Name & Shame & Fame <stripped>

And with social media it’s never the same…

Valletta- Malta

It’s game-on for the Rescue squad with record tourist numbers, international events, and record temperatures.

Sweltering heat waves result in rescues and assist of bizarre, weird and the crazies- a side effect of climate change.

Malta Festival Month… MFM as the crew says… there’s a group App for that to keep track of the squad and report in. All 1^st responders are working overtime, split shifts, no days off, 24/7 on call.

And for the Lifeguard Captain, DJ, and his best mate Chief Constable Ryan, well…This is what they get paid for, after all it’s a professional public service.

As far as the mystery in this story goes, the Cartel gathering to settle internal debts and payouts is getting squeezed by a series of well-orchestrated unfortunate mishaps. DJ and Ryan know the Cartel Boss from their clandestine murky past giving them an edge at reading the play and predicting their next moves. A strategy referred to by the two former SAS counter Intel officers as ' a chess game in motion- one by one'.

Not even Interpol nor several infamous intelligence agencies have come remotely close to connecting the dots there. The secrets of secrets right under their noses playing out in real time.

DJ’s Rescue (A) Team have been briefed extensively by Chief Ryan’s special undercover detectives on Cartel activities. They’ve memorized photos of who’s who, vehicles, yachts, events, who’s at beach villa’s and what to look for and report. They’ve set up delays, incidents, and accidents thwarting meetings affecting their payments to each other, buying time for Chief Ryan’s team to detain, arrest, impound luxury yachts, seize assets including a private jet, leased by a name brand Swiss bank loaded with valuables that should have been declared to Malta Customs.

Here’s a recap of the week events: 

The famed Red Ace air races over grand harbor was won by a former RAF pilot with a prosthetic leg and one eye, injuries he survived when shot down in the in the gulf war.

The championship mono hull sailing regatta is on its final round for podium positions. The smart money wagers are on an underdog captain, a woman and her all female crew from Holland.

The winner of the open catamaran hydrofoil challenge, set a speed record from Palermo to Valletta. The 81-year-old fit captain, a retired engineer who was trolled on his blog as senile & crazy, developed dual AI adjustable hydro wings, he had a three hour lead. Several global Tech firms are racing to Malta to sign a licensing deal.

At the city center Pro beach volleyball venue, in a stunning upset match lasting until midnight a 17-year-old star is born. At the Press interview she breaks down in tears and confesses she’s a homeless war refugee living in the EU illegally.

The global sensation all girls K-Pop band does a live open air beach charity concert, streamed live with over a 100 million viewers. Malta tourism marketing is taking a victory lap.

Bruno, sanitation union boss Aka; the boss man, and his crew of rubbish collectors are also working 24hour split shifts backing up the Lifeguards on daily coastal cleanups.

On a side note, Chief Ryan & DJ informed Bruno that a villa the on South side was being leased by an offshore company linked to Iranian Intelligence Services, Aka; VAJA. One of the so-called mystery state backers of the Cartel. Early one morning Bruno’s crew had a fender bender with a sleek British luxury sedan parked out front. Several muscled-up security types came out, skirmished with workers, threatening and tossing bins at them.

The rubbish crew hastily departed.

What VAJA intelligence didn’t realize is, Bruno is also the chapter president of HDMC.

Hell’s Demons Motorcycle Club International. Later that evening the bikers trashed the Villa, had a raging booze party with strippers and a heavy metal band. Chief Ryan’s undercover team slipped in and seized valuable evidence. The suspected VAJA operatives are being detained until they can settle their medical expenses.

Chief Ryan is the envy of Interpol and those name brand intelligence agencies.  

The real gravity shift is at another venue, totally unexpected, yet considering the girl power involved here, maybe not that surprising.

Going back to DJ’s wife Portia, the event manager for Malta Expo Center at wits end with an oversold venue, her friend Elvia has shown up for an early morning coffee and offers to help. There’s some kind energy connection here that mystifies DJ in the realm of opposites attract. Elvia, the hot-blooded Spanish fashion icon that took her parents Marbella Street corner clothing shop and turned it into an International label acquiring a half a dozen luxury accessory brands along the way, is the buzz trending in fashion world social media this week.

 A quick recap of Elvia’s week.

She threw a glass of champagne on a famed French fashion designer and shoved him and boyfriend over the stern of a party yacht for, as she says, sneering at her shoes. DJ’s Lifeguard’s fished them out.

At her award-winning fashion show, an encounter with the publisher of an Iconic fashion magazine of 30 years known for her big dark glasses. Eliva snatched her glasses off her head, revealing she just had cosmetic eye surgery. A cardinal sin in the fashion world.

At a late-night disco, dancing with a Dubia Sheik’s wife, in a sweat soaked moment of strobe lights, smoke, and Tequilla shots, they ended up French kissing, some sensual body licks on the verge of erotic, while on the dance floor as the crowd cheered them on.

Finally, she slapped a famous drag queen for wearing one of her designer ensembles incorrectly.

All caught on social media, the Paparazzi are salivating.

There’s a softer side to Elvia and she will be the first admit, Portia brings out the best in her because Portia isn’t so complicated.

 DJ won’t comment on that assessment, “it’s a girl thang” as he laughingly says.    

Malta Expo is at full capacity, concerts, exhibitors, media, and several international rock star Chefs are live streaming cooking shows for foodie fans broadcast in 10 languages.

The two women work well together as a smooth power team.

A few days later Elvia grabs the headlines again.

The week before she signed a multi-million deal with a well-known American clothing retail chain, NYSE share traded. DJ and Chief Ryan gave Elvia a sneak peek at an Intel file, the US company is using cartel sweat shops, factories, bonded and slave labor. Her lawyers inform her she can’t get out of the contract without an expensive cancelation fee.

The crafty hot blooded Spaniard from the streets of Marbella sets-up a live social media ambush at a crowded posh restaurant as she struts over to the CEO’s table in a tight snow white jeweled mini skirt, spiked white heels and commences an Oscar winning performance of a woman entrepreneur being taken advantage of by a greedy corporate giant making her trendy designs using slave labor paying Cartel kickbacks and screams out the Cartel leader’s name.

Just the kind of trending news buzz that the Cartel dreads.

Let alone the cringe of Company shareholders and market traders.

The CEO, a large man, with a few drinks under his belt, raises his voice, stands, as he points a finger with an extended arm, from a secret mobile phone camera angle it appears he takes a swing at her, she recoils back with a flick of that long black shining hair, tossing her drink in the air and falls to the floor dragging the tablecloth in the middle of a flambe’ setting the table alite. On the floor in the commotion, she reaches in her bra, a small flask and sprays a blood red liquid on the side of her mouth and spatters the white body-hugging miniskirt smearing her make-up, stands, staggers backwards, in dramatic theater form, collapses on another dining table.

A scuffle breaks out, several men rush to assist as an elderly woman swings her purse hitting the CEO in the back of the head. All caught on social media…  

By not so mere chance, Chief Ryan and Police show up with in minutes and detain the CEO on assault charges, and conspiracy to launder Cartel money as more patrons capture the commotion on social media videos.

The videos go viral around the globe.

Later that evening, the K-Pop girls’ band live streams a Malta beach bonfire party burning hoodies, trousers, and shirts from the trendy retail brand.

24 hours later, the Company shares drop 50% and retail locations on three continents are boycotted with protestors throwing read paint on windows.

Fashion critics, film & sports stars all commend Elvia as a hero, #metoo is trending in record numbers for the week.

The Company releases Elvia from the contract and the executive team leaves Malta surrounded by private security as they’re pelted with eggs, tomatoes, and animal feces.

But it’s Portia that leads Elvia to a soul-moving moment, changing her brand forever with a soul rescue of love.     

At the far end of one of the exhibition halls, a corner stall, next to an emergency exit door, two young entrepreneurs have a booth of airbrushed cardboard hanging on pieces of meshed wire rods they scrounged up.

It’s got that street graffiti, nature, save the planet, shabby but chic motif.

They haven’t paid for the display stall, hoping to settle the debt based on sales after the show.

Portia has compassion, she likes the products, and no one wanted that remote corner anyway. The young entrepreneurs are camped out under the draped display tables at night, scurrying to the washrooms early in the morning to get cleaned up, living on take away from the Exhibition food court.

Portia leads Elvia on a stroll to see the small collection of unique accessories on display.

As they stand gazing, a young man behind the stall is changing a toddler’s nappy, a young woman appears from the side carrying a box, looks up, freezes in a jaw dropping moment of shock and awe as she sees the fashion icon Elvia standing in front of her booth.

Clumsily the box drops as she gasps, Portia winks at her with a Shh-hush finger motion.

Elvia gazes in silent fascination, slowly reaching towards the display table and then pulls back.

“May I”?

The young woman clears her throat, with lisp stutter, “Y, Ye, Yes, of course”.

Elvia notices the young woman’s right arm is shorter than the other and her other hand is missing a thumb and three fingers from a birth defect. She’s wearing thick eyeglasses with tape on one side holding them together, tilting a bit.

Elvia feels a handbag, holds it up to the light, opens it, closes it... She calmly looks at the young woman, “How did you get this texture and colors”?

Nervously stuttering, she softy answers….

“Mm, My, uh, B, b, boy, boyfriend is a chemical engineer student and came up with a heat press p-process for thha- polymer. The g-gr-ground plasticsz are free at the recycling Ss-center, I, ch-choose the K-colors and pat-patterns, then we do a material run using his Ha- halogen heat - role press t-technique and later Ka-cut and stitch”.

Elvia slowly picks up a pair of fine mesh webbed slip-on water sport shoes in stunning shades of aqua Sea colors with two tone starfish.

“Isn’t the process energy intensive”?

 She nervously adjusts her glasses …

“Umm, N- no, we use solar p-pa-anels to charge s-self made carbon brick thermal ba-batteriezz, the ha-logen light heaters are energy eff-fficient, we can’t af- ford normal electricity, it’s an incre-mental p-process, Solar ch-ch-arging during the d-da-day, material runs at n-night after the b-ba-by is asleep my friends and I do sewing in the g-gr-garage”. 

Elvia is in a state of stare bewildered shock.

“It’s beautiful, a master work of art, very durable, and you’re helping the environment.”

The young woman nods nervously as the young man walks up to the table holding the toddler, he stops, staring at Elvia and Portia.

Elvia clears her throat…

“Umm, can I take you out to lunch and discuss a business proposition, I can make it worth your while”?

There’s an uncomfortable pause in the air as the young couple nervously glances at each other.

“Umm, ah, n-no offense, b-but, ah, I have several app- ointments from some interested sh-shop owners… and… umm”…

Her boyfriend cuts in, “What she’s trying to say is; a few years ago, you had a scandal with a factory fire in Bangladesh where people died and it was reported those garment workers were bonded and forced labor, we’re poor people but we don’t want to stain the brand, we’re founded on ethical, upcycled niche products”.

Elvia draws a deep breath, shutters, as if she sees ghosts in a flashback zone, her eyes water, tears and trembles, the young woman hands her a tissue.

Portia motions the two nearer to the table….

“Look, Elvia was a victim of fraud, the connection to that manufacturing facility was from some very dark souls that deceived her. After the fire she spent millions to help victims and their families, traveling there weeks at time, paying for the best health care, still to this day covering school fees for children plus long-term rehabilitation for the injured, did you know that”?

The couple shutters, “we didn’t know that”.

Portia stares back, “That’s allot of fake news on social media spun around those tragic events, Elvia had no control over”. As she folds her arms with a tight-lipped mum like, get real look.

“Frankly speaking, casting judgement like that at first sight, it’s a bit discriminatory, do you know what’s that’s like”?

The young woman nods as her boyfriend hangs his head in shame.

Portia, controlling the gravity of the moment, in what DJ refers to as, a laser Green-Eyed stare.

“Here’s the deal, you owe the Convention center money for the booth”.

The couple nods.

“I’ll let you have the booth for free if you go out to lunch with my friend, we can see these products are unique, I showed you compassion letting you sleep here with your child and told security to give you a break, because I believe in what you have”.

Pause… as the four look at each other, Elvia’s mascara is running a bit as she wipes her nose.

The couple nods in agreement.

Portia continues….

“We have a child day care center at the main entrance, I’ll wave the fees and have security come over and watch your booth… OK”?

The young mother extends her deformed hand for a handshake. Elvia looks, awkwardly boggles, wipes a tear, hesitates, the young mother smiles.

“I-It’s Ok, it’s the only ha-hand I have” smiling as Elvia shakes her hand as two women tear up.

Later That Evening.

Elvia blitzes photos on her social media, announcing she licensed new designs with new energy saving technologies using upcycled plastic waste and plans to add a solar powered materials division to one of her new high-tech factories in Spain with modified facilities for disabled workers who inspired the brand.

The publisher of that iconic fashion magazine, with the dark sunglasses, bids to be the first customer seen with the collection.

The K-Pop girl band wants star fish beach shoes and an appearance with the toddler in their new love song video.

Elvia moves the couple into her posh Seaside villa for the duration of events, with childcare.

Next Morning:

It’s just before dawn at the Lifeguard Station as DJ and Chief Ryan are profiling another Cartel member on the Island. The two former SAS counter Intel officers are planning another thwarting incident. It’s a strategy, confusing the paranoid dark souls, turning them on each other. So far, so good.

A young police officer sprints upstairs and hands Chief Ryan a sealed file, he opens it, stares, hands it to DJ.

DJ carefully examines the notes and photos, grins, sips his coffee.

“Call Bruno, the North Koreans are holed-up at a Vineyard Estate in San Gwan with a suitcase full of cash, the rubbish needs to be taken out again”.