by Beth Klein
As he shook hands with a tired looking old man in a wheelchair, Goulding swallowed against the lump that had formed in his throat and he felt tears prick the backs of his eyes. Both of the man’s legs were missing and his dress uniform had been neatly pinned around the stumps with a precision that marked the man’s pride and determination. He was twisted and bent, but he refused to present himself as anything other than pristine and professional.
“Sir, it’s a real honor to meet you. You’re an inspiration to all of us and it means so much to know that you have taken time out of your busy schedule to meet us all.”
“What’s your name soldier?” asked Goulding in a choked whisper.
“Fielding Sir. Captain George Fielding.”
“Well Captain Fielding, I assure you that the honor is all mine. Without men like you this country would never have been able to flourish as it has. People tend to forget that the freedom that they enjoy was only made possible by the blood and sacrifice of a small band of men and women that never flinched from the demands that were made of them. You will never be forgotten soldier I promise you that. When I’m President, I will not rest until the entire nation sees you for the hero you really are.”
Both men swallowed hard and stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Thank you sir, I appreciate that. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat and it means a lot to know that whatever small part I played…it made a difference.”
Goulding saluted and turned away, no longer able to meet the man’s gaze. He turned to Charlotte who was stood quietly at his side and saw that tears had left glistening trails down both of her cheeks.
“Miss Turner, can you inform the press and gathered dignitaries that I want to say a few words? I know that it’s getting late, but this is important.”
“Yes Senator, right away,” she said, hastily wiping her face and trying to regain her composure.
As he mounted the hurriedly erected podium and turned to face his audience, Goulding realized that this was what really mattered. He had been wheeled out to face so many nameless officials, men of high-standing and the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ in the pursuit of votes that he had completely lost focus on the real American man and woman. These were his people and he would never lose sight of that again. They were counting on him, eager to be acknowledged, looked after and valued. It wasn’t much to ask and yet in return they were willing to give and give and give.
“Ladies and gentlemen, soldiers and civilians. I won’t keep you too long. I know you have far better things to do with your time than listen to me rattle on, but I couldn’t leave here today and not say a few words.”
Camera’s flashed and whirred and everyone gazed at him with rapt attention and eager expectation.
“I learned a valuable lesson today. I learned that America wasn’t built on big business, senior management and high-brow officials. It was built with the blood and sweat of the nameless masses that worked hard, asked little and died willingly just for the love of their country. This was true then and it remains true now. Although I can never hope to know you all as individuals, I can assure you that I can give a name to the nameless. Every single one of you is a hero and when I am President, the world will acknowledge you all for the heroes that made this country great and continue to ensure that it remains the envy of the civilized world.
Everything we enjoy as freedom loving citizens came at a cost—the ultimate cost. This needs to be acknowledged. Rather than turning away from the ugly, distasteful reality of war, I will ensure that we embrace it fully. Children and adults alike will acknowledge not only the fallen few, but also the living, breathing masses. America will cherish its heroes. Under my leadership, it will soon realize that heroes don’t merely exist in comic books and Hollywood films, but that they walk amongst us each and every day. This country’s leaders stand on the backs of great men and women and instead of merely accepting the accolades that are afforded to them, it is high time that they acknowledge the foundation below their feet and the real reason that this country is so great.
You are my people and I will never again forget that. I might be your President, but I see that as a job the same as any other and the people that I will always answer to is you. I will not fail you, America. Each and every one of you has the right to be acknowledged, cherished and valued and I promise you that as long as I’m in charge no one will ever forget that.”
The silence was complete and absolute. Goulding wondered if he had said something that had offended his audience. No one moved, no one said a word and then a single hand clap rang out. It started as a quiet ripple, but in a matter of seconds every man and woman present was applauding loudly. Their faces were tear streaked and wet with their emotion, but they looked alive and hopeful. Slowly those that could began to rise and as his own tears began to fall, Goulding felt the power that emanated from the group assembled before him. With great power comes great responsibility and for the first time in his life Goulding understood the responsibility and embraced it fully.
* * *
Trying hard not to look smug, John Lyndsey eased the leather office chair into a reclining position and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Phase one complete,” he said to himself, knowing that from the sanctity of Goulding’s office, no one could overhear him.
With his cell phone proving inconsistent and his own desk phone subject to the scrutiny of the wider office, he had retreated into Goulding’s office in order to make the two phone calls.
Although Goulding’s office was akin to hallowed turf in the eyes of the campaign team and somewhere that few feared to tread lest they be lost for all eternity. Lyndsey had always had something of a free pass in terms of where he went and what he did. This level of anonymity could only be justified if the individual enjoying it could demonstrate his capability and deliver everything that was asked of him on time and as promised. Lyndsey’s credentials were there for all to see and as a result, hardly anyone even looked up when he went into Goulding’s office and closed the door behind him. Only the ping of emails landing in the inbox’ indicated that the rumor mill had cranked into gear and Lyndsey’s actions had been noted.
His first call had been to Cristal and after a few minutes, unpicking the details that she had wrongly gleaned from the failed cell phone conversation, they had agreed on the necessary sequence of events, timeframe and locations. They had also agreed the price and, although it burned his ass that he would be footing the bill, but receiving none of the benefits, he knew that he could claim it back from Goulding as soon as he returned from Oklahoma.
“I bet the bastard doesn’t note that down as official expenses,” he thought. “Might be taking ‘Entertaining Clients’ a little too far!”
His second call had been to Brian Kennedy and he thought that the reporter was going to start ‘whoop-whooping’ when he relayed the message that Goulding had prepared for him.
Senator Goulding has been thinking about you’re recent conversations and would like to take you up on your offer Brian. He would like to meet you tonight to give you an exclusive interview and the sole rights to the story that you have unwittingly touched on. Senator Goulding admires your professionalism, candor and commitment and is sure that you will reflect the highly delicate nature of what he has to tell you in the best possible way.
Even though he had memorized the statement and delivered it with a professional air that would have made Goulding himself proud, Lyndsey was still uneasy. They were playing a dangerous game and there were still so many hurdles to overcome before the race was won.
* * *
Thirty-nine minutes and fifty six seconds…not bad, not bad at all! Jake added the details to the notepad and stretched again. The light was fading and he was confident that he knew as much about the routine of the key individuals as he possibly could in the timescales that had been afforded to him. He was now sure that he could make a fairly competent attempt at the prize he had been asked to secure and be in and out without
his presence ever being detected.
Ackermann and Deane had already left for the evening and the security guards were as regular as clockwork. That just left Martin unaccounted for before he could make his move and get the job done. It wouldn’t be fully dark for another hour or so and he would wait until the time was right. He was good at waiting and the anticipation merely added to the overall excitement of planning and executing a mission. God he’d missed this. There really wasn’t anything like the buzz he got from putting himself on the line and the feeling of delicious satisfaction when it was all over and the target had been neutralized.
“Better than sex,” he thought to himself.
* * *
To keep up the pretense of the clean cut Senator and the devoted, yet strictly professional supporting staff entourage, Goulding and Charlotte had taken separate cars. This was a necessary precaution, but in truth Goulding had needed some time alone to deal with the emotions his visit to the Veterans Centre had aroused in him. Despite a brief argument with the security detail, Goulding insisted that he be allowed to drive himself to the hotel and that he would be perfectly safe. He expected a thorough bollocking when Jake got wind of his actions, but promised the concerned security men that the decision was his to make and his alone. None of them would be subject to any repercussions and he would accept complete responsibility for the decision and anything that came of it.
This had seemed to placate the Bureau men and gradually they had drifted away, but the hand-picked private detail had still been unhappy and unsure. Goulding couldn’t help but note that each of these individuals exuded a professionalism and poise that simply wasn’t present in the official security detail. Jake had indeed screened them well to ensure that only the very best men became part of his operation. If they ever got through this day, he would make a point of telling Jake how impressed he was and help him set up his own security business so that he wasn’t solely reliant on Goulding for his income moving forwards. He still wanted to take Jake with him to the White House, but the man clearly had an eye for talent and a God given ability for this kind of work, which should be encouraged and not stifled.
In the end, they had agreed on a compromise, where he would ride alone, but his security detail would accompany him in separate cars: one in the lead and one bringing up the rear. As soon as he seen to be entering the hotel, they would leave him for the evening and return in the morning to check over his vehicle and bring it round to the front entrance for him. Goulding was nervous of being seen when he inevitably met up with Charlotte, but accepted that this was the best he could hope for and somewhat reluctantly agreed.
It was only a ten minute drive, but it allowed him plenty of time to consider his feelings and why he had been so moved by the day’s events. At first, he considered the main reason to be the return to a military environment and that the pain he felt was simply the loss of the life he had cherished in every way for so many years. Then he thought that it might also be the fact that he was meeting other soldiers that had shared the pain of a military injury and the loss that was far more deeply felt than mere flesh and blood.
Though these were definitely contributing factors, they weren’t the main reason for his emotional state. He really had been knocked sideways by the strength of feeling that he had experienced for the nameless masses that made up this great country. He felt enormous guilt that he had so easily dismissed them in favor of more secure, vote wining strategies and merely labeled them a distraction and an annoyance. He also felt his heart flush with pride at the thought that these people were willing to put their trust in him to guide them forwards through uncertain waters, whatever the outcome.
He loved his country and he loved every one of its constituent parts, including everyone that called it home. Regardless of color, creed, sexuality and outlook, he would uphold the trust that they were showing in him. He would be the ‘Peoples President’ first and foremost in everything he ever did and never lose sight of the core reason that he was in such a privileged position.
He would get through today, win this fucking election and show them exactly what it meant to be the leader of a nation. The last few blocks passed by in a blur as he was completely oblivious to everything that went on around him. He had never felt so alive and full of life before and he would use this new realization to guide him forward not only for the first few weeks, but for the all of the years that followed.
* * *
Brian Kennedy was positively giddy with anticipation and the prospect of getting exclusivity on the story of the decade. He knew that his instincts had been right and despite the dangerous game of bluff and double bluff, he had stuck to his guns and very shortly he would see the pay-off. He had struggled through numerous sleepless nights where the thought of jacking it all in and taking the safe option of distancing himself from Senator Goulding, regardless of the dark secrets that he might be keeping were never far from his thoughts. He had persevered and he had been right to do so.
He checked his watch for the third time.
“He’s late,” thought the reporter. “Still, what does it matter as long as he shows up?
He had all night if necessary and nothing was going to distract him from the potential pay-off that lay only a conversation away.”
“Twenty minutes is neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things. I can wait, I’ve waited this long, another few minutes is hardly going to make a difference.”
He took another sip of his beer and began to count the dollar signs that danced gracefully through his mind.
Eight-thirty came and went, then nine and then nine-thirty. When an hour and a half had passed since the agreed rendezvous at eight o’clock he had started to feel a sick sensation of certainty and despair deep in the pit of his stomach. With each minute that ticked by the feeling had intensified and now he was depressed and thoroughly nauseous.
“Goddamn fucker isn’t coming,” he said bitterly. “Goddamn lying, cheating, shithouse of a fucking politician isn’t coming.”
Dollar signs had been replaced by sneering faces and red-lettered final demands and he cursed William Goulding for ever having been born.
“Fuck it! I’m done. I’m done with all of this shit. Well played Senator, you win. I haven’t the time or the energy to keep digging for this particular bone. I’ve passed up on countless other jobs in pursuit of the big one and despite being sure that there’s still a story to tell. I can’t afford to keep chasing it.”
Kennedy gestured to the barman and ordered another beer, this time accompanied by a generous whisky chaser. He couldn’t really afford it, but when you were broke, being more broke wasn’t really much of a threat.
“Have you been stood up, honey?” said a feminine voice off to his left. “I hate to see a handsome man like you so down in the dumps.”
At first, Kennedy was convinced that the mystery woman must be talking to someone else and looked over his shoulder in an attempt to locate the lucky man. Seeing no one there, he realized that incredible as it was, she must be addressing him. He turned slowly in his seat, reluctant to look at her, as if to actually put a face to the voice would somehow make it disappear in a puff of smoke as if it were merely a mirage.
Before him sat a stunning looking woman with shimmering silvery white hair and a smile that radiated warmth and understanding. She wore simple, understated make-up that enhanced every aspect of her finely sculpted features and he longed to reach out and touch her, just to make sure that she was actually real. Trying hard not to make it too obvious, but failing miserably, he appraised the tight fitting velvet dress and admired the slit along the side that exposed a glorious amount of her thigh and had him guessing at the pleasures that lay within.
“Are you okay, honey?”
The voice brought him back from his daydream and he blushed a deep scarlet red, almost as if looking into her eyes would allow her to see exactly what he had been thinking.
“I-I…yes, sorry,” he stammered in response. “I
t’s been a shitty day and the person I was supposed to be meeting let me down when I was really counting on them showing up.”
“Well, I’d say that any woman that could leave a man like you alone for any length of time is a damn fool.”
“It wasn’t a woma…pardon?”
This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t possibly be real. An attractive, well-spoken woman had approached him in a bar and was actually flirting with him. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Why would it? He was plain, boring old Brian Kennedy: failed journalist, mediocre husband and so-so dad. It felt like a scene in every romantic Hollywood film that he had ever seen, but this time he was the principle actor and the leading lady was making a play for him.
He swallowed hard, what was he going to do? He was so far into unchartered waters that it made the Bermuda Triangle look like a puddle!
Focus on Sandy and the kids.
Focus on the family.
Focus on the family.
Focus on…..
“If you don’t mind, honey, I’d like to join you for a drink. Perhaps I can find some way to…cheer you up.”
She bit her lip as she said the last few words in an exquisitely erotic gesture that inflamed Brian to his very core. She also placed her slim, delicate hand on his thigh and as the warmth and the pressure stirred primal urges deep within him, all thoughts of his family and the no-show Senator drifted slowly from his mind.
* * *
The nest of coiled wires that lay before Jake Armstrong seemed to writhe in a myriad of assorted colors, patterns and thicknesses. The movies always showed the grim faced hero pondering over whether or not to cut the blue wire or the red wire, but real life was never that straight forward.
This was the central control box and every conceivable electrical service was routed through its complex interior. Wires that powered the automatic windows in the offices, the ventilation system, the lights, the internet, the television, the wall sockets and most crucially, the door locks and security alarm were all present. Without the electrical engineer’s detailed plans to guide someone, it was a one in a thousand chance that they’d ever be able to get the right one.
