Stolen Flyght – Chapter 30

Marcelo stands over me while Robert, a stylish man I’ve had the pleasure of meeting twice, does my makeup, and another man presses my suit for the day.

“Did you get any sleep last night?” Marcelo asks. “I’ve never seen Robert use so much under-eye concealer in all my life.”

Robert rolls his eyes at me and smiles at Marcelo. “She’ll be fabulous. I want those eyes to shine today.” He tweaks my chin as he leans away. “No crying, Ms. Vivian. This is waterproof but not sob-proof.”

“I’ll keep it under advisement,” I mumble as he draws my lips in and applies a thin coat of lip color. I am picky about the kind of makeup I wear. I want to look fresh and ready but not overdone.

Hopefully, this routine will end soon. Either I buy my farm back today or not. Either way, full makeup is not anywhere in my near future.

“Vivian!” Gus calls from the other room. “It’s time to go!”

“Excellent timing,” Robert says, stepping back and pursing his lips. “You’ll wow them today.” He looks down at my shoes, my beloved Bomba-Farias, and smiles. “Gorgeous shoes. They’re perfect for you.”

He has no idea what I had to do to keep them. “Thanks, and I need to wow them, or I’m toast. Thank you again for your help.” I bow to him, and he smiles.

“I love that about you. True to your roots.” He squeezes my upper arm. “Go get ‘em, today.”

I grab my newly pressed jacket and throw it on before I exit to the main suite.

“Ah, good!” Ken approaches me with his hands out. “You look gorgeous and ready to knock ‘em dead at the auction.”

He kisses my cheek and turns to beam at Jinzo.

“She looks great,” he agrees.

Gus is at the window, looking down on the morning street traffic in Sakata City. The auction house opens at nine, and the farm is set to go on the block at ten. They already sold off our furniture, art, and other personal belongings. All things I will miss and can’t get back. But as usual, the bank saved the best for last.

“Thanks.” I try to smile, but my stomach is too full of butterflies. “Where’s Mat?”

“Answering messages in the other room,” Jinzo says, crossing to the tiny kitchenette. “Want some coffee?”

I shake my head. “We should get going. It’s almost nine already, and I have no idea what to expect when we arrive.”

Will it be packed with people? I’m sure the media will be there, crowding both the front entrance and the back of the auction room. They attend every big auction, especially of land on Ossun, so this will be no exception. With all the attention I’ve been getting, the media will be there and hungry for something dramatic to happen.

Whatever they hope will happen, the drama won’t be coming from me.

I am determined to hold it together today.

Already, my leg shakes, restless to move. I just want to get there, sit down in my seat, hopefully near the front, and bid.

Gus turns from the window, notices my bouncing leg, and smiles. “Why don’t we leave now? I’m sure Vivi would like a seat up front at the auction.”

His calm smile stops the rising nausea in my belly. Really, I would love to puke right this moment, but my makeup is too lovely to ruin it.

Jinzo grabs Mat from the other room, Ken and Gus pack up a bag for later so we can celebrate or drown our sorrows (either one), and Marcelo brings up the rear.

We chose this hotel because it’s only five blocks from the auction house. When my feet hit the pavement outside, I inhale the brisk morning air and make a decision.

“Let’s walk there.”

Marcelo lifts an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I can have an autocab here in two minutes.”

“Yes. I think it’ll be good for my stomach.” I place my hand on my midriff and grimace. Anxiety does a number on me.

“Okay.” He slips his datapad into his bag. “Let’s go.”

During most of the five-block walk, I stride along next to Jinzo and don’t say anything. I’m processing every scenario I can think of for what’s coming. First, I consider how fast and how many times I can raise my bid. My bank account this morning has seven-point-eight million credits. More than enough for the minimum six-point-five million credits bid, but not enough to keep raising by exponential amounts. Right. I’ll be the first to bid, the first to raise my placard, and I’m going to hope for the best.

Show no fear.

Show no excitement.

I will go in there as an ice queen, and I will buy my farm back.

My confidence fades as we approach the bank’s auction house, though. The crowd outside is twice what I expected, both in terms of media and also women dressed for business. Are they having trouble getting in? If so, I’ll be lucky to even find a seat.

“Oh, no. No,” I mumble through numb lips.

“It’s okay.” Jinzo takes my hand in his. “We registered for our bidder’s card weeks ago, right after they announced the date. You’ll get in.”

I glance at Gus and Ken, and Gus smiles, but Ken’s face is clouded with concern.

“That’s a lot of people,” he says, glancing at Mat. “You ever attend auctions?”

“Yes,” Mat signs, and once again, Gus surprises me by translating, although somewhat slowly. “Several. Maybe the crowd is here for later?”

Somehow I doubt it.

Heads turn as we approach the crowd. I’m willing to wait, as long as we don’t miss the opening bid, so we hang back, and I turn my wrist to access the time. Forty-five minutes until showtime.

After we’ve waited for five minutes, a woman in front of me turns around and looks me over from head to toe. “Oh. You’re Vivian Kawabata.”

My lips twitch in an involuntary smile. “I am.” I try to peer past her, over her head, to see what the holdup is, when she shifts to the side.

“Please, go ahead.” She gestures in front of her, but I shake my head.

“I can wait my turn.”

“No,” she says, smiling and tapping on the shoulders of people in front of her. “You shouldn’t wait. You should go in now.”

Women ahead of her turn, see me, and either gasp or smile. Each person shuffles over to clear a path through them to the front lobby. With each woman turned to look my way, my stomach clenches even more. What’s with this courtesy? After the many weeks I’ve had of random people stabbing me in the back, I can’t help but think this is a poisoned offering. They’re letting me go first so I can be the sacrificial lamb.

The sea of women splits into two crowds, and slowly, I’m admitted to the front lobby. Thanking people as I go, I tip up my chin and pull back my shoulders. Jinzo ushers me ahead of everyone in our party so I can lead the way. This is my responsibility, my farm to reclaim.

The crowd noise quiets as I draw near to the front desk. A young man behind the counter looks up at me, surprised that others have shifted aside to let me to the head of the line.

I open my mouth, but my voice doesn’t come out. I clear my throat and try again.

“Name, please,” he asks.

“Vivian Kawabata.”

“Ah, the former owner.” He seems disappointed I’ve shown up. “Scan your hand, please.”

A spot on the desk lights up, and I set my hand on it. My name pops up on the display with the number twelve next to it, and I breathe a sigh of relief. For a moment, I was sure my name would be missing, and I wouldn’t be able to bid. An assistant comes forward and hands over my bidder’s placard with the same number on it.

“Good luck today.” His voice is as dry as the desert, but I try not to take it to heart.

“Thank you.” I know every pair of eyes in the room is on me. Politeness will see me through today.

I press the placard to my chest for a moment before turning around.

Yes, every woman in the front lobby is staring at me. So, I bow, and I make sure to keep the bow low for a count of three before righting myself.

“Thank you for letting me through.”

Many of the women nod. They’re serious, and they’re here to bid, I can tell. The room is electrified with the power these women hold. Almost every land-owning woman on Ossun must be here. I knew this auction would be popular, but I didn’t imagine this many people would turn out for it. In my dreams, only I was present in the room, and all the others were nameless faces. This is not what I expected, and it takes everything in me not to break down crying right now. The tears build up behind my eyes, and I struggle to keep them from overflowing.

The crowd parts again to admit me to the auction room. Almost every seat is already taken. Shit. I can feel my heart beating hard in my chest as panic tries to take over my brain.

Run, Vivian.

No.

No running.

No, I must stay and fight. It was a long, hard road to get here, and I will at least try.

As my eyes sweep over the crowd, some faces stand out. I know a few of these women from school, and a few more I recognize from the society pages. They all have money, more money than me.

I turn around to Jinzo, Ken, Gus, and Mat.

“I can’t do this.” My voice shakes. “These women are a lot more powerful than me. They’ll outbid me.”

“You can do this, Vivi,” Jinzo says, taking both of my hands in his and squeezing.

“You have friends here.” Ken jerks his chin to the crowd behind me, but I don’t want to turn around and face them. They must know I’m here by now. “Look.”

I close my eyes for a moment before turning around.

Hands and arms wave to me from the front of the room, and my anxiety relieves a bit to see Malina and Alipha smiling and beckoning me to them. A woman next to them stands up, and it’s India Dellis. Her smile widens as she sees me.

Okay. I can do this. I can walk through this crowd as long as I concentrate on my friends.

I turn back to the guys. “I’m going to go sit with them.”

“We’ll be here,” Gus says. Mat nods. “Good luck.”

I skirt around the side and then the front of the room, and I’m aware of hundreds of eyes on me as the chattering lowers to a minimum, and the talking becomes whispers.

“Vivian!” Malina smiles as I approach. She opens her arms to draw me into a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’m so glad you made it through the crowd.”

“Today’s the day.” Alipha leans in to kiss my cheek as well. “Are you excited?”

“I think I’m going to be sick. I’m about two seconds from an anxiety attack.” They both laugh, but they have no idea how honest I’m being.

“We saved you a seat,” India says, gesturing to the empty chair next to her.

“India.” I nod to her.

Her smile turns amused. “Vivian.” She dips her head in response. “I had dinner with my sister last night. She said your court case went well, and you got your ship back. Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” I say, swallowing down the acid climbing up my throat.

“We’re happy to have you on the Athens team.”

“I couldn’t pass up the generous offer.” It’s a hard thing to admit, but I know it’s true. I’m only here today because Renata has been helping me. And having a salary in the future could mean the difference between eating and starvation. I won’t turn that down.

I glance at the chair I’m supposed to sit in, and a hard face catches my attention from the row behind me.

Lena Almas sits with her arms crossed, her stare boring straight into me. Other women chatter around her, but she’s ready to put me in my place.

“Lena.” I nod to her as well. Best not to be rude.

“Vivian.” She lifts her chin, defying my congeniality. “Look how many people turned up to bid on your farm. I hope you realize now just how sad and small you really are.”

“I…” I don’t even know what to say to her. I look at Malina and Alipha, and they make eye contact with only me, like Lena doesn’t exist. Alipha turns her shoulder to shut Lena out, and Malina gestures for me to sit. I snap my mouth closed and follow their lead.

While I’m watching the clock tick towards ten, Michael Lopez enters the auction room. Ugh. I can’t stand this man. After our initial meeting at First Ossun Bank two weeks ago, I wanted to stab him. He was so smug, sitting across his desk and telling me that the price on my land was even more than I had expected. If I hadn’t insisted on being notified of the auction, I’m sure he would have kept it from me too.

His eyes glow with avarice as they sweep the room and catalog the women who came out for this once-in-a-lifetime event. His smile is just shy of smug as he buttons his jacket and crosses the room to speak to a few women in the front row. They make small talk with him, but I notice every woman dismisses him after a few short words. Maybe they’re all as nervous as I am.

“Ms. Kawabata, I’m so glad you could make it.” Lopez holds out his hand to me, and I shake it, not breaking eye contact with him. “It’s always nice to see the original owners taking such an interest in purchasing their land back.”

Malina holds up her hand. “You can go now,” she says, rejecting him.

He blinks and backs away. For a moment, I think he’s going to protest and speak more, but then he looks at Malina again. She stares him down with a frosty glare, and he turns and leaves to join the auction team at the front.

“Thank you,” I whisper to her.

“That man is a snake. I will not abide him talking to any of us.” She nods once, definitive.

“I felt dirty the last time I spoke to him,” Alipha says, leaning over to whisper to us. “He’s in for a surprise today.”

“I —” I’m about to ask what kind of surprise when the lights dim quickly three times, and the room chimes.

“Hello, everyone.” Lopez shakes off Malina’s rejection, turns on his smile, and addresses the room from the front podium. A logo of the bank appears on the giant wallscreen next to him. “Welcome to the First Ossun Bank Auction House. We have a few properties on the docket today, and we’re looking forward to presenting them to you. First up, property number K7356, The Kawabata Holdings and Estate.”

All eyes in the room turn to the wallscreen. My home appears there, and I catch my breath. It’s been months since I last saw the place, but it looks the same as I remember it. The video fades through multiple views of the estate — the greenhouses, the fields, the interior of the main house, our warehouses, our branding on bags of rice… It goes on and on while Lopez reiterates the details of everything on sale. I swallow as I hear it all laid out. We had so many square kilometers, so many assets, and Tomu pissed it away because he was an angry asshole.

A lump forms in my throat, looking at the footage. This is the last moment I can believe the place was mine. These women are here to bid, and I only have a little leeway to raise and try to win.

The footage stops, and the wallscreen changes to show the current bid price, six-point-five million credits.

Here we go.

Lopez sits, and the auctioneer takes the podium.

“The bidding will now start on property number K7356.” He looks across the entire room before beginning. “The opening bid for this property is six-point-five million credits.”

I raise my bidding placard high, keeping my arm straight and confident. I don’t want him to miss me in the sea of other bids. My eyes are focused on him alone. I can’t miss a single thing he’s about to say or do.

He looks beyond me for a second before acknowledging me. “Bidder twelve for six-point-five million credits.”

Lopez and his assistants at the main table are whispering to each other, but my heart is hammering, and I’m ready to go for the next bid. My hands shake as I wait.

“Six-point-six million credits,” the auctioneer calls out, and I close my eyes, waiting for the hammer to drop.

The room falls into silence, and a rush of shuffling jerks me out of my head. I look left and right, and everyone is on their feet. India Dellis smiles down on me.

I tug Malina’s pant leg. “What’s happening?” I ask, my voice a whisper.

“The women of Ossun will not fight against one another just for your amusement or profit.” She lifts her chin and raises her voice. “The relationship network is the cornerstone of our society, and we are all in this together, women and men alike. Vivian Kawabata will be the only person bidding on this property today.”

In a slow but orderly fashion, all the women begin to leave their spots and file out of the room. India moves chairs out of the way and speaks quiet thanks to every woman who walks by.

What? What is happening?

My jaw shakes, and my eyes fill with tears. “Malina, Alipha…” I try to talk with both of them, but Malina is staring down the auctioneer and Lopez at the front table, and Alipha is watching the crowd to make sure they’re leaving.

A sob bubbles up through the disbelief. I don’t know most of these women, and I don’t know why they would stand by me like this.

Malina turns and takes my hand in hers. “With everything that’s happening, we need to stick together, just like you said. We spoke to everyone. We sent the message. It can’t be every woman for herself if we want to survive.”

“It’s more important than ever that you get back your farm,” India says, laying her hand on my shoulder for a moment. She links arms with one of the last women in our row, and the two walk off together.

“That’s right.” Alipha’s voice is hard as nails. I turn in my seat to see Lena still sitting behind me, but her confidence has been sucked away. Her skin is pale, and her lips are set in a firm line. “We will stick together,” Alipha continues, her eyes on Lena, “and if you hope to keep any of your fellow sister wives or your assets, you will get up and walk out with everyone else right now.”

Lena locks eyes with Alipha, and I turn to find my network. Since we’ve been here, Skylar and my mom and dad have joined the guys. Skylar’s eyes are filled with tears, and her hand covers her mouth as she watches the last of the women leave. Gus is near tears too. Jinzo, Ken, and Mat have smiles on their faces. Mom and Dad are in shock, their mouths hanging open.

Lena considers Alipha and us for a moment. “Do I have your word you won’t interfere with my business?”

Malina leans in. “You have my word as long as you get the hell out of our business. You want to have the kind of support Vivian has?” She sweeps her arms out at the room. “Show some fucking compassion, or we’re all done with you. That means all your suppliers, all your side businesses, everything you’ve ever built will be for nothing. Understood?”

Lena pauses to consider the deal, but we know what she’ll choose. There’s no other way out for her.

She stands up. “Agreed. As of today, I am cutting Gabriel loose. He will no longer be making the decisions for us.” She lifts her chin and walks out.

Wow.

My chin shakes again as I turn to Malina. “I… I don’t deserve this.”

“Yes, you do.” She squeezes my upper arm.

“You can’t do this!” Lopez blusters forward from his spot at the front. “We’ll postpone the auction and try again.”

Alipha steps forward. “You won’t get a better deal, and the auction has already been certified and bid on. It’s against the law to stop it now.”

Lopez spins around to consult with the auctioneer. The man raises his hands. “Don’t yell at me. She’s correct. We must take the bid as is.”

Lopez steams, his chest heaving up and down, up and down.

I turn around and sit back in my chair as Malina and Alipha step away. The auctioneer inhales and returns to his post.

“The final bid is six-point-five million credits,” the auctioneer calls out. “Going once, twice.” He pauses before clenching his fist. “Sold to bidder number twelve.”

I clutch the placard to my chest, throw back my head, and scream. The scream morphs to a cry, which leads to laughter, and I stomp my feet on the floor before jumping up to throw my arms around both Malina and Alipha.

“Thank you! Thank you both!” I smother each of them with a snotty, teary kiss on their cheeks. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything.” Alipha squeezes me. “Go be with your family. Celebrate. Because tomorrow we get back to work.”

I run across the room to fly into Skylar’s arms first. She laughs and rocks me back and forth. “You did it!”

“I don’t know how I did it. I couldn’t do it alone, certainly not without help.”

I hug Mom and Dad, and Dad whispers he’s sorry to me for what happened with Tomu. He obviously hasn’t told Mom that he saw Tomu, but she knows about his death from the media. She squeezes me and apologizes too.

After hugs and kisses from all the guys, they put their arms around me, and we have a huddle.

“What do we do now?” I ask, wiping away my tears.

“We pick up the bill of sale, transfer the money, and drink a hell of a lot of wine,” Ken says with a chuckle.

“I second that,” Mat signs.

“But first,” Jinzo says, bringing my attention to him, “we have people to thank.”

“You’re right. We do.”

I take a deep breath, cross the room to grab my bidding placard, and head to the door with my family at my back.

Pulling the double doors open, I face the crowd of women in the lobby, raise the placard in the air, and yell, “I won!”

The roar of the crowd is deafening, and I smile and laugh as I’m surrounded by the women of Ossun.

Just like my network, together we’re stronger than apart.

Together, we can conquer anything.