Matthew
“Mr. President,” I said as I walked into the oval office.
The President had summoned me because his Vice President had disappeared. The plan behind this was bigger than me and I was simply there to offer the necessary support to the President. Although I certainly had my own plan for what was coming ahead of us.
“As I’m sure you have heard, Vice President Howard has not been heard from since the party on Saturday,” the President said in an unemotional tone. “Of course I have every available police officer on the case and trying to figure out where he is or what happened to him.”
The President spoke as if I had no idea what was going on, or perhaps he spoke as if his office was bugged; either way I was happy to go along with the game.
“I’m sorry sir, is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes, Senator Masson is the head of the Senate Arms Committee and I just received word of some improper money handling. You’re friends with Senator Masson; do you think he had anything to do with it?’
“Mr. President, I have learned that my opinion on people isn’t always correct. I would encourage you to complete the normal due process.”
“The problem is we don’t have time. If the Vice President isn’t found, I need to start the process of filling that position. I can’t choose someone who is marred by an investigation.”
“I understand.”
I wasn’t about to delve any deeper into the implications of our conversation. I knew the plan just as well as the President did. We were just playing the game like we needed to in order to ensure neither of us were found out.
“Amber, please get the advisors together and have them here as soon as possible,” the President said into his intercom.
Amber, the Presidents assistant, came into the office after a brief ten minutes. She held a stack of papers in her hands for the President to go over.
“Mr. President, I’ve got a call out to everyone. They should be here shortly. Is there anything else I can do?”
“That will be all for now.”
“Mr. President, feel free to call me at any time if I can offer any further assistance,” I said as I followed Amber out of the office.
I wasn’t about to overstay my welcome with the President. He needed to come to the conclusion that I was the best Vice President he had available to him. We had discussed big plans for the country and he knew I had his best interest in mind. Or at least I made sure that was what he believed.
What the President didn’t know was that I wanted his position, not the Vice Presidency; although I might have to settle for the VP.
I made my way straight back to my office and to Kayla. I needed to stick with her as much as possible over the next week to ensure my alibi was strong and there wasn’t a question of my motives. My involvement in the Vice President’s disappearance had to be absolutely nothing, I had to be seen as the only good replacement.
“What did he want?” Kayla said as I walked in the door.
It was after six at night so everyone else had gone home for the day. It was a relief to have a few minutes alone in the office so we could gather ourselves for the next step of my plan.
“It sounds like the Vice President is really missing. Maybe something bad happened to him, maybe he’s just off with his mistress; I’m not sure, but the President is freaking out.”
“That’s crazy and with Senator Masson just winning the House Speaker position he would move into VP, right?”
“That’s the way it normally works.”
“Well, I have some bad news as well. My father has become ill and I’m going to have to head back to Illinois to be with him,” Kayla said as I saw tears start to form in her eyes.
This wouldn’t work at all for me. I needed her next to me in the following week to ensure I had an alibi at all times. I was sorry that her father was ill, but I couldn’t spare her at the moment.
“Your mother is there, she can take care of him right?”
“She is, but he’s very sick. He had a stroke and is having trouble breathing, I’m going to have to find a flight back or take the bus or something. I need to get home.”
Even the callous jerk that I was; I couldn’t stop her from going home to see her father if he was that ill. I would have to work out a new plan. Perhaps even a better plan than staying in Washington D.C.
“I’ll take you back. I have a private jet available, we could leave tonight.”
The look of shock on her face was rather delightful. I could tell just how much she was worried about her father and it actually made me feel good to think I was doing something that would help her.
“You can’t leave Washington right now.”
“I can, we don’t have any votes this week. It’s a good week to go. If something comes up, I can certainly fly back as needed.”
Kayla wrapped her arms around me and started to kiss me repeatedly.
“Oh, thank you so much, Matthew. I’m going to call my mother right now and tell her. When do you think we can leave?”
“Kayla, we can leave this second if you’d like. We will swing by our homes and get some clothes and I’ll call to have the jet get ready. We can be by your father’s side in less than five hours.”
“Holy Shit! I’m not going to call my mother at all, let’s just surprise her,” Kayla said as she kissed me again.
It felt oddly good to be seen as the guy who was saving the day for a change. Typically I was the guy that ruined everything. But I knew the truth and I was about to ruin everything for Kayla, she was just collateral damage. At least that was what I kept telling myself as I moved forward with my plan.