Introduction

John Slater and Thomas Johnson sat on the patio of the Northwest Country Club watching the rain fall from the sky in sheets. It rolled off the roof in torrents, splattering noisily onto the exposed section of the cement patio. The sound almost drowned out the grumbling golfers who were crying into their beers.

The two friends had barely gotten in five holes when the heavens opened. Now, they waited, hoping that somehow the weather would clear in the next few minutes. Saturday was their golf day and their one morning to relax.

Both men were avid golfers. Thomas, who was big and strong, could hit the ball a mile. John couldn't hit it near as far; however, he was much better around the greens. Consequently, they were pretty much equal when they calculated their handicaps. That made them very competitive, but always in a friendly sort of way.

The relationship between the two men began in college. They had met at a fraternity party, and though they were very different, their friendship had lasted for more than 12 years.

John majored in engineering and Thomas, girls and sports.

Thomas was a star running back for the football team, setting several school records. While he was no dummy, his size and athletic ability had provided him a means to obtain an education; one that he couldn't have otherwise afforded. He was tall, at six-three with two hundred and twenty pounds of sheer muscle. The combination of his strength and intelligence gave him a competitive edge in sports as well as other aspects of his personal life.

After college, the two friends split up. However, several years later, fate brought them back together when Thomas took a job in the city where John had settled.

Thomas went to work for a firm that worked out multi-million dollar contracts for professional athletes with advertising firms. He had been quite successful and had become a full partner in just a few years. The fact that Thomas was black and had come from a poor family never stood in his way. In fact, it motivated him. He had made it in a cutthroat world that wasn't always fair. However, his strength was that he carried no chip on his shoulder. He accepted life as it was and felt that if you were the best at what you do, it would be recognized and rewarded. Besides being a successful businessman, Thomas had used his success to help others; he was on several charitable boards that supported underprivileged kids and fed the hungry. He was as passionate about his charitable work as he was his golf game.

John was nonetheless successful, having made his mark in aeronautical engineering. While he was smaller than Thomas in stature, at 5'11" and 170 pounds, he could compete physically with almost anyone. He had become an expert in martial arts and worked hard to keep his body in shape. He occasionally thought that if he and Thomas ever got into a fight, it would be a good match-his skill against Thomas's size and strength.

The friendship between the two was forged in mutual respect. John admired Thomas; he knew that he had come from the school of "hard knocks" and grown stronger for his experiences. On the other hand, Thomas liked John's easygoing attitude and the fact that they could be friends as well as fierce competitors.

The two men had gone through a lot together. When Thomas had married and then subsequently divorced, John had been there for him. When John's wife Amy had a miscarriage, Thomas was there, spending the entire night in the hospital and taking vacation to stay with them when she came home. Though their skin color and background were different, they were more like brothers than friends. However, their relationship was about to change in a way that neither could have possibly imagined.

Chapter 1 »