Luna's Immediate Future

We found another place nearby our ACLU work place to eat breakfast and lunch.....

I still was leery of ICE Agent, Shawn Columbsy hanging around....

I drove the girls and Nelson to the ACLU headquarters

and then parked our vehicle in the indoor parking garage across the street and duked the attendant some extra cash to keep an eye on it and make sure no one hung around it or touched it..

Keith Jones followed my lead and did the same thing....

He drove Kahlil and his girls to the same indoor parking garage...

across the street and duked the attendant some extra cash to keep an eye on it and make sure no one hung around it or touched it..

 Yvette was being driven to work and picked up by Gary Lockwood..

They spent most of their time in the car, kissing and she was content to buy coffee  and then join us for work...

We liked this new cafe....

There was no sign of Shawn Columbsy...

II-

We returned to work...

Olivia, Beverly , Nelson and Josie..Assisting Keith Jones and Sofia Garcia....Strengthening their appeal..

 "The way I see it , this is as good an appeal as can be drafted..."said Olivia...It had now been two weeks since they started...

 "This time, those Supremes are going to have to take a real good look at this law and we've got the precedents from other cases and other states to prove it.."said Beverly...

 "And not to mention, predicates up the ying yang..."added her husband, Nelson...

Josie had really been a help in doing the research and discovered she really had a knack for this...almost a love...

"I'm looking forward to taking on those stuffed shirts again..."said Keith Jones..

"They weren't all bad....We did turn three of them our way." added Sofia Garcia...

"That you did....This is as good as it gets...I agree with Olivia...You guys...Your work here is done..Excellent work..."said Attorney Ben Pena....

"We are done also...We have three Face cases we can use....."said Yvette...

"One is a lifer...the other two are serving 20 year terms....."added Bee Bee..

 "Only one is a murder conviction...All of these cases involve first offenders..."said Kahlil...

"Jade and I did some digging...There will be no surprises...These cases are perfect...Sympathetic victims.."I said..

"Luna really was a great help...by the way, where is she today?" asked Jade...

We hadn't seen Luna in two days to be exact...

"I don't know....I called her , she hasn't been answering her cell"said Ben Pena..

It was Wednesday....Week two....

"Wow this wrapped up faster than I thought....but it was the hardest and yet most enjoyable work I've done in awhile.."said Olivia ,hugging her good friend, Yvette Jones..

"It's always a pleasure when the two of us and our teams get together..."said Yvette, looking around the room...

 "We had a ball at Stoley's

 last Friday night didn't we?" said Beverly...

 "Lawd..I haven't danced that much in ages."said Josie..

 "You aint never lied.."said Bee Bee..

 "Yes...and Aqua Bar

Saturday Night was nice too.!"  said Sofia...

 "Bee Bee and I almost didn't make Jazz Brunch at Josie's on Sunday Morning,

 but she was starving when she woke up.." said Keith Jones..

 "Same with Sofia....She wanted to eat..."laughed Kahlil..

"Bev was no different....I could have stayed in bed and slept some more.."laughed Nelson...

ICE Agent Shawn Columbsy peered into our workspace..

Hadn't seen him for a few days and here he was in our building...

Jade saw him too...She motioned to me..

We both quietly slipped out while the others were talking..

But the object of his attention...Luna Vasquez alias Luna Velez was in Philadelphia now...

Walking the streets....She rented a small apartment downtown...under an alias......

I wish I could have said goodbye to Ben....She mused...But I wouldn't want him to see the ICE agents take me away....It's better this way...she thought to herself....

Ben Pena called her cell phone again...He used the GPS unit on his phone....

"She must have forgotten about this...I've found her!!!  But what is she doing in Philly?" he wondered...






III-

"So Attorney Pena...You and Luna huh?  "said Olivia, a little while later..He looked a little out of sorts..

Ben smiled sheepishly...

"Yeahhhhhh I've uh known her for six months...She's been great here..." he said...

''She's been great elsewhere too!" laughed Yvette slyly...

"I met her in Philadelphia actually about six months ago...She was working at a Juice Bar...In that shopping mall not too far from where you guys live...I was immediately attracted...We both spoke spanish, both Latins..We immediately clicked...I got the nerve to ask her out after shopping at that juice bar for two months..." said Ben Pena shyly...

"You never drank that much juice in your life huh?" laughed Yvette..

Olivia cracked up...

Ben Pena, who up until now had been a no nonsense Attorney and coordinator with us, let down his guard and managed to laugh....

"She never talks about her past....I know she has a visa...She's from Nicaragua...but that's all I know..I don't know how long she'd been here in Philadelphia or what...She doesn't talk about her parents...any siblings nothing...Six months in and she's still a mystery to me..  After knowing her for three months..She confided to me that she had been a law student in her native country..I got her a job at the ACLU as a para legal although technically she doesn't have the certification like your Josie does..

She had an apartment in Philadelphia...She moved here in Bayside to be close to work and she's worked for me for three months.." he said.

"You guys make a cute couple.."said Olivia..

"You do.." said Yvette, smiling..."Where are you from?" asked Yvette...

''I was born in New York City....My parents are from San Juan, Puerto Rico...My dad is also an Attorney....So is my Mom.....They got a job here when I was 13 and we moved to Philadelphia..
I, like you two graduated from University of Pennsylvania and got my law degree there...I was probably there when you two were there..We are around the same age...I just didn't know you two.."he said.

"I did my undergrad at Temple and then went to Penn for law school.."said Olivia..

"As did your niece, Ms. Evans ,Ms. Garcia and Mr. Ahmed.." he said..speaking of Beverly,Bee Bee, Sofia and Khalil...

All Temple Graduates who went to Penn Law School..

 "I went to Lasalle and then Penn..."said Yvette...

"I understand Mr. Jones

Attended Howard University and then Penn Law...

While Mr. East went to St. Johns for undergrad and Law School.."said Ben Pena..

"Right again.."said Olivia.

"So you two plan to move in together or what?" asked Yvette..

''Vettie...They just got together...You're making him blush "laughed Olivia..

''Well I am thinking about asking her to move in with me.."laughed Ben Pena..who looked at his watch..

"Anyway, changing the subject a bit...It's Wednesday...We are done..We've got a meeting with the court...The Pennsylvania Supreme Court next Wednesday in Harrisburg....We are going by train...Here are train tickets for all of you...I'll see you bright and early at 30th Street station next week." he said..

''So after Lunch?/" asked Yvette...

"You guys can pack up your things and head back to Philly....You're done until next Wednesday morning..."said Ben Pena...

"That's wonderful !" said Olivia...

"Auntay..we are all going to lunch..."said Beverly...

"I was just telling your Aunt that after lunch, you guys are free to go home...We are done...I gave her and Ms. Yvette train tickets...We have a hearing with the State Supreme Court next Wednesday in Harrisburg..."said Ben Pena..

 "WOW that's great"said Bee Bee, gushing..

 ''Shame we don't get to say goodbye to Ms. Luna..She helped us all so much....Will she be going to Harrisburg with us?" asked Sofia..

 "Probably not...but I wished we could have said goodbye to her too."said Kahlil..

 "Maybe we'll see her after the hearing.."said Keith Jones..

 "Nice...A four day weekend..."said Nelson..

"I think I'll pack my things and head back to my own loft..I miss sleeping in my bed..."said Josie..

"GREAT....Let's celebrate guys.."said Beverly...  "I'll miss this space.."said Beverly..

as they all filed out of the office...

IV-

 Jade and I searched around

the streets for Ice Agent Shawn Columbsy...

but just as fast as he showed up...He was gone...This was no mere co-incidence..He was fishing..Fishing for something or somebody close to us...

After one last lunch...

I loaded up our SUV...

Olivia,Yvette and I sat up front..

Josie,Beverly and Nelson sat in the back...

Keith Jones loaded up the Mini Bus he had rented...

He and Bee Bee sat in the front...

while Kahlil, Sofia and Jade Lee sat in the back...

 Our sponser ,Attorney Ben Pena

thanked us and waved as we all pulled off..He watched us until we were out of sight....He had to drive to Philly and find Luna.. He felt a presence behind him....

It was ICE Agent Shawn Columbsy...

"Mr. Pena"he said. 'Sorry to startle you." he said..

"WHO ARE YOU? I've seen you slithering around all week.."said Ben Pena...

 "I'm Special Agent Shawn Columbsy.. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement." he said..

''ICE?What do you want with me? I'm an American Citizen..."said Ben Pena..

"I'm quite aware of that.. You hail from the same neighborhood in the Bronx that I hail from..."laughed Shawn..

"My case has nothing to do with Immigration...."said Ben Pena..

"Oh I know that and I don't care about your case or the attorneys working with you...who I happen to be quite familliar with."said Shawn..

"Then what does a Special Agent from the U..S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement  agency want with me?" asked Ben..

"Let's not have this conversation here...Let's have a drink.."said Shawn..

They went to a rooftop bar that Attorney Ben Pena meant to take his attorneys to while they were working with him, but hadn't gotten to do...Maybe if they had finished a little later he would have...

 Shawn ordered a beer for both of them...

"Okay, what is this about?" asked Ben Pena..

Shawn put a glossy photo on the table...It was Luna..

"IT'S ABOUT HER...LUNA VASQUEZ!" he said..

 "You mean my para-legal Luna Velez..."said Ben Pena..

"She sold you a bill of goods counselor...Her name is Luna Vasquez and she was an Attorney in her native Nicaragua....and a disadent... She's in the country illegally and I need to find her....She's not in her loft...She appears to have fled there...I notice she hasn't been to work lately....Is she with you?" he asked..

"I haven't seen her in two days , that must be why ....Oh My God!.." said Ben...

"You're an Attorney, you know the law....You know the law about harboring an illegal alien....You're about to argue a case before the State Supreme Court..a case that was unsuccessful a few weeks ago..
It won't look good for your fellow attorneys if the lead Attorney is under indictment himself.."said Shawn Columbsy...

"You rotten son of a bitch...I haven't seen her...Why can't you leave her alone?" said an angry Ben Pena..

"It's my job...I'll find her...With or without your help...Don't get in my way....That's all I ask...Oh and good luck in Harrisburg next week."laughed Shawn..

"Screw You!"said Ben Pena , who got up...

"Counselor...You haven't finished your beer.."said Shawn with a wry smile on his face..

"GO TO HELL!"said Ben as he stormed out...

"Money won't help you counselor.."laughed Shawn Columbsy.....

(TO BE CONTINUED)