Circles Of Fear

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

  Monday the sixteenth of August, the morning paper headlines told the story. APP LANDSLIDE IN PARKIN. BRINKLY WINS NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF VOTE. Jason was congratulated at the school when he dropped Tammy off, further congratulations and handshakes in the newsagent as he picked up his morning paper. A contingent of well wishers and media awaited him at his campaign office, he was swamped as he walked towards the door. A young channel eight reporter held a microphone to his face. “Congratulations Mr Brinkly, your efforts will force the federal government to the polling booths, what are your plans now?”

  Jason stopped outside his door and spoke to the media. “I’ll take my place in parliament to back the needs of the people of Parkin, who have so graciously backed me.”

  A newspaper reporter shouted above the crowd. “Some of your ideas aired during your campaign, clash with federal APP policies in Canberra. Do you think you will be silenced on those matters now you are in a seat?”

  “People will disagree on things from time to time, no matter who they are. I’m against the use of stand-over tactics by anyone; the people would be the first to know if someone made such a move, as I would tell you. If I use ideas and they don’t work, the people will make their decision, that’s true of anyone who is in office. My views and policies worry the present government far more than my own party, this result will swing the APP around I’m sure. A meeting of the entire APP later this afternoon should see some positive direction for us, with the now unavoidable federal election looming. I agree with very little the present government is doing. Now if you fine people will please excuse me, I have a lot to do.”

  Beagle bolted the door behind Jason. “This place is chaos Jason, Peter Carlton rang from Canberra and will ring again soon. Terry Denman would like you to ring him soon as you can, the phone just won’t stop ringing and there is an Anita Powel in your office waiting for you. I couldn’t stop her; she was most intimidating and said you wouldn’t mind.” Jason entered his office, Anita was standing, looking out the window, she moistened her lips and threw back her hair as she turned round to him. Jason closed the door; her breathing became deep as she looked at him.

  “I can’t wait any longer, how I've wanted you,” she said, lifting the front of her short dress revealing nothing underneath. Jason could see the street outside was alive.

  “Want, need, we are about to be as one, follow me,” he said calmly. She followed him through Beagle’s outer office, Beagle being busy on the phone, into an unused rear office. He closed and locked the door behind them. He pulled down the blind on the only small window in one wall, turned on the light and flew at her. He unzipped her silky dress while kissing her; it fell to the floor revealing her naked body. He lay her on the desk in the middle of the room running his tongue all over her and with his gaze fixed on her eyes hastily dropped his trousers. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth as he entered her, his thrusts were so hard the desk quickly worked its way to the wall, it banged against the wall until she gave a resounding moan followed closely by him. By this time they had fallen to the floor, they clung to each other for a few minutes. Beagle knocked on the door.

  “Are you okay in there?”

  “Yes thanks,” was the chorus. They dressed, replaced the furniture and walked calmly back to Jason’s office. They stared at each other across the desk for a few seconds.

  “I want you to meet my daughter, I'm hopelessly in love with you,” said Jason.

  “I’d love to, I loved you from the first second I saw you.”

  “My house tonight, seven pm. If I’m not home, Mary my daughter’s nanny will let you in. I don’t expect to be late, but it’s hard to tell these days.”

  “I know where I’ll wait if you’re real late. I’ll go now, I got what I came for, besides, I made a note of your comments outside to the rest of them. I’ll do a follow up story for the global network.” She walked to the door putting on her coat.

  “So that really is your natural colour, jet black,” said Jason. She smiled without turning her lips up as she closed the door.

  Meanwhile in Canberra, Dick Hamilton, political adviser to leader of the governing Advance Party, stared at the wall as Les Horton, Advance Party leader and Prime Minister, shouted and threw things around his office.

  “Why wasn’t I briefed on this Dick? Ninety-eight percent, that’s a seventy percent swing!” said Horton.

  “A report on Brinkly has been on your desk for three weeks Les, don’t give me the shits, you thought the seat was safe.”

  “Brinkly is a rock star, he’s probably a drugo, get some info on him, bury him in bullshit! We can’t govern; we’ve lost the only seat that gave us power!”

  “That’s what the report’s about Les, if you had read it. Brinkly is a Bachelor of classical music, richest man in the country and has more charisma than anyone else we have ever seen if politics before. Even our own members rave about him when they meet him. We had two guys inside the APP, they actually left us and joined the party last week. All we can find on him is a speeding offence last year, his father in law is our senator Mc Donald, who, might I add, is thinking of joining him as well. Between him and the police, they have corruption well and truly on the back foot, all this before he’s in power. If you want my educated opinion, yes, he could be sitting in here himself in six months and if he finds out what we’ve been up to, our surroundings will change dramatically!”

  Horton studied the report for a few minutes while they sat in silence. He threw the report on his desk. “Shit! Order some tea and make sure you’ve arranged that fishing trip for this weekend.”

  One pm that afternoon, a full bench meeting of the South Australian People’s Party Federal membership convened at the Hilton International Hotel in Adelaide. All federal ministers were present from the state and all South Australian State political members also attended. Terry Denman stood and forwarded a motion to elect Jason leader for the party. Although this was an unofficial approach, it was expected to stir the opposition to make a statement on where they stood. At three pm the Advance Party leadership in Canberra announced they no longer had a majority in the house to govern, due to the loss of Parkin in South Australia to the APP. No election date would be announced, as they believed they could still govern effectively without a majority in the Lower House.

  On the closing of the APP meeting at six pm, Peter Carlton leader of the opposition in Canberra, announced Jason’s rise. He also announced some key changes to APP policies regarding the taxation system, codes of conduct for members of parliament and sweeping reform for state and federal police in the fight against illegal drugs. These were in line with views expressed by Jason Brinkly and accepted by his electorate of Parkin. Further details of policies and views would be released in Jason’s initial speech in federal parliament upon taking the seat of Parkin, or prior to any election that may be called by the federal government. The media went berserk.

  Jason arrived home eight pm, Anita was playing with Tammy. Jason tried to put her to bed but she was too excited. He realised how much she missed her mother. He watched them playing on the lounge floor after dinner; Mary commented she had never seen Tammy so happy. Tammy eventually fell asleep in Anita’s arms, they put her to bed. Harry Briggs had been staying at Jason’s; he was trying to come to grips with what had happened to him. They ran into him on the landing of the second floor whilst retiring, he was on his way to the kitchen for a late snack. He greeted them.

  “Jason, I would like to see you in the morning, I think it’s time, I feel better now,” Harries tone reflected calm.

  “Certainly,” said Jason. “We can go to the office together in the morning, just to see how you feel.”

  Harry looked at Anita. “If you’ve come to look after this guy, I hope you do a damn good job,” he walked down the stairs.

  Anita sat beside Jason on the bed. “I think we're in too deep to go back,” Jason spoke softly with clear intent. “But you must know some things about me and Tammy; the
n decide if you want to stay. I’ll go as far at the moment as saying we have been given a task in life, but we don’t know what it is yet. We also have powers no normal person has, we ask no questions of it all as for some reason we understand it. But we don’t know why, we are just driven on. By being with me you will become part of it; you are so much like Malinda. If we lost you as well, it would be devastating.”

  “I had a perfectly good job in Melbourne, something compelled me to drop everything and come here. When I saw you I knew why. All people notice something about you; it brings out the best in them. This is where I belong, I can feel it.” They lay back on the bed; it was two hours of naked frenzy before they fell asleep.