Tonight's the night we'll make history.
Vinny waited on the bus station platform, arms folded across his chest. It came as no surprise to him when Hope came around the corner leading half a dozen MMM guards, all heavily armed. He wished he had a camera to capture the priceless expression of outrage and embarrassment Hope would be wearing when she saw only himself standing there.
Hope looked around for the two fugitives, but all she saw was Vinny standing there, looking very smug. She stood, confused, until it came to her in a flash of insight, and she stared at him in amazement. "How long have you known?"
"Long enough." Pride and defiance were in his voice. He felt liberated, finally being able to confront her with her treachery. He wanted her to know she had not fooled him for long. He also wanted her to believe that she had not touched his heart, but he wasn't sure that he could hide his true feeling of grief at what she'd done to him for very long. If he stayed angry with her, he could mask his true feelings. for a while. She considered him curiously, and then decided he was telling the truth. "They're nowhere near here, are they?"
He spoke, relishing every moment of her discomfort. "Not even close."
Hope circled him slowly as she regarded him, looking him over with new eyes. "You know, I wouldn't have bet you were smart enough to figure me out." Her voice sounded alien to him, cold and calculating. So, this is what she really sounds like, he thought. He answered her, the anger and hate he felt at what she had done to him filling his voice.
"You'll find I'm just full of surprises."
"Where are they?" When he did not respond, she leaned in close to him and prodded him to tell her the truth. "If you don't tell me, I'll have you hauled in and questioned. Believe me, you wouldn't like to be questioned."
Vinny wasn't so easily intimidated. He looked her directly in the eye and spoke with contempt. "Please. You're going to arrest me anyway, so why don't you just get on with it." She spun away from him, angry that her plans had been so easily thwarted. She motioned to the guards, two of which moved forward to handcuff Vinny. His eyes never left her, and when she turned toward him again he asked her one last question he had to know the answer to.
"Did you ever care about me, even a little bit?"
She walked over to him, shaking her head in pity. She cupped his face in one hand. "Vinny. you're so naive. No, I didn't love you, or even like you. You were my assignment, nothing more. It was strictly business, you can understand that, right?" She smiled at him coldly. "No hard feelings, huh?"
He pulled away from her touch as if it burned him. "Sorry. I won't soothe your conscience for you. You're going to have to live with the memory of what you've done." As the guards pulled him away, he believed he saw a touch of surprise on her face, as if she didn't believe he had such anger in him. Vinny congratulated himself on keeping her guessing about him until the very last as he was escorted into the waiting police car.
***********
"I think it's time," Robert said glancing at the watch Vinny had lent him. He and Jonathan stood a block away from the building where Righteous was even now starting the memorial service for the fallen MMM workers. Between the instructions Wylie had provided and Vinny's efforts with Hope, they had been able to avoid being spotted by any MMM guards. They were now waiting to use the back entrance Wylie had indicated would be unmonitored except by his people. Robert looked at Jonathan and was struck by how calm and self-confident he appeared. For the first time in a long time, he looked at Jonathan as a stranger might, trying to see him as he would appear to those in the room they were about to enter. He certainly looked wonderful - the hour long session with Vinny trying to find something for both of them to wear had paid off. The charcoal gray double-breasted suit Jon wore fit him impeccably, and the collarless royal blue shirt set off his deep green eyes nicely. Although it was not a uniform, it was reminiscent of one and that was the effect they were aiming for. Even the faint trace of a scar he had over his right eye, a souvenir from his bicycle accident, made him seem more like a battle-scarred hero than a hardened criminal.
He knew that he also looked his best. He could not carry off the more modern cut of suit that Jonathan could, but the navy blue one Vinny had chosen paired with a cream color shirt worked well on him. He smiled faintly at the memory of the fuss Vinny had made about that shirt - he had complained when Vinny came back with it. He had wanted to wear plain white but Vinny said it was too severe, and he was trying to make him look as non-threatening as possible. It had been a long time since he'd worn clothes like this. In fact the last time he'd worn a suit was to court, when he was sentenced to life in prison for that murder he did not commit. Jonathan's voice cut through his reverie and he was glad to leave such thoughts behind.
"Yeah, we'd better get going," Jonathan said, filling his voice with confidence he did not feel. The anxiety that had gripped him in the last few days was securely clamped down deep within him, but it was lurking there still. He knew that from the outside he appeared relaxed, but right now his stomach was doing flip-flops. He had no idea what to expect when they walked into that room, except that it would be chaos. Better to get this over with now, the waiting was killing him. Robert nodded, and they both walked the last block to the back entrance where they were told that Wylie's aide would be waiting.
A small nervous looking young woman stood in the doorway, holding it open while standing inside. She was looking in various directions, no doubt imagining MMM troops lying in wait for them. When she spotted them, her expression of anxiety did not change; if anything it got worse. She ushered them in without a word and led the way toward the meeting. Jonathan and Robert followed without comment. At this point, there were no questions left to ask and nothing more to discuss.
Congressman Wylie was waiting in the hallway for them, and they could hear the murmur of a large gathering of people from somewhere close by. Wylie nodded his hello and escorted them the rest of the way, also without comment. He threw open the large double doors and lead the way up the center aisle of the room towards the dais without stopping or slowing down, Jonathan and Robert following side by side in his wake. The way Wylie had burst into the room guaranteed that people would turn to look, and that they did. A wave of gasps, followed by louder outbursts of surprise and anger moved through the crowd in a wave, and they had barely reached the center of the room when Righteous noticed the disturbance and looked to see what was happening. The look of shock and surprise on Righteous' face was enough to put a small smile on Robert's face despite the situation. He saw Righteous look from him to Jonathan. and there his eyes stopped.
From the moment Jonathan entered the room, he tried to scan the crowd and gauge their reactions. He looked up to see Righteous boring a hole in him with his eyes from across the room. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to disappear, most likely squashed to death under the lead weight that had settled there. He suddenly realized that neither of them had seen each other before this moment. Sure, they'd seen photos and such, but they'd never met in person. He met Righteous' gaze steadily, refusing to be intimidated by him. He was much taller than Jonathan had thought, much taller than Jonathan himself was. He carried himself surely, for he knew how to play a crowd. Righteous knew that this was his territory, and his show. His personal security force surrounded him and he was in charge. He could order them dragged away before they even had a chance to walk ten feet further, and they would spend the rest of their lives buried away in some deep dungeon where no one would ever hear from them again.
All of this Righteous wordlessly communicated to Jonathan, his icy blue eyes glaring contempt and threats at him across the room. For all that, Jonathan raised his chin a little higher and held himself that much taller as he walked forward to meet him. During all this Wylie was sweeping them forward, responding to the yelled questions and curses from the crowd with a promise of answers. All of the cameras swiveled away from the platform where Righteous stood to follow their progress, and reporters from every form of media pressed towards them yelling questions and thrusting microphones and tape recorders toward them to catch any answers they might offer. The MMM honor guards stood at the ready, waiting only for some indication of what Righteous wanted them to do. Righteous thought briefly of arresting them now and having them removed, then tossed the idea aside. The press would insist on hearing what they had to say, they were quite irritating in that respect. He decided to let this play out - he had no idea what they had planned this time, and as this was being broadcast live, he could not afford to let them unleash whatever scheme they had without him there to perform damage control.
Wylie reached the dais and stepped up, noting but not responding to the threatening look Righteous shot him. He'd started on this path and there was nothing for it but to continue. "Ladies and gentleman, please," he urged the crowd to relative silence so that he could be heard. "As you have seen, I bring before you Robert Kilroy and Jonathan Chance. You know well the crimes these two men have been charged with, and that is what they would like to talk to you about. They would like to argue their case in court like any other American, but they fear that they would not receive a fair trial, and for good reason. Dr. Everett Righteous, leader of the Majority for Musical Morality, has used his power and influence to frame both of these men, making them appear to commit the crimes with which they have been charged. That, however, is far from the truth of the matter."
The crowd's excitement bubbled over again at this statement and it took a moment more of his urging to quiet them down. Just as they settled back down Righteous began to speak.
"This is preposterous, I never-"
"Please, ladies and gentlemen, hear them out," Wylie urged as he cut Righteous off. Once Righteous started talking to the crowd it would be a struggle to get them back, so he didn't allow the interruption. "Let them tell you the tale of how Righteous used his position to brand them as criminals, to get them out of the picture so that he could rewrite the Constitution unopposed. I know this is highly unusual, but we are living in some highly unusual times. Please, hear them out." Wylie turned to Jonathan, who immediately stepped forward.
"Thank you, Congressman. Before I begin, I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to all those who lost loved ones in the explosion." Behind him, Righteous made a barely audible snicker of contempt at his comments. Jonathan knew he was being baited and he ignored it.
"I understand the pain of your loss, and your desire to see justice carried out. I raise my voice with yours calling for the person responsible to be held accountable for his crimes. But that person is not I. The telephone call you heard over and over again on television, purporting to be me claiming responsibility for the bombing, was a fake." "Dr Righteous," Jonathan said, turning toward him and acknowledging him for the first time. Righteous smiled slightly and appeared calm and collected, all except for the tightness around his mouth. Jonathan doubted anyone else could see the small sign of stress, but he could. The knowledge that he made Righteous nervous pleased him, and a portion of his tension ebbed away. "Exactly when was that confession called into your offices?"
Righteous responded immediately without missing a beat or consulting any papers. "Wednesday November 18, 7:34 p.m."
Jonathan, having gotten what he needed from Righteous, immediately dismissed him. He braced himself mentally, for he hadn't had the opportunity to discuss this next part with Wylie. He was praying that Wylie would understand what Jon was referring to when he asked his next question. "Congressman, do you know where I was at that time?"
Wylie hesitated for a moment, not seeing what Jonathan was looking for. He thought back to the moment he heard about the bombing and suddenly it clicked. When he spoke it was with confidence, for which Jonathan was thankful. "With me, discussing how Righteous framed Kilroy five years ago for a crime he didn't commit."
"Exactly why would I care to frame some musician for a crime? Of what use would that be?" Righteous asked, his voice calm and reasoning, yet still conveying the contempt he had for Robert.
Anger flared up in Jonathan but he smothered it. Now was not the time to lose his temper. Once again he refused to address Righteous directly, instead talking to the reporters and family members of victims gathered there. At first he strove for the same cool and rational tone Righteous used in these situations, but that soon evaporated. It just didn't feel right to him, and right now he was operating purely on gut instinct. As he spoke the emotions gathered in his voice, the passion he felt clear as day to all those listening. This was it; there were no second chances. He got one shot at making these people see the man standing just a yard to his right for what he was. He could feel Righteous' gaze as a palpable thing, an imaginary point in between his shoulder blades itching as he could almost feel the steel of the knife Righteous longed to plant there. Every cell of his being screamed at him not to turn his back to this man, as deep inside Jonathan was not sure of what he was capable of even in such a public forum. But turn away he did, with an effort, to answer Righteous' question for the crowd.
"The moment the law banning rock and roll was passed Righteous needed to enforce it, and Robert Kilroy happened to be the first example handy to him. Like any politician, his approval ratings soared after he handled the crisis caused by Kilroy breaking his blatantly unconstitutional law. Of course he handled the crisis well, he created it. He orchestrated it and saw it played out exactly as he planned it. Righteous staged the murder of one of his own people to put the final nail in the coffin of rock and roll. The video we aired a few weeks ago showing what happened was the plain, simple truth."
Robert stood listening to Jonathan, fascinated by the picture he was painting even though he knew all of the facts already. He was amazed at how well it worked, for as Jonathan spoke people seemed to stop and really listen to what he was saying, forgetting the arguments that so readily came to them. He dared not interrupt and destroy the flow of the tale Jonathan was weaving.
On his part, Jonathan paused in order to measure the reaction of the people in front of him. They were silent for the moment, hanging on his every word. He continued, his facial expressions, body language and most especially the look in his deep blue eyes speaking volumes to the crowd. It told of a man who was, at the same time, calm and reasonable yet ardent and concerned. It conveyed his earnestness without desperation, urging people to listen to what he had to say and convincing them that he spoke the truth. "As for why Righteous would contrive to blow up his own building, causing such damage and pain to those who believed in him, I can only hazard to guess. His reaction to the airing of that video showed all of you the lengths that this man would go to in order to enforce his will. We dared to speak up and show him for what he is, a man who twists the law to meet his own needs. A man who is so hungry for power and control that anyone standing in his way gets swept aside without a thought, and if some innocent people get hurt in the process, well that's merely the cost of doing business. For having the audacity to try and bring you the truth about him, we were branded as criminals, and worse."
"Years ago he ordered one of his own murdered in cold blood to enforce a law that should never have been passed in the first place. Now when he saw a threat to the security of his position he moved to diffuse that threat, in the same manner as before. I suppose once a person's hands are stained with blood its easier for them to do it the second time around. By perpetrating such a hideous crime and pinning it on me he directed your attention this way, like a magician misdirects his audience so that he can move the lady out of the box before he saws it in half. Don't let him deceive you. Look through that deception to the truth that lies behind."
Wylie saw his chance to help and stepped in at this point. "My aide is passing out two separate packets of information to you right now. These documents are copies of those we obtained directly from MMM files. The first contains internal memos detailing the events leading up to Robert Kilroy's arrest. In these you will find orders issued by Dr. Righteous specifying exactly how MMM security was to create the illusion that Robert Kilroy murdered an MMM supporter on stage. In one, specific attention was paid to exactly how the MMM guards were to deploy themselves on stage to best block the audience from witnessing the assassination. This, in conjunction with the video you have already seen, creates irrefutable evidence that Dr. Righteous engineered this event." "The second packet is full of materials concerning the letter bomb that exploded here last week. Floor plans, requisition forms for materials, even the order to his security chief Col. Hyde to hire an outside agent to perpetrate the crime - it's all there."
Wylie wound down, loathing in his voice. "Righteous' hands couldn't be bloodier if he'd set the bomb off himself."
Jonathan took up where he left off, ending simply. There was not much more to say, and now it was in their hands. "Please, read the contents of this packet. Decide for yourselves whether you believe what Dr. Righteous says in the face of all the evidence against him."
Barely able to control his anger, Righteous grabbed an envelope from Wylie's aide. She flinched away from him, but he did not seem to notice this. Robert watched Righteous closely as he scanned the contents of the package, and he saw the almost unnoticeable flash of desperation cross his face. It was gone as quickly as it came, and thinking on it afterward Robert could not say for sure whether it was really there or that he imagined it. When Righteous looked up from his reading, his handsome face was fixed in a charming half smile. Warning bells went off in Robert's brain; he'd seen that look before.
"These desperate attempts to put the blame for this entire thing on me are heartbreaking," he shook his head sadly, looking on Jonathan and Robert with pity. "This is exactly why I operate the rehabilitation facilities within the jails. You see before you the kind of damage that can occur when listening to rock music. This is an extreme example, I admit, but an example nonetheless."
"There's nothing wrong with listening to rock music," Jonathan said attempting to keep his voice calm. Let Righteous grab the crowd and he was lost. "Saying that it causes people to do evil things is as ridiculous as saying reading 'Romeo and Juliet' would cause someone to commit suicide."
"Yes, I believe that it might," Righteous answered in perfect seriousness. He looked out at the crowd, searching for the families of victims. He met their eyes with concern. "Someone has to protect the youth of our country from the messages found in these stories. No one should be allowed to submit your children to their depraved messages under the guise of freedom of speech. In this modern world, busy parents need all the help that they can get, and all I try and do is offer guidance."
For the first time Robert spoke. He was tired of Righteous' half-truths and deceptions, and he felt very strongly on this particular subject. "I believe it was Voltaire who said, 'I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it'. Our founding fathers thought freedom of speech so important that they made it the very first amendment. Restricting people's ability to listen to what music they wish is just the first step in taking away that freedom. Next you'll say we can't watch certain television shows, or read certain books. Then you'll say we can't think certain thoughts, or vote for the person we think will best represent our interests in Washington. Our entire system of government is based on the individual's freedom to do, say, and think what they choose and you've taken that away. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
Dr. Righteous spread his arms wide in a gesture of submission. The look on his face was one of confusion, as if what Robert said made no sense to him. "Ashamed? If caring for the youth of America is a crime, let me be arrested. If concern over the moral decline of this country is wrong, I apologize for making such a horrible mistake. I only have your best interests in mind, my friends. I care about the people of this nation and I strive every single day to work toward making this a better place for all of us to live. If I have ever done anything to harm another living soul, let me be lead to the jailhouse right now."
With a thump he threw the packet of information to the ground. "These documents are fakes, falsified to back up the lies of two desperate men attempting to elude the punishment their actions have earned."
During Righteous' speech, Robert's eyes met Jonathan's in concern. He could see Jon's mind racing for a retort to the candy-coated lies Righteous was serving up. Hoping that his speech wasn't working, Robert looked out at the audience and his heart sank. It seemed it was working all too well. People everywhere were nodding in agreement, talking to each other in low tones, praising the efforts of Righteous and his role in keeping them safe from outside forces determined to undermine the morals they stand for. Robert could hardly believe what he was seeing. He felt like screaming, can't you see what he's doing? Are you all so blinded by his lies that a few words from him can erase all the evidence we present? As he scanned the crowd for even one friendly face, he spied Alec standing in the doorway barely inside the room, as if he didn't wish to be there at all. Biting back the dozen questions and concerns he was yearning to voice to his friend, Robert merely watched him, trying to communicate silently all he was feeling.
He met Robert's gaze reluctantly, and with trepidation. Alec worked and searched for months to find the documents he wanted. He was bone tired and his emotions were in turmoil, and now Robert was asking him for more. Alec leaned against the door jam wearily. When Robert left with those documents, Alec had made sure that Hyde knew the depth of his hatred for him. Alec had found some rope, tied him up so that he could not follow, and abandoned him there. For all he knew Hyde was still there, slowly bleeding to death on the dirty warehouse floor. He got home and rapidly stuffed clothing haphazardly into a duffel bag, fearing he might have to leave town quickly after what had happened with Hyde. He spent the entire day yesterday alternating between sleeping fitfully and pacing his apartment, waiting for the front door to burst open and the MMM to drag him off for what he'd done. It took every ounce of courage he had to come down here today, but Alec felt he had to see this through to the end.
He let his gaze drift across to Righteous, the man who for as long as he could remember was his friend, being attacked and accused of such horrific crimes that he could never erase the picture of them from his mind. This man gave him more than just a job, he gave him a reason to get up and face the day every morning.
Righteous was the family he never had. but that wasn't really true, was it?
Righteous wasn't his friend, and the phrase 'for as long as he could remember' was a cruel joke when seen in the light of the intense brainwashing Alec had suffered at his command. Alec had family, and Righteous had cut him off from them without a second thought. He had destroyed his life and replaced it with a flimsy lie, all for his own amusement. There could be no other reason for it other than that - it amused him to make one of Robert's friends' work to destroy what he believed in. And there he was; spinning his web of lies to entangle the American public yet again. and next to him was his friend Robert silently pleading with him for aid. He wanted to help, but didn't Robert understand how hard this was for him, how foreign the idea of opposing Righteous still was? And to say something here, in front of all those cameras. There was just no turning back from something like that. As he stared at his friend from across the room, he realized that yes, Robert did understand his confusion and pain. He did know that the thought of confronting Righteous filled him with such fear that it threatened to paralyze him, and Robert wished it could be otherwise. But the lies came easily to Righteous, and the people were more than happy to go on believing them. Much easier to do that then to admit that you had been duped all of these years, that you had handed over your future to a power hungry dictator that would do whatever was necessary to get his way, even if that meant murder. So now his friend needed his help one last time, and right now. After all, he had come down here for a reason. When the packet of papers hit the floor with a thump, he jumped as if it were a gunshot. Alec spoke, his voice audible to only a few people around him. Those who heard what he said turned to stare in shock, and that alone was enough to make the desire to turn and run from the room almost too much to bear. But he clenched his hands into fists, strangling his fear, and repeated what he said louder so that everyone could hear. "I can verify that the papers are real. I retrieved them myself out of Righteous' personal files." The cameras swung to get a shot of him and reporters shouted out questions to him, but he ignored them. He walked forward, stopping short of actually mounting the stage. Jonathan stared at him wordlessly in surprise. Alec turned to look at Robert, who met him with a gaze full of pride and thanks. Fortified by that, Alec met the cold blue eyes of Righteous himself. He had seen that look, but never before directed at him. Alec was thankful of all the people around him, for he was sure if they were alone, Righteous would not have been able to restrain himself. Alec continued on, his voice getting stronger.
"I first found out about Dr. Righteous' illegal activities a few months ago. I have been working ever since then to find the evidence to expose him, and finally yesterday I was able to succeed. Righteous buried his skeletons well, but not well enough."
By this point Righteous was speechless, the fury plain on his face. First Wylie, now this? They were all turning on him at once, and for some reason Hyde was nowhere to be found during this fiasco of a memorial service.
A voice broke through the crowd's chatter and made itself clearly heard. "What about your confession, Jonathan?" Jon turned to the people before him. They were confused and agitated, but he saw that some of them were willing to hear his answers. He spoke calmly and confidently, every inch a man who had nothing to hide. "I can't quite explain how they were able to do it, but the recording you heard of me confessing responsibility for the bombing was a forgery. I never made that phone call and I never entered the MMM building on the day in question. Ask yourselves this - why, if I had committed this crime, have they never aired the security camera tapes showing me entering the building? Because they don't exist. I was never there. Other than this supposed confession, they have no proof that I was the one responsible for this crime. On the other hand, we do have proof that Righteous planned and executed the entire thing."
"The damage from the blast destroyed the security cameras," Righteous put in, desperate to repair the damage done. Alec merely shook his head in disappointment, as if he'd thought Righteous could do better than that. He walked up to the nearest news crew and handed them an unlabeled VHS tape. This, finally, was the thing that made him decide to come there, to deliver this.
"The tapes are logged in a room on the other side of the building, far from where the blast occurred. The cameras in the mailroom were destroyed, yes, but the master tape is intact. I have a copy of it right here," and Alec gestured to the tape, now in the hands of a startled reporter. "You won't find Jonathan Chance anywhere on it. At no time was he ever in the building. It was impossible for him to have done it." At this, the underlying tension in the crowd burst open. Camera crews lunged forward to get as close to the people on the platform as possible, with the reporters yelling questions in unison. Family members of those killed in the blast stood and demanded that any and all of the people upon the dais be immediately arrested. Some burst into tears, the emotions of the afternoon too much to handle. In the center of the vortex stood Robert, Righteous, Jonathan and Alec. For a moment everyone simply stared at each other, then Righteous broke the silence among them. He had a look on his face of stark hatred. No longer playing to the cameras, realizing that the day was lost, he let his emotions surface. He turned to Robert first.
"Why couldn't you just fade away quietly, or die in there like so many others? And you," here he turned toward Jonathan, "if it weren't for you, that bombing would never have happened. But you had to push, didn't you? You just couldn't walk away." He turned to Alec last of all. "Vanish. my right hand man. I ought to have killed you when I had the chance." Throughout this the cameras were running, and his actions broadcast across America.
Vinny waited on the bus station platform, arms folded across his chest. It came as no surprise to him when Hope came around the corner leading half a dozen MMM guards, all heavily armed. He wished he had a camera to capture the priceless expression of outrage and embarrassment Hope would be wearing when she saw only himself standing there.
Hope looked around for the two fugitives, but all she saw was Vinny standing there, looking very smug. She stood, confused, until it came to her in a flash of insight, and she stared at him in amazement. "How long have you known?"
"Long enough." Pride and defiance were in his voice. He felt liberated, finally being able to confront her with her treachery. He wanted her to know she had not fooled him for long. He also wanted her to believe that she had not touched his heart, but he wasn't sure that he could hide his true feeling of grief at what she'd done to him for very long. If he stayed angry with her, he could mask his true feelings. for a while. She considered him curiously, and then decided he was telling the truth. "They're nowhere near here, are they?"
He spoke, relishing every moment of her discomfort. "Not even close."
Hope circled him slowly as she regarded him, looking him over with new eyes. "You know, I wouldn't have bet you were smart enough to figure me out." Her voice sounded alien to him, cold and calculating. So, this is what she really sounds like, he thought. He answered her, the anger and hate he felt at what she had done to him filling his voice.
"You'll find I'm just full of surprises."
"Where are they?" When he did not respond, she leaned in close to him and prodded him to tell her the truth. "If you don't tell me, I'll have you hauled in and questioned. Believe me, you wouldn't like to be questioned."
Vinny wasn't so easily intimidated. He looked her directly in the eye and spoke with contempt. "Please. You're going to arrest me anyway, so why don't you just get on with it." She spun away from him, angry that her plans had been so easily thwarted. She motioned to the guards, two of which moved forward to handcuff Vinny. His eyes never left her, and when she turned toward him again he asked her one last question he had to know the answer to.
"Did you ever care about me, even a little bit?"
She walked over to him, shaking her head in pity. She cupped his face in one hand. "Vinny. you're so naive. No, I didn't love you, or even like you. You were my assignment, nothing more. It was strictly business, you can understand that, right?" She smiled at him coldly. "No hard feelings, huh?"
He pulled away from her touch as if it burned him. "Sorry. I won't soothe your conscience for you. You're going to have to live with the memory of what you've done." As the guards pulled him away, he believed he saw a touch of surprise on her face, as if she didn't believe he had such anger in him. Vinny congratulated himself on keeping her guessing about him until the very last as he was escorted into the waiting police car.
***********
"I think it's time," Robert said glancing at the watch Vinny had lent him. He and Jonathan stood a block away from the building where Righteous was even now starting the memorial service for the fallen MMM workers. Between the instructions Wylie had provided and Vinny's efforts with Hope, they had been able to avoid being spotted by any MMM guards. They were now waiting to use the back entrance Wylie had indicated would be unmonitored except by his people. Robert looked at Jonathan and was struck by how calm and self-confident he appeared. For the first time in a long time, he looked at Jonathan as a stranger might, trying to see him as he would appear to those in the room they were about to enter. He certainly looked wonderful - the hour long session with Vinny trying to find something for both of them to wear had paid off. The charcoal gray double-breasted suit Jon wore fit him impeccably, and the collarless royal blue shirt set off his deep green eyes nicely. Although it was not a uniform, it was reminiscent of one and that was the effect they were aiming for. Even the faint trace of a scar he had over his right eye, a souvenir from his bicycle accident, made him seem more like a battle-scarred hero than a hardened criminal.
He knew that he also looked his best. He could not carry off the more modern cut of suit that Jonathan could, but the navy blue one Vinny had chosen paired with a cream color shirt worked well on him. He smiled faintly at the memory of the fuss Vinny had made about that shirt - he had complained when Vinny came back with it. He had wanted to wear plain white but Vinny said it was too severe, and he was trying to make him look as non-threatening as possible. It had been a long time since he'd worn clothes like this. In fact the last time he'd worn a suit was to court, when he was sentenced to life in prison for that murder he did not commit. Jonathan's voice cut through his reverie and he was glad to leave such thoughts behind.
"Yeah, we'd better get going," Jonathan said, filling his voice with confidence he did not feel. The anxiety that had gripped him in the last few days was securely clamped down deep within him, but it was lurking there still. He knew that from the outside he appeared relaxed, but right now his stomach was doing flip-flops. He had no idea what to expect when they walked into that room, except that it would be chaos. Better to get this over with now, the waiting was killing him. Robert nodded, and they both walked the last block to the back entrance where they were told that Wylie's aide would be waiting.
A small nervous looking young woman stood in the doorway, holding it open while standing inside. She was looking in various directions, no doubt imagining MMM troops lying in wait for them. When she spotted them, her expression of anxiety did not change; if anything it got worse. She ushered them in without a word and led the way toward the meeting. Jonathan and Robert followed without comment. At this point, there were no questions left to ask and nothing more to discuss.
Congressman Wylie was waiting in the hallway for them, and they could hear the murmur of a large gathering of people from somewhere close by. Wylie nodded his hello and escorted them the rest of the way, also without comment. He threw open the large double doors and lead the way up the center aisle of the room towards the dais without stopping or slowing down, Jonathan and Robert following side by side in his wake. The way Wylie had burst into the room guaranteed that people would turn to look, and that they did. A wave of gasps, followed by louder outbursts of surprise and anger moved through the crowd in a wave, and they had barely reached the center of the room when Righteous noticed the disturbance and looked to see what was happening. The look of shock and surprise on Righteous' face was enough to put a small smile on Robert's face despite the situation. He saw Righteous look from him to Jonathan. and there his eyes stopped.
From the moment Jonathan entered the room, he tried to scan the crowd and gauge their reactions. He looked up to see Righteous boring a hole in him with his eyes from across the room. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to disappear, most likely squashed to death under the lead weight that had settled there. He suddenly realized that neither of them had seen each other before this moment. Sure, they'd seen photos and such, but they'd never met in person. He met Righteous' gaze steadily, refusing to be intimidated by him. He was much taller than Jonathan had thought, much taller than Jonathan himself was. He carried himself surely, for he knew how to play a crowd. Righteous knew that this was his territory, and his show. His personal security force surrounded him and he was in charge. He could order them dragged away before they even had a chance to walk ten feet further, and they would spend the rest of their lives buried away in some deep dungeon where no one would ever hear from them again.
All of this Righteous wordlessly communicated to Jonathan, his icy blue eyes glaring contempt and threats at him across the room. For all that, Jonathan raised his chin a little higher and held himself that much taller as he walked forward to meet him. During all this Wylie was sweeping them forward, responding to the yelled questions and curses from the crowd with a promise of answers. All of the cameras swiveled away from the platform where Righteous stood to follow their progress, and reporters from every form of media pressed towards them yelling questions and thrusting microphones and tape recorders toward them to catch any answers they might offer. The MMM honor guards stood at the ready, waiting only for some indication of what Righteous wanted them to do. Righteous thought briefly of arresting them now and having them removed, then tossed the idea aside. The press would insist on hearing what they had to say, they were quite irritating in that respect. He decided to let this play out - he had no idea what they had planned this time, and as this was being broadcast live, he could not afford to let them unleash whatever scheme they had without him there to perform damage control.
Wylie reached the dais and stepped up, noting but not responding to the threatening look Righteous shot him. He'd started on this path and there was nothing for it but to continue. "Ladies and gentleman, please," he urged the crowd to relative silence so that he could be heard. "As you have seen, I bring before you Robert Kilroy and Jonathan Chance. You know well the crimes these two men have been charged with, and that is what they would like to talk to you about. They would like to argue their case in court like any other American, but they fear that they would not receive a fair trial, and for good reason. Dr. Everett Righteous, leader of the Majority for Musical Morality, has used his power and influence to frame both of these men, making them appear to commit the crimes with which they have been charged. That, however, is far from the truth of the matter."
The crowd's excitement bubbled over again at this statement and it took a moment more of his urging to quiet them down. Just as they settled back down Righteous began to speak.
"This is preposterous, I never-"
"Please, ladies and gentlemen, hear them out," Wylie urged as he cut Righteous off. Once Righteous started talking to the crowd it would be a struggle to get them back, so he didn't allow the interruption. "Let them tell you the tale of how Righteous used his position to brand them as criminals, to get them out of the picture so that he could rewrite the Constitution unopposed. I know this is highly unusual, but we are living in some highly unusual times. Please, hear them out." Wylie turned to Jonathan, who immediately stepped forward.
"Thank you, Congressman. Before I begin, I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to all those who lost loved ones in the explosion." Behind him, Righteous made a barely audible snicker of contempt at his comments. Jonathan knew he was being baited and he ignored it.
"I understand the pain of your loss, and your desire to see justice carried out. I raise my voice with yours calling for the person responsible to be held accountable for his crimes. But that person is not I. The telephone call you heard over and over again on television, purporting to be me claiming responsibility for the bombing, was a fake." "Dr Righteous," Jonathan said, turning toward him and acknowledging him for the first time. Righteous smiled slightly and appeared calm and collected, all except for the tightness around his mouth. Jonathan doubted anyone else could see the small sign of stress, but he could. The knowledge that he made Righteous nervous pleased him, and a portion of his tension ebbed away. "Exactly when was that confession called into your offices?"
Righteous responded immediately without missing a beat or consulting any papers. "Wednesday November 18, 7:34 p.m."
Jonathan, having gotten what he needed from Righteous, immediately dismissed him. He braced himself mentally, for he hadn't had the opportunity to discuss this next part with Wylie. He was praying that Wylie would understand what Jon was referring to when he asked his next question. "Congressman, do you know where I was at that time?"
Wylie hesitated for a moment, not seeing what Jonathan was looking for. He thought back to the moment he heard about the bombing and suddenly it clicked. When he spoke it was with confidence, for which Jonathan was thankful. "With me, discussing how Righteous framed Kilroy five years ago for a crime he didn't commit."
"Exactly why would I care to frame some musician for a crime? Of what use would that be?" Righteous asked, his voice calm and reasoning, yet still conveying the contempt he had for Robert.
Anger flared up in Jonathan but he smothered it. Now was not the time to lose his temper. Once again he refused to address Righteous directly, instead talking to the reporters and family members of victims gathered there. At first he strove for the same cool and rational tone Righteous used in these situations, but that soon evaporated. It just didn't feel right to him, and right now he was operating purely on gut instinct. As he spoke the emotions gathered in his voice, the passion he felt clear as day to all those listening. This was it; there were no second chances. He got one shot at making these people see the man standing just a yard to his right for what he was. He could feel Righteous' gaze as a palpable thing, an imaginary point in between his shoulder blades itching as he could almost feel the steel of the knife Righteous longed to plant there. Every cell of his being screamed at him not to turn his back to this man, as deep inside Jonathan was not sure of what he was capable of even in such a public forum. But turn away he did, with an effort, to answer Righteous' question for the crowd.
"The moment the law banning rock and roll was passed Righteous needed to enforce it, and Robert Kilroy happened to be the first example handy to him. Like any politician, his approval ratings soared after he handled the crisis caused by Kilroy breaking his blatantly unconstitutional law. Of course he handled the crisis well, he created it. He orchestrated it and saw it played out exactly as he planned it. Righteous staged the murder of one of his own people to put the final nail in the coffin of rock and roll. The video we aired a few weeks ago showing what happened was the plain, simple truth."
Robert stood listening to Jonathan, fascinated by the picture he was painting even though he knew all of the facts already. He was amazed at how well it worked, for as Jonathan spoke people seemed to stop and really listen to what he was saying, forgetting the arguments that so readily came to them. He dared not interrupt and destroy the flow of the tale Jonathan was weaving.
On his part, Jonathan paused in order to measure the reaction of the people in front of him. They were silent for the moment, hanging on his every word. He continued, his facial expressions, body language and most especially the look in his deep blue eyes speaking volumes to the crowd. It told of a man who was, at the same time, calm and reasonable yet ardent and concerned. It conveyed his earnestness without desperation, urging people to listen to what he had to say and convincing them that he spoke the truth. "As for why Righteous would contrive to blow up his own building, causing such damage and pain to those who believed in him, I can only hazard to guess. His reaction to the airing of that video showed all of you the lengths that this man would go to in order to enforce his will. We dared to speak up and show him for what he is, a man who twists the law to meet his own needs. A man who is so hungry for power and control that anyone standing in his way gets swept aside without a thought, and if some innocent people get hurt in the process, well that's merely the cost of doing business. For having the audacity to try and bring you the truth about him, we were branded as criminals, and worse."
"Years ago he ordered one of his own murdered in cold blood to enforce a law that should never have been passed in the first place. Now when he saw a threat to the security of his position he moved to diffuse that threat, in the same manner as before. I suppose once a person's hands are stained with blood its easier for them to do it the second time around. By perpetrating such a hideous crime and pinning it on me he directed your attention this way, like a magician misdirects his audience so that he can move the lady out of the box before he saws it in half. Don't let him deceive you. Look through that deception to the truth that lies behind."
Wylie saw his chance to help and stepped in at this point. "My aide is passing out two separate packets of information to you right now. These documents are copies of those we obtained directly from MMM files. The first contains internal memos detailing the events leading up to Robert Kilroy's arrest. In these you will find orders issued by Dr. Righteous specifying exactly how MMM security was to create the illusion that Robert Kilroy murdered an MMM supporter on stage. In one, specific attention was paid to exactly how the MMM guards were to deploy themselves on stage to best block the audience from witnessing the assassination. This, in conjunction with the video you have already seen, creates irrefutable evidence that Dr. Righteous engineered this event." "The second packet is full of materials concerning the letter bomb that exploded here last week. Floor plans, requisition forms for materials, even the order to his security chief Col. Hyde to hire an outside agent to perpetrate the crime - it's all there."
Wylie wound down, loathing in his voice. "Righteous' hands couldn't be bloodier if he'd set the bomb off himself."
Jonathan took up where he left off, ending simply. There was not much more to say, and now it was in their hands. "Please, read the contents of this packet. Decide for yourselves whether you believe what Dr. Righteous says in the face of all the evidence against him."
Barely able to control his anger, Righteous grabbed an envelope from Wylie's aide. She flinched away from him, but he did not seem to notice this. Robert watched Righteous closely as he scanned the contents of the package, and he saw the almost unnoticeable flash of desperation cross his face. It was gone as quickly as it came, and thinking on it afterward Robert could not say for sure whether it was really there or that he imagined it. When Righteous looked up from his reading, his handsome face was fixed in a charming half smile. Warning bells went off in Robert's brain; he'd seen that look before.
"These desperate attempts to put the blame for this entire thing on me are heartbreaking," he shook his head sadly, looking on Jonathan and Robert with pity. "This is exactly why I operate the rehabilitation facilities within the jails. You see before you the kind of damage that can occur when listening to rock music. This is an extreme example, I admit, but an example nonetheless."
"There's nothing wrong with listening to rock music," Jonathan said attempting to keep his voice calm. Let Righteous grab the crowd and he was lost. "Saying that it causes people to do evil things is as ridiculous as saying reading 'Romeo and Juliet' would cause someone to commit suicide."
"Yes, I believe that it might," Righteous answered in perfect seriousness. He looked out at the crowd, searching for the families of victims. He met their eyes with concern. "Someone has to protect the youth of our country from the messages found in these stories. No one should be allowed to submit your children to their depraved messages under the guise of freedom of speech. In this modern world, busy parents need all the help that they can get, and all I try and do is offer guidance."
For the first time Robert spoke. He was tired of Righteous' half-truths and deceptions, and he felt very strongly on this particular subject. "I believe it was Voltaire who said, 'I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it'. Our founding fathers thought freedom of speech so important that they made it the very first amendment. Restricting people's ability to listen to what music they wish is just the first step in taking away that freedom. Next you'll say we can't watch certain television shows, or read certain books. Then you'll say we can't think certain thoughts, or vote for the person we think will best represent our interests in Washington. Our entire system of government is based on the individual's freedom to do, say, and think what they choose and you've taken that away. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
Dr. Righteous spread his arms wide in a gesture of submission. The look on his face was one of confusion, as if what Robert said made no sense to him. "Ashamed? If caring for the youth of America is a crime, let me be arrested. If concern over the moral decline of this country is wrong, I apologize for making such a horrible mistake. I only have your best interests in mind, my friends. I care about the people of this nation and I strive every single day to work toward making this a better place for all of us to live. If I have ever done anything to harm another living soul, let me be lead to the jailhouse right now."
With a thump he threw the packet of information to the ground. "These documents are fakes, falsified to back up the lies of two desperate men attempting to elude the punishment their actions have earned."
During Righteous' speech, Robert's eyes met Jonathan's in concern. He could see Jon's mind racing for a retort to the candy-coated lies Righteous was serving up. Hoping that his speech wasn't working, Robert looked out at the audience and his heart sank. It seemed it was working all too well. People everywhere were nodding in agreement, talking to each other in low tones, praising the efforts of Righteous and his role in keeping them safe from outside forces determined to undermine the morals they stand for. Robert could hardly believe what he was seeing. He felt like screaming, can't you see what he's doing? Are you all so blinded by his lies that a few words from him can erase all the evidence we present? As he scanned the crowd for even one friendly face, he spied Alec standing in the doorway barely inside the room, as if he didn't wish to be there at all. Biting back the dozen questions and concerns he was yearning to voice to his friend, Robert merely watched him, trying to communicate silently all he was feeling.
He met Robert's gaze reluctantly, and with trepidation. Alec worked and searched for months to find the documents he wanted. He was bone tired and his emotions were in turmoil, and now Robert was asking him for more. Alec leaned against the door jam wearily. When Robert left with those documents, Alec had made sure that Hyde knew the depth of his hatred for him. Alec had found some rope, tied him up so that he could not follow, and abandoned him there. For all he knew Hyde was still there, slowly bleeding to death on the dirty warehouse floor. He got home and rapidly stuffed clothing haphazardly into a duffel bag, fearing he might have to leave town quickly after what had happened with Hyde. He spent the entire day yesterday alternating between sleeping fitfully and pacing his apartment, waiting for the front door to burst open and the MMM to drag him off for what he'd done. It took every ounce of courage he had to come down here today, but Alec felt he had to see this through to the end.
He let his gaze drift across to Righteous, the man who for as long as he could remember was his friend, being attacked and accused of such horrific crimes that he could never erase the picture of them from his mind. This man gave him more than just a job, he gave him a reason to get up and face the day every morning.
Righteous was the family he never had. but that wasn't really true, was it?
Righteous wasn't his friend, and the phrase 'for as long as he could remember' was a cruel joke when seen in the light of the intense brainwashing Alec had suffered at his command. Alec had family, and Righteous had cut him off from them without a second thought. He had destroyed his life and replaced it with a flimsy lie, all for his own amusement. There could be no other reason for it other than that - it amused him to make one of Robert's friends' work to destroy what he believed in. And there he was; spinning his web of lies to entangle the American public yet again. and next to him was his friend Robert silently pleading with him for aid. He wanted to help, but didn't Robert understand how hard this was for him, how foreign the idea of opposing Righteous still was? And to say something here, in front of all those cameras. There was just no turning back from something like that. As he stared at his friend from across the room, he realized that yes, Robert did understand his confusion and pain. He did know that the thought of confronting Righteous filled him with such fear that it threatened to paralyze him, and Robert wished it could be otherwise. But the lies came easily to Righteous, and the people were more than happy to go on believing them. Much easier to do that then to admit that you had been duped all of these years, that you had handed over your future to a power hungry dictator that would do whatever was necessary to get his way, even if that meant murder. So now his friend needed his help one last time, and right now. After all, he had come down here for a reason. When the packet of papers hit the floor with a thump, he jumped as if it were a gunshot. Alec spoke, his voice audible to only a few people around him. Those who heard what he said turned to stare in shock, and that alone was enough to make the desire to turn and run from the room almost too much to bear. But he clenched his hands into fists, strangling his fear, and repeated what he said louder so that everyone could hear. "I can verify that the papers are real. I retrieved them myself out of Righteous' personal files." The cameras swung to get a shot of him and reporters shouted out questions to him, but he ignored them. He walked forward, stopping short of actually mounting the stage. Jonathan stared at him wordlessly in surprise. Alec turned to look at Robert, who met him with a gaze full of pride and thanks. Fortified by that, Alec met the cold blue eyes of Righteous himself. He had seen that look, but never before directed at him. Alec was thankful of all the people around him, for he was sure if they were alone, Righteous would not have been able to restrain himself. Alec continued on, his voice getting stronger.
"I first found out about Dr. Righteous' illegal activities a few months ago. I have been working ever since then to find the evidence to expose him, and finally yesterday I was able to succeed. Righteous buried his skeletons well, but not well enough."
By this point Righteous was speechless, the fury plain on his face. First Wylie, now this? They were all turning on him at once, and for some reason Hyde was nowhere to be found during this fiasco of a memorial service.
A voice broke through the crowd's chatter and made itself clearly heard. "What about your confession, Jonathan?" Jon turned to the people before him. They were confused and agitated, but he saw that some of them were willing to hear his answers. He spoke calmly and confidently, every inch a man who had nothing to hide. "I can't quite explain how they were able to do it, but the recording you heard of me confessing responsibility for the bombing was a forgery. I never made that phone call and I never entered the MMM building on the day in question. Ask yourselves this - why, if I had committed this crime, have they never aired the security camera tapes showing me entering the building? Because they don't exist. I was never there. Other than this supposed confession, they have no proof that I was the one responsible for this crime. On the other hand, we do have proof that Righteous planned and executed the entire thing."
"The damage from the blast destroyed the security cameras," Righteous put in, desperate to repair the damage done. Alec merely shook his head in disappointment, as if he'd thought Righteous could do better than that. He walked up to the nearest news crew and handed them an unlabeled VHS tape. This, finally, was the thing that made him decide to come there, to deliver this.
"The tapes are logged in a room on the other side of the building, far from where the blast occurred. The cameras in the mailroom were destroyed, yes, but the master tape is intact. I have a copy of it right here," and Alec gestured to the tape, now in the hands of a startled reporter. "You won't find Jonathan Chance anywhere on it. At no time was he ever in the building. It was impossible for him to have done it." At this, the underlying tension in the crowd burst open. Camera crews lunged forward to get as close to the people on the platform as possible, with the reporters yelling questions in unison. Family members of those killed in the blast stood and demanded that any and all of the people upon the dais be immediately arrested. Some burst into tears, the emotions of the afternoon too much to handle. In the center of the vortex stood Robert, Righteous, Jonathan and Alec. For a moment everyone simply stared at each other, then Righteous broke the silence among them. He had a look on his face of stark hatred. No longer playing to the cameras, realizing that the day was lost, he let his emotions surface. He turned to Robert first.
"Why couldn't you just fade away quietly, or die in there like so many others? And you," here he turned toward Jonathan, "if it weren't for you, that bombing would never have happened. But you had to push, didn't you? You just couldn't walk away." He turned to Alec last of all. "Vanish. my right hand man. I ought to have killed you when I had the chance." Throughout this the cameras were running, and his actions broadcast across America.
