Red Sky in the Morning

John shuffled along the sandy boardwalk toward the beach. He crested the last dune and saw the red streaked sky as the morning sun peeked over the horizon. Stepping off the boardwalk, he removed his sandals and spread his toes in the warm sand. He took a deep breath of the ocean breeze, then ambled off to the left, his sandals in one hand and frozen drink in the other.

He headed to the stand of palm trees and picked a hammock in a shady, breezy spot. Balancing his drink in one hand, he carefully sat on the hammock and laid back, wiggling a bit until he was comfortable. He took a sip of his drink, sat it down in the sand, then shut his eyes to the gentle sound of the surf.

He intended to enjoy every minute of this well-earned vacation, particularly since it was on the company’s dime. He had put in so much overtime he had lost count during the nine-month trial. But he put all that nastiness out of his mind and started sliding into a gentle doze. Until he felt the cold barrel of a revolver pressed to his temple.

John’s eyes snapped open, and he carefully shifted his gaze toward the gun. A bedraggled, stooped over women with limp, brown hair hanging in her face stared intensely at him. He looked into her bloodshot eyes, and she tightened her grip on the gun.

“Don’t move,” she said, “Don’t even blink.”

Blinking furiously, he stuttered, “Wha, Wha, What do you want? I don’t have my wallet with me.”

“I don’t want your money. It was never about the money. There’s no amount that can repay what you took from me,” she said.

Gathering his wits about him, determining this was a negotiation, he said, “Lady, I do not know who you are, and I certainly did not take anything from you.”

“Oh, but you did,” she said, shoving the revolver harder against his temple, “You took everything.”

He cautiously glanced around for anyone who might help, but the palm grove was deserted at this early hour. “Now I am sure we can amicably resolve this issue peacefully. No cause for violence.”

“But your drug company did violence against my wife, and you won’t get away with it. You will pay in blood, just like she did!” She clenched her teeth and the gun trembled in her hand.

“Please relax,” he said softly. “I think we are making progress. I believe you are referring to my recent case where I represented the pharmaceutical company against your spouse, the plaintiff?”

“My wife’s name was Cathy. Say her name!”

“Yes, yes, it is coming back to me. Her name was Cathy Doyle and you are Mary, and she had been administered the company’s new fertility drug. There was a rare adverse reaction- “

“She died and so did our baby!”

“Well, that was a possible known side effect, which was thoroughly documented in the medical releases, which were signed and agreed to by your spouse.”

“Cathy did not agree to die with our baby, and leave me all alone with nothing!”

“Of course, that was not her intention. But all the required paperwork was completed and she had agreed to not hold the company liable. And that was the finding of the jury. The company was found to be blameless, and I am merely a corporate lawyer representing my client. I was simply doing my job.”

“But you are to blame, and the drug company, and the doctors. Everything was taken from me!” She said, as tears trailed down her cheeks.

“Look, while I can sympathize with all you have related to me, and all you have experienced at the hands of my employer, but it is simply not my responsibility. It is an unfortunate situation, but there is no blood on my hands,” he calmly stated, showing her his open hands in a placating gesture.

“Look again,” she said. Then moved the revolver to her own temple and squeezed the trigger.

Blood sprayed on the sand, across his face, and splashed his hands.

He clenched his dripping, red fists in shock, and as the echo of the gunshot faded, his guttural scream rose in the air.