Dominus (Book I: parts 1-3)

PART TWO: HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROWS

CHAPTER FOUR

"Damn, I've been working so hard now/But still can't provide for my family/There's a knockin' at the door/Tax-man here, government want more/Who am I working for/My strength is running out but I can't quit now/And I'm nearly going under...can't help but wonder/Who am I working for, who am I working for/Who am I working for/We can only go  up from here, I believe/While you're at the bottom, I'mma be so high it's hard to see" — Tinashe 'Who Am I Working For?'

 The little snow that remains melts away under the late March sun, as the emerging Spring begins to take shape. The train squeals to a stop on the platform. The doors open and the myriad of people exit and board the metro. Robert rarely takes the train. He detests riding the metal, germ laden Petri dishes and bumping shoulders with random strangers. Nothing is worse than having to co-mingle with the hordes of tourists scurrying about his town like an infestation of rodents, leaving trash and other remnants of their presence strewn about the streets. The bright side is that he gets to stop at Capitol Cafe for a cup of freshly ground Arabica before his meeting.

 "Tourists are disgusting," speaking into his phone, but talking to no one. Robert sits on a bench on the Monument end of the Reflecting pool. He continues his conversation with no one. "They leave their trash everywhere. They don't have enough respect for the greatness of this city."

 "What we are trying to do is increase the greatness of this city - this country, exponentially, don't you agree?" Alexander sits on the opposite bench, with his back to Robert, reading the Washington Post. "You are not holding up your end of the bargain. I didn't make you State's Attorney to still have to deal with red tape."

 "I can't just circumvent the law. If I do too much too soon, there will be too many red flags raised," Robert says through clenched teeth.

 "Robert, these things are time sensitive. Time is not on your side. Sanctions need to be lifted. Votes need to be reversed. Be clear, you are not here because of your father, your father's money, or your sham of a marriage to my daughter. Those things are the most insignificant of concerns to me. You are here because of your connections to the Department of Justice. There is no other reason you hold any value. Your childhood friend, Anthony Sterling, is the Attorney General of this fine nation of ours. You are on his Advisory Committee, so you have his ear. Now, if you can't persuade him, then you lose your value. Things with no value are easily discarded."

 "What do you expect me to do," Robert asks with increased frustration.

 "What you NEED to do is convince me that you can convince him, so I can convince them that you have a reason to continue breathing," Alexander says ominously.

 Robert hangs up on the non-existent person he was talking to. "Are you threatening me? You are the one who needs my help. You are the one who needs a cover up to prevent the wrath of God and the whole of the United States Federal Government from raining down fire and brimstone on your entire existence and you have the audacity to threaten me? Good luck making $1.3 billion in dirty money disappear." Robert's anger is boils over so much that he realizes he is loud and starting to make a scene. Tourists gazing into the shallow Reflecting Pool turn their heads to see what the commotion is. He stands to leave, but Alexander directs him to do otherwise.

 "Sit down, Robert. Collect yourself. Need I remind you of our friend Justice Mayfield? He was given an opportunity. It is the same opportunity given to you now. He elected not to comply, thereby decreasing his value. Though our efforts to persuade him were very ... thorough, his stance on the matter remained firm. Dear, sweet Betty. Such a shame the doctors were never able to reattach those two fingers."