Patton chuckled contemptuously and shook his head in disgust. “We all know where you stand, Joe,” Patton said to the moderator. “The only question is whether you’ll be visiting Mr. Asher’s dressing room after this is over.”
The nervous tension that had been building up among the audience dissipated with that remark when an audience member started laughing. That caused a chain reaction of laughter and pretty soon most of the audience was caught in the moment. Patton laughed to himself but managed to keep his composure. When order was restored he didn’t relent.
“I’ve been hearing how I’m not this or I’m not that for months now. Mr. Redding here is basically unknown. No one I know has ever met him before he ran for office. If it were proper, I would ask the Microcosm people whether he’s even an actual registered member of the experiment.”
Now it was Redding’s turn to get hot under the collar.
“Now wait a minute,” he said, raising a bony finger in protest at Patton’s remark. “Just because you don’t know me, Mr. Larsen, doesn’t mean that nobody else does. That’s just ridiculous.”
Patton stared at him and realized that he was starting to get under his skin. Meanwhile, David Asher stood there at his lectern like a statue, trying not to get caught up in the drama.
“Well Mr. Redding, let me tell you something. I’ve been one of the most successful businessmen in this community since its founding. I have gotten to know a lot of people. You’re right, I don’t know everyone, but I know a lot of people and not one of them… not one… has claimed to have known you or seen you at any point before your face began to appear on posters around town.”
Once red, Tyler Redding’s face was now nearly bone white. There was something more to this than just a blank accusation. Patton must have dug up some dirt on him to bring it up. Still, Redding had only one tack.
Rolling his eyes dramatically for the cameras, Redding said, “This is just another boy crying wolf episode for Mr. Larsen. First Governor Asher is part of some conspiracy with some old guy that no one has ever heard of. And now I’m some kind of impostor.”
Patton pursed his lips and nodded. “That’s a good way to put it,” he said with a cocky air. “But let me say one thing to that. We had every bit of proof that we needed to show that the Governor and Charlie Henry were in cahoots, but the media wanted him to win so badly they ignored the evidence. Now they’re ignoring the fact that you’re probably not even supposed to be in this community and that Charlie Henry recruited you to run so you could split votes with me.”
It was just conjecture on Patton’s part, but the truth of it struck both Asher and Redding so hard that it was impossible for them to not react. The cameras caught the reactions, and many in the audience and watching on TV noticed. And for the remainder of the debate Patton kept up his attack by basically filibustering. He decided if they weren’t going to give him the time he was going to take it. To no one’s surprise, the moderator ended the debate fifteen minutes early.
Patton didn’t feel that he’d blown his chances by what he’d done. It was his last gasp, Hail Mary pass. Polls taken after the debate showed that Patton’s debate outburst had worked, at least to an extent. He was now statistically tied with Tyler Redding but still trailing the incumbent by five percentage points, just at the margin of error. The two TV channels gave Patton little coverage, and what they did give him was negative. Still, the people viewing the debate saw the reaction of both candidates when Patton had accused them of being connected. However, his debate performance shifted a large part of the vote towards himself in just one night.
The unfortunate thing for Patton, though, was that he didn’t have enough time to build any momentum. Elections were crazy things. One simple moment or a careless slip of the tongue can ruin an entire campaign. Patton had less than a week left to make something happen. Otherwise, Blue Creek was going to be stuck with David Asher and God only knew what damage would be done.
After watching the debate and considering other factors, Charlie decided that no matter the result of the upcoming election, David Asher was out. Either Tyler Redding or someone else, preferably Anna, would replace him. David Asher had forgotten his role and he was becoming a liability. Politics aside, Charlie Henry had grown tired of the governor.
Would Asher bow out gracefully? That was the question. Charlie preferred a meek and humble exit on the part of David Asher. However, if need be, he would force the issue. Charlie Henry had the muscle behind him—both Travis and Brian were able and willing to convince David Asher that his time had come and gone.
The biggest roadblock that Charlie could foresee was Anna. She was the one who had brought Asher into their enterprise. And sure, it had proven to be a great move, but the young man had forgotten his place. It was time to knock him down a rung or two, and that is why he had asked Travis and Brian over for a late dinner and drinks. After weeks of beating around the bush on the topic, Charlie finally asked the two what his next move should be. They both waffled, wanting to draw out of the old man what he had in mind. When he told them his idea they looked at each other, hoping the shock wasn’t evident on their faces.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Travis asked gravely. He looked over at Brian, who was noncommittal, and then looked back at Charlie. “I mean… if you do this, it could tear everything apart. Everything you’ve worked for.”
Charlie reclined back, lacing his fingers together behind his head and propping his right ankle on his left thigh. He looked at the two in turn through narrowed eyes, chewing on the inside of his cheek. What they didn’t know, however, was that he was reading them, like a professional poker player would read an opponent. The old man couldn’t have known that the two younger men had a similar conversation with David Asher.
They had their answer, in a way. Charlie Henry had just told them that David Asher was going to be out of power. More than this, he expected them to do the deed.
It was hard for Asher to find someone to trust after Travis Snedley had been burned. He was back now, looking nearly unrecognizable. It was a relief to have someone on his side—someone he could confide in.
“So have you decided?” Travis asked, leaning against the fender of his borrowed SUV. The governor had obviously learned from his mistakes of meeting in public. They were parked at a trailhead, well up in the western hills above town. It was windy and threatening rain. Both figured the weather would keep people at home.
Asher nodded, looking down towards his town. It appeared peaceful from this vantage point. Part of him regretted the pain that their policies had brought upon the people, but he was beginning to appreciate the big picture. Charlie Henry was right about political power—it could only be built through one type of government. The old man was wrong about who should be in power, though.
Travis had just informed him that Charlie Henry was planning to not only replace him with Travis Redding, but possibly have him killed.
“Together or separate?” Travis asked, pushing away from the vehicle and bending down to pick up a golf ball-sized rock. He tossed up it and caught it a couple times and then heaved it down the hill.
“Maybe not together, but at least the same night,” Asher said, finally looking at his co-conspirator. “You got somebody to help you? Somebody you can trust?”
Travis sat back and blew out a loud breath. “I’d have to think about it,” he said. “Everyone involved in this is in Anna’s back pocket. The old man is hated, but respected. We’re probably going to have to look for somebody outside of town.”