The Last Negotiation

 U.S. FEDERAL COURT- 

It was the second week of yet another controversial case... The Case of Kahlid Muhammad

A Popular student activist accused of murdering an ICE agent...Also, a student activist with a Student Visa.  He was not quite an American Citizen yet. Many believed he was being persecuted for his political beliefs...

A Determined Federal Prosecutor, Jessica Tarkington, a former colleague of Olivia's at the law firm they both once worked for was prosecuting the case. She was young talented and without a loss...

Judge Joseph Pinelli was presiding over the case.

 Olivia, Beverly, Nelson,Josie, Bresha and I were handling his defense...

"She is still as smug and as arrogant as she ever was...She just thinks she has a slam dunk case."said Olivia.

 

When they first got the case...I thought the young man was guilty...my cops instincts...I'm Donnie Ray Alexander, Olivia's husband...and investigator for her firm... I used to be a Homicide Detective..I was pretty good at it..

I dug and dug deeper and found a lot of disturbing discrepancies and a lot of lies told by so called witnesses...plus a lack of any forensic evidence.

"This has been a back breaker of a case.. but it's one I want to win badly." said Beverly, who did not like the smug Federal Prosecutor...

"I think we've been doing good, Tying her up with good points and winning with our objections..

I'm so glad we have you here with us Lee, helping out." said Nelson.

"Oh I'm honored....You know I love all of you guys." said Lee Phillips, a Para-legal and a law student who had been working with quite a few of our friends..Plus we were all paying her for her services...She was making more than enough to pay her rent and utilities and even begin paying back some of her student loans.. She was making out quite well...We all loved her and was glad to be helping her out.

"You remind me of myself when I was a Para-Legal and a law student.."said Josie.   The similarities were remarkable.

"She reminds me of me when I was an Intern..."said Bresha.

Kahlil's legal team also consisted of our good friends,Jessica Sanchez-Burrows and her husband, Charles "Chip" Burrows from the Innocence Project..

and Federal Public Defender-

Sean Marks, Brooke's husband...

Eight Attorneys, a Para-Legal and an Investigator....Quite a team.

In the weeks leading up to the trial....

Olivia, Beverly, Josie, Bresha and Lee worked around the clock in the law library....

With Alfreda supplying them with endless Thermos's of Coffee and good hot soup as well as sandwiches..

While Sean and Nelson worked right in the next room, our media room

Studying the juror pool.....

This helped us get a 8-4 split our way when it came to jury selection....

At least two days a week..

.Lee Phillips was at the Bridge Building, working with Chip and Jessica at the Innocence Project on not only this case, but some of their other cases...She was really getting an education.

This is why this case had been so difficult for Jessica Tarkenton-

These lawyers, only one of which she knew were so disciplined, so well prepared.... She had never thought much of Olivia Bennett before at their old law firm...She was after all a former Public Defender...But now she had a new found respect for her.. She had put together this team...and they were like a well oiled machine... No egos...No one getting in the other's way...Each person knew their role and played it well..

even the para-legal who was helping them.

Her niece, her niece's husband, 

the two additional attorneys, 

The Innocence Project Attorneys and their own Federal Public defender...

She had no idea that we not only lived on the same street and knew each other...but that we all had worked together  before , many times...

II-

Everyday, After trial..because we got out of court so late...

We invited everybody back to our house for dinner.

"I'm so grateful for all of you..Thanks for your help." said Olivia.

 

"We are going to win this, I know it." I said.

"Their case is weak and we are exposing their weaknesses bit by bit."said Beverly...

"The Feds come with something better than this." said Nelson.

"For Prosecutor Tarkington, this is like a career case...She needs to win and her desperation is showing." said Josie.

Her husband, Paris ate his food and listened attentively...He was so proud of his wife, working a big high profiled case like this.

"Her desperation is leading her to make mistakes."said Bresha,.

"When people are afraid, that's when they tend to make mistakes."said her husband, Tony.

Alfreda smiled and served her husband, Rockland's plate...

Rockland listened attentively.

"I missed you baby, but I know you've been super busy...Thanks for calling me." said Matthew Akes, who recently got his citizenship and was cleared of a murder charge himself.

"I missed you too and I'm tired.. I walked here today....I'd love a ride home."said Lee with a smile.

 

"Thanks for dropping by baby..."said Sean.

"I missed you today at work..."said his wife, Brooke.

Those dinners were a chance for us all to relax and fellowship a bit and for some members of our team to be reunited with their spouses...(Josie, Bresha, Sean and Lee Phillips.)

And at their apartment complex...Matthew Akes returns from work and visits his favorite attorney.....

"Wowwwww you have been busy lately...With Olivia and with Jessica and Chip... This case has taken on a life of it's own.."said Matthew Akes, who had been in a simular situation himself just recently....

"I know...We've all been so busy we haven't much "Me time" lately.... I'm sorry...Look I'm going to give you a key....I've never given a guy a key to my place before.. You can let yourself in and just chill out until I get home okay...Just don't be laying up in my apartment naked or anything freaky like that." said Lee, smiling..

"I wouldn't do anything like that..."laughed Matthew, laughing...  "I'm going to give you a key to my place too..just to make it fair." he said.

"Yes you would...you're so nasty...You'd like nothing better for me to come home from work and catch you in my bed naked and as erect as a totem pole." laughed Lee...

Matthew laughed....

"I love your place...It's so neat and clean and large...Larger than my place." said Matthew.

"Don't try to change the subject....Shut up and kiss me." said Lee.

"With pleasure...I've missed you so much." said Matthew, kissing her...

It had been at least a week since they had seen each other...Lee had been getting home late and going to sleep...and Matthew , sensing that she was very tired, hadn't bothered to come to her room. Today , she had called him ,told her she was having dinner with Olivia and had asked him to join us and to take her home..Since she had walked from her apartment to our place, a whole six blocks...

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." he moaned.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" she cooed.

He helped her out of her clothes and she helped him out of his....

He unhooked her bra and slipped her panties down...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUU GIRRRRRRRL!" he moaned..

She giggled...

"OHH..OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MATHEWWW!" she moaned.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....SWEEET BABYYYY!"he moaned.

as they began to make sweet love...

"I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU ALL DAY!" he exclaimed.

"YOU DID?" she asked.

"YES...I COULDN'T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND!" he said, thrusting away....

She was so wet, smelled so good...skin so soft...He was nearly delirious, not knowing if he was coming or going....His body was trembling so fiercely, she was almost afraid...

"I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU TOO!  OH MY GOD!! YOU ARE SO BIG,SO HARD!!OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! I NEEDED THIS...OUUUUUUUUUUU"she screamed..

Her head was turning from side to side and she was crying like a little girl, she felt so good..

"YOU CAN KNOCK ON MY DOOR ANYTIME YOU WANT...I'LL GET UP AND LET YOU IN...EVEN IF ALL WE DO IS CUDDLE AND SLEEP TOGETHER...JUST COME ON DOWN OKAY?" she said

"SURE!" he said.

Her head moved from side to side...Her body trembled...and she began to cry tears like a little girl again!...She was experiencing an intense orgasm....

He couldn't stop....

EIGHT TO NINE HOURS LATER!  they both climaxed for the last time...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuu that felt good!" she said as he cradled her in his arms..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOD!!! THAT WAS AWESOME!" he said..

She softly fondled his still hard penis....

and kissed him one last time.

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM" he moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" she cooed...

He lay back, breathing deeply with his arms around her..She smiled , snug into his arms....

III-

The next day...

under the courtroom of Judge Joseph Pinelli..

Jessica Tarlov made her closing argument... She was certain she had acquitted herself well.

We however weren't so sure.

 Kahlil Muhhamad smiled.. We had gotten him released from custody on his own recognizance days before the trial started and he had watched us take apart the prosecution like a surgeon...

He was confident as were we that when our turn came on Friday Morning, we were going to have a field day.

"She really thinks she's won...I'm going to show her why she and all of those others were wrong about me ."said Olivia.

 

She wanted a victory badly...and we had done everything we could up to now to get her a victory.

"I want this victory as badly as Auntay...I don't like her condescending  attitude..." said Beverly.

"I think she knows that at this point.."said Nelson...

" We are ready...She's not going to know what hit her."said Josie.

''She never saw us coming."said Bresha,.

Sean ,like Olivia loved the energy coming from Beverly,Nelson,Josie and Bresha...Young like him, fearless like him ,aggressive like him...He loved it.

Lee Phillips, not yet an attorney, but learning how to fight in court from the best was eager for the coming throwdown....

Jessica Sanchez -Burrows, used to these bare knuckles brawls in court was up for the fight 

As was her husband and confidant, Chip...

Unlike in City Court we began our defense right then and there..

Olivia gave a brilliant opening statement....So brilliant and eloquent that our client,

stood and clapped...

She asked if this man was really being prosecuted for murder or persecuted because of his political activism?

It got the jurors thinking...

Beverly and Nelson, aided by Lee Phillips introduced several witnesses who placed our client in a completely different place at the time of the murder...

Josie, Bresha, Jessica and Chip began to introduce to the jury all of the inconsistencies in the forensic reports and presented our own forensics experts from both the FBI/ATF and an independent lab to refute the initial evidence.

Jessica Tarkington objected  mightily....

But the Judge upheld practically everything we did.

Jessica Sanchez-Burrows, Olivia and Chip spoke long and lengthily about Kahlil Muhhamad's activities...

Jessica Tarkenton protested that this was a murder trial and now a referendum on Mr. Muhammad's politics.

For once Judge Pinelli agreed and that was where we left off on Thursday....

After trial Jessica approached Olivia.

"Olivia, I'm exhausted....I'm sure you must be too!  I never expected this trial to last this long or be this contentious... I have to congratulate you....Your husband has done a stellar job investigating this case and your team is incredible....They're like a machine..Nobody gets in anybody's way, there are no egos to manage....You've done a fine job...with your law firm as well...I misjudged you." said Jessica.

"Why thank you Jessica. A lot of people did... Perhaps when this is over, we might have a drink."said Olivia diplomatically...

"I don't see that happening Olivia....but it was a nice gesture." said Jessica , walking away....

"What did she have to say?" asked Beverly, walking up..

"Nothing...Nothing of any consequence...Let's go grab some cold ones....I hope they have food at Curley's tonight." said Olivia.

IV-

CURLEY'S BAR-THURSDAY NIGHT- COUPLES NIGHT!

"I like our new apartment...It's beautiful..." said Nina Rios... "I,like this part of the city...We should have moved here sooner."said Nina.

"And we get door to door service to our new place...No more sleeping in Olivia and Beverly's sub-basement, though I found it quite comfortable."said Carlos..

"I just know the two of you did...Most couples do." said Natalie...

"Lawd have mercy, I know I did." said David. 

Jazzy laughed her head off... "Was it that good David?" she said, still laughing.
 

"Well, I'm sure that sub-basement can tell many stories....but it's nice to have your own place...that's close."said Dabnis.

"Ray and I stayed there for a couple of days while we waited for our house to get ready." said Kayla.

"And they were beautiful days." said Ray..

Jessica and Chip were having a completely different conversation.

"Even though we are winning this case, We shouldn't get overconfident...This isn't a Lt. Tragg case..."said Jessica.

"I know...it's not as easy to break apart... The Feds have a strong case...The fact that we are tearing it down is just a testimony to how dogged we've been in his defense." said Chip.

"A testimony to how good and thorough Donnie Ray is as an investigator... He really through out all the stops in this case I hear." said Karen.

"I need to be talking to him." laughed her husband, B.L.

Natalie sat on her husband's lap feeding him shrimp. She whispered in his ear.."You're hard, you can't be turned on." she exclaimed.

"Why can't I?" said David, holding her tightly..

Natalie smiled....

"I love you, You make me feel so desirable.." she said.

and gave him a sweet kiss...

"You look tired Sean...Tonight I should let you sleep."said Brooke.

"I'm not that tired.." he said, smiling.

"Never THAT tired..."laughed Brooke.

''Some of our friends look exhausted."said Zoey.

"I know...they've been working hard on this case." said Lem.

"If I didn't have so much casework of my own...I'd give them a helping hand."said Renee.

"Same here."said Tyrell.

Lee kissed Matthew passionately...

"WOWWW!" he said...

 

"I think we can close our case in just a few days."said Olivia.

 

"I'm sure of it." I said.

"I'm exhausted...After this case...I can use some spa time...I think I speak for all of us."said Beverly.

"We should visit your girlfriend that owns her own spa."said Nelson.

"That's a good idea." said Josie.

"Yeah." said Paris.

"But right now...We have to worry about the task at hand." said Bresha.

"Look at my baby....She is super focused."laughed Tony.

"I love her.."said Alfreda.

"You guys are focused."agreed her husband, Rockland.

 

 Yvette hugged Lee..   "I'm just so happy for the progress you have been making, helping everybody...Bresha and Josie were just like you.....You're going to be fierce...I can't wait for you to practice your first case." she said.

"I've had some great teachers..For that I am grateful...I'm grateful to be working on this case." said Lee.

"Everybody is pleased with your work and your work ethic."said Yvette's husband, Gary.

"You made our work a lot lighter , we miss you this week."said Keith Jones..

"That's okay...We intend to pay it forward for you guys." said Bee Bee.

''We'll be helping out with his immigration case...His citizenship."said Sofia.

"We'll try to push it through as fast as we can." said Kahlil.

"Wow...what perilous times we live in." said Jade.

"I know."said Danny Ho.

"I just wish em luck..."said Virginia.

"They got skill, they don't need luck."said Jetty.

Another Shrimp Basket was passed around

and another tray of Barbecued Buffalo wings..A favorite.

Across town at another rooftop bar and restaurant...

"So how is your case coming along?" said Jim Zuckerman, an Attorney at a tony Washington D.C. law firm.

"It's tougher than I thought it would be... I'm facing some surprisingly good lawyers with a very good investigator....He's married to the lead attorney and get this...She and I used to work together at the same law firm years ago....She's got her own practice now and her attorneys and the ones she's got working with them are solid..very solid... I could lose this case...but I'm going to do everything in my power not to."said Jessica Tarkington.

"Whether you win or lose, your next move could be up...There is a Senior Associate 's position up for grab at my firm if you're interested...and don't mind moving to D.C." 

"Oh you know I don't mind at all...I worked in New York for awhile after I left my last law firm....I came back to Philly when the Federal Prosecutor job was open."said Jessica.

"So why don't we table this and we uh go back to my suite at the Marriot and talk over the uh negotiations..." he laughed..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu Jimmy, you nasty boy you." laughed Jessica..

Neither of them realized they were being photographed...

They drove back to his hotel suite at the downtown Marriot...

Where once behind closed doors....

her panties slipped off.. As did his clothing and the two of them slipped into bed.

"UMMMMMMMMMMMM JIM...JIMMM...OUUUUUUUUUU" she moaned.

"JESSICA...OH MY GOD!!!" he cried out.

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...YESSSSSSSSSSS!" she screamed.

They made love for the next NINE TO TEN HOURS!

unaware a micro-camera device was recording their entire tryst!

(TO BE CONTINUED)