Marked For Murder

Chapter Six: Dedicated to @Ramenking_Tostadas

     She closed the door behind them and collapsed in her chair. She'd barely made it out alive this time.

     This wasn't the first time the weird going-on's at her school had come under the scrutiny of federal officials.

     To maintain a school like the one she ran, certain unconventional methods where incorporated, methods the government might not necessarily fancy.

    Sacrificing her morality to carry on the school's great legend, was something her father had taught her since she was old enough to run around this same office.

     She had been managing the work load just fine on her own. Up until now.

     What had he been thinking? He had sworn there would be no casualties, and she'd jumped right on board.

     She cursed herself for letting her greed overcome her sense of reasoning. And, she had paid dearly for her mistakes.

     But now wasn't the time to brood. It was time to fix things, and she would start with the root cause of all her problems.

     Picking up her desk phone, she called personal assistant. "Please, tell Coach Highman I would like to see him."

     Putting the phone back in the receiver, she collapsed into her chair and began thinking.

     She would need Michael to pull her out of this one, and as much as she hated depending on him, she couldn't afford to loose everything now. She put him on video call.

     Just as he picked up, the middle-aged coach, with a tummy that betrayed his eating habits, walked through the door and immediately took a seat without invitation.

     His forehead was dotted with beads of sweat, he was wringing his hands, something that disgusted Sandra to no end. People who showed signs of weakness or fear were the first to go.

   "Th...the officers? Did they...uhm..."

     She cut him off before he finished his mindless rambling. "Don't be naive Highman. As much as I would have loved to throw you to the dogs, I didn't let them onto you. Michael's orders."

   "Wh...what do you mean me? I...I'm not th...the only one in this. You and Michael pra...practically pushed me and now you want t...to throw me to the dogs?" he stammered out of anger.

     What he was hearing was unbelievable. After all he'd risked for she and Michael, they wanted to put the blame on him?

     Her stoic face betrayed no emotion. She had gotten rid of those petty feelings a long time ago. Now, all that was left was rancour for the low life seated before her.

   "Quit it with all your blabbering. He's still got a job for you."

     Raising one eyebrow, he eyed her suspiciously and asked "who?"

     Her eyes still trained on him, she turned the tablet in her hands and revealed Michael's face.

   "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" he shouted. Lowering his voice to a mere whisper, he came right up to her face and spat "I will never...be associated with you or that hooligan. Stuff your job down your throats."

     As he turned towards the door, her expression never flickered once, her shoulders high, her face blank and cold.

   "Did you know that Patel, the Red Sox agent, also talked with me about recommending you to coach for them?"

     He stopped at the door, his hands on the knob, and turned his head slightly towards her companion, speaking through the tablet.

     "He said he thought my Riley was made of gold, but you, you turned her into diamond." He paused to let the heavy silence settle.