TEARS OF RAGE

Chapter 30

The doorstep to destiny has many paths that lead into the heart of a person's journey.

Certain roadways were interwoven through anguish and hardship, like pictures portraying the plight of a human slave, fighting to survive the whip of a brutal master.

A step beyond the realm of belief, where the devastation of a situation is so monumental that it feels surreal.

When Swaylo awakened from his unconscious state and took a glance around his surroundings, it dawned on him that he was in a hospital.

An IV tube was attached to his arm, along with a heart monitor over his heart, and a feeding tube was protruding from his nostrils.

His mouth felt as dry as a sponge in a vast desert.

His head was pounding. The mummer of voices could be heard from beyond his doorway.

With the frantic wave of furtiveness that overcomes a fugitive, Swaylo tried to rise from his bed.

An immediate wave of pain washed over his body.

Charmaine emerged from the bathroom just as Swaylo cried with agony.

"Boy, what are you doing? They just cleared you from surgery... I thought that I had lost you!" she exclaimed.

"What happened to my grandmother?" his voice was hoarse, parched from a lack of liquid.

Tears brimmed in his eyes at the thought that Big Nannah could be dead.

"She's fine, Swaylo. She took two bullets in the back, but they were able to save her."

As his gaze began to survey the area around him, trying to decide how best to get out of the hospital without drawing attention, the door to his room opened.

A nurse came in, followed by two FBI agents.

Their attire was a testament to their occupation.

Both agents were dressed in business suits and moved with the air of zero tolerance for criminals.

"Mr. Mitchell, I'm special agent Anthony Price, with the federal bureau of investigation, and this is my associate Wendell Wallace. I must admit, you had a lot of people worried about you, son...We spoke with Kenny Mathis and he told us that you played a rather significant part in that bank robbery. Would you like to tell us about it?"

Swaylo stared at the space between the two agents, to not betray what he was feeling through his expression.

His heart rate began to increase, and the monitor made the change noticeable. Its audible chirp sounded as if he were hooked up to a lie detector.

Everyone in the room shifts their gaze to the heart monitor.

Swaylo took a deep breath and exhaled through his mouth. He recognized the ambush as soon as he saw it...

When it's showtime a person may not always be able to choose their audience, he remembered his dad telling him.

Looking at the two FBI agents made Swaylo appreciate the discussions had with his father.

"I don't know anything about a crime, or the person that you're talking about. Sorry."

Agent Anthony Price stepped to the side of his bed opposite from where Charmaine stood.

When he spoke his gaze was focused exclusively on her.

"Did they tell you how Mr. Mack was murdered, trying to save your grandmother's life that night?"

That was unknown information, but he kept his breathing even. Mr. Mack was just like family...

His death had the same feeling as he would experience upon having done something to cause him guilt.

Swaylo remained silent, focused on his breathing.

Now was not the time to grieve the inevitable, he decided.

Agent Price continued to talk, his gaze still on Charmaine.

"How does a man bring this type of tragedy to the doorstep of the people that he is supposed to protect?"

No one responded to his indirect question.

"Can you imagine the sort of shame that your grandmother must be feeling, knowing that you're the reason that Mr. Mack was murdered? And, Kenny Mathis has already tried to work a deal with us... Claims you're the one who murdered the security guard and your boy Pluto. He says D-Money murdered Shonda Williams...

Claims you're the one who wanted to eliminate everyone that could testify against him. Do you understand what I'm telling you? You're done unless you talk to us, kid..."

Charmaine glanced down at Swaylo.

Her features were etched in a mask of concern, fear, and heartache.

Swaylo looked away, unable to confront her unspoken chiding...

She was intelligent enough to know that he had played some sort of part in what they were accusing him of, but she also knew that to speak at that point would send him to prison.

She met agent Price's gaze with a hard look of distrust.

The news of the bank robbery had been in heavy rotation on every media outlet in the city.

"If you heard all of that nonsense from the same person that also tried to kill me, then it seems like he must hate me... Maybe I need to speak with an attorney."

When his words were spoken, every eye in the room looked down at Swaylo.

Once a potential suspect requests the assistance of legal counsel, investigators are bound by law to terminate their interrogation. And there were too many witnesses present to pretend that they had not heard him.

Agent Price pulled a pair of handcuffs from a waist pouch.

"At this time you're being placed under arrest," he stated and proceeded to read Swaylo his Miranda Rights.

"Are you sure that there isn't anything that you would like to tell us? You won't get another chance to tell us your side of the story, kid..."

Swaylo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You obviously have me mistaken for my cousin,

Lollypop Larry..."

Both agents began to pull out something to record the information that he was about to confide in them.

"Okay. Who is Lollypop Larry?" Agent Price asked.

"He's the only sucker that I know of, in my family."