Making Trouble

Jace was jolted awake by the shrill ring of his phone. He squinted at the clock on his nightstand: 4:37 AM. 

With a groggy hand, he checked the phone screen, still half-asleep and as soon as he saw the caller ID, he had a sinking feeling and the sleep instantly disappeared from his eyes even though he had only fallen asleep barely an hour ago. 

"Suresh? What is it?" he asked sharply.

"Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, but we have a situation," Suresh's voice was tense, instantly confirming Jace's fears. 

"The families of the accident victims have gathered at the entrance of Brandon Corporate Headquarters. They're making trouble, demanding an explanation as to why their family members' lives were deliberately put at risk by using fake materials in construction."

Jace sat up straight, completely alert. "What? How did this happen? I thought we settled this. The victims are receiving the best care, and the families have been compensated."