Don't Speak by J L Brown

Author:J L Brown [Brown, J L]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780996977203
Publisher: JAB Press
Published: 2016-01-08T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FORTY

Washington, DC

Leaving the anteroom for a vote on the Hill, Whitney and Landon stopped in front of the television, which was tuned to MSNBC. The midday host’s guests were a woman and a man. The man, Blake Haynes, was a young political analyst at a Rosslyn, Virginia-based progressive think tank and a frequent guest star on the network. The think tank, The American Progressive Council (APC), was a staunch supporter of Whitney’s and a major contributor to her campaign and the political action committees that supported her.

Whitney had never met Haynes, but liked the young man’s intelligence and prodigious memory, his short gelled hair, and the way he carried himself. She was reminded of the young man who stared at her at the Palo Alto fundraiser. She never found out who he was.

“Wait a minute,” she said to Landon. “I want to hear this.”

Landon turned up the volume.

“Why are the so-called patriots always the first ones who want to secede from the union?” Haynes asked, in response to the midday host’s question. “They’re like children who, when they don’t get their way, end the game by taking their ball and going home.”

Whitney laughed and clapped her hands. “He speaks his mind.”

Haynes listened to the next question and glanced up before he spoke.

“As you know and I know, almost all scientists believe in climate change. The only people who refuse to believe it are the intellectual descendants of those who believed the world was flat.”

Landon muted the television, as Whitney headed for the door to the hallway. She was still laughing.

*

Later that evening, Ted Bowling sat across from Whitney in a conference room at her campaign headquarters.

The door to the outer office opened and closed. Landon entered, coatless, shirt unwrinkled, and still wearing his tie, appearing as if he had arrived for work in the morning rather than a late-night strategy meeting. He always wore blue ties, Bill Clinton’s favorite color.

“Hello, Senator,” he said. He nodded at Ted. “Ted.”

Whitney had recognized Landon’s gifts when, as a legislative assistant, he helped her finish a floor speech at the last minute. The speech was well-written and persuasive, and she promoted him on the spot. Since, he had made her work life easier. Some people believed making things appear hard to do made them look good. She knew the best athletes—Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, pre-scandal Tiger Woods—made things appear easy. Their talent masked the tremendous hard work involved. Landon was like that. He had the ability to distill complex legislation down to an understandable paragraph.

Life as a staffer on the Hill was rarely permanent. Not only did the staffer deal with the uncertainty of a legislator’s re-election, the long hours and low pay often led to burnout. Most staffers used these jobs as a stepping stone to political office or the private sector, becoming influential lawyers or lobbyists. Landon, though, was dedicated and loyal to her. She wanted to keep him around for as long as possible.

Landon shook off his black leather briefcase. He removed his electronic tablet and sat down.

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