Draven Ines:
I put down my cup of coffee and return to reading the new proposal.
"This can't be right," I think as I keep reading. "If this is passed, then medical clinics all over the city will lose funding and hospital will be overflowing with patients. No."
I slam the proposal close and throw it into my trashcan. Grabbing my cup of coffee, I swallow the whole thing before also throwing the empty cup into my trashcan. Once I do, I get up and leave my office. Entering the hallway, I nod my head toward my friends and colleagues.
"Hello, Councilman Draven," one of my friends says as he passes me.
"Hello, Gavin," I say with a nod of my head. I walk past him and toward Councilman Dolon's office. I enter his office and slam the door shut.
"Councilman Draven," Councilman Dolon says, smiling as he spreads out his arms and lends back. "How can I help you today?"
Noticing piles of papers in front of him, I start sifting through them. Councilman Dolon didn't even try to stop me. Eventually, I find what I'm looking for.
"What is this," I yell, holding up the same proposal I threw away. "Why would you even propose this? Are you serious?"
"I am," Councilman Dolon says. He lends forward, still smiling. "It's not bad, right?"
"Wrong. This is bad. This is horrible. What is wrong with you?"
"Excuse me?"
Councilman Dolon's smile finally disappears. He gets up from his desk and stares me down.
"Excuse me," he repeats.
I place my own two hands on Dolon's desk and stare right back at him.
"I asked what is wrong with you."
I bring the proposal up between the two of us.
"What you're asking for is to shut down medical clinics all over the city. Why? Why would you ask for something so irrational?"
Councilman Dolon shakes his head and snatches the proposal out of my hand. He gently places it back on his desk.
"Do you know how many medicinal clinics there are all over this city?"
Councilman Dolon turns around and points out toward his window.
"There's one less than five miles from city hall and one less than three miles from that one. There are too many clinics around here. They're a drain on the taxpayers' money. I'm not suggesting we shut down all of them. Just a few."
"How many is a few," I ask.
It's subtle. It's easy to miss. If I wasn't me, then anyone else would have missed it, but for a brief second, for only a brief second, I see Councilman Dolon's flinches. He recovered fast but I know what I saw.
"Councilman Draven," Councilman Dolon says, pulling back and adjusting his suit. "Excuse me but I'm afraid I need to leave now. I have a meeting with someone."
He walks around the desk but when he reaches for the door, I grab his arm and pull him close.
"This isn't over," I whisper.
"Oh, I think it is," Councilman Dolon replies, snapping out of my grip. "Please get out of my office."
Dolon grabs the door and holds it open. He points toward the hallway, and I leave. I look back at Dolon as he leaves his own office and locks the door.
"See you soon," Councilman Dolon says, walking away.
I shake my head as Councilman Dolon disappears around a corner. As much as I want to keep talking with him, I too have a meeting with someone. I turn and walk away, heading for the parking lot. Getting into my car, I drive as fast as I can to my brother's house.
Parking in front, I get out and walk over to the front door. It takes only a second after I push the doorbell that the front door open and I see Rosabella.
"Rose," I say, spreading out my arms and hugging my sister-in-law. Rose smiles and hugs me back.
"Draven," Rose says after we split. "How are you? What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean what am I doing here," I ask. I pull from behind a wrapped present. "I'm here for Ticha's birthday. Did you think I wouldn't come to my own niece's birthday?"
"Honestly," Raymond says as he comes from behind Rose and gives her a kiss on the lip. "Yes. I figure you, the busy councilman, wouldn't have time to visit us."
I let out a chuckle.
"Yeah, I'll admit. I am a little busier than usual thanks to a certain councilman but hey, that doesn't mean I'm going to miss this."
I hear footsteps running up to us and look past Raymond and Rose. Coming up from behind them is Ticha. She smiles when she sees me.
"Uncle Draven," Ticha says, pushing past Raymond and Rose and giving me a hug. "Hey. Long time no see."
"It hadn't been that long," I say, pulling back. "At the very most, it had been a few months. Hey, I got you something. Happy birthday, Ticha."
I give Ticha her present.
"Uncle Draven," Ticha says with a chuckle. "Thanks but you know I'm officially 18 years old now. Right?"
"I'll take it back if you don't want it."
I try to grab the present but Ticha steps back.
"Nevermind," she says, running up the stairs. However, before disappearing, she turns back toward me.
"Thank you," she says with a smile and a nod.
I nod my head as well.
"So any plan for tonight," I ask. Raymond opens his mouth, about to say something, but before he can, both his and Rose's phones go off at the same time.
"Hello," Raymond answers.
"This is Detective Rosabella," Rose says.
They listen closely before they hang up.
"Work?"
"Work," Raymond says with a nod. "There's something going on. Some sort of weird lights. They need us to check them out."
"Ticha," Rosabella shouts. "I'm sorry honey but we have to go."
"Okay," Ticha says, her head popping out from over the railing. "I understand. Stay safe, mom and dad."
"I'm sorry Draven," Raymond says, "But-"
I put up my hands and step to the side.
"Go," I say. "Save the city, little brother."
Raymond and Rosabella smile at me as they grab their coats and blasters and head for their car. Meanwhile, I say bye to Ticha and leave. I head home and call it a night.
During the next few months, it's a fight between Councilman Dolon and myself as we try to convince the other members how to vote on the new proposal. Somehow, Councilman Dolon managed to convince two other councilmen to vote yes, meaning it's now three versus two. Outvoted, I can only lower my head in shame as I watch one medical clinic closed after the next.
"Dolon," I yell, stomping into the city hall's lunchroom. Everyone stops eating and turns to look at me as I approach him. Dolon must have expected me because while he was eating, two men in black suits are standing over him. The second they see me, they run and hold me back.
"Dolon," I yell, struggling to push back his hired thugs. "You bastard! What did you do? What did you do?"
"Whatever are you talking about," Dolon smiles as he enjoys his lunch.
"Don't play dumb," I yell. "I know what you did. I know. Tell me. Tell me where my brother is. Tell me where my sister-in-law is. Where did you take Ticha?"
Dolon stops eating.
"Okay. Seriously now. What are you talking about?"
I feel everything in me boiling. My vision starts to turn red and a crosshair appears, with Dolon's head right in the center.
His thugs still holding onto me, I pull back my head and headbutt one of them. He screams as he lets me go and steps back. One arm free, I punch his other thug and knock him into a table. Free now, I charge toward Dolon.
Despite getting up and trying to run, I jump over the table and pull him down.
"I know everything," I yell, grabbing his neck collar and shaking him. "I know everything. That proposal to shut down those clinics. It was all for money."
"You can't prove that," Dolon shouts back. He grabs my hand but I punch him across the face.
"This isn't over," I say, pulling his face close. I punch him across the face again, knocking him to the floor. His thugs recovering and running over to me, I grab the chair Dolon was sitting on and throw it at them. While they push themselves up, I run for the window. I brace myself as I jump through.