Scandalous Desires

Chapter 26

The chatter in the room after that statement was high. It was followed by Rick, who was now standing, as he blurted out, "That is ridiculous! Who's ever going to believe some conspiracy theory by some newbee reporter no one's heard of? Heck, most of us here in this room don't even know who you are!" Rick's statement generated a few chuckles.

"I don't disagree that this sounds ridiculous. But, it definitely is true. And regardless of whether you know me or not this is no conspiracy. The facts stand for themselves." Micah looked around the room daring anyone to laugh again.

"I have the documentation to prove it;" she continued, "from emails and meeting minutes, to audio and video recordings. This is absolutely real. And The Daily Times can do something to stop this… if…," she looked straight into Jack's eyes, "my story is headlined today."

Jack looked at Kathleen who just finished reading her article. She passed the folder to him as she said. Then she pulled her glasses from her face and said, "You can back up everything that's written in that article with proof?"

"Everything and more…," she confirmed. She looked around the room again to see Melissa and Elliot giving her a thumbs up.

Kathleen and Jack whispered back and forth to each other for a moment before Kathleen stated, "Provided that Micah provides substantial evidence for this story …We're sending Micah's story to print today. Everyone be on standby for the changes."

There was more chatter in the room.

"Yes!" Micah said.

"Dad! She can't do that, this was supposed to be my story!" whined Rick. To Micah he sounded like he was still in elementary school.

"Then do your own research!" Micah stated loud enough to be heard across the table.

A few "Ooh's…" from her coworkers were heard. This definitely felt like grade school.

"You're going to regret this." Rick's stern expression did nothing but make Micah blink in response. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Try me.

The look on her face stunned Rick. All he could do was head straight to the door and leave. A few coworkers followed behind him.

"Everyone be ready. Your tasks are still the same, for the most part. It's just the article that has changed. If what Micah is saying is true and we're the only ones to know about it, then we're looking at history in the making. Good job, Micah!"

There were claps and smiles around the room. Micah wasn't concerned about the history of The Daily Times, she was only mainly relieved that the meeting went smoothly, that the truth would get out there, that something could be done to help the SC residents.

"This meeting is adjourned…"

Everyone began to make their way out of the room. Micah went over to Elliott and Melissa. She didn't know if she should laugh or cry.

"You were awesome!"

"Yeah, that took a lot of guts."

"I just hope this does more help than harm. A lot of people are suffering because of this crime. I don't mind dealing with a bunch of Ricks if it means thousands of people will be spared further mistreatment."

"Is it too unprofessional to get a hug?" Elliot said, eyes gleaming.

"Elliot…" Micah let him pull her close. But she quickly pulled away.

As the three of them made their way to the exit several coworkers complimented Micah for her work and being so direct with the boss.

"Micah!" yelled Jack Dickson, who was still seated at the table with Kathleen. "A word," he gestured with his hands to come.

"I'll see you two later…?"

"Let's do a celebratory late lunch after the deadline is over," said Melissa. The three of them agreed.

The room was now empty except for Dickson senior and Hearte. She sat in the chair Rick had sat in earlier.

"Who is he?" Jack looked at her pointedly as he asked the question.

Micah looked from Jack to Kathleen.

"Excuse me?"

"The whistleblower. Who is he… or she?" said Kathleen.

"I'm not at liberty to disclose that information at this time," she said while typing a message on her phone. "But I just sent the zip file that has all the evidence to you, Ms Hearte. I don't have your email Mr.Dickson."

"I'd like for you to show me some of these files from this whistleblower contact you have."

Micah played one of the videos at random. It was entiled "Body Count" followed by the date, which was three years before the water switch occurred. The three of them watched with disbelief as several men sat around in a room discussing the most effective cause of death to get the highest death count possible.

"I recognize some of these men…." said Dickson. "From various charity events, business conferences and such."

"This is horrifying," said Kathleen, her face looked pale.

"If we expose them, what's the worst that can happen? Jail time? Does The Daily Times get targeted?"

"If we are targeted for exposing the truth then so be it. It means we've done our job as journalists," said Kathleen.

"Don't worry about the paper," Jack said. "Let's focus on getting this out… today. We'll worry about any backlash later. Let's…."

Before he could finish talking, his phone rang. "Dammit!" He said after he picked up the phone and read the message. "This foolish son of mine." He stood up and grabbed his suit jacket. "I've got to go handle this situation. Kathleen, you update me as we get closer to the deadline."

"Yes sir," she said.

They watched as he exited the room.

"So you've got your exclusive front page story… very exciting," said Hearte. The sallow look on her face from watching the video was faint but still noticeable. Micah smiled. "Pretty impressive for your first week…. Unprecedented really."

"Thank you, Ms. Hearte."

"But…" and Micah knew it was coming, "You failed at keeping your story to yourself until it goes to print. Instead you chose to grandstand in front of everyone, including Rick, who could be out there trying to sabotage your story as we speak." Micah hadn't thought of that.

"But just finding out less than an hour ago that Rick's story would go to print in six hours meant that I had to do something."

"I didn't say you should not have done anything. I'm just saying there are ways to tell what you have without exposing the details. You did that the first time with Rick and you got screwed over."

So she knew Rick played me! Thought Micah. The expression on her face made Hearte burst out into laughter.

"I know Rick like the back of my hand, my dear. He reads like a book. Everybody can see it… except you," she squinted at her, "the question you have to answer is why?"

It was more of a rhetorical question that Hearte did not expect her to answer. But Micah knew she needed to figure it out. Hearte was right. She revealed her info to Rick twice, making herself vulnerable.

"Consider yourself lucky today, Ms.Rae." Hearte tapped on the table and then stood up to leave. "But don't count on it next time."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well come on, what are you waiting for? We've got a story to print!" Micah stood up and followed Hearte to the door.

****

"Cheers to the rookie who stole the show at today's staff meeting…!" Melissa banged her glass into Micah's and Elliot's glasses.

The three of them sat in the Dickson Publishing lounge and cafeteria where staff from all of the Dickson publishing houses went to take a break or eat lunch and dinner. Lunch was over and Dinner hadnt started yet, which left the large, Starbucks like cafeteria semi empty.

"...And got a front page story in her very first week on the job!" Added Micah, she hit their glasses too. Micah waved the paper with her story on it over her head. She had gotten congrats messages and talked to her parents who were looking firward to seeing her thay weekend to celebrate.

"...And… owes me two dates and a thank you for setting her on course in the first place." Elliot hit their glasses and they all took a sip.

"Indeed you did. You and your pep talks…" she and Melissa laughed.

"I know, right. He always has positive words ready…."

Elliot looked around before saying, "And for supplying us with this pocketed bottle of rum," He pulled out a stash from his inner jacket pocket and splashed some into their glasses of iced tea.

"Mmm…. Cheers to getting buzzed at work!" said Melissa. The three clinked glasses and sipped again.

"Oh! Don't look now, Mr. Adonis is here!" said Elliot.

The three if them watched as the same guy Micah and Melissa saw on her first day, the guy who looked like Boris Kujo walked into the lounge with a couple of other men.

"How does he manage to look that good all the time?" Melissa said.

"I know right?" said Micah. They both stared as he made his way to the food counter.

"Hey, ladies. Why look at the beef over there when you got prime rib over here," he pointed to himself.

They all laughed.

"I'm going to do what I said I wasn't," said Melissa. She picked up her phone and began texting.

Elliot quickly pressed his hand on top of hers. "Don't do it Melissa, that's the rum dialing!"

Micah was at a loss.

"She and Adonis…" Elliot began hopping up and down in the chair to demonstrate.

"Whaaa…?" Micah looked at Melissa, then back at Boris who had an apple in his had and a food container at the register.

"...a week ago!" she said with a pout.

"He never called her back," explained Elliot. He sympathetically patted her hand.

"Was the," Micah mimicked Elliot's movements from earlier, "good?"

"On a scale of one to ten he was…" she took another sip, "a hundred."

"Dayum! That good?"

"Girl! First he…"

"Babe," Elliot tapped Melissa's hand, "please spare me the details. "

"Did you reach out to him?" asked Micah.

"Hell no. He should have called me first." She looked at him now at a table eating with the other men he came in with, and then rolled her eyes. "I told you Micah, stay away from these guys… they're walking trouble."

"Yeah, stay away from them. Not me. Just them," said Elliot, his speech was slightly slurred. How many glasses of this rum mixture did he have today?

"What if something happened. His phone broke, or…"

"Grandmother died!" Elliot blurted out and started to laugh.

"You and rum are not friends," said Micah, pointing at him and the drink. "Is this how he gets when he drinks?" she turned to Melissa and asked. But Melissa was too preocuppied.

"Guys, don't look now but he's coming this way…." Both Elliot and Micah turned to look. "I said don't look!"

And he definitely was heading in their general direction and he was staring directly at Melissa.

"Good afternoon ladies, and gentleman," he flashed a million dollar, pearly white, collgate worthy smile when he arrived at the table.

Damn! He's fine.

Micah's thoughts seemed to express what Melissa's face was saying as she looked up at him. Micah tapped her and signaled at her to change her face.

"Hmm mmm," Melissa cleared her throat. She got the point as her face shifted to an expressionless poker face. "Can we help you?"

"Can I talk with you, Melissa?" Boris said gesturing over to a quiet table in the corner…"Privately?"

"I don't know… that depends" she said. "You got an apology for me over there?"

"Something like that… if you don't mind." The way he said if you don't mind made Micah tingle.

"Damn if you don't go I will!" She whispered to Melissa.

Melissa grabbed her drink and tossed the remaining contents down her throat with a gulp. "Let's go."