Ch 570 - Bad Wine

The protestors were angry and determined to cause a scene. People who walked by the building stopped to check out the commotion, and security guards were trying to drive the protesters away, but to no avail.

Maryann and Alex got out of the car and stood nearby, assessing the scene.

The protestors were screaming at the doors of the building.

"Your company is corrupt! You're willing to sacrifice the lives of ordinary people to make a few dollars," one of the protesters yelled.

"Stop hiding! Get out here and face us. We demand an explanation," screamed another.

"Call the police; call the media! They'll report what you've done," yelled the third. His face was red with anger.

Maryann frowned. "How could this happen?" she muttered.

Her customers had all shown similar symptoms—skin redness, swelling of the body, and irritations on the face. The FDA had approved the wine, so it didn't make sense that it was having such harmful effects on the body.

A woman abruptly pointed to Maryann and shouted, "She's the CEO! I've seen her before."

The protesters rushed toward Maryann, and she was scared one of them might hurt her.

Alex roared, "Stop, all of you!"

Shocked, the protestors froze in their tracks.

Alex stepped in front of Maryann to protect her from the protestors. "Do you really think you can solve your problems with violence?" he asked. "This behavior is against the law."

"Yes, that's right. Violence won't solve anything," Maryann chimed in. "The wine has been sent for testing, and the results will be released in a day or two. Then we'll all have answers. If my company is found to be responsible, we will compensate everyone who has experienced health issues."

"In the meantime, please remain calm," Alex said. "The test results will give you the answers you're looking for, but we must wait for them."

The crowd grunted and mumbled insults, but they were significantly calmer than before.

Alex took advantage of the lull to go inside the building with Maryann. He wanted to taste the wine himself. "Bring me a bottle of wine that hasn't been opened yet," he said. "If you think something's wrong, I'll drink a bottle at random. I'm willing to take the risk."

Until the test results came back, the company couldn't guarantee the safety of the wine. But regardless of the risk, Alex was willing to drink a glass. Maryann brought him a wine bottle, and he opened it and sniffed at its contents. Then he poured a glass and tasted it, but he couldn't detect anything unusual.

"I'll have some, too," Maryann said, taking a sip of the wine. It tasted crisp and clean. She picked up the bottle and examined it.

Outside, the crowd started yelling again.

"You're just a bunch of rich people who don't care about your customers. You've probably paid off the FDA too", a man screamed.

"We'd better get answers soon!" a woman yelled.

"We don't need test results. Look at us. We're the proof," cried someone from the crowd.

"Pay us, or we'll smash the windows. We need justice," came the angry cries.

"I won't wait. I need the results now! This is all your fault," the woman yelled again.

"Do you think these people will cry if they see us in a coffin? They don't care about us. Let's smash the windows and teach them a lesson once and for all," the first protester instigated the crowd.

The protestors started chanting, "Break the windows! Break the windows!"

Maryann rushed outside, trying to stop the mob from destroying the building. Alex stretched out his hand, blocking her from the crowd and pushing a middle-aged man out of the way.

"Now you're assaulting us?" a protester yelled.

The crowd moved closer, boxing Alex and Maryann into a corner. Alex pushed back the people in front, leaving a small gap for them to escape.

A woman in the back of the crowd screamed, "Get her!"

Alex pulled Maryann out of the crowd as security guards blocked the angry mob. A window opened on the second story of the building, and a Robinson Winery employee leaned over the windowsill with a bucket of cold water, pouring it all over the protesters. Alex stepped back as he saw the water douse the crowd, who screamed in shock and anger as they stood there, soaked to the bone.

Maryann yelled, "Alex, let's go inside."

Alex realized Maryann's problems weren't going to be solved in ten minutes, and he was still anxious to meet up with Debbie. All the employees of the Robinson Winery stood staring at each other, unable to decide what to do.