Rogue (The End 4)

“There is no Den in the wide world to hide a Rogue”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prologue

10th January 2020,

7:46 am.

Four Seasons Resort. Orlando, Florida.

USA.

Adrik kissed Vivien’s neck as she lay with her back to him on the bed. Suzanne rolled her eyes, knowing he wouldn’t notice.

Adrik sighed.

“You used to like it when I did that,” he whispered into her ear.

“Things are just not the same anymore, Adrik. The last time we were like this was nineteen years ago. Forgive me if I don’t remember the things I used to like,” she said as she sat up on the bed.

“I’d like some coffee. Would you want some too?” she asked as she moved to leave the bed. Adrik held her arm.

“I never stopped loving you throughout those nineteen years, Viv. How do you want me to prove it to you?” he asked, staring at her intently.

Vivien returned his deep gaze. She wondered if he meant his words.

“Adrik, I want to go home and build a life for myself. I’ve been here for nineteen years, and I’ve served faithfully throughout that time. I’m forty-one, Adrik. And my life is nothing to write home about,” she said.

She hardly believed she had said those words. They had been buried in her heart for too long, looking for the right moment to come out. She wondered how Adrik would react. She had seen him discipline other agents. Fear began to fill her.

Adrik smiled at her instead.

“I know, Viv. I know how you feel. We’re almost done. This is the climax . I also can’t wait for all of this to be over. I want to settle down with you and have children and watch them play in the park,” he said, and Vivien felt her heart melt. She had been waiting to hear those words for so long.

“But this is the last phase. This year is when your brilliant idea will finally become a reality,” He said as he turned to the bedside table and searched his bag. He pulled out a file and handed it over to her.

Vivien didn’t want to make him angry. She had been fortunate that he hadn’t gotten angry the first time. She didn’t want to push her luck. She took the file from him and looked through it; all the while, keeping her face emotionless.

“Billy, as you know, is the Democrats candidate for the election. Thanks to my team, he has an impressive track record from kindergarten till now,” Adrik began. Vivien chuckled.

“The man didn’t even know America existed when he was in Kindergarten,” she said, and Adrik chuckled too. Vivien knew the man- Billy Monroe, better known as Alexei Igor. She had been the one to move him up the ranks in the US government. She had ended her duty as a worm in the government a year ago. Now, she served as a moderator for the agents in the US. When Alexei got the position, she would become the next Chief-of-staff

“Anyway, his opponent, Donald Boris, has more following and seems more likely to win. This is not good for us. We don’t want this to stretch longer than it has already. We need to do something,” Adrik said, finally. He had become serious.

Vivien pulled her attention back to the file in her hand. All of Donald’s records were in it from childhood to date. It seemed completely perfect.

“But we already have our agent as the Senate President. He could just alter the votes when he counts,” she said.

“It won’t be that easy. You know how tight security measures are during counting. Besides, even if we can manage that, we need Billy to win on merit, on the surface, at least. He’ll be doing some controversial things when he wins. We don’t want people suspecting him from the start,” Adrik said.

Vivien understood what Adrik expected. A couple of ideas began to run through her mind. Digging up Donald’s dark past was the first step. If he truly had a clean slate then, she’d just look for any of his proclivities and set him up with it. If he proved too stubborn, then she knew a couple of people in power who she could discuss this with to oppose him. She also had some good friends in the media who were at the top of the industry. They could help her influence the public opinion.

As the ideas kept coming, she began to feel dirty again. She had been getting the feeling a lot lately.

Was she really the one coming up with these plans? Had she really become that depraved?

“Your silence tells me you’ve got some ideas already. But let’s put that aside in the meantime. I didn’t come to talk work. I just want to be with you this weekend,” he said as he took the file from her and kissed her.