Stan Braunson, their pollster, was wearing an immense grin when he came running to Carolyn. Across the country, Warner’s numbers had risen substantially, showing him as the clear front-runner. The newspapers featured Warner Lane, calling him ‘the man to watch.’ Gaston, Landon, Davis, and Taylor would be forgotten, Carolyn told herself as she drew lines though their names on a program in front of her.
Warner hammered Super Tuesday and rolled right into the Midwest. That’s when they were assigned Secret Service. Every time Carolyn saw an agent, a shiver of pleasure ran down her spine. Their very presence a tangible sign that victory danced on the horizon. With the race for the nomination going their way, it was time to make her move.
Nervous about what she was about to propose, Carolyn composed herself in the hallway. She entered the Situation Room and glanced around. “Is everyone here? I have a proposition.”
Matt and Ernie leaned forward in their chairs. Nick lounged comfortably in his, as was his habit. Warner sat silently, his chair rocked onto the rear two legs and his feet up on the table.
“This is a highly sensitive discussion,” Carolyn began. “Not one word is to leave this room.” Her accomplishments to date empowered her. She knew she could institute great change in the country, and the approval and acceptance she was finally receiving fed her soul. “I’d like to run with Warner as his vice presidential running mate.”
Warner’s eyes widened. He swung his feet off the table, bringing them to the floor as his chair shifted forward onto the front legs with a thud. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“That’s right Warner; your running mate. My popularity numbers are higher than yours.”
Warner looked desperately around the table. No one else said a word.
Matt and Ernie looked poleaxed.
Nick remained expressionless.
Carolyn held her breath, her confidence wavering in the silence. Had she miscalculated? Fear tightened around her chest. Rejection reared its head.
She pushed on. “With that in mind, we need to send up some test balloons to measure the public’s reception of this concept. Nick and I have discussed this, and we believe it’s a good idea to have Warner introduce me at the next rally by saying that the country will get ‘two for the price of one.’ Stan will run some polls, and we’ll go from there. Are there any questions or suggestions?”
Matt recovered first, his drawl emphasized by his enthusiasm. “I think it’s worth checking out. I wish I’d thought of it myself. ‘Two for the price of one.’ I like it. Of course, we need to run some television spots that will promote the concept and test the waters, and we’ll have to educate the voters as to Carolyn’s qualifications. But so far, the polls have shown that Carolyn’s popularity has made an impressive impact on the campaign.”
Carolyn drew in a deep breath. She quickly lowered her gaze to hide her relief.
The room erupted into a buzz of activity. Matt and Ernie began brainstorming. Nick rapidly took notes.
Warner stood abruptly, knocking his chair over. Everyone fell silent. He glared at Carolyn, then stalked out of the room.
THIRTY-NINE
Warner felt as if the walls were closing in around him. He needed a breath of air to clear his head. He and the other members of the Council had not anticipated this. What had started out as Carolyn’s backstage act was turning into the headliner. Granted, he’d known that her confidence would grow with her belief that she controlled the campaign. While that strategy made for a great cover for the Council, he’d be damned if his dream was going to turn into her triumph.
He made his way up the steps of the basement and out onto the back lawn, shivering when the cold air hit him The chill felt good. He needed to think. Richard had obtained Governor Hick’s endorsement, and for that favor he expected to be the vice presidential candidate. This was a mess.
It would be so much easier if Edmund could be in the campaign meetings, Warner thought, but Carolyn despised the old man.
Of course, Edmund didn’t like the situation anymore than Warner did, but they didn’t have a choice. He needed Edmund’s brilliance when it came to maneuvering Carolyn and her ideas. Ideas, Warner believed, that could cost him the presidency.
Carolyn had no knowledge of the Council, and she never would as long as Edmund remained behind the scenes.
They needed Carolyn as a decoy, and even though her ego was growing immensely, their plans were jelling nicely.
But if Carolyn found out that Warner was even communicating with the old man, there’d be hell to pay. The kind of hell that left a man permanently burned.
FORTY
Jack slammed the phone into the receiver. The son of a bitch didn’t have the balls to confront him face-to- face. He’d mailed the letter, then gone on vacation. Typical Pat Mead, Jack thought, deliver the news then hideout until things calmed down. He re-read the notice he’d received via FedEx from his office.
“Verify sources more carefully,” Jack mumbled. “Substandard?” What the fuck did that mean? Never before in his journalistic career had anyone ever questioned his reporting methods, let alone reprimanded him for inaccurate information.
Jack prided himself on being precise, and he knew his article was accurate. He’d verified all of his sources, and had authentic medical records as evidence. The facts obviously didn’t matter. Jack realized; he’d stepped on powerful toes. But he didn’t give a damn.
Jack crumpled the paper, and tossed it into the garbage can. Like hell, he’d write an apology.
He’d done nothing wrong.
Jack had been smarting for weeks from Mead’s chastisement as he stood with other members of the press in the back alley of a large red brick auditorium waiting for Candidate Lane to exit after a speech to the teacher’s union. He glanced over at a colleague. “Hey, Dan, how the hell are ya?”
“Fine, and you?”
Jack lit a cigarette, exhaling as he spoke. “I’d be better with some dinner and a beer right now.”
“I hear ya.” Dan was an old-timer in the business.
“What do you think about the candidates?”
