Awakening Book One of the Trust Series

chapter 19

That night, Caitlyn and Declan practiced teleporting. Declan did not appear to have the natural ability to transport Caitlyn. She attributed this to two things. One, she was probably not explaining it properly to him; and two, they had to end after only a few attempts to do final preparations for the arbitration.

Garrett had been gone for two weeks now. She had received the occasional call from him, but she could tell during those calls that he was under a tremendous about of stress. He asked how her training was proceeding, and she told him how she was able to teleport, but Declan had asked her to keep the arbitration quiet from everyone until it was over. Garrett then had made a comment about wishing that she could teleport to him at that moment, but the Trust would not allow him to reveal his current whereabouts.

She was lucky that she was so busy learning that she barely had time to miss him. Declan had taken her to the airport, where they boarded a private jet. As she entered the plane, her eyes set upon a man with dark skin in his late thirties, early forties. He was reviewing information on his laptop, before shutting it quietly and looking up.

“Declan. This must be Caitlyn, I presume.”

The well-dressed man stuck his hand out to Caitlyn. “Yes, I am. Caitlyn Young.”

“Derrick Adair.” He motioned for the both of them to take a seat across from him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Declan buckled his seatbelt and clasped his hands before turning to his student. “Caitlyn, Derrick is one of our premier negotiators. He attended Harvard Law and works for the Trust’s legal department. We both have a lot that we can learn from him, and it’s always an honor to sit in on negotiations with him.”

“I won’t deny it’s an honor to work with me, Declan,” he advised while winking at Caitlyn. “Did I mention I am modest too?”

She laughed lightly. They soon took off in the air, and Derrick and Declan began talking strategy for the arbitration. Caitlyn found it fascinating and had spent the last two weeks in her spare time reading books on the art of negotiation, but she knew she was out of her element. Declan had advised her that there would be three other people involved in the arbitration; a man named Monroe who was the arbitrator at most of these functions and then two unknown representatives for the Cine Tofa.

The two men threw around various names that she did not recognize as possible opponents, weighing the strengths and weaknesses of all. They also discussed what they were willing to give up to get the Cine Tofa to release their hostages as well as what the Cine Tofa would probably demand. It was a constant weighing of pros and cons between the two of them. Sometimes they both agreed, and other times, each of them were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Declan had explained that the arbitration would take place in neutral grounds in Montana. Both sides had facilities there, for the sole use of negotiations and treaties. They had landed on time, and Caitlyn was led to the Trust hunting lodge. The exposed log walls and cedar interior made her feel more like at a retreat rather than a negotiation. Declan led her to the large bedroom that had been set aside especially for her, advising that she had some time to put away her things before meeting Declan and Derrick in the great room. The negotiations were set to start that afternoon at two pm as scheduled.

The three of them walked into the negotiation hall, quiet, as they were led to a large room. Declan whispered to her softly, “Monroe is here already.”

Sure enough, Monroe sat there, hands on the table, sorting through various papers. He looked past the seasoned negotiators at Caitlyn, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Derrick, Declan, Caitlyn. So glad you could make it. Henry and Sierra will be here shortly. Hopefully, we can make this short and sweet.”

Declan and Derrick glanced at each other at that information. Those were two of the names they had tossed out on the plane. Both had particular dislike for the each of them. Derrick shook his head in frustration. “I am afraid not this time, Monroe.”

Monroe tilted his head down and sighed. “I figured you would say that, Derrick. Caitlyn, are your rooms to your liking?”

Caitlyn could sense his sincerity. “Yes, they are more than adequate. I appreciate the opportunity you have allowed me to be involved in the proceedings.”

Monroe waved his hand as if it was nothing. “I have nothing to do with who handles the negotiations on the Trust end. You should purely thank Declan for this one. It is a rare opportunity to be able to observe such proceedings and very few have gotten the privilege. Both sides are very protective of who they let join in the negotiations.”

Caitlyn could not help but smile at Declan in thanks. He had warned her that this would end up being fairly intense, and there would be long hours over the next few days, not that long hours would intimidate her. Monroe made general chitchat with the two of them; it was obvious that the three of them had worked together often over the years, and Monroe and Derrick were sharing stories of their wives and children.

It was then that Sierra and Henry walked through the door. Sierra was tall, redheaded, and confidence exuded off her in waves. Caitlyn could not help but stare at her coolly; she could tell that the other female clearly had a chip on her shoulder. Henry was almost kind in contrast, his body grandfatherly and his demeanor soft. It was not until she took in his eyes that she saw the anger that was smoldering behind them. She realized that his demeanor was a front to put those in front of him at false ease; he was really a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Derrick quickly exchanged pleasantries with them before moving to one side of the large oak table. There was a cool respect in the room, with the tension lying just underneath, mounting as the minutes passed. Monroe cleared his throat. “I believe we have everyone here. Please. Let us all sit.”

Henry and Sierra exchanged glances with one another before taking their seats. The Trust sat on one side of the table, the opposition directly facing them, with Monroe sitting on the end. Monroe cleared his throat, his voice somber. “This arbitration session has been agreed to by both sides to discuss the release of particular individuals. As decided by the treaty of 1989, I’ll listen to both arguments and both requests. Upon proper deliberation and argument, I’ll come back with a decision that I deem to be amiable to both parties. Should one or both parties disagree with my decision, they will have the right to decline the decision or appeal for a new arbitrator. Is this agreeable to both parties?”

Derrick nodded and Henry gave a quick bob. Monroe shuffled some more papers. “Good. Let’s proceed. The Cine Tofa will begin with their requests.”

Henry spoke up. “The Cine Tofa would like to negotiate for larger recruiting areas. The Trust still has a disproportional recruiting area.”

Caitlyn couldn’t help but notice Declan’s jaw clench in smallest fraction; he was obviously displeased by this request.

“Anything further?” Monroe asked.

“Nothing. Just that request.”

Monroe turned to the two of them. “And does the Trust agree with this request?”

Derrick examined a binder that was in front of him, not even looking up to respond. “We require more information at this time.”

Monroe looked bored as if he had heard this response before. “Anything else?”

“No.”

“Fine. We will open up the discussion to the first order of business. Cine Tofa, please advise of your request regarding recruiting borders.”

Sienna stood up. “As you know, the Trust still holds two-thirds of the North American continent. The Cine Tofa's numbers have tripled over the past ten years. We are to request that the Cine Tofa take over another quarter of the land for recruiting purposes.”

Declan laughed coldly. “What? You want another fourth of the land. Inconceivable.”

Sierra glared at him. “Our recruitment levels are not where they should be at. In the Treaty of 1993, it was agreed that the Cine Tofa had equal rights to training of Actuals. I do not see what is so irrational about our argument.”

“The irrational part is you are only taking into account Geological Location. You may only have one third of the land, but you have a large of number of populous cities. Your sheer numbers that are available for recruitment are larger than our own. Add to that the ease in which you can recruit versus the Trust, and you can see the clear advantages.”

Monroe turned to Henry. “Where is it that you would like to expand to?”

Henry hit a button and a display appeared before them. A Map of the North American Continent appeared. It was divided into three sections. The next part he stated for Caitlyn’s benefit. “The Orange is Trust land, the Green is Cine Tofa.”

“And the Purple?”

“Those are the neutral lands. They are mostly dead zones where there have not been large amounts of Actuals that are there. Mostly it is comprised of people that wish to be free from either influence and wish to live a more normal life. However, recruiting there can be done on either side.”

Henry then produced another map. Where in the first map, the Orange took up the Midwest, Northeast, and majority of the South, the new map had the Cine Tofa taking over large sections of the Midwest and Texas. Declan pressed his lips together again as he looked at the new map.

Derrick laughed. “Chicago and Texas? There is no way that we will agree to that.”

Sierra surprisingly ignored the two men and focused on Caitlyn. “Chicago has typically had a lot of recruits from the Trust that have made the decision to switch to the Cine Tofa. By our numbers, sixty percent of your recruits have switched to us there.”

Caitlyn knew she was not supposed to talk, but she could not help it. There was something about this woman that immediately got under her skin. “Sixty percent? And exactly, if the Trust has been exclusively recruiting there, were you able to ascertain that it is sixty percent? Exactly who are you getting this information from? Surely, you wouldn’t be so brazen to have planted a spy within the Trust now would you?”

Sierra narrowed her eyes at the young woman. Caitlyn was sure she did not expect her to talk back. “We have our methods.”

The room was silent for a few minutes as Declan and Derrick poured over the maps, clearly having an internal conversation about what the Cine Tofa was requesting. Occasionally, one of them would shake their head no, or make a hand gesture, but the room was quiet otherwise. Sierra and Henry just stared straight ahead at them, occasionally blinking. Monroe was making notes to himself, waiting patiently for the Trust to speak again.

Derrick finally spoke up. “We do not agree to these terms. What other requests do you have?”

Sierra and Henry smirked at each other as if expecting that response. “The Cine Tofa would like the Leabhar.”

Declan’s eyes almost bugged out of his head. In a low voice, he muttered. “Never.”

Caitlyn was perplexed. Neither Garrett nor Declan had ever mentioned the Leabhar, but based on Declan’s reaction, she knew that it was something of great importance.

Derrick spoke up next, his face never portraying anything but the utmost calm. “That will never be up for negotiation.”

Monroe coughed lightly, bringing the attention back to him. “Henry, Sierra, is there anything else you would like to request?”

Henry turned to the arbitrator. “Yes. We would like Brida’s Formula.”

Derrick laughed. “Brida’s formula?”

Henry’s icy stare let everyone know in the room that the Cine Tofa were most serious in their request. Declan threw his hands up, speaking directly to Monroe. “Is this how this arbitration is supposed to go? They are going to ask for something unreasonable, something that is completely unattainable, and then something that does not even exist? I do not even know why we are wasting our time here.”

Monroe sighed. “As you are well aware, they have a right to make any request they want. Are there any other things that the Cine Tofa might like to negotiate for?”

Henry and Sierra shook their head no, an air of smugness surrounding them. Monroe looked back at the Trust end. “Would you like to counter offer at this time?”

Derrick shook his head. “If it pleases you, Arbitrator, we ask that this session be resumed at noon tomorrow so I may confer with my colleges regarding these… requests.”

Monroe bowed his head. “Of course. This session will resume at twelve pm central standard time. May you all have a good evening.”

The three of them made their way back to the lodge in relative silence. Once they were securely in their building, Declan spoke out loud, rage in his voice. “A mockery! The Cine Tofa is making this a mockery! They never had any intent of letting the hostages go.”

Derrick placed a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, Declan.”

“Why should I calm down? DiMartino and Smith are holed up with a couple of no-good Inquisitors right this minute being tortured. You know as well as I do that the Cine Tofa is much less ethical when it comes to the use of their Inquisitors.”

Derrick sighed. Caitlyn found his demeanor comforting. “Yes, we know. At the end of this arbitration, they will be freed. But right now we need to focus.” He glanced at the clock. “Listen, why don’t I go get us all some take out and then when I come back, we can discuss strategy. I think cooler heads will prevail when we all have some food in us.”

As the door shut behind him, Declan ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “The Cine Tofa have had some obnoxious requests before, but this… this is just ridiculous.”

“Declan, what is the Leabhar and Brida’s Formula?”

“I am surprised that Garrett did not go over the Leabhar with you.” He sat down at the counter, grabbing a bottle of whiskey sitting nearby and pouring himself a glass. He raised an empty glass and pointed it questionably at her.

Caitlyn figured what the hell. “Sure. Why not?”

He poured some in the tumbler and slid it over to her. “The Leabhar is Gaelic for ‘the book.’ It is the oldest document that we have regarding our history, our beginning. The books entries span over centuries, detailing different abilities and struggles within our society. The keeper of the books job is to record everything in an unbiased way. When there is a new ability that is revealed, the keeper notes it and tries to keep information on how that person performs that ability. I suspect that in the next few months, the keeper will contact you regarding your teleportation ability. When the Cine Tofa separated from the Trust in the eighties, they lost access to the Leabhar. We naturally assumed that they began to use a copy of the Leabhar and update with their own entries, but they do not know our unique talents that have arisen over the past thirty years.”

“So they want to assess what the Trust is capable of?”

“Yes and no. The Leabhar is one of our most important documents. Basically, it’s like they are asking for the Declaration of Independence. It’s something we would never give.”

Caitlyn understood. She would perhaps like to study this document herself at some point. She knocked back her whiskey, placing the empty glass on the counter. “And what about Brida’s formula?”

Declan laughed, grabbing it from her and refilling it. “It’s an urban myth. The mythology behind Brida’s formula began in the late nineties. According to this legend, one of our scientists, Francine Brida, developed this injection that would enhance an Actual’s natural abilities or begin the awakening process sooner in a Potential. But the formula does not exist.”

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. “Well, most urban legends are usually based on a grain of truth.”

“You are right. Dr. Brida did try to develop a formula that could do that. It did not work and failed after multiple attempts. The formula itself is no longer even in existence; when she failed on such a huge level, she destroyed all evidence of the experiment. Anyways, word spread about this experiment and it somehow changed into we had this super injection. If we did, we would have all these super Actuals around us.” Declan laughed to himself slightly.

“What?”

Declan laughed harder. “I had forgotten this until now, but I had overheard someone at the Gala suggest that you were shot with Brida’s formula.”

Caitlyn could not help but laugh herself. “Could you imagine?”

Declan tipped back the rest of his liquor. “You would be fearsome. Not that you are not now.”

She snorted. “Yeah, right. I am completely fearsome. All be afraid of Caitlyn Young.”

Derrick arrived a few minutes later with Chinese food in one hand and rolled up Maps in the other. Caitlyn grabbed a container of Beef with Broccoli and plopped down on the floor, spreading the maps in front of her. The various maps showed everything from the recruiting land shifts of the past thirty years to information regarding the Trust’s recruiting stats over the past fifty years. She looked at them with keen interest as Declan and Derrick talked at the table.

“We cannot give them more land, Derrick.”

Derrick waved a chopstick in his hand. “You knew that it might be a possibility, Declan. We have to give them something.”

“Well, what if we offer them changes in trading rights?”

Derrick shook his head. “They are not going to agree to that. The trading rights were already being reviewed by a board as per the 2011 treaty; they would be giving us something for nothing in their opinion.”

“What about offering them the release of one of their spies?”

Caitlyn perked up in interest. That would explain Garrett’s recent disappearances for extended periods. Derrick again, shook his head. “I do not want to offer that to them. As it is, I know that is what they are hoping for, but they are not willing to even acknowledge spies on their end. They are waiting for us to offer the releases so they can push for more. I’ll mention to Monroe that we are interested in a possible release, but will not offer it out on the table flatly. That will need to come from Monroe’s mouth directly as a judgment, not from ours.”

“I will not give them Texas or Chicago. Texas has been a large recruiting area for us.”

“They will not accept if we give them other lands.”

Caitlyn interrupted. “Why don’t you give them half of Texas? Derrick, does the Cine Tofa have access to the maps in front of me?”

His brow furrowed. “Not most of them. Those I brought with me.”

“Well,” She lifted up the map of the recruiting history and placed it on the countertop in front of them. “Texas seems quite unique. To the outside observer, it is a boon for recruiting. However, if I am reading this map correctly, it is fairly deceiving. Austin, Houston, and El Paso used to be meccas for potentials, however, over the past two decades, those numbers have dwindled significantly, and instead, Fort Worth, Dallas, and Arlington numbers have all been on the rise. On this map-”

Caitlyn grabbed another map from the floor. “It shows the current potentials. While we would lose some in the Houston and Austin areas, it’s not a significant number. Besides, you need to look at the larger picture.”

Declan was interested in where she was going with this. “The bigger picture?”

“Yes. In several years, these recruiting treaties are going to be obsolete anyways. When there are so many people waking, the Cine Tofa is going to go public at that point and the Trust will need to as well. And then the Potentials will be able to make up their own minds, if they choose sides at all.”

Derrick chewed methodically before looking at Declan. “She has a very valid point.”

Declan frowned. “I still don’t like it. What if the treaty upholds somehow through it? Then we permanently lose that land. But… what other choices do we have?”

They stayed up into the wee hours of the night discussing alternative options, weighing the pros and cons. Caitlyn was impressed at how thorough the both of them were and how dedicated they were. Finally, they glanced at the clock, seeing it was two am in the morning.

Derrick stretched his arms and yawned loudly. “Well kids, I think it is time to go to bed.”

Caitlyn agreed. She said goodnight to them both and walked in her room. She changed and climbed into bed, closing her eyes, willing sleep to come. It would not. Finally, after an hour of tossing and turning, she tossed the blankets back and padded softly out to the living room, hoping that maybe a cup of tea from the kitchen would calm her.

She observed that she was not the only one who could not sleep. Declan’s figure, now clad in flannel pajama bottoms and a gray shirt, shone in the moonlight staring out the window.

“Can’t sleep either, huh?” His voice sounded almost far away in her head.

She walked over next to him, watching the moonlight casting its glow on the land outside. “No. I tried, but just found myself tossing and turning.”

He turned to her. “I can never sleep the night before. I always try, and it always alludes me. I think its nerves, and I cannot get my mind to shut off.”

She sat down at the window bench, pulling her legs against her chest and he followed, sitting next to her. “What were you thinking of?”

“I think of my mom most of the time. But tonight, I was actually thinking of you.”

Caitlyn couldn’t help but be intrigued. “Me? What about?”

He furrowed his brow. “I was going back and forth in my mind if I did the right thing when I persuaded my father to switch mentors for you.”

Caitlyn copied his facial movement. “Why now? Do you regret teaching me?”

He reached out to grab her hand to give it a squeeze. “Regret teaching you? Never. I was worried that you maybe resented me for taking you away from Garrett so much. I know that you and Garrett have not been seeing each other nearly as much. It’s not fair to a new relationship. It’s not fair to you.”

She scooted over closer to him, till her body was almost touching his. “What gave you that impression? Declan, I don’t resent you. I am grateful that you took me under you wing; that you saw the potential you did in me. I am excelling and beating everyone’s expectations because of you.”

“But what about Garrett?”

Caitlyn bit her lip. “It’s true that I don’t see Garrett nearly as much. I miss him. But I don’t blame you for that. I am just as equally motivated to work into all hours of the night as you are. It doesn’t help that his line of work is sending him away more frequently on business. But, if we are meant to be, then we will find a way to make it work.”

Declan pulled her a little tighter into him. “Do you love him?”

Caitlyn was surprised at the line of questioning. Declan and she talked about anything and everything, with the exception of Caitlyn’s relationship. It had always somehow been off the table between the two of them, a taboo subject. She had never even openly disclosed to him her relationship with Garrett, although she knew that he was very much aware of it.

She stared out into the night, trying to think of how to answer the question. It was a loaded question for sure. “I care for him a great deal. I think I love him. It’s hard to know.”

Declan looked down at her. “I feel guilt at coming between the two of you sometimes.”

“You shouldn’t.”

Declan kissed the top of her forehead as she suppressed a yawn. Perhaps she did not need tea after all. “You should try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a really big day and I want to make sure my star pupil absorb as much as possible.”

Caitlyn yawned again, both of them rising to stand. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. You should try as well. Declan, for what it’s worth, I am really glad I made the change. You are a terrific mentor and you have become one of my closest friends. I have no regrets.”

He pulled away from her slightly. He caught her eyes, whispering out loud. “None?”

She shook her head. “None.”

Declan pressed his lips together as the back of his hand raised to brush her cheek. She could not pull away from his gaze, her feet planted firmly in its spot, refusing to move. His eyes trailed to her lips, his thumb lightly tracing them, coaxing them into parting for him.

The room was deathly quiet, the only sound being her heart, thumping wildly at the intimateness of the moment.

Finally, it was as if his eyes awoke and he pulled away abruptly. “You should really get some sleep, Caitlyn.”

She took a deep intake of breath and nodded, turning away from him. “Goodnight, Declan.”

He walked into his room, closing the door slightly behind him. “Night, Caitlyn.”

Caitlyn put up her block as her mind raced with what had happened back in the living room. She and Declan almost crossed a line that should not have been crossed. She groaned into her pillow loudly. She and Declan were friends and she knew that was all she had felt for him. But something in his gaze made her catch her breath and she was unsettled with how that made her feel.

She continued to rustle in her sheets, tossing back and forth. Caitlyn took a steadying breath. They had their argument in the arbitration tomorrow. She cleared her mind as Declan had taught her to do over the past few weeks and after a while, fell into a fitful sleep.

The next morning she woke up, not surprised to see Declan and Derrick already working out their arguments and their concessions. As she stepped out the door, she saw Declan glance up quickly at her, before hurriedly looking back down at the map.

As she poured herself a cup of coffee, Derrick greeted her with a quick. “Good Morning. Sleep well?”

She took a sip. “I slept alright. Strange bed and all.”

“Well, we are hoping to get this wrapped up this morning. I spoke to several members of the Tribunal this morning in regards to the offers we are proposing. They agreed, so now it is a matter of convincing Monroe.”

When they walked into the meeting precisely at noon, they were surprised to see that Henry and Sierra were not there. They sat down expectantly. Monroe greeted them with his easy smile. “Good afternoon.”

Derrick raised his eyebrows. “Good Afternoon. Where are Henry and Sierra?”

Monroe pushed some papers towards the three of them. “I had requested of them not to be here. I wanted to have two closed sessions with each party. Yesterday… well, let’s just say that there were some interesting requests that were not exactly reasonable and they did it more so to get under your skin. If they are not going to treat the proceedings with the respect that it deserves just to goad the Trust, then I’ll proceed with how I see fit. I met with Henry and Sierra already once this morning to hear their arguments in greater detail, and will call them in later this evening or tomorrow once my final decision has been made.”

Monroe asked them to outline their plan. He was not surprised when they obviously did not agree to the last two requests, but he listened with keen interest at their offer.

They did offer part of Texas along with Oklahoma for recruiting. But furthermore, the Trust agreed to open talks regarding international lands, something that the European and Asian factions of the Trust had been reluctant to do until recently. Those lands had never been dictated by treaties, and the Cine Tofa, primarily an American ideal until the past decade, did not have as much of a presence as they would like abroad.

Monroe was surprised by this offer, but he seemed to agree that the terms were acceptable, but wanted specifics on the new geography regarding the recruiting. After a couple of hours hashing out the exact border agreements and the terms of the international talks, Monroe stated that this was a reasonable agreement and advised calling the Cine Tofa contingent in to give his resolution and decision.

Derrick and Declan thanked him for his time and a few minutes later, Henry and Sierra walked in, obviously surprised by how quickly they were called back. Declan glanced briefly at Caitlyn before turning his attention to Monroe.

“Thank you all for joining me back here. After talking to both parties, I believe that we have a resolution that is agreeable to both sides. The ruling is, the Trust will move the recruiting borders as follows-” Monroe produced a map in the air. “They will give up approximately half of Texas and they will allow the Cine Tofa full recruiting rights in Oklahoma, beginning immediately.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed. “What about Illinois?”

Monroe’s face calm on the outside, but his voice held an even but dangerous tone to it. “Illinois is still within the Trust’s recruiting area. You forget Henry, that it is my job to study very closely the recruiting lines, and if they were to relinquish Illinois, the balance would be tilted in your favor. Unless the Trust had readily offered it, I was never going to agree to that term.”

“But-”

Caitlyn noticed that Declan squeezed his folded hands together. Monroe turned his attention to Sierra, who had kept quiet. “Sierra, since Henry obviously cannot respect my role, perhaps you would like to explain to him the guidelines surrounding an arbitration?”

Sierra just shot Henry a severe look and Henry, while still defiant, pressed his lips shut.

Monroe gave an audible sigh. “As I was saying, since the Trust will not be giving up Illinois, they have offered as an alternative to open up International talks in regards to setting up open Cine Tofa recruiting areas.”

Caitlyn could tell that this caught Sierra by surprise. Derrick had explained to Caitlyn that this was something that they had been pushing for in their Treaty agreements, but the Trust would never budge. He explained that the Tribunal actually approved for this to be an offer as they were going to use it as a negotiating piece in the future and the Trust deemed it inevitable anyways.

Monroe continued. “I’ll set up the time and place for the talks. They will be held in Europe, and I’ll advise both parties with ample time, of time and place so you may prepare. The Cine Tofa, in return, will agree to release both prisoners immediately into the hands of the Trust. If the prisoners’ are in anyway irreparably harmed, then the terms of this arbitration are henceforth null and void. Are these terms acceptable to both parties?”

Derrick nodded. “Yes, the terms are acceptable.”

Sierra did likewise. “Yes.”

Monroe placed his notes into his attaché case, clicking it shut. “Good. I’ll be drafting up the agreement to be signed shortly and then I can thereby announce that the arbitration is officially over. We shall break and then reconvene in one-hour time to sign the final documents. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

They all stood. Declan smiled at Caitlyn as they walked out the door, Caitlyn distracted with thoughts of the night before. When they were not within hearing distance of the Cine Tofa, he turned to her concerned. “What’s wrong?”

She could not very well tell him what was bothering her. “I guess I somehow expected a bit more drama.”

Declan laughed. “Caitlyn, trust me, there will be drama in the future. There is always drama with the Cine Tofa. They must have been having an off day.”