Page 16 of Rio (Knight Empire #3)

“He thinks I should be back at the law firm, doing expensive billable work, instead of pro bono work. I shouldn’t have told you that.” I don’t know why the words tumbled out so easily. She’s a client and it’s wrong, but there’s something about Alma which makes me feel like I’m talking to a friend.

“More of that capitalist greed,” she murmurs.

We turn down a sandy lane, along a row of little bungalows all painted in different colors. There are different shades of blue, sunny yellows and corals, mint greens and different shades of pink, all brightening the already vibrant landscape.

She brings the car to a stop before killing the engine.

“Are we here?” I look around at what seems to be a residential street.

“Welcome to our HQ.”

“HQ?”

“Our headquarters. It’s not an office, but a residential home which serves as our base. I’ll show you around, and later I’ll take you to wherever you’re staying.”

I decide to leave my luggage in the car and follow her into what looks like a modest bungalow.

“This is nice. Very homely.” I look around to see a large table full of paperwork, with two smaller tables facing the window. A handful of people are working conscientiously. They don’t even notice us walk in.

“We don’t spend money on corporate buildings and headquarters. This is more than enough for us.”

“It feels like home.” I nod as she introduces me as “Raquel from the Miami law firm” to the handful of people there. They turn around and we nod and acknowledge one another.

“Take a look at these.” She walks over to the large table, where everything is spread out and arranged just so, for me. “This is what I was telling you about—the evidence that’s come in.”

I take a seat, then look through photos and the documents that are spread across the table. Exhibits that are painful to look at. Pictures of uprooted mangroves, their twisted roots piled like rubbish at the edge of the construction zone.

I’m haunted by the photo of a young child holding a bucket of water so murky it looks like oil.

Test results showed it wasn’t just undrinkable, it was toxic.

My throat constricts, as I gaze at the next photo.

This shows fragments of dead coral washed ashore and bleached a deathly white.

This so-called “eco resort” pushed through permits fast. It would be laughable, if it weren’t deadly.

My insides shake with rage because the people paying the price aren’t the ones signing the deals. They won’t benefit one iota.

It's not the first time I’ve seen this. The damage is the same, but it’s a different country. Another paradise that is desecrated. And behind it? Another greedy corporation who thinks it can get away with it.

“I’d like to take you to the coastline later so you can see the damage for yourself,” Alma says, pushing her thick, black framed spectacles up. “I need to tell you something.” She pauses.

“Tell me what?” A jolt of panic shoots through me because I know that look, and I know it’s not something I’m going to like.

“Initially we said this was going to be a fact-finding trip. A legal review, but we actually want to pursue an injunction.”

My heart sinks. “An injunction?” This is not good. Not good at all. I can hear Pierce’s disapproval already.

“We’ve decided.”

“I thought you wanted some legal advisory help.” I run a hand over the back of my neck, feeling the heat and sweat, but my temperature just went up a few degrees.

“We did initially, but the damage is too much. It’s too far gone, Raquel. These companies don’t learn. We want to make a scapegoat of this one. Delport Realty. They’re the people behind the eco resort. We believe an injunction is necessary.”

I try to find the right thing to say, or why I don’t recommend this course of action, but it’s not the right thing to do.

My gaze falls on the photos in front of me again and I know that I need to fight for these people.

I can’t walk away. Pierce can find someone else to take care of the Santos arbitration.

It isn’t ideal, but neither would walking away from this case be.

I’d hate myself. “This does look bad,” I agree.

“And I … I understand your concerns. I’ll need to go out and inspect the damage. ”

“We can do that tomorrow, and you’ll see with your own eyes.”

I let out a sigh, bracing myself for the repercussions back in Miami. “The resort is due to open in a month, am I right?” I pull out my documents from my leather satchel.

“Yes.”

“This could raise plausibility concerns. Why now?”

“We didn’t have enough evidence before, but satellite images from last week show dead fish washing up, and the water samples prove irreparable harm. We have a case now, where we didn’t before. This might work better. It will teach them a better lesson.”

My thoughts are all over the place. “A better lesson?”

“The closer they are to opening, the more it will cost them to stop. We have leverage, Raquel. That’s pressure.”

“You should have been a lawyer, Alma.” She’s tactically savvy, and she’s making it harder for me to find fault with the injunction.

“That’s why you’re here.” She pushes her spectacles up again, before sitting back in her chair, watching me closely.

“I sense that you’re having an internal battle with yourself, and I know you weren’t expecting this.

Are you worried about your boss?” She always seems to tune into my thoughts and can read me like an X-ray machine.

I try to sidestep the question. “I’m thinking of how that changes things. The scope of the work, and of course, I’ll have to let Pierce, my boss, know.”

“We’re putting our trust in you, Raquel.”

I shift on the hard wooden chair, feeling unsure.

This isn’t what I agreed to do. Pierce won’t approve.

He won’t like this one bit. But my conscience won’t let me walk away.

Filing an injunction would be an act of courage.

It would be the right thing to do. I agree with everything Alma has said, and looking at these photos only cements that thought.

“I wish you’d told me upfront.”

“I’m sorry for telling you this now, but we only made this decision yesterday. We do need to act now. The damage is happening faster than we thought and construction of this eco resort has already damaged the local ecosystem. Delaying the injunction could make the harm irreversible..”

“I understand your reasons.” I run the scenario through my mind. I was supposed to observe and maybe write a summary.

“Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing to do. If you can’t do this, I completely understand.” Alma’s eyes, wise and all-knowing, stare back at me. Walking away now would be an act of weakness.

“This matters to me, but, Pierce ... he might need convincing.” I don’t want to say anything negative about my boss or the law firm.

“Let me ask you plainly, Raquel. Are you a lawyer who cares about this, or someone who just wants to put it on her résumé?”

This woman reminds me of every reason I became a lawyer in the first place.

Clearly, this is no longer some basic environmental due diligence.

Now, I’m going to have to build a solid legal case with urgency, precision, and verifiable data.

I’m going to need evidence of damage, declarations and affidavits from affected parties.

“We have a lot of the information you’ll need,” she says, reading my mind. “We’ve been putting it together, preparing for the worst. All you have to do is put it all together.”

I’ll still need to verify everything. I’ll still need to carry out interviews, visit the construction site, and venture out to inspect the damage. It’s still so much more work than I planned for. Not that I’m afraid of hard work.

I inhale a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

“You’re fully on board?”

I don’t blame her for needing to doublecheck.

“I am.” Even though I’m caught off guard and didn’t come mentally prepared for litigation. I feel guilty, because I came here thinking it would be a short break and already can tell that it’s going to be nothing of the sort.