THE THIEF OF DREAMS - Chapter 5

It was shortly after this that I received a response from the administrative board informing me that I was getting a new judge to hear my appeal. With that....I wondered why? It had only been a few months since that hearing....and a new judge would be unable to assimilate the complexities of the case. Filled with questions...I called the Board and spoke with my former judge's assistant. I was informed that he was no longer with that agency. She had no idea where he was at.....or what happened.....as if I were expected to believe that.
I tried several times to find out what happened......but never the truth did I get. All I was told was the he was no longer with them. I thought this very curious indeed. Another mystery without an answer. So I had to proceed with the new judge. And so it went....as the official protocol was as slow as molasses on a cold day.

Meanwhile, I was preparing another path to disseminate the information that I had aquired from my source. The thought of what these people were able to get away with made me sick. But, you may wonder.....what was the document I was preparing to reveal? Well....it was an official report of investigation from the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General.....a report about the actions of some of my superiors. A report of corruption, power, greed, lust, infidelity and cronyism of the power elite. It detailed the misdeeds and crimes of those who were most responsible for my downfall.

I was to learn later that I was one of the few officers who had actually been removed from the service for failing to complete the academy. Most other officers who failed were assigned other duties within the district...but that was not to be my fate. Vengence ran deep....and my head was called for....show no mercy. Had I not known about the double standards of the elite versus the peonage, I likely would not have continued the war. But as it were, fate had allowed me one small victory in the conflict. One small morsel to feast upon.

The more I read that report and the associated news articles....the more determined I had become to strive for equality and justice. The findings of the IG concerned the District Director, the Port Director and the Assistant Port Director. The misconduct and crimes they had been found to commit in that report, and others I had obtained, were shocking. I was infuriated that they were so motivated to set me as an example....when their own house was not in order. This was even more poignant given that they were the people in charge of one of the largest districts within the service.

My anger was barely contained. Why was I so mad? I had felt betrayed by those that had condemed me, as they were no better than I......in fact, they were worse. Whereas I was motivated by pure love and nothing more......these people were motivated by power, lust and malice. They had believed that they were untouchable locked inside their feudal kingdoms. The way they were able to cover up and hide their own failings was truly an art of deception. I was never afforded that option. And yet, most kept their jobs....their careers.....their dignity.....and their dreams. I was more determined than ever to disclose the circumstances of the actions of which they engaged....the misconduct....the criminality! When were they to pay for their sins....as I had been made to do over my love of a woman? For them, they believed there would be no day of judgement....safe in their ivory towers.

I was willing to do my best to crack the walls of those towers...even as I was made desolate by them. The risk was great, as the empire was mighty... and many of those before me that dared to defy it.....were silenced. It was a risk that they themselves helped to create and perpetuate. Had they treated me fairly....treated me as they had treated themselves.....forgiven me as they had forgave themselves....no cause of action would I have undertaken. But I do not forgive easily those who operate outside of the law.....and twist it to the detriment and degradation of those whose lives are but a trivial thing to them. Wealth and the corruption of power had little meaning for me.

And so it was that I, and others, made them squirm....like worms found at the core of a rotten apple. I had made numerous copies of that report....and spread them about I did....to Congressmen, Senators, investigators and various government agencies and media. Though the impact was slight at first, as the empire was indeed powerful.....a concerted effort on several fronts, by myself, others being persecuted, the union and the media......shook up the ranks of the power elite. What followed was a series of reassignments, demotions and early retirements.......just in this one district alone.

The fallout had also taken its toll on my allies....the president of the union was removed from his post...a former supervisor and friend was removed from the service. For yet others, retribution and retaliation awaited. Of course....I had already been declared "persona non grata". From sources still inside the regime....the witch hunt was on and others would be made to pay for their actions. It was a time of change...from one regime to the next. Over the next several years...a number of senior staff occupied the positions of district director and port director. In that respect....the rebellion was successful. The ivory towers they had once occupied....crumbled.

But the empire was resilient....and they marshalled new forces....and bore down their vengence upon me. My life would be impacted for many years to come for my actions. And still, through all of this....my love for "Anna" was not diminished....and, not unlike Helen of Troy....an empire was shaken by the power of love.

To be continued................