The Gambit

by Allen Longstreet

  I rubbed my sore wrists. They itched from where the ropes had scraped them. I felt numb to all of this information. Deep down, I had always known that it was a sham, so that the people in power wouldn’t have to give up their reign. But hearing it, though, hearing it was different. It was nauseating to hear that our elected officials were trying to take away the very thing our nation was founded on…freedom.

  “Why are you telling us all of this?” Rachel asked. She sounded exasperated.

  “Better yet, how do you know all of this?” I added.

  “Natasha was the one who got the information we needed,” he said. I glanced over at her, and she was still acting like she wasn’t listening to any of this, chewing her gum and twirling a long strand that fell out of her bun. She must have been a hacker—a female Grey.

  “Also,” Viktor’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “We need your help.”

  “With what?” I jeered.

  “To help expose the person behind all of this.”

  The person behind all of this. The words resounded in my mind over and over again. It was something I had thought about since the morning I discovered my predicament at the coffee shop. Who was behind framing me?

  “What?” Rachel snapped. “Look, Owen is in enough trouble as it is. He has already heard enough wild ideas for one day—”

  “Show them,” Natasha said from her dark corner, without any inflection in her tone.

  Viktor stood in front of the laptop again, and I heard the fast clicking of the keyboard. An image appeared. My jaw dropped, and I lost my breath.

  “Veronica…” I mumbled. The words weren’t even audible. I could hear Rachel’s confused questioning in the background, but it was distorted and hazy. I felt lightheaded and nauseous. I stood up and inhaled deeply, trying to ground myself. Her ice blue, cat-like eyes gave me a chill down my spine, just as they had the day I met her. My chest felt tight. I walked over to the projected image on the wall and studied it again. Her hair was shorter in this picture—it must have been from the internet. I remembered how cold her hand was when I shook it and that uneasy feeling her presence gave me.

  She was behind all of this. I thought I was going to be sick.

  “Owen!” Viktor shouted. “Are you all right? Sit down.” He grabbed my shoulders, and I shook him off. “I’m all right, I’m fine!” I insisted, and he let me go.

  “Who the hell is she?” Rachel asked frantically. “You look like you just saw a ghost!”

  “She’s the Chairwoman of the Democratic Party. I’ve met her before.”

  “What? When?” Rachel pressed further.

  “The night of the final debate. I remember her snarky comments towards me, and it pissed me off. She told me with as much as I had accomplished at such a young age, I would surely have a bright future ahead of me in Washington.”

  “She knew what was going to happen to you before you ever stepped foot in the debate.” Rachel mumbled.

  “Owen was never supposed to make it out of the debate alive. The only thing that saved his life was the fact he stood up and left his seat just before the bombs went off. The rows Owen and Cole were sitting in received the most causalities. That was no coincidence.”

  My suspicions were correct. I was supposed to die that night. Veronica wanted both of us dead…but, I was still here. For some unknown reason, I noticed Alexei’s peculiar behavior and stood up. That was the only reason I was still alive. Maybe I would have been better off dead. No, that doesn’t sound right.

  “He thought the same thing, too,” Rachel said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Earlier, I heard you say that you needed our help. With what?”

  Viktor’s lips pressed together in a hard line.

  “Natasha looked into Rachel’s background and saw she was a journalist. I have hard evidence right here in this flash drive that could help take her down. All we need is a way to get it out there.”

  Rachel glanced at me and Viktor. “I know someone…” She began. “Someone who could get it out to everyone. I told him to find the other pieces of the puzzle, to figure out what other evidence was out there, and this is a huge step closer to solving it.”

  Natasha walked towards us from her corner, and Viktor’s eyes grew wide.

  “Do you really?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she answered. “My godfather is the Editor in Chief of the New York Times.”

  His jaw dropped. “No fucking way.”

  She nodded in confirmation.

  “How do we get in contact with him?”

  Viktor’s eyes were bulging in excitement.

  “He has a secured line I can call him on…but first, we need to go back to the hotel and get Briana and Grey. They are probably back by now and more than likely worried about us. Grey has similar skills as Natasha, he can help her out with whatever we decide to do.”

  “I don’t need any help,” she spat. Her tone irritated me.

  “Now why is that?” I shot back. She pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side.

  “Because I know what I am doing. I’m just as capable as he is, or more so.”

  “Have you ever hacked into the mainframe of an international airport?”

  She huffed and turned to Viktor, mumbling something. There was excitement in Rachel’s eyes. Her story was beginning to come together right in front of her, but there was an unsettling feeling growing in my gut. She was forgetting about the task at hand. Grey was going to help me get into the CNN building and interrupt the newscast. I was going to tell the world the truth.

  “Have you forgotten about our other plan?” I asked Rachel. She turned from Viktor to me, and in her stare, I could almost hear her pleading, ‘Please, don’t bring it up.’ Her face was deadpan.

  “No,” she replied coldly.

  “What is he talking about?” Viktor asked.

  When I turned to Viktor I could feel Rachel’s eyes practically burning into the side of my face.

  “Tomorrow, with the help of Grey, I am going to barge in on a newscast at the CNN building.”

  “What!?” Viktor snapped, with a quirked brow. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “No, I’m not. The election is just too close to forfeit everything I have worked for. The world needs to know.”

  In my peripheral, Rachel crossed her arms, and Viktor stared back at me, shaking his head.

  “Owen, take it from someone who has been on the run for almost two years. You will not walk out of that building a free man.”

  “I am aware of the risk,” I said, raising my voice, “but I know what I need to do.”

  “Actually, I don’t think you do. You see, an article is just as powerful as the television. The New York Times is everywhere. It’s not like every single person will be watching CNN the moment you come on,” he countered.

  I bit the inside of my lower lip. His persistence was adamant, but so was mine.

  “It doesn’t matter!” I yelled. “Rachel already knows my story, she has everything she needs from me. The longer I stay with her, the longer she is at risk. You and I both know, Viktor, that the longer she is with me, the more likely it is she won’t be able to get her story out. She is the link to her godfather, Ian. Without her, we have nothing.”

  Natasha shook her head and turned back around to head to the corner of the room. Viktor was clearly still heated, but I could tell in his expression he was processing what I had just said.

  “Why don’t I have a say in any of this?” Rachel interjected and stood up. “Grey just comes up with this grand idea, and yet you don’t even take my opinion into consideration? It is pathetic that I am thinking more about your well-being than you are. Grey’s plan is a dead end. Sure, it has shock-and-awe, but that’s it. It doesn’t keep you safe like Russia would have.”

  Frustration bubbled up within me.

  “Well guess what? That plan didn’t work. It’s over, and I didn’t take your opinion into consideration because I know your decision-making process is currently
clouded with emotion. You don’t want anything to happen to me because you love me, and it hurts too badly to admit that you are safer without me. You know it’s true! So stop trying to protect me and start thinking of one thing and one thing only—the compilation of your story.”

  I was breathing heavy, and Rachel’s reaction made me realize very quickly that I had fucked up. Her lower lip trembled, and her eyes began to glisten. She shook her head and exhaled sharply out of her nose. She stood up, walked to the other side of the room, and sat on the couch.

  “I can’t run forever, Rachel!”

  “You’d be surprised…” Viktor mumbled.

  I turned to him, and at this point, I felt like everyone was making me out to be the bad guy. If only Grey were here to defend me. My cheeks flushed.

  “You aren’t much help, are you?” I sneered.

  He snorted. “Clearly, you are blinded by your idea. You are ignoring all the information I have just told you and focusing on one tiny detail, that Rachel might be a little safer without you around. Did you process anything I said?”

  “Obviously not,” Natasha chimed in.

  “I did, I get it—”

  “No, you don’t,” Viktor cut me off, and he pressed his index finger against my chest. “I told you, Owen, you are like fresh air to a dying flame. You are who they chose to revive their plan. I was the beginning, and you are the end. We aren’t that different after all.”

  “We are different,” I countered. “Because I am not afraid to show my face to the world and tell them the truth. I could never hide for as long as you have.”

  “What you want to do tomorrow, it’s not courageous. Can’t you see? If you show your face on that newscast you will be walking straight into the lion’s den. They will win! You will be giving them exactly what they want!”

  “Fuck you, Viktor! If I am going to be in handcuffs one way or another, I want to keep my dignity. I don’t want everything I did with Cole for our party to be in vain! I want the world to know I am innocent! If Rachel doesn’t get her story, then there won’t be any proof. There will be no way for me to speak up then, when I am rotting away in some maximum security prison.”

  His eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, and his face was beet red.

  “Don’t you see what I am trying to say to you, Owen? All you are is a gambit to them! You are a fucking sacrifice! You are just a pawn and Veronica is the queen. If you go through with your plan, I promise you, they will win. Don’t be their gambit. Don’t give yourself up so easily.”

  My eye twitched, and I chewed on the inside of my bottom lip to keep calm as I digested his words. He said I was a sacrifice…and that word, gave me a chill that ran up the entire length of my spine. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what he said was true, but I also knew my points were valid, regardless of the risk. Rachel could write a story whether or not I was with her or in a jail cell. Perhaps then, she would be out of the spotlight. Something in my gut told me that I had to go with Grey’s plan. I wanted to keep my integrity intact.

  I thought I heard Rachel crying. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

  “Thank you, Viktor, for spelling it out so clearly to me. I understand what you are saying, but I need to stick with Grey’s plan. You all can focus on the story. I will do what I need to do to preserve my party. I have to wake people up enough before it’s too late.”

  Viktor shook his head side to side in disappointment.

  “Fine,” he said flatly. “You stay here. Rachel, Natasha, and I will go get Grey and whatever her name is from the hotel. When we get back, Rachel, can you call your godfather?”

  My phone vibrated violently, skidding across the nightstand. Groggy and disoriented, I slapped my hand blindly to grab it. I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the light of my iPhone screen.

  Restricted

  I glanced over at my alarm clock—11:25. Was it her?

  “Hello,” I answered in a whisper.

  “Hey. It’s me.”

  I sat up in my bed wide awake and alert. We hadn’t talked in days. I had been waiting to hear from her, and I thought about it every minute of the day.

  “Thank God you finally called. I was getting worried.”

  “I could imagine…” She mumbled.

  “I can’t believe he escaped. In my thirty years in this industry, I have never seen anything like it.”

  “I believe it.”

  There was a pause.

  “So, what made you call?” I asked.

  “I found another piece of the puzzle.”

  My pulse quickened from her words.

  “I found two,” I added.

  “Really?” her voice jumped up in pitch.

  “Yes, one was from my son. Do you remember him?”

  “Stefan, right?”

  I smiled at how keen her memory was.

  “Yes. I am surprised you remember.”

  “Women remember everything. You should know that by now,” she teased.

  “Indeed, I do,” I chuckled.

  “So, what was it he figured out?”

  “I can’t talk about it.” I mumbled. “You know, just in case.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “Just know it is a very important piece. What about yours?”

  “It is a massive piece. Something that will contribute to at least half of the story. The situation I was just thrown into is hard to believe that it even happened. It feels surreal.”

  For a moment, she sounded distant…almost detached.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I’m okay, I guess.”

  “You guess?”

  “You-know-who is being stubborn, and there is nothing I can do about it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t say exactly, but be sure to have the news on. I know it’s a Saturday, so if you’re not at work, at least put it on at home. Tell your journalists on the floor to have it on in the office.”

  Her statement intrigued me. I hadn’t a clue what she was hinting at.

  “They always do. I make sure they do.”

  “Good,” she said. “So, how do I go about getting you this information?”

  “Wait until tomorrow. Then, call the office. They will get you transferred to the secure line, and I’ll give you what you need to fax it to me.”

  “Sounds good,” she said. There was a somber note in her voice that I couldn’t put my finger on. It probably wasn’t worth bringing up.

  “Please be careful out there,” I said.

  “I will try my best,” she responded flatly, and the call ended.

  Grey and Briana were finally up to speed. I tried to imagine their reactions when Rachel, Viktor Ivankov, and his unnervingly quiet counterpart, Natasha, showed up to the hotel room. Grey was sitting in the corner of the room with Natasha, chatting away. I guess she was more comfortable talking to someone who knew her line of work. Briana was passed out on the sofa. She had driven all day and immediately went off to assist Grey upon our arrival in Atlanta.

  Rachel wasn’t even in the room. She wouldn’t make eye contact with me, and it was driving me absolutely crazy. I knew I had said touchy words. I shouldn’t have let them come out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reverse time. If I had that ability, I wouldn’t have been in the situation I was in right now. I would be with Cole at some bar, discussing our plans for election night.

  No—all of that was gone. False memories that could have been reality. Now, they were solely wistful thoughts. Viktor told me that there was a bar above us. We were in the basement. The owner was in on it with Viktor and gave him a place to hide out whenever he was in town. Rachel couldn’t show her face, just like me. I wondered where she went. She couldn’t have gone into the bar. I stood up and walked to the steps that led out of the basement.

  “Where are you going?” Viktor called from behind me.

  “To get some fresh air,” I answered.

  He stared at me quizzically.

  “B
e careful,” he advised, and I walked out of the basement. The air was frigid, and I bundled up tight in my jacket. I glanced around the alleyway—nothing. Where had she gone? I did a three-sixty to search for any signs of where she might have been.

  Then, I found it. It was a metal emergency ladder that ran up the side of the bar. Maybe she really did want to be alone. The roof would have been ideal for that. I placed a shaky foot on the rusty rung and began to climb—it was at least fifteen to twenty feet I had to scale. When I reached the top, I threw my leg over the edge and saw Rachel standing against the opposite side of the roof. She had her arms against her sides, with her hands tucked in her jacket pockets. The chilly Georgia weather was the complete opposite of what we were prepared for. Rachel’s short-shorts, t-shirt, and Dolphins ball cap weren’t going to cut it. Briana purchased her a pea coat and some pants. I slowly walked up beside her. She didn’t even acknowledge that I was there. She just shivered and looked out at the Atlanta skyline.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmured.

  I heard her exhale. She didn’t respond.

  “I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, Rachel. I promise.”

  My words were met with silence. She wasn’t budging.

  I backed off for a moment and pondered my next statement.

  “Rachel—”

  “I don’t want an apology,” she snapped, spinning around to face me. “I want to know why? Why did you just use the fact that I am in love with you against me?”

  I opened my mouth to speak.

  “In front of everyone! Owen, do you know how badly that hurt? Do you know how hard it was to stop myself from bursting into tears down there? Is that my punishment for caring about you? I wanted you to stay, and now I got what I wanted, and it’s more than I could ever swallow. I’m going to lose you again, this time in handcuffs! Please, Owen, don’t go along with Grey’s plan. I have a bad feeling, and I just want you to be safe. I want to be by your side, so don’t push me away! You told me you love me—”