Free Prime Deception by Carys Jones

Perhaps that was why she now pursued him relentlessly, refusing to rest in peace.
    Charles leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, willing Lorna to materialise. No matter the reasoning behind the visions, he no longer cared; he just wanted to see her again. His heart ached for her. It was a pain unlike any he had known before. When he thought of her, it would surge through his chest, up into his throat and threaten to steal his last breath from him. It bemused him how love and pain could be so akin to one another.
    Faye went to knock on the Deputy Prime Minister’s office door but then recoiled just as her hand was about to connect with the wood and alert him to her presence. She had seen him flee from the intern meeting, suddenly turning whiter than fresh snow, as though he had seen a ghost. She knew what had spooked him and she was reluctant to upset him further. She regretted her decision over not forewarning her boss; she’d thought that she wouldn’t need to, but blatantly, she’d misjudged the situation.
    Facing the door, Faye quickly ran over how she should proceed. It was well beyond her comfort level and outside of her duties as an assistant. Her boss was clearly in the midst of a breakdown and she did not want to be the person responsible for making it worse. But then, perhaps she would actually be helping, providing him some salvation for his own sanity? Either way, Faye felt uneasy about the whole thing. Sighing, she raised her hand again and this time rapped three short, sharp knocks on the door.
    Charles heard the knocks echo around his office which had become his bolthole and ignored them. He did not wish to be disturbed. He couldn’t even bring himself to respond to the caller at the door, let alone attempt to hold a conversation with them.
    ‘Dammit.’ Faye looked down, shaking her head and then knocked again, louder. When still no reply came she knocked again and again, until her knuckles were reddened and sore. It became obvious that the Deputy Prime Minister would not respond to her knocking. She tried phoning his office, but that too was ignored. Faye knew that she had to go in and speak to him directly, which meant behaving out of turn, but ultimately she hoped he would thank her.
    Faye signaled her imminent arrival with a sharp knock, and then gently pushed the office door open, taking care to quickly seal it shut behind her. The door creaked in protest at having been pried open. Surveying the darkened office, she found Charles sat almost cowering behind his desk, his face still ashen which made his eyes appear sunken and hollow. In the low light, the shadows across his face were more prominent, revealing just how much sleep he had been losing these past months.
    ‘I want to be left alone,’ Charles said shortly, scowling at her.
    ‘I know that, believe me I got the message loud and clear when you ignored me for the past twenty minute.,’ Faye switched on the nearby light which bathed the room in a forgiving glow, making the shadows on Charles’ face recede so that he appeared less gaunt.
    Like a vampire, Charles squinted in the light.
    ‘I’m sorry to intrude like this,’ Faye began, speaking calmly and quietly, still trying to configure a plan in her mind to make him come around to what she was about to propose.
    ‘Then don’t,’ Charles spat. He did not want her to see him like this – backed up into a corner like a frightened animal. He wanted to be left alone. Had he not made that clear?
    ‘Trust me, I’d much rather stay outside than come into your cave.’ Faye could feel her patience wearing thin as a result of his rude behaviour towards her. She tried to keep calm, reminding herself of the current hierarchy within the room. He could treat her as awfully as he wanted to, but if she said one wrong word, it could cost Faye her job and that wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.
    ‘Look, sir,’ Faye breathed deeply before continuing, ‘I appreciate that this isn’t