TEARS OF RAGE

Chapter 41

With the video from the night in which Swaylo had pumped gas into the Porsche, the investigator was able to use his sources at the Atlanta DMV to find the owner.

When he found out the man's true identity, it was no surprise that he was a part of a prestigious law firm.

The man whom he had come to know as Henry Bibbs, was a corporate lobbyist.

He did not even handle criminal cases.

The private investigator provided Charmaine with a thorough background of the man known as Henry Bibbs.

Where he worked. Where he lived. The status of his family.

His financial statement, along with photographs to confirm that they had located the right person.

Nathan Briggs maintained a routine that indicated that he did not expect to ever see Swaylo again.

For four days Swaylo followed him.

He wanted to get acquainted with the attorney's daily routine. It was time to get answers to his questions...

The fact that the man had lied and manipulated him was one thing, but the idea that he had enough knowledge to put him in prison, had Swaylo driven to have a private talk with the man...

From the news, evolving around the political assassination of a sitting U.S. Senator, Swaylo was burdened by the weight of potential betrayal.

He needed answers to a lot of complicated questions.

With the sound of traffic, coming from Peachtree Parkway, resonating through the parking garage, Swaylo played the part of a homeless vagrant.

His clothes were tattered, and he had a trash bag slung over his shoulder.

Rummaging through a dumpster along with the inner structure of the first landing, Swaylo saw Nathan Briggs jog across the street, and head towards the parking garage.

He timed his approach to cross paths with the man as he began to open his car door.

The clack of dress shoes across the concrete echoed faintly.

Using the body of cars to conceal his approach, he caught Nathan Briggs in the midst of placing his briefcase onto the passenger's seat of his Porsche.

As the smell of motor oil and gasoline fumes assaulted his nostrils, Swaylo stepped between the space of the two parked cars with his pistol aimed at the man's head.

When he turned to find Swaylo, a whimper of fear escaped from his lips.

It did not have a chance to escalate into a scream.

Swaylo struck him across the face with his gun and shoved him into the car.

Clumps of blood ran from the man's nose like water seeping from a spigot.

With his left hand clutched at Nathan Briggs' neck, and his pistol shoved into his eye socket, Swaylo had the distorted look of a madman.

There was no doubt that he would pull the trigger.

Nathan Briggs had tears streaming from his eyes, as he tried to plead for mercy.

"Please God, please... Don't kill me!" Briggs cried.

"You stupid sonofabitch, you set me up..." Swaylo barked, his eyes hostile.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you, right now!"

"It wasn't me, I swear. I was just paid to do a job, the same as you... Please. I've got a family." Briggs whimpered.

Swaylo struck him across his brow with the butt of the gun. A gash opened up above his eye.

"Who would pay to have a U.S. Senator assassinated?"

"Her husband. It was her husband's idea to use you to murder her. It had nothing to do with me, I swear."

Nathan Briggs trembled beneath him like fat rolls in a dance-off... His air of arrogance had abandoned him.

At that moment he was just a man, staring down a gun barrel. The thought of having his brains blown out made everything take on a new perspective.

"Melissa was blackmailing a lot of powerful people." he rambled as if he expected Swaylo to know what he was talking about.

Briggs spoke with such a rush of words that his speech was almost incoherent.

Another strike of the pistol compelled Briggs to lose his grip on his bladder. Piss began to saturate his pants.

"Slow down and talk with some fuckin' sense... Who the hell is Melissa?"

"Melissa is Johnathan Weatherby's wife," Briggs stated, unashamed by pissing his pants.

"You know, the judge that you threatened during your arraignment..."

When the lightbulb of recollection dawned on him, Swaylo stared at the man in utter disbelief.

"That's how I was able to secure your bond. It was decided that it would be best if you got caught in the act of murdering her, to avoid a lengthy investigation."

Briggs swallowed the lump of mucus in his throat.

"You were recorded having made threats against him and his family... That made you the perfect scapegoat."

Swaylo took a glance at the parking garage.

There were no other people present.

When his gaze went back to Nathan Briggs, there was no sign of sympathy in his eyes.

Swaylo made him divulge all of his secrets, hoping that he would not get his brains blown across the gearshift.

But what he failed to consider was the fact that he knew too much to risk allowing him to live...

Swaylo pushed Nathan Briggs to talk, knowing that he would still kill him.

There was no avoiding the inevitable.