Fission

Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Jonah Fox Gambino

"Then the men became extremely frightened and said to him, "How could you do this?" For the men knew that he was running from the presence of the Lord because he had told them."

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1:10‬

Before the Blast

Jonah's story could be considered cliche. He was the son of a mobster in one of the five mafia families that ran New York. His Father Vincent Gambino met his mother Margo Fox Hayashi while visiting Japan. The family accepted Margo with open arms and there was never any issue with her race. Jonah grew up like most in the family, ready to help out in any way he could. From an early age, his book's smarts made his father push him to become educated. While in college he picked up Law and was very good at it. With a photographic memory and the knack for getting his friends and family out of trouble with the police, Jonah began his career in criminal law. His father pushed him forward even when at one point he wanted to quit. Vincent would always tell Jonah he owed it to the family to help them with their legal issues and having a lawyer in the family just made sense. Being a Lawyer, and a very good one, bumped Jonah's already high lifestyle even further. A life of luxury, women, and every high-end material thing was in his grasp, but this was not enough for Jonah. Something was missing in his life and no amount of wealth or material things could fill it. He was unhappy and had no idea why.

The day was just like any other normal day for Jonah. He got up, got dressed, and snagged a coffee on the way to work. He had a few clients to see that day as well as a hearing in court. The only thing off on his daily route was the homeless man camped in his parking spot. In annoyance, he had to park farther down than normal. As he locked his car and began walking to the elevator in the parking garage,his eyes glanced at the homeless man. The man held a tattered cardboard sign that read. "Acts 2:38 Repent before it is too late. Jesus Loves you." The words were a bit odd to him. Jonah may have had a biblical name, but he was far from a christian. He knew nothing of the bible and never visited the church his grandmother attended. Money was Jonah's god and his family was his church. Jonah blew the sign-off and sprinted to the elevator. Pressing the elevator button, Jonah watched the homeless man walk up and stand in front of the elevator. Jonah shook his head in annoyance.

"Now you move out of the way." He scoffed as he pressed the button to make the door close. As the steel doors slowly slid to a close, Johna and the homeless man exchanged glances. Once the doors closed completely and the elevator began to move, Jonah let out the breath he was holding.

"Crazy." he mumbled out loud as he dug in his pocket for his phone. Losing himself in hsi digital world always seemed to calm him down. The elevator ride's silence was interrupted when the door slid open and the room's noise flooded in. Jonah glanced up from his screen to see his paralegal running towards him. She quickly grabbed his air and led him out of the elevator.

"What is going on?" He huffed as he watched the buzz of the hallway while being dragged through a small crowd.

"The trial has gained a lot of attention, Jonah. Some of these people are the victims' families. A few have already been arrested. Our client is getting heat big time. The firm wants you to avoid them and the media till after the reading of the verdict today."

"This trial has gone on for a month now, I have only done a handful of interviews for the local news, I don't see what the big deal is." Jonah rolled his eyes as he smiled at the grumbling people he passed.

"Have you been living under a rock? The media and locals are tearing us apart. Even if he did do the crime, which he did, the firm wanted to remind you that the client is paying us double to get him off. He also wants to keep this as quiet as possible."

"I would too. The guy's son is a horrible rich spoiled brat. What he did was horrible, but the firm has not ceased to remind me his father is paying us major bucks to get his son a non-guilty verdict. I am trying my best Jen, and I do believe we will win. It also helps that his dad owns half the judges in this district." Jonah stuffed his phone into his pocket and followed Jen into the courtroom. It was a relief when the doors were shut and the silence of the room greeted him. Jonah had seemed to be a guy who liked the attention and the social life, but really he enjoyed peace and quiet. Jonah's life behind closed doors was loneliness and inner battles he could never win. The charming rich lawyer with a face of a saint could have snagged any woman as a wife, but truly deep down he hated himself. So how could he ever love another less alone a wife? Jen gave Jonah all the updated files as they waited for their client to be led in by police. When he first started his career, jonah lived for this. The debates conning people into seeing his point of view. The easy way he would twist the truth so the jury and the judges would side with him was an art form he soon began to regret obtaining. It made him sick to look at himself in the mirror. It also made his stomachs turn the way he had to look at the clients he was paid to help get a get-out-of-jail-free card. This guy clearly needed to be locked up. He was a violent murderer as well as an abusive self-centered brat who had his daddy hold his hand. Jonah sighed when he saw himself in the client before him. He himself was not far off from the same characteristic. Jonah's father and the majority of his were mobsters. He was able to attend the finest schools and have the finest life because of it. Also, Jonah got murderers, thieves and abusers off the hook for their crimes. Only for them to go back into the world to do it again, so in a sense, we were that guy. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he allowed the one who did to get out of jail and continue mayhem. Jonah was just as guilty and if not worse than those who he represented.

A few hours later the verdict was announced. Jonah's client Won the trial and was let off the majority of his charges. He only had to serve a few months in a fancy jail and then he would be on probation. Leaving the courtroom was difficult.the victim's mom's scream cuts through jonah and the lawyer did his best to hold his emotions in check. God was somehow working on him. He didn't quite understand what was going on with his conscience. The lawyer only knew that something had to change. Between the sound of the woman's screams and the wrenching feeling in his gut, Jonah knew this had to stop although he didn't quite know how to go about doing it. His whole life was tied up in this. He had nowhere else to go, no one else to ask for advice about such things. What does one do when realizing their whole life has been a shame and a sham? When the realization that your life is pretty screwed up and you're not the best kind of person. When God smacks you on the back of the head and wakes you up to yourself, what do you do?

Jen tried to catch up with Jonah as he sped and walked to the elevator. She called out the location of the celebratory diner, but Jonah wont go,. Instead he walks to his parked car and slides into the driver's seat. He removes his tie and tosses it and his briefcase in the backseat before staring blacking at the steering wheel. The lawyer was lost in deep thoughts or remorse, anger, and self hatred. To be honest a few thoughts of suicide crossed his mind. He could never leave this job. Jonah could never quit. He would be forced to by not only his father and their minions, but all the other corrupt criminals he worked for. Slumped back into his seat, his brown eyes slowly glance up to his windshield. Standing in front of his car was the same homeless man from earlier. Jonah shook his head and smiled as he rolled the window down.

"Want to get a bite to eat."

God had showed him a sign.