progress and development and
with God at one side and you at the other. I promise you that there is nothing
that we cannot achieve together.” He bowed to them slightly, giving to them the
respect and acknowledgement they deserved. “Thank you and goodnight.”
The sound of three hundred and fifty chairs scraping back as
everyone in the hall rose to their feet was completely drowned out by the
rapturous applause that crashed over Goulding in waves. The clapped, they
cheered, they cried and they prayed, but without exception every single person
in that room was convinced that there was no one better placed to represent
their individual needs and requirements, no matter how small and insignificant
they might at first appear to be. Bill Goulding was more than a Presidential
candidate, he felt like a friend, like a trusted confident that would really
listen and effect change on an individual basis and they already loved him for
it.
All around him people clamored to shake his hand. In order to
avoid the head table from being over-turned by the sheer weight of pressing
bodies, Goulding stepped into the massed crowd and greeted his public. He was
instantly swallowed; the crowd opening and then closing behind him as if he was
Moses and they were the Red Sea. Jake’s worst fears were confirmed. As tall as
he was, Jake was barely able to make out Goulding amongst the throng and he had
no chance of protecting him if anything out of the ordinary were to occur. It
was all very good proclaiming himself to be the ‘People’s President’, but if he
was to make it that far, he would have to listen to Jake’s advice and take the
necessary precautions.
As Jake fought to catch up with his boss, Goulding found
himself forced to the edge of the room towards a group of three men that stood
completely separate to the main body of the crowd. The three middle-aged men
stood quietly waiting for him as if they knew with some pre-ordained certainty
that Goulding would eventually come to them instead of them having to seek out
an audience with him.
“Senator Goulding,” said the tallest of the three men in a
cold, hard voice. “We were beginning to wonder just what we had to do to get
you to acknowledge our presence.”
For the first time Goulding looked up and instantly the smile
fell from his face. The men that stood facing him were Arthur Deane, Frazer
Martin and Larry Ackermann and together they represented the three managing
directors from Quest Realtors.
* * *
Cold panic coursed through Goulding’s body and at the same time
he felt sweat prickle his forehead. His palms itched as if they had been
exposed to a naked flame and he would have dearly loved to turn on his heel and
bolt for the door, but the jostling crowd at his back held him immobile and at
their mercy.
“Where the fuck was Jake?” he thought. “This is exactly what
I’m paying that useless bastard to protect me from.”
He scanned the crowd hurriedly and at one point he thought that
he could see the shinning pate of his head of security bobbing excitedly as it
fought against the tide of humanity, but then the sea of people pulsed almost
as one and it was gone. He was alone, exposed and only had his own considerable
wit and charm to rely on. Would it prove to be enough?
Goulding gulped loudly and turned to face the music. Part of
him had expected this confrontation all along, but another part had dared to
hope that if he ignored the threats for long enough they would simply
disappear.
“Gentlemen,” he said and was pleased to hear that his voice
sounded strong and even. “It’s been far too long. How are you all? Frazer,
how’s Margery and the kids? All good I hope.”
“They’re fine Bill,” said Frazer coldly and then the four men
merely stood and stared at each other. Finally Frazer broke the silence.
“You know why we’re here Bill. We have something to discuss and
I think that it’s a piece of business that you would prefer we conducted