of the Intelligence Committee hearing room, Nathaniel hears a voice come from the man standing at the urinal beside him.
“Cindy Aaronson wants to talk to you.”
Nathaniel glances over to see who was talking to him; it’s the Chairman’s aide, Cliff Cortez.
“What about?”
“She’s got second thoughts.”
As other Senators walk into the bathroom, Nathaniel zips and flushes then says,
“We’ll get back with you on that.”
Nathaniel exits the Senator’s bathroom and is confronted by Senator Cindy Aaronson. She begins to speak as she looks over her shoulder.
“Nathaniel, I need to talk to you.”
Before Nathaniel can utter a sound, he’s interrupted.
“Well Senator Aaronson, I do declare!” It’s Branch who has followed her from her office a few paces behind. Several media cameramen anticipate the ensuing confrontation and train their cameras on them. Senator Aaronson completes her turn around and is bombarded by several TV news reporters who begin asking her questions, all at the same time.
“Senator Aaronson, Senator Aaronson, what are we to make of your meeting in the hallway with Senator Foot, are you about to offer a deal for testimony?”
Senator Branch intervenes and steps in front of the cameras.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of our most esteemed media, we will have prepared comments at the conclusion of today’s afternoon session.”
One female reporter from FOX News, an attractive blonde, aggressively moves forward and steps between Branch and Senator Aaronson,
“Senator Aaronson, ma’am, I understand that a new video from the terrorist organization known as the tri-P has surfaced; what is your comment on this and will it effect the current hearing that seems to be wrongly focused on Senator Foot?”
Senator Aaronson looks past the reporter to see what Senator Branch’s reaction to the question is. Fortunately, a reporter from MSNBC who has asked Senator Branch if he is considering running for President in the upcoming election distracts Branch. Senator Aaronson reaches out for the reporter’s free left hand,
“Shea is it?”
The startled reporter attempts to pull her hand back. She is new to the Washington Bureau having recently been transferred from “FOX Mexico” where she had been covering the Mexican drug cartel. She flew in from Los Angeles early this morning on the “red-eye” and is shocked that someone from the Washington elite would know her.
“Yes ma’am, my name is Shea Noble. I must say I’m a little surprised that you know my name.”
Senator Aaronson tightens her grip on Shea’s hand, now holding onto her with both hands.
“Shea, I’m Cindy.”
“Okay, Cindy, do you have any thing to say, regarding my question?”
“Shea, we, I mean, I . . .”
Senator Jeremiah Branch reaches in and breaks the hold Cindy had on Shea. He then grabs Shea in the crook of her right arm that is holding the microphone, pulling the microphone away from Cindy. Shea instinctively reaches with her left hand and takes his thumb, bending it backwards, causing Branch to let go of her arm. No one notices her move except Cindy. Branch however, starts to draw his hand back as if to strike Shea. Senator Aaronson stops him by pushing Shea aside,
“Jeremiah, I believe that the session is about to start don’t ya-know, and we are about to be late, again.”
Branch gathers himself but before he turns away from Shea he says,
“Young lady, I don’t know who you think you are, but let me tell you a thing or two.”
Shea thrusts her microphone into the Right Reverend Jeremiah Branch’s face and says,
“Shea Noble, FOX News, I’m sorry sir, what were you saying?”
Senator Branch becomes aware that now all cameras are on him and the young attractive reporter from FOX News,
“As I said previously, I, or we,” Branch now holding Cindy in the same painful way he had just been holding Shea, “will have prepared comments at the conclusion of today’s afternoon session.”
As Senator Branch and Senator Aaronson walk away, Shea turns to try and interview Senator Nathaniel Foot.
“Where did he go?” Shea asks her cameraman, “He was just standing right there!”
Φ Π Ψ
Sitting at the table again are Nathaniel and his friend and lawyer Jeff Alexander. Missing again are Senators Branch, Aaronson and Senatorial aide Cliff Cortez. Nathaniel turns to Jeff and says,
“Didn’t we just do this?”
“Ah, yeah.” Jeff answers but continues writing notes on his pad.
“Jeff?”
“Ah, yeah?” Jeff jumps when Nathaniel touches his arm.
“Hey man, relax.” Nathaniel says as he wraps his arm around Jeff’s shoulder.
“Nathaniel, I’m trying, I’m not like you and your brothers.”
“My brothers? Did they called? What did they say?”
“Well it was your brother Nathan, he said that they recognized Branch’s aide, that his name was Cliff Cortez.”
Nathaniel grins at Jeff, “That’s what I told you last night.”
“I know!” Jeff turns his note pad over to reveal the notes he took from last night’s conversation, displaying the phrase that he was to tell the brothers, “and I read this to them exactly as you said.”
As the Chairman and the two other missing Senators walk into the chamber, Nathaniel leans over close to Jeff,
“I saw Shea Noble in the hallway.”
“No way! She’s so hot!”
Noticing that they were drawing the attention of Chairman Branch, Nathaniel whispers to Jeff, “Watch it Jeff, I think she might already be taken.”
Senator Jeremiah Branch begins the afternoon session in the most rehearsed southern gentleman’s drawl he can muster,
“Lady’s and Gentleman, fellow Senators, and distinguished members of the media, I would like to begin this here session, by having our young Senator Foot provide for us some illumination on questionable affiliations of Senator Foot and his family members. I will then turn our attentions to significant holes in the recorded historical documents that will show that Senator Foot has not been forth coming in providing for us ALL of his documents nor aptly account for his whereabouts for long stretches of time.”
Jeff puts his pen down and sits back in his chair while Senator Branch concludes his introductory monolog by hinting that the list of accusations against Nathaniel most likely will be evolving.
“Let me just say that once the facts, all the facts, are exposed to the light of day, Senator Foot will be shown to not be who he says he is.”
Jeff stands up to halt the Chairman’s colloquy,
“Senator Branch, I must protest your accusation of Senator Foot’s character being anything other than a respectable member of the United States Senate.”
Chairman Branch ignores Jeff’s attempt and continues unabated,
“Senator Foot, elements of your brother’s military record bear some explaining as well.”
Nathaniel now joins his counselor, standing in defiance to Branch’s accusations,
“Chairman Branch, my family has proudly served the United States