Seeking An S.O.S.: Behind The Scenes

28. Negotiations

With a sigh, Martina faced Mr. Keith Anderson as he took a stack of papers out of his briefcase.

Tapping her fingers on the table, she hoped the gentleman in front of her would come to deliver great news to help them figure out how to get out of this catastrophe.

The crew have been stuck in jail for over a week eating nothing but stale bread topped with cheap butter, which included cold peas or corn. And the only choice of drinks were either purified water or soda.

As Martina was concerned, the menu had no dietary value. She was sick and tired of eating the same entrees every day, but since she didn't have a choice, Marti forced herself to eat it as she didn't want to starve to death.

She was sure her other friends felt the same way too, but they hardly talked to each other while they were in their cells.

And Marti still had thoughts of the man she once knew. She felt uneasy because she wanted to go back and see him again, no matter how rude Frankie was to her.

As Harley left her alone in their cell, it allowed her to think about how she missed the sleazy boy who made her life super crazy.

Maybe it was true when Frankie said, "Martina, you'll wish you never left me. Mark my words! And one day you'll find yourself coming back to me."

Yet, Marti knew that if she listened to her heart and not her mind, she would not be happy. Frankie provided a roof over her head, whereas Harley loved her no matter who she was. And that's what Martina needed right now; LOVE.

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"Hope you have something good to tell us, Mister or you're wasting our precious time!"

Martina moved her hands upwards and let out a grunt to let him know she meant business. Despite the fact that she felt the pain in her hands since she was still handcuffed, the sense of relief to be free from her enclosed cell made Marti feel better.

The gentleman sitting across from her smirked. When the warden explained how rebellious Martina could get, he wasn't kidding.

"Please call me Mr. Anderson, and the gentleman sitting behind you is Mr. Jason Neiman. We are both legal lawyers representing the SPANA Headquarters, the Space Aeronautics Agency located in Washington. I'm sure the warden has told you why we both came, but if not, I can let you all know that your crew have been the selected inmates that can go on a Space exploration in exchange for the time of your prison sentencing."

Keith grinned hoping he had won her over.

Instead, Martina became perplexed as her eyebrows furrowed.

WHAT? When did Warden Smith let us know this? How dare he! I must have been out, and I do not recall hearing these remarks of his. This has got to be a joke, Us, going to space? NO WAY JOSE!

Keith read the wrinkled lines between Martina's facial features. He could tell that this was not going to be an easy task to resolve, so he devised a way to convince her to agree with SPANA's plan, since he didn't want to disappoint Garret Lewis. Once he and Jason would fly back to Washington, he didn't want to hear Lewis's rants.

Therefore, Keith chose his next words carefully. He rubbed the goatee on his chin as he was in deep thought.

"Please hear me out before you speak. I'm giving you all an offer you can't refuse. However, your crew also has the right to disagree with this once in a life opportunity! But, if you do not want to participate in this voyage, please note that you will still be undergoing a trial for the rest of your sentencing. Thus, please choose your options carefully. A choice for freedom or a choice behind bars, those are your options."

I'm giving you an offer you can't refuse, my butt!

To hear the infamous phrase from the movie The Godfather made her think that he couldn't think of anything else to say at the last minute.

Martina took her time to process this new information before striking up a deal. She refused to budge.

The others also refrained from saying anything as they were afraid to say something that might jeopardize the conversation.

Nodding her head, Martina sniggered at Mr. Anderson's last words.

"What's the catch? Why did you specifically pick us for the job?"

"That Miss Wade is something you should ask the head of the SPANA agency, as we are only their lawyers who are contracted to abide by their rules. Please ask for a Mr. Garreth Lewis when you get hold of the agency. He will be able to answer all those answers for you."

Keith grinned after he mentioned that. It's payback time for the head supervisor to deal with these delinquents. Like Dr. Cider, Keith disagreed in sending prisoners off into Space without proper training. It was a hazardous moment waiting to happen as these poor individuals would be used as lab rabbits in a testing site. But he and his partner had no choice but to follow the agency's orders or their own supervisors would get involved.

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As the leader of the crew, she outweighed their options. In the back of her mind she believed the real reason why she and her crew were selected to go into space was because they were young and rowdy. Bonnie and Clyde also contributed to this chaos as they were one of the most wanted couples accused of stealing hundreds of dollars of merchandise. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise to her why the warden wanted them gone.

Martina decided to have a one on one conversation with Warden Smith once the meeting with the lawyers ended.

"Mr. Anderson, can I speak with the rest of my gang before we make our final decision? This new information has baffled me, so that is why I cannot make up my mind."

Martina tried her best to remain calm as she believed the lawyer might've seen her as a rebel without a cause.

"Yes, please take all the time you need." Pausing, Keith looked at his watch as he and Jason would be late for another appointment. "Tell you what, we'll leave these papers with you. They are the contractual agreements that each of you all must sign. We need to know if you all consent to taking this trip on your own. Mr. Neiman and I will be back tomorrow to hear your decisions."

As the two men stood up from their chairs, the guards escorted them out as Martina looked on. She had a twinkle in her eye; a sign that someone from a galaxy far away was secretly looking after her.