TEARS OF RAGE

Chapter 2

When the touch of betrayal comes in the form of adultery, it can feel like steel fingertips, clutched at the warmth of a gentle heart.

It creates freeze-frame images that allow the development of anguish to flourish.

Johnathan Weatherby sat at his desk, lost in thought.

A photograph of his deceased wife, smiling with the radiance of happiness and life, stared back at him.

Even from beyond the grave, she had the power to arouse his jealousy.

He felt imprisoned by the past.

A man absorbed in bitterness, and too stubborn to relinquish the flame of his hatred, Weatherby had not gotten over the guilt of having had his wife killed.

He had gotten so entrenched in the schisms set in motion by Swaylo, that there was no way to disengage himself from the avalanche of crimes; used to establish the structure of his organization.

For ten years he had nursed an urge to destroy lieutenant governor Anthony Miller after he had violated the sanctity of his marriage.

Staring at the photograph, Weatherby felt satisfied that an opportunity had arisen for him to destroy Anthony Miller's life.

"I've got that bastard by the balls," he muttered, with a touch of his finger against the picture frame.

After searching for ways to avenge the violation that he felt, when his wife had betrayed their marriage with Anthony Miller, Swaylo had delivered him vengeance on a silver platter.

The reverie of their discussion is still fresh in his mind...

"Do you remember when we discussed that plan to make a run at the governor's office?" Swaylo had asked him.

"That's not the way that I remember it," he had replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You were trying to convince me that political office was the way to go, to take down Anthony Miller."

"Okay, be that as it may..." Swaylo conceded. "But, what if I told you that I've gotten ahold of some valuable information, that can get him impeached from office?"

Weatherby shook his head in frustration, his heart was devoid of hope that they could pull off any of his farfetched schemes.

"Stop acting like an asshole, John... You know damn well that you want to do something." he had argued. "And I have a plan to help you..."

"What are talking about?"

"After I lost that interstate restoration contract, it occurred to me that those bastards were blackballing me."

They sat in the dining area of Swaylo's restaurant, having lunch.

No one cast an errant glance into their direction.

Swaylo produced a stack of documents and passed them to Weatherby; for observation.

"Take a look at this," he suggested, tapping the documents with his finger as if they held a plethora of vital information.

He went on to explain that the documents were of financial accounts, from a Georgia-based company called Holland and Hughes.

A financial investment firm.

"What does this have to do with Anthony Miller?"

Swaylo points a finger at the list of board members.

"This is your key to the governor's office, my friend."

Weatherby perused over the top of the stack of documents, his eating utensils suspended above his plate.