Part 16: The Parole Hearing
Time moves differently inside a federal penitentiary. For Grant Whitmore, four years felt like four lifetimes. The pampered, arrogant boy who had once laughed as his mother poured dirty water over his pregnant wife was completely gone. In his place was a quiet, terrified inmate with a shaved head and a permanent slouch, his spirit broken by the harsh reality of prison life.
Because of good behavior and overcrowding, Grant was granted a preliminary parole hearing at the four-year mark of his eight-year sentence.
He sat in the sterile, gray hearing room, his hands cuffed to his waist. Across the table sat the parole board. To his utter shock, sitting quietly in the back corner of the room was Mara, representing Aureum Dominion Holdings as a victim advocate.
"Inmate Whitmore," the head of the board said, flipping through a thick file. "You have served half your sentence for corporate embezzlement. Your record here is clean. However, under federal statute, the victimized corporation has the right to submit a impact statement regarding your release."
Grant looked at Mara, his eyes wild with desperation. He leaned forward, ignoring the warning glare from the guard.
"Please," Grant whispered, his voice cracking. "Tell Elena I’m sorry. Tell her I’ll leave the state. I’ll change my name. I’ll never look for her, I’ll never look for the baby... just please let me out. I can't survive another four years in here."
Mara stood up smoothly. She didn't look at Grant with hatred; she looked at him with the cold efficiency of a corporate machine. She slid a document across the table to the board.
"The Chairwoman has reviewed the case," Mara said evenly. "Aureum Dominion will not oppose your parole, Mr. Whitmore."
May you like
Grant let out a sob, his shoulders shaking as relief washed over him.
"However," Mara added, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper that only he could hear as she leaned in close. "You should know that the court-ordered restitution of forty million dollars remains active. The moment you step out of those prison gates, every single dollar you earn for the rest of your life will be monitored and garnished until the debt to Aureum Dominion is paid in full. You are free, Grant. Free to work for us forever."
