Silent Fracture

Chapter Six

“Here we go.” The girl stated to herself under her breath. Frankie looked over at her and the girl cleared her throat, “The fat one is Roger Fitzgerald. He’s like the government’s PR guy to smooth things over whenever there is a crisis. The other guy, the thin one, his name is Alan Cross. He’s some big shot lawyer, also government.”

“How do you know that?” Frankie asked as she looked the men over, neither of them familiar.

“I read… a lot. Every time I head into work I feel like I have dropped brain cells all along the street.”

Frankie laughed as the crowd grew silent and the men prepared to speak. Both women paid attention but were hesitant now at the information which would be delivered.

It started out with the normal introductions of who they were and how superior their position was over everyone else, at least, that was how Frankie took it. Just the way the men looked at these scared and now homeless people were less than encouraging. From there they described that the event seemed like it was some freak natural accident but there would still be need for them to sign waivers they would not speak about it.

This idea was less than appealing.

“I am sorry but my daughter just lost all of her college books. That is nearly a thousand bucks!” The man yelling was Frankie’s neighbor to the right. They had the two bedroom, a man and his daughter in college. He was fairly short and thin with a southern accent complimented by all the trimmings of one bred in the Deep South. His daughter, a beautiful young woman with long blond hair, watched disapprovingly as he spoke but was incredibly intelligent by the things Frankie had overheard and she obviously agreed with her father despite his crude manner of addressing the group, “I got me a reporter already offering me $5000 for my recollection of the events that took place. We aren’t obligated into keeping silent. This is America, man!”

From that point, people started to check their phones, speak out and even grew a little angry at the idea. Several of the men held out their hands to try and silence the group until finally the lawyer spoke.

“These scum really are smarter than I thought. I was hoping we could get away with this without losing a penny.”

Frankie looked up to the man to find that the man was stating something completely different as he put the hoard of people at ease. His voice had almost spoken out over his current words. Had she heard his thoughts? There was no way that was possible. Frankie shook her head and tried to listen to his lips.

“I could be on vacation right now if it wasn’t for these minimum wage inbreeds.”

“Did you just hear what he said?” Frankie turned to the girl and asked her. She nodded her head with another offended look.

“They are only offering us $1200 for all of our belongings! That isn’t my laptop, let alone everything else I have bought with my hard earned money over the years!” She then stepped forward and began to protest as well. Frankie realized that the things she had been hearing must have been the exhaustion mixed with confusion and disappointment as to where she would get the money to start over again. Even if she did not own much, scrubs cost money and an apartment did too. First and last month’s rent, in this city, was a hard thing to come by.

The group only grew louder until the girl who had been standing next to Frankie pushed forward and calmed them. She had a way about her with a violent crowd which indicated to Frankie that she was good at her job. The girl then shoved her hands into the pockets of her black hoodie and cleared her throat.

“Who are you?” The thin, rude lawyer asked. She smiled although her eye indicated to everyone she was not pleased.

“Charlie East, you probably have me listed as Charlotte but dear god, do not call me by that name. It’s Charlie.” She popped her neck and looked back at everyone, “Now I know just as well as anyone here that you have no legal right into silencing us over a natural disaster. So you will either tell us whatever else is going on or you will accommodate us with proper funds to replace the lost memories and years of collected belongings we just worked for.”