Seduced By The Candidate (The Candidate, #1) (19 page)

This was the most well hidden façade and as such, the door
remained largely obscured from anyone that wasn’t actually making a real effort
to find it. The risk was simply one associated with the diligence and
professionalism of the rent-a-cops. As soon as he clipped the relevant wire,
the magnetic lock holding the door in place would be disabled. It would to all
intents and purposes look exactly the same as it had before. However if you
tried, it would swing open effortlessly, before returning to its former
position. Jake could cut the wire, enter through the door, close it behind him
and continue on his way, but if the patrolling security officer actually tried
the door to make sure that it was locked, the electrical failure would be
discovered and he would be undone.

Jake took a deep breath, decided that he had no choice and
clipped the wire carefully. That done, he closed the electrical cupboard door
so that it appeared never to have been disturbed and concealed the secret
invasion that had only recently taken place. He would have to disguise the damage
done to the clipped wires when he left the building so that his presence went
completely unnoticed, but he would have to deal with that later. He looked at
his watch…two minutes and twenty-four seconds.

Without a sound, he pulled open the fire door and slipped
inside, crouching behind the balustrade and watching the door intently. One
minute and fourteen seconds. This would normally have been an unacceptable
risk, but Jake had no choice and he tried to comfort himself as best he could.

“Minimum wage…However proud of your work you are, you’re not
going to be super-cop if you’re only getting minimum wage. Besides, there’s a
big game on tonight and any rent-a-cop worth his salt will be desperate to get
back to his portable television set and avoid missing a key pass or a critical
play.”

Did he believe in what he was saying? He wasn’t sure and it
certainly wasn’t offering him any kind of comfort.

He supposed that if the guard did discover the failure of the
door, he could be outside, drawing a knife across his throat before he had time
to call it in. He had done it countless times before and knew for certain that
he was still capable of just such a move. But he also knew with absolute
certainty that he would never take that option.

He wasn’t in the military anymore. While less than a year ago
he would have been given a medal, now he would be given a murder term and
banged up for life. Besides, they might be nothing more than sad little cop
wannabe’s, but that was hardly sufficient reason to end their lives. Had they
been lawyers on the other hand, then that was an entirely different ballgame
and he wasn’t sure that there was a court in the land that would have pressed
charges if he culled one of their numbers!

A light appeared in the distance as the security guard rounded
the corner and played his flashlight over the building and surrounding foliage.

Eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…

He was level with the door, but instead of continuing his
patrol he stopped. Slowly, he scanned the grounds and then the building and the
fire lobby itself. Jake held his breath, adrenaline racing through every pore
in his body.

“Move on…move on…move on,” he willed the guard in an almost
silent chant. “Keep going, buddy. We’ve both got business to attend to and no one
has to get hurt if we’re all sensible.”

For an instant the guard made as if he was going to reach for
the door handle, then he seemed to think better of it and resumed the steady
pace that he used to patrol the perimeter. Jake let out his breath and felt a
relief that was almost palpable.

He was in.
 

* * *

Goulding was enthused with his new found pride and patriotism
and when he knocked quietly on Charlotte’s door. His excitement at the prospect
of their coupling was bolstered with the sense of elation that coursed through
his veins.

“Who is it?” she called out and the sound of her sweet voice
made his heart skip a beat.

“It’s me…Bill,” he said in a tremulous whisper.

In less than a second, the door had been swung open and he had
slipped inside.

Charlotte greeted him with a passionate kiss, throwing her arms
around him and hugging him tightly as he struggled to close the door behind
him. When they eventually parted, she stared up at him with wanton infatuation.

“Hello, you,” she purred. “I’d begun to think that you weren’t
coming.”

Countless smutty responses crossed his mind, but none of them
seemed quite appropriate.

“Sorry, I just got caught up. I think I had something of an
epiphany and lost myself in the magnitude of it all.”

“Well, that sounds pretty serious,” she grinned and began to
loosen his tie and slide his jacket from his shoulders. “Do you want to talk
about it?”

For a second Goulding considered tearing off her clothes and
devouring her there and then, but with a great deal of effort he managed to
restrain himself.

“I guess it’s taken a while, but I finally realized that being
the President of the United States of America is about more than just votes and
power. It’s about being the elected representative for countless millions of
people and the responsibility I have to those people is pretty daunting.”

“Yes it is Bill. It’s a huge responsibility, but I can’t think
of anyone that is more capable of safeguarding the needs of the common man than
you.”

With his jacket and tie lying in a heap on the floor, she began
to work at the buttons of his shirt.

“You’ll make a great President, but there is a time and a place
for everything and even the elected President of the United States of America
needs some down time.”

He looked down at her, torn between passion and responsibility.

“But there are so many of them...so much to do. How will I ever
be able to find the time to help each and every one of them?”

“You’ll find a way, Bill. All you need to do is take it one
step at a time, address the needs of each individual in turn and see how you
go. You can make a start right now if you like. I know a certain voting
tax-payer that has some very specific wants and needs that only you can get to
grips with.”

She kissed him again and taking his hand, led him towards the
bedroom.

“I guess you’re right Charlie. My country needs me, but so do
you and there are definitely a couple of things that I’ve been dying to take in
hand ever since we left this morning.”

She smiled at him and instantly all of his internal conflicts
galvanized into a single purpose.
   

* * *

She was laughing—at one of his jokes! What’s more she looked as
if she was genuinely enjoying his company! This charming, beautiful woman had
deliberately chosen to spend her evening in his company. Brian Kennedy felt
like pinching himself to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming.

“So, Melanie,” said Brian with a confidence and swagger that he
didn’t realize he was capable of. “You now know all about my sorry little life.
How about you tell me something about you? What about telling me what you do
for a living?”

“There’s nothing to know. But you really shouldn’t be such a
downer on yourself. Work’ll pick up, I’m sure of it. Real talent shines through
and no one can ignore true quality for very long. I’m positive that before you
know it you’ll be selling your work regularly and who knows, you might even get
your own column.”

Brian took another sip of the expensive champagne that his
companion had ordered and realized that he was more than a little light-headed.

“A column!
I’m flattered Melanie, I
really am. But I’m light years away from being serialized, especially
considering the fact that I don’t even have a regular gig at the minute.
Besides, who in their right mind would want to read it?”

Melanie took a sip of her own champagne and looked into Brian’s
eyes.

“Brian, I’d be VERY interested in studying your column. Perhaps
I could cast an eye over it and see if it wets the…‘appetite’?”

Champagne or not, Brian had to fight hard not to spit the
mouthful of wine across the bar. Surely, he had misheard her. After all, he
wasn’t exactly an authority on small talk and euphemisms, and no one had ever
tried to seduce him before.

“Excuse me?” he choked in response.

“You heard me right honey. While I’m certain that your current
work situation will improve real soon, I’m not really all that interested.”

“Oh…” said Brian a little sulkily.

“I’m not really interested,” she continued, ignoring his pout
and hurt look. “Because I’d much rather we stopped talking, went back to my
hotel room and you let me show you exactly how a man like you ought to be
treated.”

Brian’s mouth hung open and he could only stare at the vision
of loveliness that sat before him. Slowly he reached down and pinched himself
hard. The pain was sharp and immediate and yet he still had a hard time
believing that he wasn’t dreaming. Melanie licked her lips and lent closer and
closer to him and he froze, completely unsure what to do. She brushed her lips
over his neck and trailed kisses up and over his chin. Her close proximity and
warm, sweet breath were intoxicating and Brian felt himself harden almost
instantly.

When she pulled gently at his earlobe with her teeth and
nuzzled his ear with her exquisitely beautiful nose, he thought he was going to
burst through his pants. Knowing almost instinctively the effect that she was
having on her man, Melanie reached down and began to rub the straining bulge
through the denim. At the same time, she whispered into his ear.

“Brian, I want to take you back to my hotel and suck that big
cock of yours until you beg me to stop. When you’ve had enough of that, I want
you to bend me over and fuck me hard and fast so that I can’t walk for a week
after we’re done. Does that sound good to you? Or shall we keep talking about
the difficulties of getting published?”

Without waiting for a response, Melanie stood up and taking
Brian’s hand, led him from the bar. He no longer cared if he was dreaming or
not, this was the best night of his life and he was going to see where it could
still take him. As she hailed a taxi, Brian was dimly aware that he never had
found out what she did for a living, but realized that he no longer cared.

* * *

With a final flourish, Jake hit the ‘return’ key and Frazer
Martin’s computer hummed into life. His office door had been secured with a
simple lock, which had proven to be a minor hindrance at best, and his computer
password had also been straightforward. Jake was just thinking how incredibly
simple this was proving to be when the monitor screen blinked on and the
illuminating glow filled the room. He winced and knew that the glow would be
clearly visible through the glass panel in Martin’s door, but knew that it
couldn’t be helped. Instead, he bent to the task at hand, deciding that if he
was unable to affect the light, he could at least minimize the amount of time
he had to be in the building.

His fingers were a blur as he navigated through password
screens, miscellaneous folders, drop-down menus and document titles. In little
over nine minutes, he had located all of the information that he wanted. Frazer
Martin obviously had a sense of humor and labeled the first file, ‘Gouldmine’!
Funny maybe, but not exactly subtle and it had only taken a cursory glance at
the contents for Jake to realize that this was the information that had the
potential to sink his boss. As far as the information that incriminated Larry
Ackermann, Arthur Deane and Frazer Martin was concerned, Jake had a hard time
choosing. Almost every file contained dodgy dealings of some description.

He chose six files at random and whistled silently: tax
evasion, extortion, coercion, blackmail and even the suggestion that they had
organized the permanent disappearance of a particularly difficult business
partner. If this information got into the wrong hands, it would sink Quest
Realtors overnight and see each of its directors facing a seriously lengthy
jail term. Good thing that this was precisely what he was planning to do! Happy
with his selection, he inserted the memory stick and copied the seven files,
willing the download to finish as he watched the bar move slowly from left to
right.

5% complete…..14%
complete…..31% complete…..46% complete…..

“Come on!” hissed Jake trying to keep his frustrations under
control.

68% complete…..82%
complete…..97% complete…..

The scrolling bar disappeared and was replaced by an altogether
more satisfying message.

Download Complete

“About fucking time,” said Jake.

* * *

He carefully removed the memory stick and zipped it into the
pocket of his black combat pants, before again turning his attention to the
computer. Having already made a note of the company bank details, as well as
those of his boss, it only took a few minutes to access the relevant databases
and permanently alter the names of the initiator and recipient for each
transaction. It was a good hack job, but a bit of a thin cover-up and it
wouldn’t stand up to any kind of detailed scrutiny. Fortunately, it wouldn’t
need to, the director’s would be far too busy saving their own asses to try and
nail Gouldings, especially when they realized that their ‘evidence’ had
apparently disappeared. The only other interested party was that weasel Brian
Kennedy and he was also being taken care of.

Satisfied that he had everything he needed, Jake shut down the
computer and as the room resumed its mantel of darkness he flicked on his
pencil torch beam. Now all he had to do was find the safe, steal the hard
copies of the documents that Martin had shown Goulding and get the fuck out of
there. Jake scanned the office and scratched his head.