Consequences(244)

“So, boy, did you learn his identity?”


Cole Mathews had worked side by side with Nathaniel Rawls for almost two years. The day before Nathaniel’s arrest, he didn’t show for work—he didn’t call—he disappeared. Almost a year later, information only known by insiders, helped lead to Nathaniel Rawls’ conviction. During the trial it was revealed that an FBI agent had been embedded into the inner workings of Rawls Corporation to investigate federal allegations.

Of course, to protect his identity, the name of the agent was never released, but this was 1988, and Anton Rawls knew his way around a computer—better than most. Hacking was such a negative term for research.


Anton placed the manila folder in front of his grandfather. “Yes, sir, I found his name and enough personal information to track him down.”

“I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” Nathaniel opened the folder and scanned the contents. “He has a wife and family.” He spent a few more minutes reading the pages. Then abruptly, Nathaniel shut the folder and slammed his hand against the table. “This son-of-a-bitch will pay!” His chair hit the wall as he forcefully stood. “Do you hear me, boy?”


“Yes, sir, I hear you.” Anton watched his grandfather pacing in his prison garb.

“Not just him. Hell, no. He took away my world. He took my family. His damn kids, their kids, their kids…they’ll all face the consequences of his actions! He took everything”—Nathaniel’s eyes darkened as he moved closer to his grandson—“You know what?”

“No, sir.”

“You can’t lose everything until you have everything to lose”—more pacing—“I had everything, and now look at me! That man and his Goddamn family will pay!”—he moved very close to his grandson—“The day I get out of this hellhole, they will pay. Every one of them will regret the day he decided to bring me down.”

Anton noticed the difference in the sound of their footsteps. His hard soled shoes made a distinctively different noise from his grandfather’s rubber soled shoes which squeaked. “There’s more, sir.”

Nathaniel turned toward his grandson’s words. “What? What more did you learn?”

“He had help. He worked hand in hand with a securities officer named Burke; Burke fed Mathews the necessary information. If this securities officer hadn’t directed Mathews, Mathews wouldn’t have been as thorough in collecting evidence.” Anton watched the shade of his grandfather’s face grow in crimson intensity as he spoke.

“And, your father?” The blackness of Nathaniel’s eyes pulled Anton’s gaze to him.

Anton felt compelled to maintain eye contact and surrender the rest of his information. “He testified for the state”—Nathaniel’s pacing resumed—“It was done behind closed doors, but it isn’t secret. The media calls him the hero in our family.”

Nathaniel collapsed red faced and defeated into his chair. The realization that his son turned state’s witness was obviously affecting him. His tone mellowed, as he said, “Boy, you’ll survive.”

“Yes, sir, I will.”

“Being here today, discovering this information, and most importantly, having the balls to bring it to me are all evidence of your future. Your father has always been a disappointment, but I believe he was better at one thing than me.”

Anton sat in the metal chair facing his grandfather. He could hear the sincerity in Nathaniel’s tone and words, and asked his grandfather to continue.