Sheila Madden smiled broadly and beamed with pleasure. Her dreams of ruling the world's most powerful country were about to come to fruition. Her smile slipped as the full contents of what he’d said drove home.
“What do you mean until your selected candidate is elected?” she all but growled.
The Chairman cast a quick glance at Alan and Ivanon. A sharp look at the black-haired man sitting opposite him at the head of the table was banked for further investigation later by Billy, who stood directly behind him and was the only one who noticed it. Maybe there was more to the silent man who never said a word during meetings than he’d thought. For that matter, he was the only person in the Order who he’d never been formally introduced to. He didn’t even know his name or what he looked like, courtesy of the black leather mask that covered everything but his eyes—and they were hidden behind topaz colored shades. His eyes narrowed as he detected the barely there nod in response to the Chairman’s look.
“We decided on the best candidate to drive project SPEONUS into fruition. The groundwork you’re going to lay over the next four to six months is of utmost importance to the successful achievement of our goal.” His voice grated forcefully, warning the angry woman to tread carefully. She was too angry to pay it any heed.
“You promised me the presidency for a full term!” she shrieked as she jumped up from the chair. Her lips were pulled back in a sneer. For the first time, the Secretary of State lost her usual cool and sophisticated demeanor.
“Which you will get … sometime in the future,” Alan rasped. He exulted in her reaction. There was nothing as powerful as bursting someone’s bubble, especially if it involved a dream they had been coveting for a lifetime.
She slammed her fist on the table and the bang merged with the clattering of the cups and saucers still half filled with tea.
“Fuck you, Alan Kezzler! You knew I wanted the next term. It’s the only reason I joined you. You used me.” She drew in a haggard breath, struggling to curb the rage boiling inside her. “All of you fucking screwed me over!”
“Calm down, Sheila.” The Chairman waited until she sat back down under his piercing glare. “At first, we believed you were the best candidate but as it stands currently that has changed. We need a forceful man at the helm to successfully ingratiate SPEONUS in the ruling of the country.”
“A first female President would be sending an even more powerful message. You fucking know it as much as I do. I don’t stand back for any man. I am more than capable of ruling the country as a frontline of the Order.”
Ivanon snickered and the sound was followed by those of the Chairman, Kezzler, and the masked man. Her eyes narrowed as she glared between them.
“That is the reason you’re not ready yet, Madam Secretary,” The Chairman said in a slow slur. “The President of the United States will never again rule the country. As soon as he’s inaugurated, SPEONUS will rule the country and he’ll be no more than a pawn we’ll be moving around in a game of political chess.”
Ivanon leaned his elbows on the desk and pinned Sheila in place with a dark look. “As Vice President, we will depend on you to ensure the new President learns the ropes in accordance with our guidance, Madam Secretary.” He smirked. “In effect, that means you will be the one in charge. That should appease your frazzled mind, no?”
“I still won’t be called the President of the United States,” she snapped but her mind was already swimming with possibilities of manipulating the system to her advantage. She looked at the Chairman. “How do I know offering me the Vice Presidency isn’t just another carrot to shut me up?”
“It’s not.” He tilted his head back to stare at her regally down the length of his nose. “As long as you don’t fuck up the preparation phase during your presidency period.”
“Oh, I won’t.” A pleased smile spread over her face at the thought of what was lying ahead. “I’m going to be doing such a brilliant job, you’d have to pull a big stunt not to get me elected by the people.”
“Our plans are sound, my dear. Why do you think we ensured every succession candidate before you were also killed in that explosion?” Ivanon’s gaze held hers captive with a warning she’d be stupid to ignore. “Believe me when I say that nothing will stand in our way to get our candidate appointed.”
“And who is the lucky man, dare I ask?”
“The Attorney General of DOJ, Eckard Duke.”
“You’re kidding. Eckard isn’t even in the running for the election!”
“But since President Grayson or any of his successors are no longer in line for a second term, he will be.” Ivanon smiled. “We made sure of that.”
“You know as well as we do how loved Duke is among all Americans, whether Dems or Repubs. He’s the perfect—”
“He’s a socialist!” Sheila cut Kezzler short. “No one is going to back a candidate with such a vast view on progressive policies and constant opposition to economic inequality and neoliberalism.” Sheila’s anger started to boil over once more.
“We don’t agree. The initial polls we conducted prove our theory. Duke is going to lead SPEONUS to grandeur in no time.” Ivanon chuckled darkly. “With the full support of every American citizen no less—Republicans and Democrats alike.”
Billy cursed silently. Since he’d found his daughter, Ava Harper, he’d formed an allience with the Sinclair cousins, seeing as she had fallen in love with Parker Sinclair. He had no intention of walking out on her and since finding her at a time he was ready to walk away from a life of crime and as an assassin, it had led him to infiltrate SPEONUS in an attempt to end their reign of terror.
As was his nature before he formed an alliance, he had found out all he could about each member of the Sinclair clan, and that included the women they loved.
Eckard Duke was the uncle of Ace Sinclair’s fiancée, Remy Torres.
It was time for the siege on SPEONUS.
They’d been forced to delay it since the Sinclairs were devastated by the death of Danton Hill and refused to stop looking for him. Now, since the State was ready to declare him dead along with other victims whose bodies they couldn’t find, it was time to act. There was too much at stake to postpone it any longer.
They had to put an end to the Order before Eckard Duke turned as corrupt as the rest of the bastards in the bunker and destroyed his beloved country for good.
Chapter Nine
“Pure heaven.” Taylor smiled as she looked around and spied a walking trail leading into the thicket at the side of the dirt road curling around the side of the mountain. It was early but she had to get out of the castle; needed to find solace in nature. She was by no means a fitness fanatic and always told Peyton if she was ever caught running, she must know someone was chasing her. But she loved going for long walks, and by surrounding herself with the gifts of mother earth, she found calmness within herself.
“This is so different from city parks.” She carefully made her way across the woodland floor that seemed to portray a myriad hue of green, more than her eyes could detect, yet they were there. The differences were magnified by early morning dew, variation on variation. Mingled in were some stones, adding their greys to the mosaic beneath her feet. The trees were khaki over the bark, kissed with moss; on their shaded sides grew lichen as if thrown there like powdered paint, so softly green as to be close to white.