Chapter 39: The Storm Clouds from Grandview
Ninety miles north of Oakhaven, the morning light struck the towering white limestone pillars of the Provincial Capitol in Grandview with cold, severe majesty. Inside the opulent executive suite on the fourth floor, the atmosphere was suffocating, heavy with the bitter stench of stale cigar smoke, burnt coffee, and unadulterated panic.
Governor Donald Sterling paced behind his massive walnut desk, his polished leather shoes digging deep into the imported wool rug. He was fifty-four years old, thick across the waist, with slick graying hair and small, predatory eyes that had dominated provincial backrooms for three decades.
On the mahogany table before him, five separate telephone lines were blinking with urgent crimson lights.
Beside the desk
