State of Play: Book Two; The Candidate

by Lee Taylor

  “Why, you little scamp. How dare you say that I support corrupt elections?” Turning to the moderator, Gus bellowed, “MacMaster, I demand that you censure my opponent—”

  Before Raymond MacMaster could respond, Gia interrupted him. “Excuse me, Mr. MacMaster, but in the last five years, we have had seven bills before the US Congress that would have eliminated the schemes and practices that allow corrupt politicians to flaunt election laws. Please note they were laws that would eliminate the same disgraceful practices that sent my father to prison. Unfortunately, my opponent voted against each and every one of them.”

  Gus whirled on her, his face flaming. Gia had been watching him closely. Seeing him pour another glass of water and take a noisy gulp, she wondered if he was truly so far gone that he’d laced the water with alcohol. His infuriated attack right out of the gate confirmed that was a real possibility, which made her task both easier and more necessary.

  “You dare to talk to me about corruption, Gia? When your sugar daddy, that high-tech moneyman—”

  He was interrupted by the moderator banging his gavel. “That’s enough, Congressman Underwood. I insist that neither of you call your opponent or members of their campaigns insulting names.”

  Gus snorted. “I wasn’t calling her that, although any red-blooded man looking at her could come up with some doozies to describe her. No, I was referring to that Fowler guy, the guy who bought her campaign—and her.”

  Again, Gia raised her hand, stopping the clearly discombobulated moderator from interjecting. “Mr. MacMaster, please, I want to respond to the derogatory assertions Mr. Underwood has made about my funders. First and foremost, every campaign donation I’ve accepted has met the stringent requirements of the Federal Election Commission. Clean elections are central to my campaign. It is the touchstone of my platform. As for Mr. Underwood’s obsession with Mr. Fowler, may I simply say that Logan Fowler is without a doubt the most impressive and smartest man I’ve ever known? I’m honored to have his support.” She hesitated, then allowed a smile to curve her lips and added saucily, “And you have to admit he sure is easy on the eyes.”

  The audience erupted in a rush of applause and cheers. It took the moderator several minutes to settle the clearly enthralled crowd. Gia took the time to calm her nerves and congratulate herself for her cheeky comment. She knew Logan would be impressed and amused. From Gus’s flustered expression, she also knew she’d hit a home run. Acknowledging that he was closer to the edge then she’d realized, she was gratified when the moderator took advantage of the engaged audience and took control of the debate.

  Turning to Gus, he said, “Coming back to other issues, what is your position on the farming crisis that is affecting over half of our state?”

  When Gus just glared at the moderator as if he’d asked a low-ball question, Gia grabbed the ball and ran with it. “While Mr. Underwood decides what his position is, let me be clear about mine. Every one of us knows that our family farms are more threatened than they have ever been. The current trade policies that Mr. Underwood supports are proving to be devastating. In addition to our farmer’s dwindling resources, we’ve seen five major manufacturing plants in our state close in the last decade, a function of our changing economy. The result is that more and more families that used to be considered ‘middle class’ are unable to cover basic bills. Indeed, we have a study that shows sixty percent of the people in our district have less than four hundred dollars in the bank if they got hit with an emergency.” Gia turned and spoke directly to her opponent. “And yet, Gus, you voted against bringing a clean-air processing plant to Mason. I guess the fact that the major underwriter of your campaign has a multimillion-dollar stake in the coal industry explains your voting against a plant that would provide over a thousand new jobs. But then, you’re also against raising the minimum wage, which confirms that the welfare of our working families isn’t one of your concerns.”

  Gus took a big gulp from his glass then snatched a handkerchief from his pocket and swiped at his gleaming forehead. Glaring at her, he bellowed, “That’s enough, missy. I gotta admit you know how to grab the spotlight. And just like your corrupt pappy, you know how to snow people.”

  Raymond MacMaster held up his hand. “Please, Congressman Underwood, as I indicated, I won’t permit ad hominem attacks.”

  Clearly angry, Gus whirled on him. “You think for one minute, Ray, I’m not going to call her out for who she is? After what she’s done? Ruined a young girl’s life? You think I should just stand back and let her act like a legitimate candidate instead of a fraud?” He glared at Gia. “I’m done fooling around. Let’s talk about Sissy Blankenship, the young girl your candidate assaulted—on your watch. You remember, Gia. The young woman who insists that you told your candidate that the young girls on his campaign were ‘fair game.’ Who the hell cares about plant closings when I’m running against an imposter who encourages attacks on young girls?”

  Gia interrupted MacMaster’s attempt to intervene. “Please, sir, let me respond. Mr. Underwood and his campaign should be ashamed that they sought to take advantage of a young girl’s tragedy. As you know, my campaign documented that Mr. Underwood’s campaign gave the young girl’s family seven hundred fifty thousand dollars to falsely assert that I encouraged the hideous attack. Which is patently ridiculous. If anyone knows what it’s like to face misogynistic men, it’s me. Fortunately, I had a father who, although corrupt, was extremely protective of me. I frankly pitied the men my father shot down when they made advances to me. Which is but one of the reasons I did what I did when my former candidate raped the young girl. I saw that he went to prison.”

  Gus pounded on his podium and whirled on her. “That’s what you say now. Now that you got caught. But goddammit. Admit it. You allowed a pervert on your campaign! Hell, you made him a candidate. You tried to foist him on the upright voters in our district. Jesus, Gia. You were going to marry the fucker. Surely you knew what he was like. How could you not? And because of you and your slimy fiancé, a young girl was grievously raped.”

  Seeing his exaggerated gestures and the spittle spurting from the corners of his mouth, Gia knew that he clearly was going off the rails. She faced him and said quietly, “Stop, Gus. Don’t embarrass yourself further.”

  With a raised brow, Gia turned to the moderator, glancing at the pitcher Gus had yanked from the shelf on the podium.

  When he refilled his glass and swilled back several large gulps, Raymond MacMaster frowned, then, as if catching on, addressed the agitated man. “Uh, Congressman Underwood. Uh . . . um, sir, would you like to take a break—”

  His rage apparent, Gus blared, “Hell, no. It’s time we talk about how this little hussy managed to swing her curvy hips onto this stage as though she belongs here. But I’m going to unmask her. Show the world the fraud she really is. Supposedly, she’s a big feminist. Aren’t you, Gia? But when it comes down to it, you allowed a pervert to attack a young girl. I thought you cared about young girls. Isn’t abuse one of your big causes? Aren’t you always spouting your anti-abuse crap? Yapping about all the ‘misogynistic’ men out to take advantage of women and young girls?” He snorted derisively. “So much for being a big-talking feminist against abuse. Didn’t mean much when it came to your fiancé, did it?”

  Gia took a visible breath and slowly blew it out. She turned to face the fulminating man glaring at her and responded carefully. “You are correct, Gus. I’m an avid feminist. I’m also a crusader against sexual abuse. But girls aren’t the only abuse victims I care about. I’m equally determined to take down the evil men who abuse young boys.” She was quiet for a long moment. “Even if those disreputable men are members of the United States Congress. In fact—especially if they are.”

  Gus staggered back, then clutched the edges of the podium for support, his face turning a hideous shade of purple. Grabbing for the nearly empty glass on the lectern, he drained the glass, then shrieked, “How . . . how dare you? How dare you accuse me of . . .
of what? Being a pervert? A fag? You bitch! You skanky bitch. I swear to God I’ll have your ass for this . . . Goddamn you, Gia Tremaine, you lying bitch . . . So help me God . . . ”

  He visibly shook as he tried to hang on to the podium but lurched to the side when several burly men charged the stage. In seconds, they captured the floundering man and hauled him off the stage.

  Epilogue

  Three hours after the 2nd Congressional District debate crashed to a halt, Logan sequestered the team in his conference room hidden from the ferocious media. Nodding to the bottles of Maker’s Mark, he was gratified when Jamal and Clint joined Granger, and several of the big man’s beefy intimidators filled the glasses of the exhausted but clearly exultant crowd. After a grueling couple of hours following the blowup of the debate and not incidentally, Gus’s campaign, Logan insisted they get Gia out of the spotlight and convened the team in his auspicious and well-protected offices. The group included all of the young staff as well as his campaign brain trust, Max, Jerry, and Paul. Elliott and his undercover squad, who Logan introduced as his enforcers, made up the rest of the incongruent collection. Logan noted privately that the one person who was absent was second only to him and Gia in pulling off the coup they’d engineered tonight. However, Logan was confident that, likely along with the entire high-security wing of the state prison, the demolition of the Underwood campaign had been required viewing.

  The monitors ringing the conference room were tuned to one or another of the national channels. All the screens portrayed a variation of the scenes that had been playing out over the last three hours. The stars of the moment were three twenty-something young men who were trying to respond to the shouted questions from frenzied reporters. The story that had already been revealed in detail in the written brief Logan anonymously circulated to the voracious press was the subject of the shouted interview. Finally, an older man who introduced himself as FBI Agent Marcus Abraham took over the media event.

  “Please! There is no way that we can conduct this interview unless you let these gentlemen tell their story. They have agreed to answer your questions if they can. But they can only answer them if you allow them to respond. To help focus and lay the groundwork for this spectacle, I am confirming that each of these men, as young boys, were victims of what the FBI has labeled the Leisurely Exploits case. So named for the hotel Leisurely Lane, where most of the organization’s exploits took place. That said, the young men here tonight represent what we have learned were literally hundreds of young boys who were victimized by the Leisurely Exploiters that included, indeed, was the brainchild, of Congressman Underwood. And yes, in answer to your questions, each of these men signed an affidavit confirming that as young boys they were sexually assaulted by Congressman Underwood as well as by others in the group.” He added circumspectly, “For the full background on this egregious case, please refer to the brief that was released to the media when the Tremaine, Underwood debate came to a halt. Now please, if you will, I will call on each of you in turn. Each media entity will have an opportunity to ask one question. Please give these young men the courtesy they deserve for what is obviously their challenging and courageous appearance here tonight. Finally, read the brief that was presented to your organizations. It is astonishingly thorough.”

  Elliott guffawed. Glancing at the members of the undercover team, he shrugged. “It sure as hell better be. It only took you fellows three solid days to confirm the details of the expose. Not to mention that every detail had to pass Logan’s purview, which as those of us who have served with him know, is akin to making it through a category-five hurricane without getting wet.”

  Logan shrugged. “As it should have been, Elliott. We were literally putting Gia in the middle of a shit storm that would have crushed her if so much as a scintilla of our evidence wasn’t backed up the ass a hundred times over.” He blew out a hard sigh. “Although, I admit I’ve rarely seen a brief, no matter the secrecy level, that was as fleshed out in every respect as the one that was handed to me by our source.” Logan met Gia’s frowning gaze and said quizzically, “I know you resisted using this evidence, Gia. All I can say is that I’m grateful you did. There is no way we could have taken Gus down without it. And no way without this iron-clad evidence that we could have brought justice to the young boys Gus and his despicable cohorts raped.” Shaking his head, Logan mused, “Christ, it’s no wonder he ruled his dominion as long as he did. I sure as hell would hate to be in his crosshairs. Viciousness wrapped in cunning, charisma, and coated with a charming Irish brogue. What a combination.”

  At that moment, several channels reverted to the seminal scene that had been replaying throughout the night. It portrayed Gia turning to Gus and saying the words that brought the Underwood campaign to a crashing halt. As he watched the beautiful woman eviscerate her opponent, Logan noted how very young she looked but at the same time competent. Most telling was her seriousness and the astonishing charge she leveled at him. Watching it again, as he had throughout the night, he was overwhelmed with admiration and respect for the inimitable woman he was deeply in love with.

  Turning to her, he said, “I don’t have to tell you, Gia, that this moment will go down in the annals of political lore. Documenting the takedown of a political legend by a young, supposedly untried candidate. I hope I don’t have to tell you how very proud and impressed I am, as are we all.”

  The roar of applause from the roomful of admirers was deafening. At that moment, one of the female television commentators interjected, “Not to downplay the importance of her takedown of Gus Underwood, which, in a word, was masterful. And while this was no doubt a moment none of us will ever forget, I insist that it was here that Gia Tremaine won the debate.”

  The screen switched to Gia defending Logan. “As for Mr. Underwood’s obsession with Mr. Fowler, may I simply say that Logan Fowler is without a doubt the most impressive and smartest man I’ve ever known? I’m honored to have his support.” She hesitated for a moment, then tossed her head and almost winked at the camera when she said with a saucy smile, “And you have to admit he sure is easy on the eyes.”

  “There! Right there. I tell you that was the moment that Gia Tremaine won the debate.” The commenter gave an impressed sigh. “I don’t know what I liked more, her brazen remark or the slight smile the camera caught on Mr. Fowler’s face as he stood in the wings.”

  When the rest of the panel wholeheartedly agreed, one of the more senior analysts added, “And, Marcia, you have to know, it was also the moment that in his gut Gus Underwood knew he was a political goner.”

  Gia leaned up against Logan, who was grinning broadly. “So big guy, you liked that I pointed out to a national audience what a hunk you are?”

  Logan shrugged. “Yeah, I have to admit in that I struggle with self-esteem, it was nice to be acknowledged for my looks . . . ”

  His words were followed by the groans and catcalls greeting his humorous take. Ben waited until the laughter died down. “Honestly, that moment was pure Gia. I’ve watched her try to teach countless candidates how to grab a moment like that and wrestle it to the ground. No matter how she worked with them—practically imprinting the comeback on their brains, they never could pull it off.” He breathed out an admiring sigh. “But Gia did.”

  Logan looked down at her admiringly as he tugged her closer to him. “You totally shut Underwood down when you took him on regarding our relationship. And yeah, I appreciated your description of me—smart, honorable, and all that. But you could have stopped there. What you said next, and the way that you said it, with a cheeky grin? Ben’s right. It was gold, princess. Pure Gia gold.”

  As if they hadn’t dealt with enough mind-wrenching revelations, Elliott rushed into the room. His expression was convoluted to say the least. “Can I talk to you, Logan?”

  Logan frowned, then shrugged in agreement.

  “Spit it out, Elliott. What’s got your nuts climbing up into your asshole for protection?”

  Swiping at t
he moisture dampening his forehead, Elliott was incredulous. “You’re not going to believe this, Logan. Guess who just filed to run for Congress? To take fucking Gus’s place?”

  At Logan’s impatient scowl, Elliott said, “Stewart Reed’s wife, Martha Reed!”

  Logan tugged at his chin and then snorted. “Of course. They know how badly Gus fucked them. Christ, he drove them to their knees. They know that Gia not only has a chance to beat them but the odds are distinctly in her favor.” Dragging his hands through his slicked-back hair, he glared at Elliott. “Given the way Gia eviscerated their disgusting pedophile tonight, why should we have expected any less? We should have known they’d come back with both barrels loaded.”

  Gia’s voice was shaky. “I don’t understand, Logan. I . . . I didn’t even know that Stewart Reed was married, much less that he had a wife who was interested in politics.”

  Logan shrugged, not hiding his frown. “Frankly, none of us did. Knew that Martha Reed was interested in politics, that is.” He nodded thoughtfully. “We knew that they would have to replace Gus. It was anyone’s guess who they would come up with. It did cross my mind that Stewart Reed might decide to throw his hat in the ring. He could self-fund the campaign, making fundraising a non-issue. It also occurred to me that they might decide to run a woman. To diminish some of your “newness” and not concede the women’s vote. But that seemed like a long shot at best. In that Gus had thoroughly claimed the seat for the last decade-plus, grooming a successor, particularly a woman, hadn’t been on their agenda.”