Walking through Fire – Chapter 1: Janet Ellis

Janet Ellis sat behind her desk in the tiny little room she called her office. In front of her was a pile of folders all filled with children waiting to be placed with a good family. She had been working for the Tipton Children's Orphanage for a good number of years and still couldn't manage to get used to the disappointment she saw in the children's small faces when the chance for an adoption fell through.

As she sorted through her files she separated them into two piles. The first were of children who were good candidates for adoption. All under a certain age, all well behaved, no health problems, no faults what so ever. Then there was the second pile, all deemed unadoptable by the criteria set forth through the state. The outcasts, troublemakers and children with health related issues that to them were unchangeable, but to a prospective parent was deemed a hard sell.

When she finished separating the two, she realized that one stack was slightly taller than the other, and she sighed knowing these kids would probably grow up never knowing what a decent home and a loving family would look like.

These were the days when she found her job to be quite difficult to take. The days when she felt like throwing in the towel and walking away. Over the years she had quite a few like this but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Janet's heart broke a little more, as she reached over and picked up the first folder of one of these so called difficult cases, a name that would go into the computer and be categorized by a single set of numbers, no longer classified as a person.

"Janet?" Maggie tapped softly on her supervisor's door, and interrupted her thoughts. "Marcus Dixon is here to see you for his 2:30 appointment."

Janet picked up the files she'd been stacking and with the help of her assistant placed them on a table nearby. Taking her seat once more, she took a breath and calmly nodded her head, indicating to Maggie that it was alright to show him in.

"Miss Ellis," The man stated as he walked into the room, ignoring her extended hand in favor of sitting down on the chair across from her. "Alright, I'm here to discuss your concern over closing The Ferris Evan's Home for Wayward Children as you requested." Clearing his throat and adjusting his vest and tie he continued. "Now this is no guarantee that I am going to agree to any terms over keeping that place open, but I thought out of the kindness of my heart I would at least hear you out. Now you have ten minutes before I have to leave so I can make it to an important meeting with my colleagues. So in saying that you may begin."

Janet wanted to rip his tongue out and shove it down his throat. The business man had been a pain in her side since they were children and now as adults she realized, things hadn't changed much. He always was a kiss ass, who would do anything and everything to better his position in life, even if it meant destroying others in the process.

When she had left messages at his office practically pleading to speak with him over this situation, she thought she could appeal to his better nature. But now sitting across from him she remembered he didn't have one. No he wanted one thing and currently the orphanage and 200 plus children were in his way which was not acceptable.

"Mr. Dixon," She smiled trying to keep her anger in check, this may be her only opportunity to state her case and she wanted to have her say. "If you close the orphanage and destroy the building you will be putting a lot of children out on the street and taking jobs away from people who really need them and care about them. This is not about an old building; you are playing with people's lives and lively hoods. I am asking you to please reconsider your plans."

"Was that all, you called me down here to tell me something you could have left in a voicemail." Marcus snarled preparing to leave.

"Have you even read any of the paper work I sent you or for that matter listened to any of those voicemails I have left?" She asked.

"Truth is, they aren't very important I have made up my mind. I need that land I bought it legally and so I have the right to do anything I want with it."

"Look Dickie!" Janet half shouted. "Just because you are an uncaring, selfish bastard who doesn't like playing with others, doesn't give you the right to call the game just because you have the means to, how can you live with yourself?"

"There it is," Marcus laughed. "You know what I've always hated about you?"

"What?" Janet asked through her clenched teeth.

"You never knew when to quit, always had to be right even when you ended up laying in a puddle of mud you still could not accept defeat." Marcus stated as he got up and walked toward the exit. "It's funny I would have thought that you would have learned to be a little more obliging the night your parents died. I guess we all have something we have to learn to live with." And with that Marcus left the room softly closing the door behind him.

Cody Martin sat in his office just finishing up the last minute paper work that legally bound little Alexander to his new adoptive parents. One more in the bucket a thousand more to go, Cody thought as he eyed the stack of files on his desk.

In the next moment he heard an all too familiar ring tone personalized specifically to his older brother. Smiling he picked up his cell phone and hit the send button.

"Hey bro what's the 411?" Cody asked in relevance to their scheduled all night poker game. "Have you gotten everything on the list?"

"Yah about that"

"Zack I told you, my basement, my table, my cards, my chips, you're…."

"Junk food list, I know, I know." Zack said. "Look something came up at the last minute, but I will be there with two bags filled to the brim with junk food in hand."

"That's better." Cody smiled. "At least Haley bought some healthy stuff."

"What you don't trust me to get anything healthy?" Zack faked annoyance. "You have to ask your wife."

"Dude, the last time I asked you to get something healthy you brought me back an apple."

"Yah, and?"

"It was dipped in caramel."

"What's your point?"

"Never mind," Cody said shaking his head. "What's going on, why are you going to be late?"

"Actually, that is something I have to talk to you about, but it's quite a conversation. I think I may need your help."

Cody sat up straighter in his chair and turned up the volume on his phone giving his brother his full attention.

"Are you okay, what happened?" Cody asked concerned.

"Don't worry little bro I'm fine, but this case does fall under your expertise. I'll explain everything when I get there I promise."

"Alright," Cody replied.

"Have you gotten a hold of Woodchip and Bob?" Zack asked.

"Yah, they'll be there, they promised to behave themselves this time."

"What you didn't like the food fight?" Zack chuckled.

"Maybe if we were college kids but we are adults and way past childish nonsense like food fights."

"So you weren't having fun?"

"No I wasn't." Cody tried to answer seriously, but he knew Zack would be able to see right through it.

"So you didn't have any fun dumping that bowl of chex mix on my head?"

Cody thought for a minute, "No that was fun!" he added laughing.

"Yah I kind of thought so when you started doing the robot."

Cody thought back and laughed as his brother stood with a bowel over his head and he danced around him.

"You always do know how to make my life entertaining." Cody said laughing even though there was a note of seriousness in his voice.

"Yah, what kind of brother would I be otherwise?"

Cody smiled when he heard Zack laugh, he was about to continue the conversation when a thoroughly pissed off woman walked into his office looking like she wanted to kill someone. Figuring that was his cue to cut his ties with Zack for the moment, he said his goodbyes, hung up and waited for Janet to get what she needed to off her chest.

"That slimy, heartless, piece of filth, high and mighty…jerk, grrrr…" Janet growled picking up the stapler and slamming it back on his desk.

"Janet, no offense but cursing is not your thing."

"Then how about this, I'm going to remove his internal organs one by one, and then slowly slice his body up into little bite sized pieces which I will then feed to my dog." She hissed.

"Do you even have a dog?"

"Not the point!" She shouted slumping down onto a seat.

"I'm guessing that meeting with Marcus Dixon didn't go well?"

"That bastard," she whispered again failing to control her emotions.

"I'm guessing the demolition is going to happen as scheduled." He asked.

"Yes," she sighed. "I don't know what else to do, I've called, written letters. They all tell me the same thing, he owns the land and has every right to shutdown the orphanage, their hands are tied."

"Are you sure there isn't anything you've missed, any loop holes you've failed to uncover?" Cody asked her.

"Yes, I've researched it." She stated. "I've practically pulled my hair out trying to figure out a way to save the FEH."

"There has to be something more we can do?" Cody told her a as light bulb slowly went off in his mind. "Zack, he would be able to find out."

"You are not asking your brother for help."

"Look I don't know what exactly happened between the two of you, but in spite of your personal conflicts he is a very good private detective." Cody expressed defending his brother's capabilities. "And with his connections he'll be able to get information we can't."

"You have a point but I just hate the way he gloats."

"When are you two finally going to admit it?" Cody asked.

"Admit what?" Janet replied sheepishly.

"What do you mean what?" he asked. "You don't have to be a detective to catch the sparks flying between the two of you."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Martin."

"Sure you tell yourself that, Ellis." Cody replied laughing at the soft blush that played across her face. "You two have more fireworks going on than the ones at the annual company Fourth of July picnic."

"Could we please just get back to the topic at hand?"

"Okay I'll just say one more thing and then we'll drop the subject." Cody stated. "My brother can be difficult to understand sometimes. I know him, and if he told you he cared deeply about you, he meant it."

"Before or after he took that barmaid home?" She asked.

"He said nothing happened, and I can tell when he's lying. Janet nothing happened." Cody waited a minute for her to say something, when she didn't he simply sighed. "It's been three months don't you think it's time to bury the hatchet. He gave her a ride home, he didn't propose."

"Cody you are one of my closet friends and I do respect your opinion, so don't take it the wrong way when I say, butt out of my love life."

"In any other case I'd have to say okay, but in this one I can't honestly do that. Zack is my brother, you are one of my closet friends and I want to see both of you happy." He replied. "And right now, I don't see that." Cody shook his head when he again didn't get a response and changed the subject. "Why don't you come over on Sunday, we'll have a BBQ and we can ask Zack together. I really think he could help."

"That sounds like a plan," Janet replied. "But for now I need to finish a few things before I can head home."

"Yah same here," He stated glancing at the clock on his computer screen. "I can't believe its 3:30, in an hour and a half the work day will be over. I'm emphasizing the word over."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked innocently.

"No taking your work home with you."

"K…" She stated with a cheesy smile as she left.

"I mean it, none, nada…you got me?" Cody laughed as she snickered while walking down the hall away from his office.

The next hour and a half seemed to drag on for Janet as she tried desperately to get as much work done as she could before it was time to clock out. Yet it seemed that would be easier said than done as her mind wondered back to the conversation with Dickie, or Mr. Dixon, every few minutes.

As she again re-read the same paragraph for the umpteenth time she finally closed the folder and gave up. Maggie had said her goodnights a few minutes before and as she gathered her things she realized that there were only a few workers left around her, one of them being Cody who was now walking toward her office.

"Hey just wanted to say goodnight before I head out, care to have an escort to your car?" Cody smiled.

"Sure, just give me a minute to gather my things and sign out."

"Okay, I'll meet you down by the vending machine." Cody told her. "I'm going to grab a couple of those bags of Peanut M&M's Zack loves before heading out."

"You don't think he bought enough?" She laughed. "Tonight isn't let's get sick on junk food night."

"Alright there for me, but don't say anything, I'm trying to get him to eat healthier. I still have that bet going with Haley and I'm determined to win."

Janet found herself laughing, recalling how hard it was to get his brother to eat a salad.

A moment later she thought she heard a noise, but when she looked around and saw nothing she shrugged her shoulders and continued to gather her things together.

Her screams were muffled as she felt herself being picked up off the floor, as a strong hand covered her mouth, while another one wrapped around her waist. As she struggled to get loose she tried to kick at her attackers legs and scratch at his hands praying he would release her long enough to be able to cry out.

Cody stood in front of the vending machine cursing the last bag of his favorite candy covered peanuts. Wasn't it determined that they would replace this stupid thing at the last office meeting. Frustrated because the machine wouldn't give up his favorite treat, he decided to do what any sane man would. He began to wrestle with the tall box holding his candy hostage.

He was just about to put his foot through the clear hard molded plastic that barricaded the various snacks from easy access, when he heard an ear piercing scream coming from the direction of Janet's office.

An: Hi everyone this story is part of a long list of stories I've currently been working on and trying to finish. I hope you like it, I won't give too much away just yet but hopefully I've given you enough to at least peak your interest. Read and Review I'm curious to see what you think so far. Smiles! :)

Btw: I have to thank Tiger for his insight on what a dog will and will not eat. Also Wyntirsno and Man of Faith for giving this a once over before I posted it! You guys rock!! :) Smiles!