***
The hallways of the Capitol building buzzed with the news coming out of the Southwest. Gallo’s last stand would be front-page headlines for the next week. But Smith could only focus on getting to his office, brushing off the congratulations still lingering from his debate win over Jones.
Smith found Edwards talking with a pair of senators from across the aisle. Edwards had a drink in his hand, waving it around and spilling some of it on the floor.
“I did it because it was the right thing to do,” Edwards said, his words slow, lazy. “And I’d do it again.” He took a sip from his drink, missing his mouth on the first attempt.
“Benjamin,” Smith said, panting and out of breath. “I’ve been trying to contact you. Where have you been?”
“David!” Edwards said, throwing his arm around Smith’s shoulder. “We won!”
“Yes, I know,” Smith answered, peeling Edwards’s arm off him. “If you’ll excuse us, Senators, I need the congressman for just one moment.” Smith pulled Edwards over to an area not populated with drunk politicians.
“David, what’s wrong?” Edwards asked, swaying on his feet. “We don’t have to worry about anything anymore. We did it!” Edwards thrust his hands in the air, sending a rain of gin and tonic down on the two of them.
“Benjamin, I need the number of the man that was putting together our contingency plan,” Smith said. “I need that number now.”
Edwards furrowed his brow, straining to understand what Smith was talking about.
“The number, Benjamin,” Smith repeated.
Edward shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “Um, I have the number in my office.”
Smith grabbed Edwards’s arm and pulled him through the thick crowd of politicians, all of them reeking of booze and self-indulgence.
Beth was in the car, waiting for them. Once she spotted them coming down the steps she got out of the car and immediately dialed a number. She caught up with Smith, who was dragging Edwards at this point.
“What’s going on, David?” Edwards asked, stumbling on the road to his office.
“Daniel’s in trouble,” Smith answered.
Edwards yanked his arm away forcefully, stopping abruptly. “And why on Earth would I want to help him?”
“Because he helped save us,” Smith answered, his tone sharp and slow.
“He also helped Jones put us behind bars.”
“They had something on him. It wasn’t his fault.”
“Jones has something on everybody, David! That’s what he does! That’s who he is!”
“His entire family is in trouble! Do you want their blood on your hands? Because that’s exactly what will happen if you don’t give me that number!”
The two men were nose to nose. Beth hung up her phone and stepped between them. “Congressmen, I think we should continue this conversation in a more private location.”
Smith glanced around at the pedestrians who had stopped to watch and listen to what he and Edwards were yelling about. “I think that’s a good idea. Wouldn’t want to stop the celebrations and end up on the news during all of this. Would we, Edwards?”
Even in his inebriated state, Edwards was smart enough to know that he wouldn’t be doing himself any favors by making the headlines in his current condition. “No, we would not,” he answered.
The three of them pushed through the celebrating crowds on the sidewalk and headed up the steps to the building to Edwards’s office. Inside, most of the offices were empty. Congressmen and their staff members were out enjoying the atmosphere of good news, which the capitol had been lacking for the past decade. The three of them piled into Edwards’s office, and Beth shut the door behind her.
“Where is it?” Smith asked.
Edwards pulled open one of his desk drawers. He shuffled through papers, then slammed the drawer shut. He opened another, and the shuffling of papers intensified. “It’s not here.”
“What?” Smith asked, rushing over to the desk.
“It’s not here!” Edwards repeated.
“Who’s been in your office?” Smith asked.
“I haven’t been here all day. Anyone from my staff or the building’s staff could have come in.”
If Smith couldn’t enact their contingency plan, then they wouldn’t be able to get to Daniel in time to save him. There was only one person who could undo what had happened. Jones.