Lady Liberty In France

By Eshha Adnan

In the shadows of the hustling streets of Brooklyn behind the worn-out taxis and the pubs dimmed with flickering lights, a group of friends are reunited after eleven years of being estranged. Still immersed in the ocean of melancholy into which he was thrust years ago, John Mickenly is consumed in the desire for vengeance. When an offer arises from the black market,John and his partners deeply ponder over a daunting proposition of 18 million dollars or life itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eshha Adnan
• Release date: Nov 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781731008756

Book preview

CHAPTER 1 -

It was another busy day in New York City. The sky was washed with grey, and the boots left delicate marks over the frozen sidewalk. Meanwhile, John McKinley was drinking black coffee in his favorite mug typing his newspaper article.

His coworker Debby came up to him. Hey, John is this a good one? Debby showed him her recent article about how the magician David Cooper made the Statue of Liberty disappear.

Hmm. Suddenly John had an idea. An idea that would finally get him his revenge. John swiftly finished typing his latest newspaper article on the million-dollar diamond robbery in Ohio. Right before he ended the article, he typed a tiny indistinguishable symbol at the bottom right-hand corner of the article-a lowercase m. Then he hit print. It would seem like a typo to everyone, everyone besides his best friends. The lowercase m indicated they needed to meet up. Back in high school, his closest friends Jay, Bryce, and Alastair would have a code where they all would meet. They were such close friends that once John pushed Alastair out of the way from being hit by a car and had broken his arm in the process. It took John weeks to get his cast off.  If anyone of them needed to talk about something prominent, they would use the letter m. The place and time would always be the same -Mike's Pub, 7:30 p.m. It had been years since any of them had made contact. John looked down at his watch; it was 4:09.

One by one, all three boys recognized the m in the newspaper article. Alastair was hacking into someone's device for a friend in return for a favor when he noticed the letter m on the bottom right-hand corner of the newspaper his Uncle Sam was reading. He politely snatched the newspaper and realized after all these years it was a sign that one of his old friends wanted to meet up. Bryce Braxton was in the middle of acting out the last scene of his upcoming movie for a nationwide movement to support Cancer Awareness when the Script Supervisor was reading a newspaper on the set and the letter m in the corner caught his eye. Just to be sure he walked over and asked the Script Supervisor  Can I see that for a second ? With his eyebrows raised the Script Supervisor handed the newspaper and watched as Bryce riffled to the headlines page and saw the indistinguishable code. Jay Kay was in a bad car crash in which he was so traumatized he suffered Posttraumatic stress disorder. He was in the middle of one of his therapy sessions when he saw a newspaper that held the typo. He ran out the therapist's office leaving Dr. Ramone confused.

John got ready and headed out into the cold winds of December. The naked trees lined the street and his breath rose in invisible puffs and joined the clouded sky. Rosy-cheeked he pulled his woolen hat over his reddened ears and approached the pub. The letter i in Mikes Pub was flickering. He checked his watch. It was 7: 25. He went inside and the strong stench of alcohol struck him. The warm interior of the pub emitted a cozy glow. He looked around, and while he adjusted his eyes to the dull lighting of the pub he caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Broad-shouldered, dark hair, and eyes the color of the ocean. Alastair Hardcastle.

Alastair.

Alastair got up from the stool and did their handshakes. Even after so many years, he didn't forget the handshake. 2 handshakes, one fist-bump, and a bro-hug. They hugged and talked about what they missed. They talked about everything but the betrayal John faced.

So after so many years, what made you use the code? Alastair asked.

You'll find out soon enough. John glanced around for the others and then at his watch. It was 7:30 on the dot when Bryce and Jay appeared. Bryce Braxton was short, with twin dimples that accentuated his dark eyes. Jay Kay had hazel eyes that glinted like rich, freshly cut oak in the sun. The Sparkling Apple Sherry cocktail, the Smoked - Rosemary Rum Punch, the Tangy Cranberry- Black Shrub cocktail, and the Pineapple Cooler they had ordered gave off pungent aromas of cinnamon, pine and smoked rosemary.

Now onto business, I got an offer from the black market, John said. Bryce's eyes widened.

There's a guy offering $18 million for the Statue of Liberty, John said.

The what?! Alastair choked on his whiskey.

$18 million, oh my god! Jay said.

John rolled his eyes and put his arms over his chest .

Yeah, yeah, but how in the world would we get ahold of the statue? Alastair cried out in disbelief.

We could get this to work; how about splitting the statue into pieces? John suggested with a shrug.

I mean, sure, that'll be a piece of cake right? Bryce. He waved his hands in the air emphasizing his sarcasm.

So then what about shrinking the statue? Jay asked.

I don't think to shrink the statue will work, this isn't some sci-fi movie, Alastair said, rolling his eyes.

This is crazy. I don't know, said Bryce.

Hmm, we need more time to figure this out, how about tomorrow? I'll come up with something, and we'll meet up here again, John said confidence radiating from him. They said their goodbyes and agreed to meet the following day.

The next day ...

He needed a peace of mind and if he did, there was only one place to get it. The Park. John threw on his coat and hat and left for the park. As John left his house, the cold winter air gave him a fierce icy hug. John took a stroll around the park, as the wind screamed at him and bit at his frozen skin. The branches hung low with the weight of the snow and the intense cold seeped through his red hat numbing his ears, He tried to zip his jacket all the way up but he was unable to even feel the zipper.

Oww, John said. He ran into his friend Hunter Cedar from STAR Movie Industries. I'm really sorry, Hunter stammered his brain trying to catch up with his eyes  . Oh, it's you;the great John Mickenly. How’s it going? Hunter said as he started to walk alongside John on the icy path of the park. John had gotten to know Hunter through Bryce who worked with him in a drama program back in high school.

Ahh, what can I say? It's been a long week, John said pulling his leather jacket closer as snowflakes danced in the cold wind around them.

Hunter chuckled. I was currently looking for an actress for the last role of the cast for my upcoming comedy movie. I also found a really good filmmaking technique that allows me to make realistic 3D visuals without any extra equipment that's over the budget.

John was impressed. Wow really? That's actually beneficial.

Hunter nodded. Yeah I know it is. Suddenly a light went on in Johns' brain and the gears clicked into place. He got an idea.

Hunter? John said cautiously going around the topic.

Yeah?

The snow was like an icy blanket now. Each step they took made a crack in the frozen puddles under their feet. Would you by any chance lend me your filming equipment? John asked attentively.

Hunter raised his eyebrows. John wasn't the filming type of guy. I guess, but why? John searched for an answer. He needs an extra inflow of cash for STAR.Maybe that'll get him to help.

"I think I might be able to help you; let's just say I need it for a