Gavin sits in front seat of his car rolling through the countryside enjoying the late indian summer day, contemplating the last few day's events and formulating his next move. He'd had his men watching both Jay and his soon to be ex-wife and Mr.Stockton senior had been a very busy man. He'd clocked more miles on his car in the last three days than he'd done all year. He'd been from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and every place in between looking for support and finding none. He'd seen lawyers and private investigators back to more lawyers he'd barely had time to sleep. All of it was beginning to show. It showed in the bags under his eyes and the looseness of his suits. He was finding out slowly his was what one would call in politics a "Lame Duck" corporate chair. He was finding that a good many of his so called friends the people that he once held in his pocket were all suddenly free to live without his boot on their necks. He was also finding that even some of his most powerful allies were keeping him at arm's length. Yes, Jay was beginning to feel like all of his victims had felt alone and isolated. It was too bad Jay and Alex couldn't feel every moment of the pain they had forced him to endure.
He'd thought about doing to Jay, Alex too for that matter, exactly what they'd done to him. Oddly this was better. To be honest more enjoyable from his point of view. He got to watch the meltdown. He'd taken away the material things that he loved the power he yearned for and now he was going to take away the last thread holding his universe together the love of his family. When he told them the truth about their father it would shatter any illusions they had left about who he really was. Any love or respect his family especially his children had for him would be shattered. Oh and lest he forget the self centered vindictive bitch that started it all their mother.
Alexandra Graves-Stockton the belle of Harbinger Falls the all american girl. The Girl everyone wanted to be. He wondered if they would want to be her if they knew her demons? Would they want to be her once her family learned what she'd done to him. Knowing Donovan, Alex wouldn't want to be Alex when he was done. Donovan was old school and all about family. He'd claimed his black cousin long before it was cool or socially acceptable. He'd done it in a time when something like that could get you killed but, that was Donovan. He was a loyal and forthright friend no one could ask for better. He'd gotten through many a lonely night thinking about the fun they'd had around the bar and restaurant. He guessed that's what kept pulling him back time and time again even though he kept chastising himself not too. He couldn't help himself he kept being drawn back. He needed to see it for himself he needed to see them hear their voices see their smiles. Especially her's.
He'd slipped in after the place filled up and sat in a quiet corner for awhile watching them all going about their business completely oblivious to him. Not that he'd expected them to notice him or know who he was. He'd only wanted to be around them. He wasn't ready for any real interaction with them that day not yet. He still had some unfinished business to attend to first. He needed them all to know the truth every piece of it and he needed it to be irrefutable and he had that with him now. Stored safely on the flash drive in his pocket and the hard copies in the briefcase behind his seat. What he needed more was for all of them to know his being gone was not by choice that his life was stolen from him, their lives were stolen from them. By a selfish egotistical woman who couldn't stand to face reality or share the spotlight and her lackey. He'd been thinking along the same bien after a while and had decided it had been long time past the time to go when he'd run into Jake in the parking lot looking happier than he'd seen him since he'd met him. He'd introduced him to his wife and the two had invited him to their family celebration. At first he'd declined but now he was glad. It gave him reason to be there and would finally satisfy the nagging desire he'd had. It also gave him an opportunity to talk with Marjorie without suspicion. He'd thought all morning about springing his news on them but had decided it wasn't the time or place. From what Marjorie had told him this was more of a healing event for both sides and they would need every ounce of that when he dropped his bomb. Besides from what Toni said more than likely Jay wouldn't be in attendance and he wanted them both together when they imploded. No, today was about family and friends and that was something he'd been longing for and he had no intention of spoiling that. He pulls his car along the curb and parks it then reaches in the back seat for the bottle of wine and the gift he'd bought. He exits the vehicle and walks toward the crowd of tables searching for Jake.
Jay lift a bleary eye and pushes his chair back from the desk. He reaches for the decanter of bourbon he had stored in his bottom desk drawer and fills his tumbler rolling the contents against the stream of sunlight shining through the blinds a moment then gulps down half the contents before setting back down on the desk. He looks down at the papers on the desks before shoving them all to floor. He'd been all over the state trying to rally support and finding none. Even his old ally in Pine Valley had turned his back on him without even rumpling a hair. The only useful information he had gained was how closely tied the Van Dorn bastard was to Slater-Cortlandt.
Now, it all made sense! He and Palmer Cortlandt had been bitter rivals for years and for years he'd vow to someday destroy him. He'd finally had found a way to do it through the Van Dorn brat but he still couldn't figure out the how of it? How had Courtland and the little shit done it? There was no paper trail or phone records connecting the two other than his company was a subsidiary of Slater-Cortlandt. His people couldn't find any intelligence linking the two for the exception of their business dealings concerning their company but nothing connecting them to him. Could he be wrong about them? Could what had happened have nothing to do with either one? The coo was extremely well plotted and executed but it didn't feel like Palmer's style. Cortlandt had always been direct with his hatred he would have never been satisfied with leaving his company in tack and his ouster. Cortlandt was a winner takes all type of man. No, this attack was personal. They had wanted him humbled and broken and looking in from the outside. They wanted him alone and alienated without friends or family that left only the Van Dorn's. Sure, there maybe other men who felt the exact same way about him but none of them had the set that the Van Dorn kid did. An attribute that at times was almost admirable, almost. He'd taken away his seat of power yet he wasn't satisfied.No that hadn't sedated his need for vengeance. No, a man like him wouldn't be appeased with that. He had to go a step further. He'd been instrumental in severing him from the lives of his wife and children he and his cousin had stolen his family from him! While he sat alone in his empty house they sat nestled among his family receiving the love and respect that belonged to him! His anger mounted into rage reaching its apex as the glass shattered against the wall.
Jay reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out his revolver then the polishing cloth and begins to wipe it down smiling maniacally. Van Dorn and his equally insufferable cousin were going to pay and pay dearly for what they'd done to him and he knew exactly where to find them both. He wobbles slightly as he stands and tucks the gun into his waistband before heading for his car.
Copyright "Harbinger Falls" 2016
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