State of Play: Book Two; The Candidate

by Lee Taylor

  “Thank you, Tyler. Before I address the critical issue that we are facing, I need to preface my remarks with this caution. The young woman who was assaulted by my former candidate is barely sixteen years old. Truly, she is still a girl. In addition, she was the victim of a hideous assault. I refuse to refer to her by name, even though Mr. Underwood and his election team have made it impossible to protect her privacy. Let me be clear. When I learned that Aiden Maxwell had raped our underage volunteer, I immediately went to the police and reported the crime. Furthermore, I then went to the girl’s parents and told that what had happened. I let them know that I had reported the crime to the PD’s Special Victim’s Unit and encouraged them to file charges of their own on her behalf—which they did.

  “Now let me turn to the grave accusations that my election opponent leveled against me yesterday. I emphatically deny that I ever said in words or actions to my candidate or any of my staff that the young women who had volunteered to work on the campaign were ‘fair game.’ That assertion is so far beyond anything that I would ever say, much less think, it is incomprehensible. Having been a teenage volunteer on many political campaigns, I’m aware that unscrupulous older men might indeed think underage girls are ‘fair game.’ Fortunately, my father made it clear that if anyone ever spoke ill of me, much less assaulted me or treated me as fair game, they would not have made it through the day with all of their body parts intact. Every campaign I ran was built on that ethical foundation. The fact that I ended Mr. Maxwell’s campaign within hours of his hideous assault confirms that I would never tolerate or in any way encourage his disgraceful, criminal behavior.

  “Given the high standards I require from my candidates, my staff, and myself, it is challenging to run against a man who has nonexistent personal and professional standards. A candidate who will stoop so low that he uses an underage girl who was assaulted to make claims that he and the victim know are lies. I am running against a candidate who openly verbally assaults women. Not just me. Mr. Underwood’s misogynistic record is well documented. Apparently, my rise in the polls has driven him and his supporters to outrageous levels. To be specific, my campaign has released a copy of the seven hundred fifty thousand dollar deposit that was made the day before yesterday into the bank account of the young victim’s parents. I reported the incident to the Federal Election Commission and have turned the issue over to them.”

  Gia paused for a moment and then addressed the horde of shocked reporters carefully. “I’m pleased to answer any questions you might have.”

  Tyler Gunderson broke through the cacophony of the media’s shrieking questions, his shock apparent. “Gia, are you saying that Gus Underwood’s campaign paid the victim’s family seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars to get her to tell a false story about you?” At Gia’s affirming nod, Gunderson blew out a hard sigh. “You must know that is a serious accusation. Do you have proof?”

  “You know me well enough, Tyler, to know that I would never make such a serious accusation without proof. As we speak, my campaign is releasing a copy of the complaint that we sent to the Federal Elections Commission. In it, we document that the three quarters of a million dollar payment that was made to the victim’s family the day before yesterday came from PRB Inc., a financial services company. One of the three directors of PRB, Inc. is Stewart Reed, the chairman of the Underwood campaign.”

  Chapter 31

  The next three days included a dizzying series of charges and countercharges between the two campaigns. Logan and Gia had been prepared for Stewart Reed to come back hard, and he didn’t disappoint. Within hours of Gia’s explosive press conference, Reed was on a rampage. He quickly turned his ire on Logan, claiming that Logan Fowler, “Gia Tremaine’s paramour,” obviously bribed the bank that had released documentation of the seven hundred fifty thousand dollar payment to the Blankenship family. An act Stewart Reed asserted was a crime. He added he fully intended to pursue the illegal action with the FEC. Logan chose not to respond. He admitted privately that while he’d used questionable methods to document Reed’s payment, they were not criminal—a fact Stewart Reed also knew.

  By the next day, the Underwood campaign concluded that there was no way that they could deny having made the payment. Instead, in Gus’s words, the seven hundred fifty thousand dollars given to the Blankenship family was a reasonable gift to a family that had been grievously wronged by his opponent, Gia Tremaine. Gus doubled down, adding that he was glad he had supporters who were willing and able to support the wronged family so generously. He strongly denied that the well-timed gift was in any way responsible for Sissy Blankenship’s claim that Gia Tremaine had encouraged her fiancé to assault the young woman.

  At Logan’s instigation, Ben developed an interview schedule that would have challenged the most stalwart candidate. Gia never once complained. In fact, she added names of other reporters or news organizations that she thought Logan and Ben had missed. Their strategy was simple. The first debate between Gus and Gia would take place in three days. Clearly, the Underwood campaign had the debate in mind when they bought Sissy’s claim that Gia had encouraged her assault. They assumed that Gia’s gang would be so busy defending herself against Sissy’s charges that she would be compromised in the debate.

  Unfortunately for the Underwood campaign, they hadn’t counted on Gia’s ability to respond to any and all charges. Indeed, she was so certain of her ability to handle the challenging questions from a rabid media that she actually sought additional interviews. What the Underwood campaign also didn’t know was that Logan needed the media attention focused squarely on Gia so that he and his covert team could conclusively document Big Bart’s explosive claims. Logan had made it clear that they wouldn’t go with Big Bart’s evidence unless Logan personally verified every detail of the campaign-destroying evidence. Only when he’d confirmed the accusations with three different sources—all of whom agreed to go public—did Logan give the go-ahead to use the ball-busting charges.

  ****

  As she stood in the greenroom, preparing to take the debate stage, Gia admitted that she was nervous. After all, unlike all of the campaigns she’d managed, she was now the one who would be on center stage, the face of the campaign. There was no way that Gus could survive the political suicide they had planned for him. Their information, to put it baldly, was dynamite, campaign-ending. But to make it as credible as it had to be, Gia needed to carefully lay the groundwork. Then, when Gus had taken the bait, go in for the kill.

  Glancing in the mirror, she saw Logan enter, closing the door behind him. As he strode toward her, his eyes gleamed with admiration. He shook his head as if in disbelief. “Damn, Gia. You’re going to have the guy on his knees begging for mercy before you level a single charge at him. Face it. Corpulent, sweating, profane Gus isn’t sharp at the best of times. The only thing he’s good at is slinging insults—particularly those loaded with sexual innuendoes. I have to believe that Reed and his cronies have threatened him with castration if he makes a single sexist remark. It’s also a given that they have guard dogs surrounding him to make sure that he doesn’t so much as sniff alcohol. Unfortunately for Gus, when he gets riled or defensive, the only thing he knows how to do is strike out, put down his opponent any way he can. Just his luck that tonight he is facing a master.” He added, “Christ, if I were a nicer person and if Gus wasn’t such a despicable pervert, I could almost feel sorry for him. Nothing like de-balling the guy on national television.”

  “Did you have to remind me that this crazy Second District debate has been picked up by ABC, no less?” Shaking her head, Gia blew out a hard sigh. She still couldn’t believe that the national media was as interested in this debate as the locals were. Talk about stepping onto the big stage. She smiled when Logan reached for her hand. Knowing that he wanted to reassure her, she squeezed his hand. “It’s okay, big guy. Just because I’ve never been a candidate before, much less been in my first congressional debate, and the damn thing has been picked up by
the national media, why should I be nervous?”

  Logan pulled her up close to him and held her gaze. His voice was intense, underscoring the seriousness of the moment. “You’d be crazy not to be nervous, Gia. The stage you are walking onto tonight is a big one. But, princess, whether you know it or not, it is the stage that you have spent a lifetime preparing for. That is not to minimize the risks or the importance of your performance. No, sweetheart, you are preparing to do something that few politicians have to do. Particularly first-time candidates who’ve never been on a national stage. You are going to end the political career of a five-times-elected United States Congressman. Because—and it is critical that you remember this, Gia—Gus Underwood has betrayed his office. He’s made a mockery of its importance and in the process, deceived each and every citizen who voted for him.”

  When she sucked in a deep breath and nodded in agreement, Logan continued. “On another note, I don’t have to tell you how beautiful you look. And how strikingly professional. This is precisely what you should wear. It speaks to the seriousness of the moment while underscoring your loveliness.”

  Gia gave a small snort, then shrugged. “Do you think that is because the guy who picked out each and every item such as my underwear, silk stockings, dress, and of course this extraordinary jewelry, is an accomplished fashionista?”

  Logan laughed. “That’s a new one for me, Gia. I’ll have to tell my Delta buddies that I have a new calling. But seriously, you look stunning and remarkably appropriate for the task you are undertaking.”

  Glancing in the mirror, Gia confirmed that once again, Logan was prescient. He clearly had an unerring sense, not only of fashion but of what would look striking on her. He’d chosen a black silk sheath dress that followed the curves of her lush body but at the same time was sophisticated. It was long sleeved and hit her at mid-calf. Mimicking her luminous eyes, the single emerald-colored stone on a gold chain plus the dangling emerald earrings were the only adornments to the seriously spectacular dress. As if to confirm Gia’s idiosyncratic personality, Logan chose shoes that had added an imaginative touch to her wardrobe. Instead of the expected black pumps, she was wearing multi-colored stilettos confirming her—and his—whimsical sense of fashion.

  Determined not to let tears mar her carefully applied makeup, Gia clutched his hands. She wished that Logan could stay with her. She swallowed hard when Ben knocked on the door and poked his head into the room to tell her it was time to go onstage. His eyes widened at the sight of her. The tears that she was fighting streamed down Ben’s cheeks as he muttered, “Jesus fucking Christ, Gia, you look spectacular.”

  “Yes, she does, Ben.” Logan tightened his grip on her hands and added, “The only thing more spectacular than her appearance is that in the next thirty minutes, this stunning young woman is going to initiate an earthquake that will forever change the political landscape of this state. In the process, she is going to rid the United States Congress of an emphatically immoral man and prove that good truly can triumph over evil.” Logan gave her a little shove toward the stage director who’d come into the room behind Ben. As Gia swallowed hard and started to follow the nervous young man, Logan tugged her against him for a moment, then surreptitiously pinched her butt and murmured as he pushed her forward, “Enough foreplay, princess. Get out there and do what you’ve done all your life—knock ’em dead.”

  ****

  The announcer’s voice was rife with excitement as he introduced her. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, the challenger for the Second Congressional District, Ms. Gia Tremaine.”

  Sucking in a deep breath and pinning a bright smile on her face, Gia waved to the audience as she strode across the stage. Nodding to Gus as she passed by him, she assumed her position behind her podium and gazed out into the cheering audience. To her surprise, the applause and cheering didn’t stop. If anything, it increased when she stood in her assigned place. Looking to the moderator, who seemed as surprised as she was, Gia frowned slightly.

  Raymond MacMaster, the moderator, raised his hands and appealed to the audience. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I appreciate your enthusiasm. But please, I ask for your attention. We are about to begin an important debate. In order to begin, I need your attention.”

  Gia smiled and put up her hands, obviously encouraging the audience to respect the moderator’s requests.

  As the cheering died down, Gus spoke. Pinning what he might have thought was a smile on his flushed face but was closer to a sneer, he chortled and waved to the moderator. “What did you expect, Ray. Hell, Gia’s sugar daddy bought her and her campaign. Of course he would buy this audience too.”

  A cacophony of boos and catcalls filled the air. Soon the room was filled with people chanting, “Shame, shame, shame!”

  Raymond MacMaster rapped sharply against the microphone, repeatedly insisting, “Please, please, everyone. Attention, attention, I need your attention.”

  Gia saw Ben and a coterie of her young staff circulating through the audience, appealing to people for quiet. She was certain that Logan had initiated the effort. When it was clear that the chanting people were angry, Gia spoke into her mic.

  “Please, everyone. This is an important debate. One we need to have. I want to respond to Congressman Underwood, but I can’t if we don’t have quiet.”

  Looking into the audience, Gia saw a number of large men begin to fill the aisles. She wasn’t surprised to see Clint, Jamal, and other men from the formidable group that had been everywhere her team was the last three days. She acknowledged that the enforcers she didn’t recognize were as likely to be Stewart Reed’s henchmen as they were Logan’s. At her appeal and the presence of the surging “monitors” in the aisles, the crowd began to quiet. Finally, Raymond MacMaster was able to gavel the crowd to silence.

  “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. It is essential that we have order. This is an important debate. I insist that it be carried out in a professional manner.” Turning to Gus, he didn’t hide his annoyance. “Let me be clear. Both candidates will have ample opportunity to make their points. But do know that I will not tolerate personal attacks.” At Gus’s growl, he added, “From either of you.” Blowing out an audible breath, he turned to Gia. “However, I will give Ms. Tremaine the opportunity to respond to your charge, Congressman Underwood, intemperate as it was.”

  Gia drew herself up to her full height and ignoring Gus’s agitated state, responded to the moderator. “Thank you, Mr. MacMaster. But I choose not to dignify Congressman Underwood’s intemperate assertions with a response. I’m here to tell the people in the Second Congressional District why I’m running for this important office and, I hope, convince them to vote for me. As for responding to Mr. Underwood’s ugly allegations, I’ll pass. Instead, I’ll leave it to Mr. Underwood to help me convince the voters that I am the best person to hold this honorable office. It is a task he seems more than willing and able to do.”

  In the spontaneous applause that followed her ironic response, Logan allowed a tight smile to momentarily curve his lips, then murmured to Elliott, “Score ten points for the superstar. Particularly to her ‘gracious’ nod to Gus for digging his grave a little deeper.”

  Ben came up behind him and whistled softly. “The poor fucker hasn’t answered a single question yet, and he’s already lost the audience. Damn, Logan, this is going to be a bloodbath.”

  Logan tossed his head. “Agreed. Just remember, Ben, it is a self-inflicted one. Gus brought it on himself.” He snorted. “With a hell of a lot of help from his friends.”

  Elliott added, “Christ, Reed and his cohorts have to be sweating blood along with Gus.”

  Logan was terse. “As they should. Without their support, Gus wouldn’t have made it past his second term. Now it’s up to the smartest and most able young politician any of us has ever known to take down the whole goddamned reprehensible bunch of them.”

  Chapter 32

  Ms. Tremaine, let me start with you. You’ve been in the political w
orld for most of your life. But you’ve never been a candidate. Why did you decide to run? What issue or issues drove you to throw your hat in the ring?”

  “Thank you, Mr. MacMaster. I’m running for the Second Congressional District for a number of important reasons. First, I’m worried about the hardworking men and women in our district who are facing layoffs or losing manufacturing jobs that are disappearing and not being replaced. I’m also concerned about our education system—not only how poorly supported it is, depriving both students and teachers of the funds necessary for a decent education, but whether we are preparing our young people for a drastically different economy. An economy with jobs many of us have never heard of and are not prepared for. But if you asked me what issue is most critical to me at the moment? I would have to say it is making sure that every person in this district who wants to cast a vote is able to do so and is certain that their vote is counted. Without that guarantee, it will be impossible for us to fix the many serious issues facing our district and frankly our country.”

  Gus slammed his hand on the top of his podium with a loud bang, interrupting her with a chortle. “That’s a good one, Gia! You dare to stand up here and call for cleaner elections? Hell, why do you think that we have so much fraud? Who do you think cooked up all those crooked rules? Your pappy, that’s who! You know that guy, Gia. None other than Big Bart Tremaine, your father, who’s sitting in the state prison, convicted of voter fraud.” He shook his head as if in amazement, his eyes gleaming with malice. “I gotta tell you, you are some brassy babe. Damn, woman, your balls are almost as big as your . . . Never mind . . . ” His voice trailed off, although it didn’t take much imagination to know what part of her anatomy Gus was referring to.

  At the hisses from the crowd and the flushed moderator glaring at him, Gus started to speak, but Gia held up her hand, interrupting him. “Please, Mr. MacMaster, I want to respond to the point Mr. Underwood is making. Yes, my father was sent to prison five years ago for voter fraud—among other crimes. Which is why this issue is so critical to me and so personal. I’m ashamed of many of the things my father did. For that reason, I’ve spent the last five years working hard to change the election system in our district, trying to free it of corruption. Every candidate I supported backed a clean-election, anti-corruption bill. Unfortunately, all of the bills we tried to pass that would ensure corruption-free, fair elections were stopped by Mr. Underwood and his like-minded cronies. Apparently, like my father, Gus prefers an election system that is corrupt as long as it ensures his re-election.”