Carter's Recourse - 26. Chapter 26

Andrew sat quietly in the outer office. It was drawing late; Carter had been running himself ragged all day, trying to come up with a solution to what was to come the next day. And through it all Andrew had kept himself quietly in the background, keeping his eyes open for any sign of trouble.

Alicia passed him, stopping to pass him a cup of Tim Horton's coffee. She flashed him one of her patented smiles as she bobbed off to bring her boss his extra-large double-double.

Andrew sighed to himself as he went back to watching the door, his hand tucked into his jacket, his fingers brushing the Walther lightly. He was worried about Will, and his mind worked over the pieces as he sat looking thoughtful.

Knowlan, the kidnapping of Becky Hesston, the assassination of the Deputy Prime Minister, the scandal surrounding the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the resignation of the Prime Minister... and William Carter. The common thread was parliament, but with no clear vote coming up, the only goal seemed to be to force an election.

The conspiracy theorist in him said that the Americans were trying to control Canadian politics, but why? To what end? If the Liberal party remained divided it would never be able to recover in time for the next election, meaning the Conservative party would make ground, tipping the balance to their side of the floor. So the Americans were looking for what? A solidly pro-American Canada? Why? What could they gain from it that would be worth all of this?

He felt the old wooden chair creak beneath him as he leaned back into it and looked about him at the old-fashioned office. Will didn't waste money redecorating, besides, replacing all the wood furniture in the office would have been sacrilegious. It suited the wood-panelled walls and gave the office a warm feel; new furniture would have just made it sterile.

He wondered at the night before as Will lay asleep next to him. They had always been close, even as kids, but were either of them in any fit state to start a relationship? Will was engaged, not to mention the fact that Andrew... What was he? Single and alone and had been for a long time. That had been his choice, a string of meaningless and empty relationships had led him nowhere till eventually he had just given up entirely and thrown himself into his work.

The lawyer turned spy-hunter shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

* * *

Bob Hesston was quite comfortable in his chair. Stornoway was a well-appointed house, and he felt reasonably safe within its walls. The RCMP had increased security on the residence in reaction to the kidnapping. They were not about to risk a second attempt, and for once Hesston wasn't about to argue with the extra expense.

In fact he was avidly supporting a move to increase security across the country. A number of bills that had been drafted in the shadow of 9/11, but had been declared too radical to become laws, proposed a tightening of security and a curtailing of civil liberties that threatened the security of the nation as a whole. He had them all now sitting on the edge of his desk, once again out in the light of day.

"We can't begin legislating," one of his aides stated. "We still don't have the support of the New Democrats."

Hesston was signing documents and passing them across the desk for one of his other shadow ministers to read; he looked up at the aide, his eyes hardening. "Don't presume to lecture me on what we have or do not have," he stated firmly. "The NDP will support us--they have to. It's either side with us or find themselves dragged into the middle of the Liberal power struggle. I doubt our esteemed colleagues in the NDP want to be dragged down with that sinking ship."

"Then we should move for a vote of non-confidence," the aide pressed. "Force an election, secure a majority..."

"We wouldn't get a majority," Hesston replied, continuing to read over the bills in front of him. He glanced up over the rims of his reading glasses, "At best we would have a minority government and find ourselves in the same position as the Liberals were before this crisis, forced to compromise on every issue... Canada doesn't need compromise, it needs clear leadership. We will simply hijack the house, form an alliance with the Bloc Quebecois, and demonstrate that the Liberals aren't governing. We'll shut it down if we have to, and bide our time till the next budget; that's when we'll strike them down."

"A coalition with the Bloc?" the other shadow minister asked as she looked up mildly startled. The idea of working alongside the Quebec Separatists in anything made the Conservatives squeamish, but to actually jump into bed with them--the thought was abhorrent to her.

"Yes," Hesston stated flatly, setting down his pen and folding his hands on the desk. "I am not about to allow terrorists free rein to attack Canada, not on my watch. I intend to ensure my daughter is safe, I intend to ensure every Canadian is safe. The Liberal government was negligent in protecting the people; I will not allow their mistakes to continue. We will work together as a country and we will protect ourselves."

The aide nodded, "As you wish, sir, I'll arrange a meeting with the leader of the NDP."

Hesston glanced up at the clock on the mantle--only a few more hours left until Parliament reassembled, only a few more hours until he could put his plan into motion and seize the reins to the country and put it back on course. No more scandals, no more corruption and no more half-measures. Canada would be united, strong and safe once more.

* * *

Will's direct line rang, and he picked up the phone as he jotted notes on a blotter. The night was drawing in and he was still no closer to finding a way out of the mess they found themselves in. Thorpe was aggravatingly unreachable, his wife informing Will that he was on a plane back to Ottawa; but that didn't help Will when he needed to strategize and work out what his next move would be.

He turned from his notes, looking up at the illuminated clock of the Peace Tower. "Hello?" he answered.

"Someone's been busy," Thorpe said sounding relaxed and amused. "Christ, Will, I told you to keep your head down for the weekend, not go stand on the steps of Parliament Hill and give press conferences."

"Thank god," Will said leaning forward. "I've been trying to reach you all day."

"I know," Thorpe replied, covering the receiver as he spoke to someone thanking them for getting his bags, before returning, "I hear from the Party Whip you have an interesting idea to cement the party together; now don't get me wrong, but isn't it customary to ask a person before you try to make them Prime Minister?"

Will smiled, looking up at Lisa who slipped a mug of coffee down on his desk and took a seat opposite him to listen in on the conversation.

Will took a deep breath, "Right now I can't think of a better candidate for the position." He sighed, "I have a breakfast meeting with the Finance Minister tomorrow morning to see if I can convince him..."

"I'm flattered you have this kind of faith in me," Thorpe said--the sounds in the background said he was now climbing into a car--"but I'm hardly in a position to..."

Will cradled the receiver against his shoulder as he settled back into his chair, "We're mired in corruption and scandal, the party's split in two and we don't have enough votes to govern the country effectively. The same old Liberal Party isn't enough any more, and both the ministers running for leadership are synonymous with the status quo." Will scooped up a pen and twirled it through his fingers. "We need new faces and new leadership if we're going to make it out of this one."

Thorpe sighed heavily on the line, "There is no way those two will willingly give up a chance to be Prime Minister. I am on my way back to my office, we'll discuss this more once I've had a chance to talk to my aides..."

"We have less than twelve hours," Will said, staring at the elegant clock face. "This is decision time, do we go for this or do we pack up and get ready for an election no one, especially the Canadian voters, want?"

Thorpe paused on the line, "We could all be out of our jobs by tomorrow anyway, the least we can do is try. All right then, Mister Carter, what is your plan?"

Will looked up at Lisa and smiled tightly, as she breathed a sigh of relief, getting up to get to her own phone and make a few phone calls.

Will rubbed his chin, "We need a coup, something big..."

Thorpe sounded amused, "You mean a victory, something to make my name prominent..."

"Yes," Will replied, thinking it through.

"I have an idea," Thorpe said. "But it's a gamble and I can't discuss it over an open line; if I pull it off you'll know first thing tomorrow morning."

"All right, then," Will said getting up from his desk and grabbing his coat. "For my part I know where the Minister of Intergovernmental affairs will be tonight, and once he knows I know, he may be co-operative."

"I won't ask," Thorpe said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Will."

"You too," Will replied, hanging up the phone and walking back into the main office.

"Do you mind?" He smiled down at Alicia as he reached over to take her prized Blue Jays hat from on top of her computer. "It's a matter of national security."

"I better get that back, boss," she warned, threatening him with her pencil.

"I need your car keys, too." Will grinned as he popped the hat on his head and turned up the collar of his leather jacket, "I'll be an hour."

Alicia frowned over at Lisa, who shrugged, talking into her phone, prepping a couple of reporters for a big story, and Alicia reluctantly forked over the keys to her car.

Andrew stood to follow him, but Will shook his head at him. "Not this time," he said firmly. "I can't have anyone with me..."

Andrew opened his mouth to protest, and Will shrugged. "This is parliamentary business," he explained.

* * *

It was surprising the amount of parliamentary business that was conducted in strip clubs. The bouncer didn't even bother to look at Will as he walked through the beaded curtain into the darkened bar, where a couple of scantily clad women were peeling off their paper-thin layers of lingerie as they ground against one another.

Will spotted the man he was after, and uninvited, he slipped into the same booth as the Minister of Intergovernmental affairs.

The minister vaguely resembled a walrus to Will, large and overweight, with a drooping moustache that matched his outdated suit and beady eyes. The Minister turned to protest at the stranger sitting down at his table, and his eyes went wide as he recognized who it was sitting across from him.

"Billy boy!" he intoned in shock.

Will looked up at the waitress, and ordered a club soda, smiling back at the minister as he leaned forward on his elbows. "I thought I'd find you here," he said smugly.

"H-how?" the minister hissed, glaring at Will, his eyes darting about him to spot where the cameras were.

"Your aide," Will explained. "At the benefit function a couple of months ago, he was very drunk and told me he was concerned about the fact that you seemed to enjoy spending a little too much time...polling the electorate." Will arched his eyebrows and smiled tightly.

"You're here too, Carter," the minister bit out. "If this comes out..."

"Go ahead," Will said dismissively, accepting the drink the waitress passed him, tipping her a full twenty, as he smiled back at the minister. "I'm a gay male, if this leaks out I'll probably gain votes. You, however, are a married man."

"What do you want?" the minister said, his shoulders sagging a little as he realized 'Billy boy' had outmanoeuvred him neatly. "I already offered you a cabinet post."

"I want you to back Thorpe for Party Leader," Will said, sipping his drink and laying his cards out on the table.

"Thorpe?" the minister spat. "You can't be serious!" He stopped, seeing Will's deadpan expression. "You are serious. But he's..."

"Not the Minister of Finance," Will said calmly. "Who would be sure to get in if certain..." Will looked about him, "extra-curricular activities were to be made public."

"What's in it for you?" the minister demanded.

"Aside from saving this country from a Conservative-Separatist alliance?" Will asked. "Not a lot. Now I take it Thorpe has your support?" Will pulled out a cell phone and slid it across the table, "I suggest you make a few calls and make it official."

"What do I tell them," the minister asked, "as a reason?"

"You decided to support the best candidate to beat Hesston's Alliance," Will replied, watching as the minister shakily reached out to make a few phone calls.

One down.

* * *

"Interesting," Johnson said, watching as Will left the strip club a few minutes after the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. He sat across the road in a nondescript black car waiting while Will climbed into his aides' VW Beetle.

"You think he's planning something?" his partner asked from the seat beside him, looking over his sunglasses at the young politician.

"Oh, without a doubt," Johnson said with a smile. "Our little William is becoming quite the powerbroker."

"Do we grab him now?" the partner asked, almost salivating at the opportunity.

Johnson shook his head, starting the car. "Not yet, we let him ride the publicity for a day or two, wait until the British make their move, and then... then we take him." He slipped the car into traffic a few car lengths behind the Beetle, following discreetly, keeping an eye on their investment.

"Aren't you concerned about a recovery team?" the partner inquired, shifting to get more comfortable in the passenger seat.

Johnson smiled confidently. "This will all be over before they can find us," he said without hesitation. "Neatly sewn up exactly as they want it, they're not going to interfere with us as long as we stand a chance of pulling this off." He knew the procedures, as long as they made no more mistakes and asked for nothing, the CIA would drag its heels, and wait to see what they did.

Johnson was under no illusions about what would happen if he failed a second time.

* * *

"How did it go?" Lisa asked as Will re-entered his office and tossed Alicia's keys back to her.

Will nodded, taking off the hat and pushing back his messy hair, knowing he had to get it cut in the morning before the meeting with the Finance Minister. "It went well," he said, crossing and sitting down behind his desk, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes.

"Did you convince him?" Lisa pressed, tucking her pencil behind her ear and blowing an errant strand of red hair out of her face.

Will looked up and smiled, "He was convinced."

"How?" Lisa asked as she sat down opposite him.

Will shook his head. "Best not to mention how," he said, yawning tiredly. In the distance the bells of the Peace Tower resounded signalling the start of a new day. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. "We should call it a night," he said, standing. "Get some rest, and meet me first thing tomorrow morning."

Lisa nodded her head, "Well, I have a press release standing by; the moment you know I'll have it out to the right people." She walked back through and picked up her coat, nodding at Alicia indicating they were both good to go, saying their goodnights as Will closed his eyes again and leaned back into his chair.

"I always figured you for a revolutionary," Andrew said from the doorway to the office.

Will flicked open an eye and looked over at his ex standing there; he'd almost forgotten he was still there. And Will turned his chair to sit upright. "So what's the deal?" he asked, looking at Andrew standing there.

Andrew frowned, "I don't..."

"Why are you still here?" Will asked, resting his jaw on his hand and regarding his ex closely. "I mean, it's nice to know I can count on you but... why?"

Andrew should have lied, instead he simply looked down at the floor. "I can't tell you," he said honestly and simply.

Will folded his hands on the desk and looked thoughtful. "I see," he said thoughtfully, working through what could keep Andrew so close. He scratched his cheek and shook his head. "I guess I just have to trust you," he said slowly.

Andrew nodded, "Yes."

"Right, then," Will said standing up again and shutting off his computer. "I guess you're going to be staying at mine tonight..."

"Mine's closer," Andrew said, and both men knew the implications of that.

"I think," Will said slowly, "I need to sleep in my own bed tonight." He swallowed as he looked up at the clean-cut Canadian leaning in his doorway; the temptation to just get lost in the past was almost overwhelming, but he fought it back into its place, as he took a deep breath, "You should take the couch."

Andrew nodded in understanding, standing back to let Will lead the way.