Chapter 3 One walks the line. The other erases it.

The next day, Davis went to visit his niece, she was living in Newham, the Inner East of London, in a poorly built old fashioned apartment where she stayed with her parents before her mother died of cancer and her father died in a terrific car accident. They lived there because it was of a low price and it was affordable for them to pay for and still meet up with other needs, now she lives there alone.

Davis quietly opens the door without knocking but as usual the old creaky wooden door made a sound which gave Laura the idea that someone was about to step in.

Laura looked up, her eyes darting towards the paper on the couch before quickly hiding it. "Hi, uncle" she said, her voice a little too cheerful.

"Good day dear, how are you doing?" Davis smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He took in the cramped room, the worn furniture, and the faded curtains. It was a far cry from the comfortable life he wanted for his niece.

"I'm fine, and how is work?" Laura asked, her gaze drifting back to the hidden paper.

Davis's eyes narrowed slightly. He suspected something was off, but he didn't push the issue.

"Great" He replied, his tone light.

"Okay, so what's the visit for?" She asked.

"Just decided to stop by and see my lovely niece, won't you at least offer me something?" He said with a crooked smile.

"I'll make you coffee just the way you like it, excuse me" she said and left.

Davis watched her, his eyes taking in the tired look on her face, the worn-out clothes, and the desperation in her eyes she tried to hide behind the huge smile her face boarded.

He gently stood up, walked to where she hid the papers and brought them out, he sat down and went through them, it was about different hotels that needed strippers and was ready to pay huge amount of money. He just looked at them and smiled then placed them on the table.

"Here it is" she said entering with a cup of coffee, her hands shaking slightly as she placed it in the table in front of him, then she saw the papers on the table and became silent.

"You should have thought of a better place to hide those stuff" He said as he beard a sarcastic smile on his face while he gently lifted the cup of coffee from the table and took a sip.

"Uncle" she called with a smile a little bit tensed.

Davis set his cup down, his eyes boring into hers. "Laura, listen to me. I know you're struggling, but this isn't the way. Settle for something good, not trash like this. This your attitude towards acquiring wealth so quickly will lead to destruction. That isn't the way things are done, you don't make it in life within a twinkle of an eye, everything has steps. You can't make it through this way, it will only lead to your doom. Stop being so eager to acquire wealth the wrong way" He advised, his voice gentle and calm.

Laura snorted, her eyes rolling in exasperation. "Easy for you to say, uncle. You've got a good job, a nice house, a comfortable life. You don't know what it's like to struggle.

Davis's expression softened, his eyes filling with compassion. "Actually, Laura, I do know what it's like to struggle. I grew up in a poor neighborhood, worked multiple jobs to make ends meet."

"Is not like I am killing someone, don't you see the tattered environment I live in, it is a shithole." She said.

Yes, her living environment was not at all conducive but he had always asked her to come to his place once in a while but she felt wasn't going to have enough freedom, to go out to clubs with friends and come back late, and of course Davis was a well disciplined man who didn't tolerate trashy behaviours.

"I am only trying to make a living." She continued as her face twisted in frustration, her arms crossed, her eyes flashing with determination and unwillingness to change.

"And i will never stop you from making a living, but do it the right way." He said.

Laura is a stubborn girl who would always do things her way, he can't force her to take the advice but the least he could do is advise her. The rest was up to her.

She continues with the complains "Look around, see my friends, see the lavishly life they live, they are somebody."

"And you are somebody, but you are going to be nobody when you drive toward things that are going to soil you."

"I am sick and tired of this godforsaken yard but most especially your lecture. I am of age, and I think I know what I want for myself uncle, no disrespect."

Davis just smile, he didn't feel the need to go further with the advice, he looked at her, his face still bearing a smile, he shook his head slightly "Laura, a word is enough for the wise" He said sipping the last coffee from the tea cup, leaving Laura to ponder on his words.

"Here you go" he handed her the cup while using his eyes to scan around the house. She collect it, and headed to the kitchen.

He quickly got up, moved to the dinning section, took down a flower in the plastic vase that was nailed to the wall, he brought out a flash drive from his pocket. Inside it, he inputted the original copies of all the research cases then placed it into the flower vase before putting the flower back in its position.

Then went back to the living room, she had no idea of what had just happened in her dining room.

"Laura" He called out, "I will take my leave now" He said and left.

************

The next day, Davis went to visit a young girl of the same age as his niece. Her name is Natasha Ortiz. A girl who he had always admired her zeal to be part of the FBI. She would always come to him and they would talk at length, though he always treated her like a child who knows absolutely nothing but when she made a statement, it would always be a meaningful and positive one. He would always coach and lecture her but indirectly.

"Ortiz" He called out as he knocked on the door, his voice warm with familiarity. She opened the door knowing it's him.

"I already know it's you. You are the only one that call me by my surname" she said, her grin widening as she stepped aside to let him in.

"Yes, you should know its me" He said and smiled as he walked into the living room and sat down.

"What do I offered you?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'm fine, I just came to discuss something with you" The serious tone was a departure from their usual banter.

"What could that be?" She asked, her voice tingled with concern.

"Ortiz" he called then paused looking at her.

"Ok???? That stare is making me feel uncomfortable. By the way, why do you have to call me by my surname?"

"If only you know what that name means" He said leaving Natasha curiosity lingering in her thoughts.

"If you have something to say, just say it, your look tells you have something important to say" she said already ready for a serious conversation.

"Too smart for your age" he said and she chuckled.

"What do you have to discuss?" She asked again.

"I was given a case at the office" He said and paused.

"And?" Natasha asked, as she listened intently, her eyes wide with interest.

"It's way more complicated than I thought it was."

"I don't understand"

He narrated everything just to her understanding before moving into his recent findings.

Davis hesitated, collecting his thoughts before speaking. "In a year from now, this organizations will not only be involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and assassinations but also producing fake drugs which will be supplied to hospitals. It would be made in such a way one would not be able to tell the fake from real, and no doubt this drugs will slowly kill people, but it's all about the money for them." As he explained and her jaw dropped

Her eyes widen with horror "But that can't happen, lives are important"

"It can and might happen. They have back up from people of influence."

"So what's stopping them for executing the plan right now?"

"This case. The board is on this case, and they know we are unto them, so they can't carry out that plan till they make sure this dies off."

"Have you gathered all information you need to bring them down?" She asked concerned.

"Yes, that's why I came to you." He said as he slipped his hands into his pocket and pressed a button.

"So what do you need me for?" She asked.

"Here" He said holding up a voice activated pen recorder.

"I have just recorded all we have said. And there are also some recording I made for you, you will play them at the right time"

"When will I know the right time to play them?"

"You are clever, your instincts will guide you. Now, where is a safe place to hide it?" he asked looking around her house. He stood up and while standing, still looking around, he sighted a large beautiful portrait of a painted husky dog hung on the wall. He moved immediately and hid it inside the portrait then placed it back to the wall.

"Now, pay attention, I have gathered all information in a card and put inside a specially made ball, but that isn't the original copy of all the documents, but the ball still matters in a way. Should Incase something happens, the real copy is in a flash drive inside a flower vase at the dinning section in my late sister's house. I have once pointed at the house for you on our way to an orphanage." He said.

"Oh, yeah, I remember"

" I need you to sneak into the house and get the drive when it is time. Be careful while retrieving it, because my stubborn headed niece lives there" he said and chuckled at the thoughts of her. Then proceeded "Make sure, everything dies down before you proceed with our plans, or at least they should have believed everything has died down, then you will get the drive, take this voice activated pen recorder and present it to the board."

"How about you? Why are you speaking like you are not going to be present" Natasha said getting concerned, fear slowly creeping in.

"Listen, We don't know what tomorrow brings, do we?" He said with a smile trying to ease her of the tension.

"But how am I going to do all of that?" She asked still a bit scared. "The board won't hear me out, by the way, how do I get to the board without evening knowing someone or an appointment."

"You will figure it out, I trust you can do that but meanwhile I am going to do all I can to deliver it myself then you would not have to do anything, but I just needed a plan b, especially with someone they don't know, someone who is not an official, someone who they can't see coming." he said.

"How do you think I can do this, in fact why me? You've always considered me a little girl who knows nothing."

"Why do you think I have always tutored you indirectly? Why do you think I have always lectured you on matters that aren't meant to be heard outside the FBI? Why do you think I have been attached to you from the very first time I met you? What do you think is the reason why I would hide an evidence at my niece place but then I come to you to discuss it." He said and paused letting her reflect for a while before moving on. "I trust you more than I trust my niece, my niece love for money is excess, she can be easily manipulated or lured, I don't feel comfortable with telling her this much information and that is why I brought it to you not her plus you are more enlightened in things like this than her. You have learnt well." He complemented her and she blushed but was still scared.

"But what if I mess up, what if I handle this the wrong way?" She said still having doubts.

"Ortiz" he called softly. "Do you know why I have never called you by your name but only your surname?" He asked.

"Well i guess it's because you just love the surname" she said and he laughed.

"Because it means brave, strong and fortunate. It has a powerful meaning I think you bore but just don't know it yet" he said and her lips curved with a smile.

"Ok, that's enough" she said as she couldn't helped but to continue smiling.

"It has been a pleasure talking to you" he said as he gently stood up.

"It is a pleasure speaking to you every time I get to do so, sir Davis" she said seeing him off to the door.

"Have a nice day Ortiz" he said and she smiled again knowing fully well what the name means. He waved her goodbye and left.