"Your honour, permission to treat the witness with hostility." A petite woman in her late twenties and white blonde hair demanded, marching back to her table with a source of energy that could terrify an elite military group and grabbed the source of paper she needed. Her shoes echoed around the large oak walls of the court. It walls carved with splendid decoration and the words to the law written along the top of the columns. There was a slight buzz of conversation between journalists and interns watching from behind the short wall the blocked them off from the debate that was happening right in front of them.
"Permission granted." The lawyer heard the old judge with a balding head and in his late fifties answer. Over a week ago, police found evidence that Lord Maxwell (a corrupted crime lord) had smuggled over half a billion worth amount of drugs, slaves and private weapons, it was only later that the investigators found out that Maxwell had slaughter the crew to keep them silent. Whatever, reason he had brought them for Tia didn't want to know but it was her job to finish him off and lock this sick bastard behind bars where he belonged. Ten minutes before the court session began the defence lawyer (Marvin Dent) had come up with a surprised witness. She tried her best to get rid of him but ten minute warnings were enough. Dirty little trick! Tia cursed at the snake dressed up in a Italian suit and called himself a lawyer, as she undid the top button of her shirt to tried and calm herself down in the warm room but with no success, a cold bead of swear dripped down her forehead. For fifteen minutes the people's attorney had to listen to this druggie off the streets say that he was the master mind behind all of it. They could have at least found someone better, the blonde woman considered to herself. This is nothing more than a waste of time! The ambassadors daughter though. As more and more questions were being asked and unanswered, Tia's feelings towards the witness turned from annoyance to suspicion. What's really going on? Tia wondered, knowing there was more to it than just wasting her time. Grabbing the two pieces of paper she was looking for; bonus an extra pen and paper, she made her way over to the witness stand.
"Write your signature on this please." She ordered, barely keeping the politeness in her voice. The drug addict took a moment to catch up with reality before following her instructions. Once he was done, Tia showed the difference between the witnesses signature and Maxwell signature on the contract. After explaining to the jury that the two signatures were too different to come from the same man.
"Your honour I object." Mr Dent stood up from his seat, the man's slimy, clear voice echoing through the large chamber room. "I can honestly say say the signature on that contract does not match his signatures on our agreements." A sly smirk appeared on his face like he thought he had just won; really he had just fallen into Tia's trap.
"Really Mr Dent?" The woman answered sweetly, holding up the other piece she had with her to the jury. "This signature was signed by Maxwell last night at the club just around the corner." She smiled, grabbing a list her assistant had just handed to her and placed it on the judges desks. "This is a list of witnesses that can testify that the signature..."
"Objection your honour!" Mr Dent rudely interrupted again and also approached the judges desk. Before he had a chance to protest his clients rights, Tia spoke.
"I must remind Mr Dent that the evidence I have collected is supported by analyst experts and witnesses that have all been used in lie detectors tests, meaning whatever Maxwell's signature used on his agreements were false and has no claims to any civil rights acts." The information that Tia had given left the room in silence, as they waited for the high court's decision.
"Miss de Medic is corrected Mr Dent, the evidence will be allowed to stand in court." The judge happily informed Tia. Now all we have to do now is pray, she thought to herself, as the junkie was taken off the stand and back to the seating area where the other witnesses sat (though the other people here to give testimony tried to move away from him because he smelt so bad) meanwhile, the jury members left the room to debate their decision and the judge left to get a quick cup of coffee. The lawyer had spent most of her own money and time securing the protection of the jury members and their close family and friends. Not to mention, getting the right men and women to guard these people. It was rumoured that Maxwell had dirty cops working the system and Tia was having no chances letting them get to those people discussing the crime lords fate; whether through threats or money. At the moment she tried to sit back in her chair and looked relaxed so it didn't seem like she was stressed or worried – especially in front of her opposition. It didn't really help that the lord was sending her dirty lustful looks; it was common information that Lord Maxwell liked roughing woman up. If she wasn't in a court room right now she would have thrown her middle finger up at him. Please, please, please, the young lawyer begged secretly within herself, as she waited for the jury members to make a decision. It seemed like hours had shot past but in reality it had only been about twenty minutes for the men and women come back into the room. Everyone stood up as they waited for the jury to settle back in and for the judge to reclaim his chair. "Have the jury reached a verdict?" The old man in charge called out for the hundredth time in his career. The blonde lady watched frantically as she watched the dark skinned woman at the far end of the bench stand up. The jury member was in her let forties, a mother of two heading towards twelve years of marriage next month and a nurse at Genesis Hospital. The woman was tough and Tia liked her a lot.
"We do your honour." The woman's smooth voiced floated over the hall. Unable to keep her hands under control, Tia brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear but she could feel her assistant next to her could not easily hide her anxiousness as well as Tia could. Poor girl, Tia thought, as she took a deep breath and watched the woman in front of her unwrap the piece of paper that held the answers in front of her. "We find the defendant, Ronald Maxwell guilty on three different accounts of violations against human civil rights, smuggling and first degree murder." Sighs relief echoed through the hall after hearing this. A large smile of triumph spread across her face from ear to ear. What she really wanted to do was jump up and down with joy but reminded herself that she a reputation to maintain. However, if she had the time later she might sneak off to the bathroom and do a happy dance there. The only people in the room that weren't happy at the moment were Mr Dent and his client. Sneaking a quick peek over to the two wealthy men she could see that they were already discussing ways of getting them out of the situation. Good luck next time, Tia hummed to herself, as she was forced to shake everyone's hand. It was now modern day procedure to go to the eye witness bench and shake everyone's hand. Why couldn't it just be like the old days? Tia whined, as she put on a fake smile and tried to see friendly goodbyes and thank you's to all the people. Her last person was the drug addict. The woman's instinct went on high alert when you noticed the man's change. His once calm manner had been replaced by a quivering wreck. Withdrawal symptoms maybe? Tia wondered as she held her as she held her hand out to shake. At first she thought he was raising his hand to shakes hers but when his hand came into full view her eye went wide with realisation as she caught a full glimpse of the gun. Luckily, the young woman was trained in self-defence and the man was so high he couldn't aim straight, giving the blonde lawyer enough time to quickly disarm him. No one had realised what had happened at first, until they heard the cries of the man being dragged away by two strong guards and Tia was walking over to the defendants table; disarming the gun as she approached the two men.
"Next time Maxwell." Tia smirked, as she slammed the small gun on to the table in front of the man who had claimed for her death. "Find someone that's able to hold a gun." Hissing venomously at the men before grabbing the rest of the stuff walked out of the court room.
"Mum, dad, seriously I'm fine." Tia barked down at the holo-phone for a millionth time as she marched the hallway towards the conference room. It had only been a few hours since she had finished her court case and she had already receive a dozen calls from friends and family asking if she was unharmed. It seemed that her amazing skill to nearly be shot in a court room for the third time that year was more important to the newspapers then Maxwell being sent to prison. I give and I give until I can give not more, Tia recited in her head as she listen to her parents ask her the same question again. "Seriously I don't need any help... yes Conner and I are excited to... mum got to go got a meeting phone you soon, love you, bye." A huge sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she snapped the phone shut. Truthfully, she loved them to bits but they were just so over protective. Now all she had to worry about was this sudden meeting that had popped out of now where. One minute she was cleaning up her desk to go home when and the next her assistant was running in telling her she had to go to a meeting and there was no way she could refuse because all of the top people of her company were going to be there. The two men beside the double doors smiled at her as they open the doors allowing her entrance. The room was plainly decorated with large glass windows and a round table where many people sat around it. "Sorry I'm late." Tia apologises as she took the last seat remaining.
"That's all right Miss de Medic we were just getting started." Davis smiled from the top of the table -you could tell he was higher than anyone because he sat in a fancy chair compared to the other chairs in the room. Grabbing out her pen and notebook, Tia looked up to see Thran giving a disapproving shake of the head before sending her a huge smile. She quickly return the smile with one of her own and then focused on her boss was about to say. "Before I start I would just like to congratulate Miss de Medic for her latest trail, very impressive stuff." The handsome man in his late forties grinned at her. Everyone else in the room clapped their approval (some more frantic then others) before Davis silence them again. Tia just gave a quick bow of her head to let them know she was grateful for the thanks before turning her attention back to the main focus. "The reason I have just called you here under such short notice about an important case I have just received." Mumbles of wonder echo through the room as lawyers and head of departments whispered to each other. The only thing the blonde lawyer did was send an interested glance across the table to her friend.
"What kind of case sir?" Mr Dent asked, obviously enthusiastic to grab on to this case before anyone else in the room. Will he ever change? Tia cursed to herself and reading Thrans face could see he was having similar thoughts himself.
"One of the biggest we've ever receive." Davis announced, making everyone's attention turned to the head man again. Turning all serious and business like again, the boss flicked on the projected to show the people crime scene photos and woman plaster along the walls before her continued with his speech. "As you may or may not know, in the last three weeks five pregnant were threaten and raped but our latest vitamin disappeared." What Davis was saying made Tia completely confused, sure what had happen to those woman were terrible but they had received much bigger cases beside that one. There must be more to it? She wondered, as the head of her firm continued. "A few days ago police were able to find a witness who saw the last attack and the man response for it, I'm sure you know him quite well." A without a second of hesitation the man clicked on the next slide to show a photo of Sonny Blackbones. Everyone gasped in disbelief.
"Sir, it couldn't be him, Sonny Blackbones is a pirate leader, they steal things and do anything to annoy Technoid there's no way he could have just suddenly become a rapist." Tia call out to defend the man's innocence (that and the fact she was a secret big fan of Sonny Blackbones) as was Thran and some of the other people in the room who were nodding their heads to what she had just said. Then a huge debate carried out along the table between everyone, poor Davis had to shout at the top of his voice to get everyone to silence.
"I know this seems strange that's why I'm appointing the best to the case." The rich lawyer announced. Some of the lawyer's backs went a little straighter as they tried to look better than the rest of them; including Mr Dent who looked more desperate then proud. "With an outstanding record of eighty-two per cent of solved case, which is high above the average forty-nine per cent I'm awarding this case to Miss de Medic." He pointed straight to her and flashing his perfect white teeth into a smile, nearly blinding some of the people sitting closest to him. Some people clapped but all Tia could do was sit there with her mouth hanging open.