Chapter 3

“Congratulations guys. That interview was a hit.” Jack ‘Jackey’ Blum, the chief editor for  Solidarity news said excitedly. He was greying middle aged Irish man who wore suspenders and had his sleeves rolled up exposing the hairs on his arms.

The crew had just got back from Afghanistan, after dropping Esin and her daughters off to deal with their immigration, they had taken a plane to New York and then a cab here.

“The people do love to see solidary amongst the working class.” Sam said as he downed a beer.

“What about you Leon?”

Leon was hard at work on his laptop trying to edit and make footages of the interview that they would be using later for the tonight news segment.

“I’m just glad we got outta there in one piece,” He said. “Afghan isn’t safe anymore.”

“Miss Esin seemed to have been living there fine,” Jack winked. “Maybe you could learn a thing or two from her.”

“But she isn’t living there now,” Leon pointed out. “Also has anyone figured out who was the anonymous dude that got her a visa.”

“My sources at the White House aren’t saying anything.” Jack confessed.

“Does it matter,” Sam said. “They probably don’t want the attention.”

“Sam, when you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you find out that everyone wants attention.”

“I’m glad we picked Angela for this,” Sam said. “She almost got herself killed trying to get those drugs for Esin’s daughter.”

“It buttered Esin right up.” Jack said as he began thinking up several pieces that could be written about Esin’s experience, he was already planning another trip to find more people to interview.

“Angela and Esin stole the show,” Lana said causally as she sank into the white sofa. “And now I can finally get a shower.”

“Speaking of Angela. Where is she?” Jack asked.

Angela was at St Monica hospital visiting her mother who was suffering from cancer, she hadn’t seen her in months due to the constant travelling.

As she entered the sterile hospital room, she was greeted with rows of bed of sick patients. She quickly spotted her mother. She placed the flowers she had brought into the vase facing her mom.

Angela carefully stroke her sleeping mother cheeks.

“I’m back mom,” Angela said in a soothing voice. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been around for you.”

“It’s fine,” Angela’s mother said slowly and painfully. “I’m just glad you’re back.”

“How you feeling?”

“The doctors told me they were going to try chemotherapy for my condition.” Her mother explained with her sore voice.

“How much will that cost?” Angela said asked.

“It’s nothing you should worry yourself about.” Said the mother, wheezing and trying to avoid coughing.

“Mama. Tell me.” Angela insisted, her eyes pleaded with her mother.

“For my special case which is due to a complication. I’m gonna need 500k dollars to get started.”

“When is it starting?” Angela asked.

“As soon as I pay for the treatment.”

“Where are we gonna get that kind of money, especially in time?” Angela said.

It was a rhetorical question, they knew they couldn’t get that’s kind of money easily.

“I just need a big scoop,” Angela said to her soon losing consciousness mother. “ Something that I can monetize.”

“Angela… this is why I didn’t want to say anything,” her mother coughed. “Don’t worry about me. Live a life that isn’t tethered to me.”

“Mom. You’re the only I have-“ Angela. Her mother had already let sleep claim her and she didn’t respond.

“I’ll find a way. I promise.” Angela gave her mother a kiss on the forehead.

Angela went back to Solidarity news searching for a news worthy story that could pay for her treatment when she got her next paycheck, the hottest right now was Afghanistan but she doubt she would going back anytime soon, she was looking for secondary issues that mattered but no one was covering.

“What are you looking for?” asked Tony Law. Tony was a journalist just like Angela and he looked up to her ever since he interned here before finally getting a job.

“Looking for a story,” Angela said without looking up from her computer, she would have tuned out Tony but the kid usually had some interesting story leads that could be followed. “Got anything for me.”

“Depends on what you’re looking for.” He took out a bunch of folders from his desk and laid them on her desk.

“Homicide involving police brutality?”

“No. I think McGinnis is already covering that.”

“This is about some teenage girls who got raped by their cult leader.”

“I’ll consider that.” Angela said. On a normal day she would have  jumped at the opportunity to have those girls’ story heard but right now she was only focused on her mother’s declining health.

“Well that’s all I got. Jack got most of focusing on another interview.”

“What happened?” Angela asked.

“Drake Griffin showed up on RCS news. Brian ripped him to shreds.” Tony said with sadistic glee.

“Finally. At least someone’s keeping that asshole accountable when our government isn’t.”

“They slapped him a couple of billion dollar fines.”

Angela scoffed. “To a man like him. Those are pocket changes.”

“Maybe but if you want something news worthy, that’s all we got.”

“I’ll think about it.” Angela informed him. Tony nodded and went back to his desk.

Angela continued her search, she even watched some of the footage taken from the interview with Drake. She felt happy to see such a man berated for all his misdeeds.

Her phone rang as she was engrossed in the thirtieth hit piece on Drake. She looked at the number and didn’t recognize it.

“Hello?” She said into her phone.

“Can we meet?” The voice said back. “It’s very important.”

No stranger to having her line called by anonymous strangers or whistle blowers. Angela agreed and set the time and venue.

She decided on a shopping mall, it was in the late afternoon, the reason for her decision was that malls were public and people could see them and if things went south, she could easily lose anyone in the crowd.

She waited by the food court, her Burnette hair tied into a pony tail, she looked stunning and dangerous. She checked her phone again, the person she was supposed to meet was running extremely late and she was considering just leaving thinking this was an elaborate prank.

But she stayed, hungry for a scent of a story that would go viral.

A light tapping on her shoulder caused her to turn and she was met face to face with a tall, bald man of slender built dressed in a black suit. His face was stretched so tight, it resembled a skull.

They sat down on the chairs.

“Miss Matters?” The stranger asked, to which Angela affirmed that she was. “Good. My name is Mr. Soprano.”

“And not even a minute in and you’ve lied to me.” Angela sneered.

The man was taken aback but he smiled. “I don’t understand what you mean?”

“You shouldn’t lie to me about your identity unless you had something to hide.”

“Well not to hide but to  discover,” Mr. Soprano said. “Have you ever read ‘Ignited: The story of a comet made man.”

Angela nodded.

“Where did you read it?”

“I wrote it.” She said curtly, already was beginning to distrust the man, he knew about the book she had ghost written before for a billionaire writer. That job had allowed her to pay her way through college.

“That’s a shame. It’s a really splendid book.” Soprano complimented her.

Angela didn’t say anything.

“Can I ask a personal question?” Mr. Soprano said politely.

After getting a nod from her, he continued. “Why leave ghost writing for journalism? You would have been living more comfortably if you had stuck to it.”

“It was fine but as a kid I was always hungry for the truth and journalism provided that. It gave me purpose.” Angela told the stranger.

“The truth is never really simple.” Mr. Soprano mused to himself.

“That’s my job then, as a journalist,” Angela blurted out. “To make the truth as simple as possible.”

“Splendid, that’s the kind of determination,” Soprano said. “That I and the people I represent are looking for.”

“Who do you represent?”

“I’m afraid I can’t divulge that information.” He said without missing a beat.

“Is the job illegal?”

“It toes a grey line.” Soprano leaned in. “What do you know about Drake Griffin?”