of his actions in public. 

"Anderson, Kerry." The Ferrari man was the one who caught the file and he gestured to two of his security mates who came forward and grabbed Robert on either side.

"What the hell are you doing?" Robert struggled against them, his fury turning his face red. "Do you know who I am?"

"I don't give a f**k who you are." The Ferrari guy growled and Sage was sure everyone took a step back. Even Robert stopped struggling and stared up at him as his eyes widened with sudden realization that the man wasn't f*****g with him. "What you were about to do has a lawful name; assault and battery. Do you know how many years you would be serving for it?"

That seemed to dawn on Robert just what that meant and he finally realized they were no longer in his office but in front of a lot of people. Sage watched the way his lips thinned and the way his cold calculating eyes snared hers. She swallowed hard because she knew that was just the beginning of a new chapter of his hate; getting him humiliated in public.

People whispered behind their hands and pointed at Robert who was having a stare competition with the Ferrari guy. Finally the Ferrari guy allowed his fellow security members to release Robert and he turned to Sage.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

Sage couldn't find her voice and the moment his dark eyes gazed at hers, she lost all ability to speak. She ended up nodding softly. Now that she looked at him properly, he was someone she could never miss looking at even if they were in a room full of people. He stood out like a beacon. From the way he was dressed, she could tell he was the head of his team. 

"Do you need to get out of here for a moment? Get some fresh air?" He asked her as another security member retrieved the files from the ground and held on to them.

"Uh--uhm--I'm fine, thanks. We have a meeting now so I have to be here." Sage assured him as she turned her eyes to a spot just above his shoulders. It was better than looking straight at him because the moment she looked into his hauntingly entrancing eyes, she got lost in them.

He looked at her for a moment as if assuring himself that she was fine then gave her a nod and spoke to the piece in his ear. "All clear." Then he was about to walk out as his mate handed Sage back her files but he remembered something and turned to her. "Oh, by the way, my car is clean."

"Okay...and how much was it?" Sage took a deep breath knowing that it would cost her a fortune to get that car cleaned.

One side of his mouth quirked up as he said. "You asked that I tell you when my car was cleaned. You never said anything about paying for it. I hope your ego stopped hurting. Have a nice day."  He gave her a short nod and turned to leave.

Sage's mouth fell open as she watched him and his team leave the conference room. Charli squealed quietly and happily beside her.

"I knew he wasn't that petty. And by the divine power is he scrumptious." She said as they went to sit down. Sage made sure she took a seat that was furthest from Robert. Judging by the way he spoke and the way he looked at her and Charli, Sage knew there was an episode of 'I am always right and you are always wrong' starring Robert the invincible pending the moment that meeting was over. 

But her day wasn't so bad when she thought of the security guy and the way he handled the situation. He must be from a very good security company to be able to afford such a car. Now that she recalled the conversation she had with him that day, there was nothing she said that indicated she wanted to pay for the cleaning but she expected him to take the hint that she wanted to take responsibility for the mess she made. Like Charli said, he wasn't petty and Sage was grateful because he also made Robert realize that no matter how wealthy he was, he wasn't above the law.