Paradise Burning (The Virtagwalla Series Book 2) (10 page)

              “Now why did they choose Bradley?” Ray asked laughing, “I have never even heard of it?”

              “That’s where I went,” Ellen smiled mysteriously, “I was born and raised in Chicago, which is only a couple hours to the north, and when I was looking for schools they had a very impressive nursing program. Plus it was small and that’s what I was wanted most.”

              Whitley took a swig of her water and asked quickly, “So how did the two of you meet?”

              Jon coughed and sat forward, “Well Ellen decided to do a study abroad, she luckily choose Virtagwalla. After that, it is history as they say,” he smiled devilishly.

              “I didn’t know you were a nurse Ellen, I am as well. I always assumed you had gone to school to be a teacher,” Whitley said getting excited.

              “Oh I haven’t been a nurse for a very long time. After raising the kids I starting working at their elementary school as a third grade teacher. It is so rewarding.”

              “That’s great Ellen,” Rachel quipped looking briefly at her husband. She paused for a moment, her eyes locking with his. Xavier noticed a spark he hadn’t seen in a very long time. She glanced away quickly. Shifting the conversation to Whitley, “So Mrs. Ray what was this news you were just dying to share but couldn’t until we were all together?”

              Whitley and Hampton looked at each other. The young couple smiled, and threaded their fingers. Looking towards the group, “Well we have announcement to make. I’m pregnant!”

              The two other ladies at the table squealed with excitement, “Oh Whitley that’s fantastic! When are you due?”

              “I am about three months along,” Whitley giggled petting her flat stomach.

              “You look so good! By the time I was through my first trimester with Michael I was a small house,” Rachel laughed throwing back a huge swig of wine. “No wonder you refused my offer of wine earlier. I should have known, no Ray turns down good alcohol without a reason!”

              “I know its been weird. I miss the wine, and the shellfish. But the book says none of that until after we are through with the nursing,” Whitley patted Hampton’s knee.

              Darlene, and two men in tuxedoes came out of the French doors that lead to the kitchen, carrying white plates with salads on them. Laying them down, the six adults dug in. After the main entrée of the meal were brought out, Xavier Rove stood, “A toast to great friends. May we grow old together and continue to be blessed,” he paused, “And to my wife, for being a loyal companion even through life’s more challenging of journeys,” he smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. In fact she simply put the cup to her lips, and then put it down on the table.

              Rachel’s heart hit the floor. For the first time she looked at her husband with mystery. ‘There is no way he knows,’ she thought to herself instantly, ‘No, it’s not possible,’ she attempted to convince herself. Instantly she became uncomfortable.

              At some point when the conversation had run low, Jon turned to Rachel, “So Rachel, what are you up to nowadays? Still at the University?”

              Rachel was snapped out of her daze, and looked at Pacer, “Yes, yes I am still at the University.”

              “Didn’t you say you have been working quite a bit with the dashing Eric Larynx over at his rail line as a consultant or something,” Ellen asked, without even looking up from her meal.

              Taking a huge sip of her wine, “Uh, yes I have been. I have been working with Eric Larynx quite closely to finish up a couple of his projects.”

              Jon leaned forward, “Now be honest with us. How is it working with Mr. Larynx? As far as I have interacted with him, he always seems like a pompous jackass - a real manipulator. Would you agree or no?”

              Becoming defensive, “No, I would not call Eric a pompous jack-ass at all. He is an extremely generous person. Sure he may be shrewd with some of his business practices, but he cares very much about this city and his company,” she took another big swig of wine, finishing off the glass. Her temper and frustration level was rising, feeding off the anxiety she felt from Xavier’s comments. She toyed with her wedding ring. It felt tighter than usual.

              Hampton Ray swallowed the food in his mouth, “I would agree with you Jon, from all my run in with him, Larynx seems very manipulative, and power hungry. As if he develops relationships and “friendships” merely to either drop the name, or simply to know he could, if necessary, potentially leverage that relationship for his own personal gain. I’ve seen it a couple times through some of his past female relationships. I don’t know if can say I trust him,” he shook his head. “I’ve worked with stockbrokers and investors, some of the slimiest people on earth and I still don’t trust him. That’s saying something.”

              All the people around the table laughed, except Rachel who merely swirled the wine around in her cup. Her ring finger throbbed. The table was silent, when Xavier nonchalantly commented, “There is something interesting about that man. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I just get a negative vibe from him. I’m not going to say I don’t like him, but I think you hit it right on the head Ray. I, I just don’t trust him,” he pointed to Hampton with his fork.

              Breathing hard now, Rachel put her cup down. She stood up, checked her watch, and said, “Please excuse me, I suddenly don’t feel very well. Please take care, and I will see all of you very soon.” Scurrying away from the table a tear rolled down her face, as she thrashed through the house and up into her bathroom. Locking the door she leaned against the vanity, her mind racing. She felt like throwing up. Her mind quickly ran to the times her and Eric were together and for the first time began to question his motives. He recent dropping of the L word, and all of their interactions had brought her to trust him. Trust him so deeply. Now things seemed to be changing. Her finger burned, as she clawed at the ring. Taking it off, she dropped into a cup alongside the sink. Her mind raced. And every other second she thought of Larynx, and their fooling around. It was instantly followed by an image of Xavier. She couldn’t stop it. It kept creeping back into her mind. Rolling into a full-blown sob, she attempted to steady her breathing. Struggling to figure out whether she was angry or anxious, nervous or scared, her mind was racing with thoughts, ideas, and feelings she had never really felt before.

              There was a knock on the door, and Xavier asked if she were all right. Saying yes and attempting to clean herself up, she played it off, claiming her stomach was upset or something. Xavier left to rejoin the party and she slumped back onto the vanity. Calming her breathing and clearing the tears from her eyes she looked at the seal in the massive shower in the mirror’s reflection. The Seal of Virtagwalla shined as brightly as ever, as did the national motto. She closed her eyes to attempt to regain her composure, and all Rachel could see in her mind was the national motto:
Virtagwalla - Gold from the beginning, to the very end
. Falling to the tile floor, she glared up at the bright skylights, still illuminated by the setting sun. Forgetting completely about her guests, she focused everything on the thoughts at hand. ‘How could they say that about Eric? They just don’t know him like I do!’ she attempted to convince herself. ‘But was it possible he is using me just to have leverage over Xavier?’ She would allow the thought to creep into her mind, but quickly beat it back. A tear fell down her face again. She felt as though her perfect life was falling apart around her. She knew nothing of who she was anymore, and all she kept thinking about was the motto of the nation she was beginning to realize she never really loved in the first place.

17

              The view from Harry Kingston’s office usually soothed his racing mind. However it was not helping at the moment. The tropical rains batted against the steel and glass towers of Ponchertrain. Staring out his window, his arms behind his back, Kingston was grappling with how to proceed. The Virtagwallan Parliament had once again come to him with a massive financing venture. They wanted him to buy $10 billion more in National bonds.  The office was silent, except the moving hand on his watch, which produced the faintest of sounds and the soft patter of the raindrops sloshing against his windows. Folders and papers were splattered across his desk; a brilliant physical representation of the frustration and anxiety he was facing.

              At a quarter past four his office phone started ringing. His heart fell to the floor for it was the phone call he had been waiting for all afternoon.

              Answering the phone, his secretary announced that she had Edmond Whidbey on the other line. Telling her to connect him, Kingston prepared himself for what he was about to hear.

              “Good afternoon Edmond,” Kingston attempted to get out, but his boss’s raging temper was too overpowering.

              “What the fuck are you doing?” the boss raged, “God damn it Kingston just approve the damn bonds!” Whidbey scowled through the phone.

              “But sir I think we really need to talk about this,” Kingston argued grabbing a sheet of paper from his desk.

              “What do we need to talk about Harry? In my mind this shouldn’t even be a questioning time. The National Government has come to us to buy their bonds, and that is what we do. We loan the National Government of Virtagwalla money. We have been loaning them money for decades. It is not a hard process,” Whidbey growled through the phone.

              “Well then sir where do you want me to find this $10 billion dollars? If we take it out of the liquid financing account GEI-820ez, we will overdraw that line of credit,” he sighed, “And may I remind you that we have already been denied our request for additional funds on that line.”

              “Mr. Kingston this is your god damn job to figure out the logistics of these deals. I don’t care where the money comes from, just find it!” Whidbey’s frustration becoming more apparent as the conversation persisted.

              “That’s just it sir. I have talked to the controller and the treasurer about this. If we buy these bonds we will push ourselves dangerously close to insolvency,” Kingston gulped, “And insolvency is what brought down all those banks in the United States, and that is what tripped the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s investigation into the UBB.”

              “Talk about investigation,” Whidbey yelled, “The National Government thinks that everything is hunky-dory over here at the VMB. Now with the lay offs at VirtGold the government has already expressed they will be keeping a close eye on all healthy businesses – including and especially ours. If we don’t buy these bonds, they will suspect something, and launch an audit.”

              “But we aren’t all hunky-dory! We are teetering on collapse Edmond,” Kingston attempted to explain.

              “Mr. Kingston let me make something very clear,” Whidbey calmed yet held firm with a tone of fury, “The VMB is on sturdy ground. You however, Mr. Kingston, are toeing a dangerous line. If you can’t perform these simple tasks outlined in your job description than maybe I should find someone that can. Do I make myself dramatically clear?”

              Harry took a deep breath, “Yes sir.”

              Edmond Whidbey paused for another short period, “Oh, and Harry let me not remind you whose name and face is all over these bond deals? Who forged the ledgers and committed fraud in the first place? You. So if you want to stay out of jail by keeping the government’s nose out of our business than I suggest you do your damn job. Or I will have you turned into authorities faster than you can blink!”

              The line went dead. Harry was leaning over his desk, the phone lying limply in his hand. Putting it slowly back into its cradle, Harry looked back outside. The rain was rolling down the window, as Kingston slumped against his desk, falling to the floor. Staring at the door, he wondered how it had gotten to this point. How he had allowed his life to become so messed up. He looked up at his wall and saw the picture of his son and wife smiling back at him. He closed his eyes, and cried.

18

              Xavier descended from the stage of the Virtagwallan Civic Center’s main ballroom. He had just completed one of his many public appearances that were part of his duties as the Larynx-Riddle Harmony Prize recipient. Rove was finding it hard to stay focused as the gala roared around him. Every couple months he was obligated to come and address the donators and guests of the Larynx-Riddle Foundation. This one in particular was raising money to assist in the endowment of the wildly successful Larynx-Riddle Charter Schools. Xavier had approached the speech from the angle that education is ‘generally a good thing’. He also added in things about the foundation he established, and how all of the five billion dollars rose thus far was being invested into an endowment, which would hopefully within a couple months yield promising returns. Peter Riddle had regained the stage and was droning on about how the prodigies that he and Eric Larynx were single handedly saving (with everyone else’s money that was) were doing great things in the world on the island and abroad.

              Approaching the snack table, Rove piled his plate up with some toasted ravioli and florets of broccoli smothered in dressing. Turning to grab a fork he accidently nudged a young woman.

              “I’m sorry miss, I was just attempting to grab a fork,” he said reaching around the young lady.

              She turned revealing her unorthodox beauty. The woman’s thin frame and rather attractive smile seemed extremely familiar to Rove, “Oh my apologies Mr. President, let me get out of your way. How are you?”

              Pausing for a moment and remembering who it was, “I am doing just fine, thank you for asking,” pausing briefly, “Tanya Handel, right?”

              Smiling and looking up, “Yes that is me sir. We met at the party before the football game a couple months back,” she said nodding her head.

              Walking away from the table together, “I remember. That was, ah, quite the game if I remember it.”

              She pulled her hair back behind her ear, “Yes it was sir.”

              “And, ah,” Xavier was overwhelmed with one question so he had to ask it, “you are still with Sylvester I presume.”

              She stammered slightly, “Ugh, yes I am sir.”

              Stopping and looking at her, “I have to ask, its been bothering me since I first met you. And it probably isn’t appropriate for me to be asking you this, but I’m the President, and I feel I have the executively nosey privilege to do so,” he dropped his tone from a whisper to barely audible, “how can you sleep with that man? I mean isn’t it like sleeping with a beached whale or something?”

              She smiled awkwardly and looked down at her feet, “Oh Mr. President I don’t know if I am comfortable talking to you about this.”

              Smiling and gobbling up ravioli, “Well if you don’t tell me than I will just have to start asking around. I mean my wife is a department chair at the University, plus I am sure I have the power to look up your permanent record. I mean I am the President for Pete’s sake.”

              She looked at him with a scared look on her face, “Could you really look up my permanent record?”

              Shaking his head, and lying, “No, at least I don’t think so.”

              “Oh good. You wouldn’t find much under Tanya Handel anyways, that is merely my stage name,” she said starting to walk again.

              “Stage name? Isn’t that kind of like a code name? Because if so than mine would be Gold Eagle,” Rove prodded, a bit jokingly, in order to break the awkward tension.

              “Really why so?” she asked.

              “Because that’s what the National Guard refers to me as,” he smiled, “At least it isn’t as bad as Hampton Ray. The call him the Red Badger,” the two of them snickered, “Anyway, why do you have a stage name?”

              “I want to be an actress,” the young woman explained, “Mr. President can I tell you a secret but you can’t tell anyone. Alright?”

              Rove stopped and smiled, “I just told you one of mine, why would you think I am not a fantastic secret keeper?”

              She blushed, her natural beauty only being accentuated, “I am with Sylvester Chamberlain because he said that I had to be if I wanted his help.”

              “His help, what can he help you with?” Rove asked bewildered.

              “Mr. Chamberlain has many connections, he is a very spread out man,” she said quickly and softly.

              “Isn’t that the truth?” Rove quipped sarcastically.

              “I mean he’s very networked. He said that with him he would help me launch my acting career. He knows a guy up in Hollywood, and has been attempting to get in contact with him to help me out. I find that kind of power very attractive” she said, her eyes sparkling.

              “So let me get this straight: you are sleeping with a University Chancellor, your University’s Chancellor nonetheless, in order to get ahead in the acting world?” Rove asked attempting to connect all the dots, “And you are okay with this?”

              “Well sure, Tanya Handel is the desperate actor,” she winked, “But Tanya Chronic is the smart one that continually denies Mr. Chamberlain what he wants until she get’s what she wants.”

              Rove nearly stopped breathing, “Ah, so your real name is Tanya Chronic then I presume?”

              “Yes sir,” she nodded again, “Mr. Chamberlain said that I would have an opportunity to meet with this guy he has in Hollywood in about a month’s time. I really hope he’s right.”

              “I do too Tanya,” Rove noted sympathetically. “Tanya, I have another question for ya. Your father isn’t by chance Fredrick Chronic, the new president of the Republic Power Company is he?”

              She closed her eyes and screwed up her face, “Unfortunately he is. Why do you want to talk to me about him too! That’s all Sylvester does. Blah, blah, blah your father, blah, blah, blah he is so amazing.”

              “Chamberlain talks to you about him?” Rove was becoming more and more confused.

              Tanya rolled her eyes, “Yes that seems to be all he talks to me about. I want to talk to him about acting, about something I care about. But overtime it has moved away from anything fun to talk about, and has become focused so much on my father, and how he and Chamberlain were going to be rich men very soon.”

              Rove could barely understand or interpret what he was hearing. He’s idle chatter alongside the snack table had developed very interestingly, “How are they going to become rich? One is president of a bankrupting company nearly under government control, and one is the Chancellor of nearly bankrupt university.”

              “See this is exactly what I mean, always wanting to talk about my father. And Sylvester. We never talk about me, or my dreams, or anything I anything I want to talk about,” Tanya sighed, drooping her shoulders, “I don’t know how they are going to become rich. It has nothing to do with me being an actress I can tell you that.”

“So they never talk about you?” Rove felt kinda bad for the girl.

“NO! They are always just going on about aurum thing, and VORC that. To me its all jibberish.”

              Rove dropped his plate, and grabbed her shoulders, “Did you just say Aurum?”

              Her eyes expanded with fear, “Yes sir. Mr. President, are you alright?”

              Letting her go, Xavier turned threading his finger’s through his hair. Turning back towards Tanya, “How is your father and Chamberlain connected to Aurum?”

              Her eyes scanned back and forth, “I, I don’t know,” she began to panic. Rove could sense her unease, and without more than an excuse me she scurried away. Rove may have become too swept with his own curiosity to remember he was supposed to be talking about the young woman and her dreams. She was long gone, when his mind was able to wrap around what was happening and how things were becoming murkier by the minute. Yet even through his confusion, his excitement drove him.

              Rove was breathing deeply. He had lost complete focus of what was going on around him. His mind had sorted through the confusion, and settled on one thing. One facet of all the mess, the chaos around him, the collapsing and scandals and fragments that seemed to be circling his life was finally beginning to make sense. He needed to vocalize it. To share it! Or he might lose it forever, never to be found again. Rushing to the door, he busted out of it, Knaub following him.

              “Mr. President where are you going?” Knaub hollered from behind him, his hand resting on his gun. “Is everything alright?”

              Turning to the Guardsman, his cell phone up to his ear, “Knaub, get the car we need to get back to Capital Tower!”

              The Guardsman dashed away when Ray answered the phone, “Xavier, what’s up?”

              “Chamberlain and Chronic are connected to Aurum!” he boldly spoke into the phone. He explained what had just unfolded, and the startling revelations he had stumbled upon. As Knaub pulled the SUV around he walked towards the door, “Oh and one last thing. I am on my way back to Capital Tower. I need you to find out something else. Find out for me what VORC is. She mentioned it as well. I have never heard of it before. Is it another company?”

              Ray sighed and said he would jump right on it. Rove climbed into the SUV, clinging the phone in his hand. Cruising away from the brilliantly illuminated Civic Center, Rove’s mind was racing.