Final Challenge (8 page)

  You could see several scars of vaccines, like the
ones in the
photos of the other two bodies.

- The scars! - Exclaimed Marvin - Yes, curious ... very curious ... it seems that the blissful vaccines are more important than we thought, right? ...

- Yeah, excepting that they can’
t have gone to the same course. Sheridan is much older than the other two, although a shave would have not been wrong. - Hanson stated -

   They left the morgue feeling a tingling in their stomach that they already knew, it was the feeling they felt when a case showed a hint, a faint ray of hope.

XIV

 
It took
just one week to the Party
convention.
Harold went yet from state to state, city to city, with his campaign.
He had delegates enough for the Party convention for months
, i
t seemed absurd to work so hard
.
But Harold was made of sterner stuff, could not do things differently. He poured in his work to the limits of reason, always trying to do his best. And he succeeded. In addition, he loved
dealing directly with people,
he always had said that each of the voters deserve the utmost respect and was not willing that any routine could with him. For Carol, however, meant an ordeal, she could not endure the marathon pace marked by her husband. So by common consent she had decided not to accompany him on that first tour.
After the Party
convention
they would me more time for them.

  The problem wa
s even on weekends they couldn’
t afford to share a few hours. Their only meeting point was the phone, fifteen or twenty minutes maximum every night. But, with the convention so close, were forced to restrict even those calls. Harold wanted simultaneous his trips with the preparation of the convention, to the point that he had got to suffocate his staff with so hard work. Calls were growing short, only the basic to support each other, to receive a word of affection. But when it took three days to the convention, Carol was starting to worry. For two days she hadn't had opportunity to talk to Harold.  She didn't want to bother him, so she almost never called hi
m by phone, so this time left a
first notice to his staff and, only when Harold hadn't called her back, she decided to dial his cell phone number.
It w
as off. She tried all afternoon with no success. Then she decided to call Thomas, who returned her call by night.

Thomas, I'm worried about Harold, what happens? ... I can't reach him.

- I ... don't understand, Susan, I thought he had called you.

Thomas's voice sounded uncertain, as if uncertain what to say. This fact further alarmed Carol.

- You see that not ... I've been trying all afternoon, I have left several messages. But tell me
, something happens? Is he fine
? ...

- Yeah
... yes ... little tired, but fine.

- Tired? But if he is indefatigable!

- It seems that this campaign is being particu
larly stressful for him ... as
in principle should be the simplest, it seems incongruous, but it is.

- Thomas ... I feel you strange, you lea
ve me even more worried. Can’t
you convince him to call me? If not, I will be forced to take the first plane to be there.

- Huh? No, no! Don’t even think,
everything is under control. If you come I think it would be prejudicial to him,
he
just needs some rest, as doctor has told us.

- Doctor? ... I've got doubts, definitely, I'm going now!

- No, no, look, the doctor said that Harold is slightly exhausted, he does not realize that years pass bill by his workaholic excesses, but it's nothing serious, nothing that could no
t heal with a few hours of rest
. Please be quiet, I'll talk to him as soon as possible, because he is gathered just now, and then I'll call you, okay?

- All right, Thomas. Thank you!

   Thomas left Carol shrouded in uncertainty. Under normal conditions she would have moved to Seattle, but because her husband needed rest, and the proximity of t
he convention, it did not seem
the most reasonable. The best would be
to
expect a
call from Thomas, but it didn’t
take place overnight, so she could not sleep or eye. Early in the morning had already decided to take a plane, in fact had made the reservation, when she received the coveted call from Thomas. He told her that Harold was much better and had told him not to worry, that they will meet the day of the convention, which had one small surprise. Carol was surprised, but she had no choice but to accept the wishes of her husband and wait for an additional two days. Thomas was the best friend of Harold, surely he knew better than anyone what the situation was so she should trust him.

Those
two days were
endless.
Anxiety
during the day and nightmares at night. Carol was not accustomed to the erratic behavior of Harold,
he
had never acted that way. Not only few days ago he enjoyed a superb physical and mental health but he had always informed her about everything happening around his life. I
t
had no logic what was happening.

   And the Party
convention day cam
e. Carol was unable to approach
Harold, apparently he had given very specific instructions to his staff for anyone disturbed him, including his own
wife. However, she managed to
approach Thomas in order to demand an explanation. This told her that she should have patience, and that after the formal announcement of the proposal to the presidential candidate for November, she could finally see him. But Thomas did look visibly upset, nervous, strange.
Nor seemed his old self. To some extent it seemed logical, because in only a few minutes he would be presented as vice
president candidate by Harold's hand, but Carol knew enough to suspect something was wrong.

   The Party stood Carol in the front rows. She c
ould see her husband appearing
on the scene, greeting as a Hollywood's star and embraced the most important figures of the Party. Up to that point looked like the usual Harold. But there was an inconsistency,
Thomas was not on the stage
, instead she could see him in the front row, clapping, but not among those intended to address the public. She could out of doubt soon,
when the previous
President
that had had the Party
, who did the work of presentation, in the very beginning of his speech, looking serious and hesitantly, said he had something important to say.
Carol's heart sank when he heard his first words.

- I know you all were hoping to see here Harold as official party candidate, I know.
H
e has
here
an overwhelming majority of delegates
.

There was a silence. Carol was literally paralyzed.

- I can assure you that I too - said while attempting a forced smile as he had to abort in its infancy - all of us know Harold, American people trust him even more than us, he's ... without any doubt, the best president this country has had in a lot of years. I know. You know it! - cheers rang out for more than a minute -. But ... unfortunately his state of health has recently deteriorated. - Whispers were heard - Calm, quiet, I understand your concern too well because is also mine. But I am convinced he will recover soon and he will go out of this b
ad time. We all know about his
tenacity, his
fighting spirit, the same that he has shown for his country, ours, all these years. Maybe it is just a state of exhaustion produced by the great efforts he has made by all of us over years. In fact - he pointed his finger - here you have him - the silence was broken by a thunderous ovation when Harold rose to greet  - You, Harold, you know that all of us will be always by your side - the audience, standing up , seconded the moving word
s with a new ovation - then he
will direct you some words, but you must understand that he ne
eds rest and therefore we can’
t abuse his presence. Well, I understand that for many of you is a disappointment - made a short pause while fixed on the faces of the delegates stunned - I'll share with you a little secret ... For me too! But you all know, we know that this party has people trained to follow the wonderful trail he left behind, to continue his way to - made another short break - win this election - the silence was broken again by another standing ovation -. I recognize that this has happened rather late and in the wrong time, I know.
I'm conscious this is a new situation that never had happened neither in the history of this Party, nor in any previous convention.
But, in agreement with Harold, indeed, at his request, we
have
decided - again there was a deathly silence - presenting as an official candidate for the November election to a person who has given his life for this Party. A person perhaps unknown to many of you, but not for me, not for Harold that knows the responsibility that falls on him placing his trust in someone unblemished, tireless worker, someone from the professional and human category of Senator ...
Peter Feaks!

Initially a huge silence was made again, but, as some of the most illustriou
s of the party began to applaud
, the public was infected by the euphoria when Feaks came to deliver his speech, which was far from brilliant, but enough to cover the record.

   Carol had had enough. She could not believe it. She waited yet until Harold presented
officially
to Feaks as official candidate in place. Hi
s speech
was not only bland, but atypical. It was not proper of him. Continually had to read his papers, when rarely did. It seemed unsecure, when he was not at all. It did not seem accustomed to public speaking, when he was in his element. Even he hesitated and spoke in a much lower tone than he used to employ.

   Carol attended astonished at the unexpected spectacle. She tried to rub eyes and find the complicity of Thomas, the only one that could give her a fairly convincing explanation, but he was aware of this, trying not to fin
d her sight. Desperate, she got up from her
seat with the intention to approach Thomas, who observed the maneuver and was forced to tell her by signs that she keep the calm and await the end of the speech. When he perceived that Carol would not stand idly by any longer, he had no choice but to come and sit beside her.

-
What is happening here, Thomas? By God, not take it anymore! I should have intervened in this before, rather than listen to you - were her first words - Sick? So suddenly? ... Exhausted? ...

- Calm down, p
lease. Harold will talk to you
later, of course I understand you're surprised.

- I can assure you
that this
is the biggest surprise I
have
received in my life! But I am not referring to his resignation but to meet a new Harold, unknown to me. And I have to admit that your attitude has surprised me, Thomas. You should have told me what was happening from the first day we talk on the phone.

- You have to understand that first of all, I am his friend.

- And I am his wife. I am very dis
appointed with Harold. He can’
t be ill, as
he was perfectly just days ago What happens? Not only has unexpectedly abnegated, not only has left you without the vice presidential nomination, but he has proposed that s
uch ... Feaks, at least I didn’
t know him at all, I don't know who the hell is. I suppose you must be very hurt by Harold. He has acted in a cruel and unfair way with those that want and put our trust in him ...

- Look, Carol. I owe to him, first of all is my fri
end, although I am not able to
understand some of the decisions being taken and that hurt me professionally. I acknowledge that I also feel very bad. But do not forget his mood, I think it has seriously disturbed.

- But it's not possible that stress could affect him in this way, even if it had degenerated into some kind of depression, to make such decisions. It's ridiculous! He is very, very changed. I must talk to him now! Anyway ...

- Yes, tell me.

- You have proved you're a wonderful person and his best friend. Anyone else in your place would have fought to get what he had promised you.

- Well, you see ... I do not ...  He met all campaign members  to let us know his  intentions, in a brief speech in line with this last one - pointed to Harold, who was still reading his papers - Inco
herent, he didn’t
speak as usual. Even he didn't call me aside to tell me anything.
He d
ecided to retire
and to recommend to Freaks as
candidate, an almost unknown in the party.