“Are you mad!” I screamed.
“Brother, think of the money. Our business. Our posterity.”
“Think of the jail time!” Good thing my office had thick, tinted glass walls. Our new employees couldn’t hear my cry from their stations. Still, I quieted.
For the past year, Hermes Imports had scaled to a full-fledged trading company. A fleet of ships in my command ran cargo from coast to coast, country to country. Produce, furniture, manufactured products. We moved from strip mall to city buildings. All the while shipping for my brother’s mystery clients. Their cargo no longer a mystery to me.
Aris ran his hands through his dirty blond hair. “At least you know now.”
I dropped into my swivel chair and rested my arms on the wood desk. “That’s the problem, Aris. I find out we’re shipping drugs and weapons after a year of shipping. And I find out from an employee, not you.”
He leaned on the desk, staring intently into my eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t go for it. But we needed the money. I wanted your dream to take off. Dad’s dream for you.”
“Don’t bring Dad into your excuses,” I said, straightening my desk. “We would’ve made it. We just needed a big break.”
“And I got one for you.”
I glared at my little brother. “I want those shipments stopped. Give them their money for the current ones and tell them we’re done doing business with them.”
Aris stayed put. I grew still, staring him down. He caved. “We can’t simply stop the shipments. They’ll come after us and our families.”
My blood boiled. How dare he deal with crooks? Sully my good name? Put my wife and child in danger?
I stood and headed for the door. I stopped, hand on the knob. “If you won’t step away, then I will.” No response. I exited.
Hermes Imports sky-rocketed. My wife said I was nuts for quitting. We separated and I disappeared.
***
Hermes Caldwell patted the skimmer with a grin. “Got myself this boat. Always loved the water. Been here ever since.”
Matthew Graves had stopped taking notes long ago. Such a story seemed so impossibly simple. Walk away from money. Fame. An empire. All because it was built on violence and lies. To refuse such wealth was madness, but given the present situation, a genius move on Caldwell’s part.
Hermes pulled his beat-up trench coat a little tighter around his frame. “That’s it, kid. The whole story. So beat it.”
Matt stood to leave. “Would you come back with me? Hearing the story from you directly would help my case.”
Hermes looked out at the water. “I left a lot behind. The world has changed while I’ve stayed the same.”
“The same man who refused a fortune because it was dirty money?” Hermes looked up at the grinning lawyer. “I think this country could use a few more people like you.”