Capitol Love

by Max Hudson

Jack crossed to the senator’s receptionist and politely asked for a personal interview.

  “The senator’s quite busy right now,” his receptionist said. “If you’d like to make an appointment, I think we can get you in … Tuesday?”

  Jack smiled. “I’m actually just conveying a message from Senator Carlton Sommers. It won’t take long.” The receptionist, a pretty African-American in her thirties, looked Jack over with just a trace of suspicion. She picked up the phone and muttered into it, looking Jack over all the while. Setting a hand over the phone she asked, “If you have a message, I’ll take it to the senator personally.”

  “I’ve been asked to deliver it in person, directly from Senator Sommers himself.”

  But the receptionist said, “Obviously, it’s not directly from the senator, or he’d be here himself.” She went back to the phone, muttered a few more things, then said, “You don’t have a letter or a memo?” Jack shook his head and the receptionist sighed, returning her attention to the phone. She returned it to the plastic cradle and said, “The senator will see you now. Corner office, that end of the hall.”

  Jack smiled and winked before crossing to the hallway. He walked past office after office, everyone busily typing or on the phone. He arrived at the corner office, the senator’s name in gold letters on the walnut doors. Jack knocked, heard a muffled voice and presumed to turn the knob and enter.

  The office was impressive but not ostentatious, dignified without being stuffy. Books lined the shelves, a few globes and other knick-knacks spread around.

  Senator Douglass looked up from behind his large desk. “Hello …?”

  Jack extended his hand. “Jack Ballen, Senator. Nice to finally meet you.”

  “I’ve seen you around, you’re one of Carlton’s guys.”

  “Um, yes sir, I am.” Jack paused to notice a third man standing by a large window, looking out over the bright spring sky. His feathered blond hair was familiar, and when he turned around, so were his green eyes.

  Senator Douglass said, “My legislative assistant, Tyler Johns.” Tyler extended his hand, and Jack took it, exchanging a good, firm shake and a nod of mutual respect. Senator Douglass went on, “What did Senator Sommers need me to know?”

  Jack looked nervously at Tyler, then back at the senator. “I was instructed to speak with you… alone.”

  This heightened the senator and his underling’s suspicions. “Alone.” the senator repeated, “and why’s that?”

  “The message itself should convey that, sir.”

  There was a protracted silence, Senator Douglass and Tyler Johns exchanging nervous glances.

  Senator Douglass said to Tyler, “Give us five minutes?”

  “Senator, with what just happened?”

  “It’ll be fine, Tyler. I can take care of myself.” Tyler glared at his boss, then at Jack, before nodding and crossing the office.

  “I’ll be just outside the door,” Tyler said. “And I’m leaving the door unlocked.”

  Jack waited until Tyler made it out of the room and the door clicked behind him. Senator Douglass smiled and said in his rumbling baritone, “He’s very protective of me.” Jack nodded with a smile, leading the senator to reiterate, “So, this is a matter of some secrecy?”

  “It is, I’m afraid. This morning’s tragic events have the senator concerned.”

  “How so?”

  Jack took a deep breath, still wrestling with his precise wording. “He thinks maybe the late senator was … living a double life.”

  “Is that so?” Senator Douglass gave it some thought, leaning back in his leather chair, fingers tented in front of his lips. “I knew Senator Cafferty quite well. It would come as news to me.”

  “I suppose that’s what made blackmailing him so easy.”

  “Blackmail?” Senator Douglass leaned forward with new urgency. “By whom?”

  Jack looked around and leaned forward to meet the senator halfway. “Senator Sommers has no clue about that, but he’s afraid it might be somebody associated with the senate.”

  “No… another senator, or a congressman?”

  “No, I don't think so. Senator Sommers is worried that it might be somebody on one of the committees maybe, one associated with defeating his upcoming Fairness in Protection Act.”

  Senator Douglass leaned back again. “I see. He’s afraid I may have a rat in my ship, some rogue operative? Surely he’s not suggesting that I would have anything to do with such a conspiracy.”

  “Oh no, I’m sure not, Senator, a man of your character? No. In fact, what I believe worries Senator Sommers most is that this person may target you next, or otherwise imperil your work or career.”

  Senator Douglass twitched to hear this, turning his head as if to get a better beat on what Jack was saying. “I don’t understand. I'm the principle force against that act and everybody in Washington knows it. If anybody wanted to imperil my work or career, wouldn’t it be Senator Sommers himself?”

  Jack gave it some thought, but had to shake his head. “I’m only delivering the message, Senator Douglass, that you should be on the lookout for any nefarious activity. If you can root it out, not only will it not work against you, but you won't be associated with it. I think that's what Senator Sommers had in mind. Or he would have gone on and said nothing and let you stumble into all this trouble.”

  Senator Douglass looked deep into Jack’s eyes while he considered.

  “You’re right,” Senator Douglass broke a smile. “I apologize for being so suspicious. Your Senator Sommers is a good man, an honorable civil servant. We don’t agree on some basic issues, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t all be looking out for each other, does it?”

  “Quite so,” Jack said.

  “And if somebody’s blackmailing senators, for whatever reason, it behooves us all to root that person out. Corruption like that can destroy a democracy just like a cancer.”

  “I feel the same way,” Jack said, “I know Senator Sommers does too.”

  After a long, skeptical moment, Senator Douglass stood up from behind his desk. Jack stood too, and the senator escorted him across the office. “Thanks for bringing me the message, Jack, nice to finally put a name to the face.”

  “The honor was mine, sir.”

  Once at the big doors, the senator shook Jack’s hand, opened the door, and saw Jack out. In his place, Tyler stepped in and Senator Douglass closed the door again.

  ***

  Senator Douglass and Tyler went over it several times, working through Senator Sommers’ possible strategies.

  “Does he really think Cafferty was being blackmailed,” Senator Douglass offered, “or is he just sowing the seeds of doubt and dissent?”

  “Or maybe he’s just spreading that rumor, using his errand boy to plant seeds all over town.”

  “Why would he plant them here?”

  Tyler said, “To make it seem more like the truth?”

  Senator Douglass shook his head, pacing around the big office. “Carlton hates us, every last pink one of us, on both sides of the aisle. I think he’s using Cafferty’s suicide to discredit us, the whole LGBTQ community, that opportunistic son of a bitch.”

  Tyler gave it some thought. “Have to admit, it’s a good strategy.”

  “Yeah, too good. And what about sending that kid over, not even showing up himself? That was no flip decision, you can be sure.”

  “Nothing Carlton Sommers does ever is.” Tyler reflected a bit, sighing. “He’s trying to distance himself, that's clear. Is there something he could be hiding himself?”

  Senator Douglass offered up a bitter chuckle. “He’s a crusading homophobe. You know what he’s hiding!” Tyler chuckled too, nodding. “Anyway, that Jack Ballen has me a little worried. From now on, I want you to handle him personally.”

  “Sure thing, chief.”

  The senator gave it some further thought. “In fact, see what you can find out yourself. What does this guy know? How much? Where’s his intel coming
from?”

  “Senator?”

  “Among the many things we can’t afford, Tyler, one is to overlook the obvious, that we actually are inadvertently harboring a blackmailer.”

  “And the others? What else can’t we afford?”

  Senator Douglass looked gravely into Tyler’s eyes. “Anything. Everything.”

  Chapter Three

  That night Jack and Tabitha lay in bed. He stared up at the ceiling, but she was looking mostly at him. “Hey,” she said sweetly, “are you all right?”

  Jack shrugged. “Wasn’t it good?”

  “Oh, it’s not that, Jack, God, not at all.” Tabitha dropped her pretty face down onto his sweat-damp chest. “But you seem, I dunno, distracted.”

  “Watching a man blow his own head off will do that.”

  “Yeah, I suppose.” After an extended silence, the scent of their passion lingering in an unseen halo, she said, “I hope you’re not, y’know, mad at me about earlier today.”

  Jack huffed. “I thought you were the one who was mad at me!” They shared a tense chuckle. Jack went on, “It’s fine, whatever you want. I know I don’t have a right to ask too much of you.”

  “Well, that’s true,” Tabitha said. “But, I mean, you were very rude with your comments. What was I supposed to say?”

  “Whatever was on your mind, as always.”

  “The way you do,” Tabitha said, “about me, in particular.”

  Jack looked her over, naked in bed on top of him. “I have a vested interest. But I didn’t mean to insult you.” While he was on the subject, Jack felt he had to ask, “But I wasn’t wrong, was I? About you and other guys …”

  Tabitha looked off, a guilty glint in her water eyes. She finally asked Jack, “Why did you get into politics anyway, Jack?”

  Jack gave it some thought, knowing somehow that Tabitha only asked because it was important to her that the truth come out, important to them both. But it was Washington and the truth was usually an afterthought at best.

  Jack said, “Too lazy to work, too nervous to steal.” They shared a shallow chuckle. “I dunno. I guess I didn’t really have much choice. I could have stayed in Arizona, sold furniture or run some local TV station, what a bunch of nothin’. This is where things happen, Tabitha, this is where things get done.”

  “But ... what things? What is it that you want to do?”

  Jack reflected again, but he could not find an answer. The ultimate truth was, “I guess I’d figure that out as I went.”

  Tabitha smiled, touching her pale hand to his cheek. “You're so sweet.”

  “Sweet? The hell I am! I’m virile, I’m handsome! Justin Bieber is sweet!”

  Tabitha chuckled. “I like you, Jack, I really do. We’re having a lot of fun together.”

  “But life’s not all about having fun,” Jack said, and Tabitha nodded sadly. She didn’t need to say anything more or explain herself any further or any clearer.

  Jack thought about it, then asked, “So, are you seeing other guys, or … or what?”

  “Not exactly, no.”

  “Not exactly, what does that mean?”

  Tabitha bit her lower lip. “We’re not engaged or anything, that’s all I’m saying.”

  But that only confused Jack more. “Would you rather we be engaged, or that we not be?”

  Tabitha considered, her finger tracing little circles in his chest hair. “I guess I’m not sure, I guess I’m not sure about anything anymore.” She sighed. “Watching a man blow his own head off will do that.”

  “Yeah,” Jack said, “I suppose.” After a long, tense silence, Jack asked, "What about you? Why are you here?”

  Tabitha’s eyes cast out into an imagined distance, her smile melting away. “To get out,” was all she could muster.

  ****

  The next day Jack received a call and was surprised to see the nameTyler Johns on his smartphone screen. “Jack Ballen.”

  “Jack, Tyler Johns, from Senator Douglass’ office.”

  “Yeah, Tyler,” Jack said, “I don’t remember giving you my number.”

  “Got it from the directory.” That made as much sense as anything, and soon enough there were other things to think about. Tyler asked, “Free for lunch?”

  Jack didn’t doubt that there was some hidden purpose to the invitation, but he also knew that this was just why he’d been put between the two senators in the first place, so there was only one reasonable answer.

  They met twenty minutes later atThe Ballot Box, a restaurant well-known by Washington insiders. The pub-like atmosphere was dark and sheltering, warm and cozy. The beef stew was flavorful, served in a sourdough loaf and filled with thick brown broth and colorful carrots, still firm.

  Jack looked around, unable to hide his nervousness. Tyler asked, “There a price on your head?”

  Jack smiled. “You never know.” They shared a mild chuckle, a cool Stella washing down a bite of his gravy-soaked bread, chewy and savory. Jack went on, “I dunno, I feel like we shouldn’t be spotted together for some reason, like we’re both sleeping with the enemy.”

  “Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?” Tyler chuckled, but Jack didn’t. Tyler looked at Jack in that quizzical moment. “What, you didn’t know? Could I be more obvious?”

  Jack knew what Tyler was referring to, but he was uncomfortable saying it out loud. “I don’t judge.”

  “That’s nice to know.” After a bite of beef, Tyler asked, “So how can you work for such an intolerant son of a bitch as Senator Sommers? The man’s a stone’s throw from the Stone Age.”

  Jack had to laugh, leaning back to enjoy the rush of warmth. “He’s traditional, that’s for sure. But, y’know, a lot of people feel the way he does. And they pay his salary.”

  “And that’s fine, Jack, because he believes in all that, I assume. But what about you? There are other senators to work for, after all.”

  “Not really. I fell in with Senator Sommers' crew because I was from Arizona, he was one of us. Then a spot opened upout here and, well, I was one ofthem.”

  “What about now?”

  Jack shrugged, washing down his food with a sip of cold beer. “Now things are crazy, nothing is the way it used to be.”

  Tyler shook his head. “No, dear Jack, everything is going to be the way it used to be, before we made so much progress, before we came around to the right side of history. Now, more people will be isolated from society, strangled out of it; nowhere to rent, no jobs, no service at restaurants or gas stations. That sound familiar?”

  “It does,” Jack said cautiously, beginning to understand what Tyler had in mind inviting him to lunch. “But I really don’t think things will get that bad.”

  “Only because you don’t want to, Jack. You’re looking the other way, like so many people. You don’t have a dog in this fight, why should you care?”

  Jack nodded. “There are a lot of things going on in the world. Global climate change, national insecurity, crumbling infrastructure —”

  “That’s just what they’re counting on, for you and everybody else to be distracted while they take away our rights, all of our rights, Jack, one by one. That’s how it’s done, that’s how they take everything away before you even notice anything’s happened at all. Piece by piece, Jack. Don’t forget that.”

  Jack knew Tyler’s warnings were sensible, history had born them out several times before. But Jack was confident that the mistakes of the past wouldn’t be so easily repeated, at least not in the Information Age.

  Heading back to the offices after lunch, Jack noticed two Secret Service special agents standing in the hallway, one a short, African-American woman, and the other a taller white man, glancing around with their dark sunglasses, even inside.

  Jack paused. He would normally have walked right past the two intimidating but familiar agents, but in this case, it occurred to him that chance had put him in their presence for a reason.

  And he was innocent, so there was really n
othing to fear.

  “Excuse me, hi. I’m Jack Ballen, we spoke after Senator Cafferty’s suicide? You’re Special Agents Harvey Haliday and Barbara Sellars, right?”

  The male special agent corrected Jack with, “Hathaway, not Haliday.”

  “Oh, right, sorry about that.”

  The two special agents just stared him down, and Jack was already second-guessing his decision to approach them. However, it was too late to go back. And Jack had impressed Senator Sommers enough to win the job as a liaison, so he was also feeling confident.

  “Anyway,” Jack went on, “I was wondering if there any progress there, with your, um, investigation.”

  Special Agent Hathaway looked Jack over. “What would that be to you?”

  “Oh, well, we’re all in this together, right? And some people are saying that there might have been some foul play.”

  “What do you mean, exactly?”

  Jack’s heart began to beat faster, sweat gathering on his palms. “Well, again, I don’t know anything firsthand, but I’ve just heard rumblings, y’know, from various people in crowds and the like.”

  Special Agent Sellars asked Jack, “And what are they saying?”

  “Some people think he had a double-life or something, that maybe he was being blackmailed? You guys didn’t find anything like that, did you?”

  The Secret Service officers stepped toward Jack, almost encouraging him to run so that they could take him down. But Jack stood his ground, calmly smiling.

  Jack chuckled. “I guess it does sound kind of crazy, now that I say it out loud like that.” The Secret Service officers just glared at him, faces motionless and grim. “All right, well, keep an eye out, eh? Now that you know, something might occur.”

  Special Agent Hathaway asked Jack, “And what was your name again, pal?”

  “My name? I’m Johnathan Darwin Ballen, my friends call me Jack, I work for Senator Carlton Sommers as an intern and a … an intern, basically.”

  “And a what?”

  Jack swallowed hard. “A liaison to other senators’ offices, basically a messenger boy when you think about it.”

  The Secret Service agents glanced at one another, before Special Agent Sellars said to Jack, “And you’d probably come across a good deal of information in your capacity as … as messenger boy, wouldn’t you?”