Anna paced through John's office as his team assembled. Each of them passed her curious looks but Anna ignored them all until Gwen entered carrying two cups. She took one and sipped at it before smiling.

"Thank you."

"They didn't kick us out so I'll assume it went well."

"Well enough." Anna took another drink from her cup. "This is actually good."

"If it's where the budget went then I won't mind the one-ply toilet tissue." Gwen shook her head, "The organization here is… Lacking."

"It's volunteer." Both Anna and Gwen looked up as John joined them. "All the work here is done by volunteers."

"Volunteers?" Anna frowned and turned to Gwen, who nodded and shrugged. Anna looked back at John, "You're entrusting the operation of your campaign for the highest office in this land not bequeathed by God to volunteers?"

"They're willing contributors."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Anna took another drink of her tea, examining the room before her. "This… This is a mess."

"Excuse me?" John almost huffed but Gwen shook her head.

"It's… It's not ideal." Gwen took a breath, "We'll need to evaluate the management structure and get the lay of the land here."

"Is this everyone?" Anna finished her drink and started turning the cup in her fingers. "All your… volunteers?"

"You could say that word in a less derisive tone." John set his jaw. "These people take time out of their day to work here for nothing."

Anna stared at him a moment before repeating herself. "Is this everyone?"

John sighed and put his hands to his hips. Anna noted the way it pulled at his shirt and took the physical measure of him in a moment. When he spoke she focused on his face again. "It's the consistent ones, yes."

"The ones that have desks and places they consider their own?"

He frowned, opened his mouth as if to speak, closed it, and then shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

"And they're regular, as in they come in at regular times and almost every day?" Anna waited as John nodded. "Then we might have something to work with here and it's not as dismal as I thought."

"Not as…" John gaped at her. "What exactly are you saying Ms. Smith?"

"I'm saying that your campaign, Mr. Bates, is being run like you're trying to become a trustee of your local primary school and not as if you're serious about taking the seat for your party and then the most powerful seat of government this side of the pond."

"And you're hoping to change how that operation will go by doing what with the volunteers you've gathered in this room?"

"You'll see."

"I should hope so since I'm absolutely baffled by what you're hoping to accomplish here today."

"That is rather the point." Anna handed the cup to Gwen.

"Is it?"

"Of course." Anna gave John a smile. "If anyone could do my job then I wouldn't have to, would I?"

John's fingers pinched the bridge of his nose until his knuckles went white. When he opened his eyes to look at Anna it was with an exhalation large enough to send a ship over the ship. "Can I expect, Ms. Smith, that you'll be this mysterious and pretentious the entire time you work on this campaign or are you just in rare form because it's your first day?"

"They do say that you should leave an impression." Anna rolled her shoulders back, "And if you watch me work, Mr. Bates, you'll see wonders beyond your imaginings as I make miracles come to life."

"That's rather self-possessed of you."

"Few people have ever accused me of a low opinion of myself." Anna turned to Gwen, "I need you in the other room for the volunteers I send to you."

"Are we using the standard forms?"

"I think they'll work for now." Anna waited for Gwen to leave the room before she stepped before the group. A clap of her hands brought their attention to her, "Good morning. My name is Anna Smith and I'm Minister Bates's new campaign manager. As such I'll be in charge of this office from this moment on."

She took a breath, "As it stands, I need everyone who can commit to working here as an actual job to raise your hands."

Everyone looked around for a moment before two-thirds of the group raised their hands. Anna looked them over, nodding to herself, and spoke again. "Wonderful, if you'll all step to the side here. The rest of you I need to leave."

The confusion on all the faces, as they shuffled in place, had Anna turning to John. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. "If those who can only continue in the office as volunteers will please step back into the lobby, Miss…"

"Dawson."

"Ms. Dawson," John barely tripped over the whispered name Anna gave him before continuing. "Will oversee the volunteers in this office from this moment on and she'll tell you what you'll be doing."

The group separated and John turned to Anna while they continued peeling off. "What are you doing?"

"I'm separating the wheat from the chaff."

"These are loyal volunteers."

"And I respect that they like you enough to work for free but since I need dependable, regular employees, their noble intentions are not in service to what I intend to do here."

"And what is that?"

"Have them all sign NDAs." John blinked at her and Anna sighed. "I need to hire these people so I can have them sign NDAs. That way they can't be poached or approached by your competition or the media without repercussions. It'll keep leaks to a minimum and allow us to control the conversation from this office."

"And the other volunteers?"

"Gwen'll find a place for them." Anna crossed her arms over her chest, "I find your loyalty to them very noble, and inspiring but-"

"But what?"

"But we need to run this like a business. Or a ship. Or whatever metaphor you'd prefer." Anna shook her head, "This isn't a bake sale, Mr. Bates. This is a race that you will lose if you're not going to run it."

John stared at her a moment before nodding toward the door. "And what about the volunteers?"

"We'll find a place for them that won't be in this office. Your, for all intents and purposes, command center." Anna waited but John did not respond. "If you've a problem with the way I'm running things, or my methods, I'll tell you that the decisions I'm making now only get more decisive."

"Like you're cutting the dead weight?"

"Or choosing who survives the voyage." Anna lowered her voice, "The supplies are meager, Mr. Bates, and you'll have to decide how far you want to take this campaign."

"To the end."

"Then step back and allow me to do my job."

"And allow Gwen to make sure the volunteers are taken care of?"

"Sure." Anna made a face, "She's always got something like that worked out."

"You're sure."

"Of course I'm sure." Anna stopped, "You're really worried about them?"

"I care about people, Ms. Smith."

Anna studied him a moment, "Then you should go out and speak to them. I'll take care of the people in here."

"Because you don't care about the people out there?"

"Because I believe in delegation and it'd be a waste of time for me to do what I can entrust to others." Anna nodded at John. "A trait I believe you, Mr. Bates, might want to consider."

"Can I trust you to do your job?"

"If you can't then you'd best fire me now." Anna gave him a moment, "If not then I'd suggest you allow me to do the job I came here to do."

John pursed his lips but lowered his head to her, as if bowing at the neck. "A you will, Ms. Smith."

Anna watched him go before turning to the remaining workers. "Perfect. Here's how it's going to go here from now on."

She outlined the situation for them, with a couple peeling off when she left it open for those who could not meet the requirements to please step outside, and then turned to John. "Is there anything you'd like to say to the newest employees of your campaign office Minister?"

John spared exactly three seconds to purse his lips in the nearest approximation of a scowl he could manage with witnesses present before he addressed the group. Anna took the time to skirt the group, missing Robert's attempt to get her attention, and ducked from the office to meet Gwen beside the now-empty desk formerly occupied by a secretary. "What's the verdict?"

"I've got them all signed up and ready for a vetting process that I think lacked at the beginning of this venture." Gwen shuddered, "This is being run worse than school trustee board elections."

"It's in a right state." Anna jerked her thumb back toward John's office. "I need all the contracts and calculations we work for a standard employee agreement. Preferably signed within the next two days."

"Have you peeked at the financials for this venture?"

"Enough to know it's not a coincidence that these were all volunteers." Anna clicked her teeth together a moment. "I've got a potential solution to that."

"Will I like it?"

"Maybe."

"That means no." Gwen sighed, "You do realize there's a limit to how much you can legally donate to a campaign, yes?"

"Of course." Anna shrugged, "But there's no limit to how much you can pay consultants who you then classify as working on a volunteer project."

"I'm not going to prison because you tried to duck election law to make sure there's a paid staff here."

"And I'm not going to prison if I hire these people and then take on the cost of the campaign myself."

Gwen blinked at Anna. "You do realize that you'd be in the red… Even if you could form an LLC or whatever kind of company you'd shuffle this under to succeed with that plan yes?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Of that I'm painfully aware." Gwen groaned, "All this would be easier if you'd be ten percent dumber than you are and just become an accountant."

"You say that like it was an option."

"There were many options for you, Anna, and yet you continue to burn down forests to literally blaze a trail." Gwen shook her head, digging around in her bag. "I'm guessing you're getting me in that room after I dealt with this one because you've got somewhere to be."

"I should meet with my off-site team."

"Your off-site…" Gwen frowned, "You already hired someone for this?"

"I hired three someones to investigate this."

Gwen's lips twisted toward a frown, "I don't like where this is going."

"Why not?"

"Because I think I know who you hired and I don't like him or what he does."

"It's all legal."

"Something can be legal while also being immoral and unethical." Gwen shook her head, "Just… Keep me out of it. See if you can form these people here into a company so we can pay for the time you'll definitely rack up on their accounts and I'll manage the NDA side of this."

"Are we making it an hourly or a salary position?"

"Depends on how much overtime you want to pay." Gwen held up the two sheets. "It's a math problem but I'm sure you'll solve it."

Anna eyed them both before nodding. "Choose the most stalwart of the volunteers, at Mr. Bates and Mr…" Anna frowned, "What was the other one's name?"

"Crawley."

"Right," Anna nodded, "Get them to choose no fewer than twelve people they want as full-time here. The people they'd trust with the stress and the responsibility. Put those ones on salary and give them position titles to match. Then give the rest of the people in that room hourly wages. Full-time, part-time, however they like. The rest of them…"

Anna fiddled her hand in the air. "I dunno, give them billets or bulletins or buttons to pass around so they're doing the legwork. We need this to get the kind of grassroots feel that the social media generation salivates over."

"That's the angle we're taking?"

"We don't have the kind of cash Mr. Thomas Barrow can throw around so we need something we can use to our advantage." Anna pulled out her phone and held it up. "Every twelve-year-old with one of these will now be on our side as much as possible and, the best part, we don't even have to pay them for it."

"Hence why we can afford twelve salaried positions?"

"That's the idea." Anna led Gwen into the room but separated to grab her coat and bag as Gwen passed around the appropriate forms. A hand graced Anna's elbow and she turned into it. John stepped back and raised his eyebrow at her.

"Going somewhere?"

"I've got more than just this ball in the air for your campaign, Mr. Bates." Anna put her arms through her coat sleeves and, unintentionally, led John back through the office as she went for the street.

"You're going to leave just like that?" He joined her on the pavement as Anna held up her hand to the passing cars. "After you came into my office like a windstorm, overturned everything, and now you're-"

"Blowing out like the North Wind?" Anna turned to him as a cab came to the side of the road and straightened John's tie. "Exactly that."

"Why?"

"Because, and please don't look, there's a photographer over there taking a picture of me fixing your tie." Anna stepped back, surveying John. "And, in about an hour, you'll have to tell a number of reporters that you're in consultation with one Anna Smith but you've no comment."

"No comment?"

"None at all." Anna smiled at him, opening the cab door. "I don't want you speaking to any reporters unless I've vetted them first."

"Because you don't trust me?"

"Because they'll use you, Mr. Bates, and I intend for us to use them instead." John snorted and Anna paused, holding up a finger to pause the cab driver. "What?"

"I thought I was 'John'?"

"We're in public, Mr. Bates."

He pursed his lips and gave a small shake to his head. "You… Hm."

"I'm tempted to let your intentional hook there go. But," Anna dug into her purse for a bill and passed it to the cabbie when she began to complain again. "I want to humor you."

"Is that all you do?"

"What do you think I do, Mr. Bates?"

"I think you're very unimpressed with me." John leaned forward slightly, shivering for a second in the chilling breeze. "Ms. Smith."

"Mr. Bates…" Anna stopped herself to stress the next word. "John."

"So you do know my name?"

"I've an impressive memory, John," Anna stressed it again, risking a grin to match the satisfied one John gave her. "And if I were unimpressed with you, I wouldn't be here."

"Where would you be?"

"No idea but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think there was something impressive about you worth giving to the world." Anna ducked into the cab. "Now, trust Gwen to man the fort while I'm gone and I'll see you in a few hours."

Once the door was shut and the cab driver had the address, Anna sat back to give herself a few moments with her eyes closed. Her mind did not shut down, only filed all the relevant thoughts in the temporary lull. The purpose was, when the cabbie reached their destination, Anna opened her eyes to a clear mind and exited the cab to enter a derelict-esque building.

Ignoring the expression on the cabbie's face, Anna entered the security code for the door and entered the building. The interior, unlike the façade facing the street, glimmered with clean. It was empty, and outdated, but not the festering pit of squalor one might assume from the outside. Instead there were only clean surfaces empty of human touch. Even the single lift rang almost hollow with neglect of use but not neglect of care.

Anna exited the lift to a floor devoted to a studio. One filled with fold-out tables covered in monitors, computer towers, printers, and a series of telephones. Mr. Bright managed all the phones, his smile never failing as he flashed a series of hand signals at Ms. Dark and her fingers whizzed on computer keys. Mr. Crowe, unlike the other two, sat unmoving as he studied four screens at once. Each one held a different set of images or video and his eyes darted from one to the next seemingly at random while his body sat tightly coiled in his chair.

Clearing her throat, Anna caught Crowe's attention and nodded at the screens. "Studying your opponents?"

"That was in the job description, Ms. Smith." He paused the videos and turned to a pad next to him. "I'm guessing you chose Bates over Barrow in this."

"Not much of a guess."

"No, it wasn't." He made a note before finally facing her. "And how did you find the good Minister from Manchester?"

"Swamped but sincere." Anna set her purse on the table behind Crowe and nodded toward Bright. "I hope he's not your bookie."

"He's doing phone interviews for the Newcastle region." Crowe shuddered, "And affecting the worst Geordie accent I think I've ever heard."

"We've all got to start somewhere." Anna crossed her arms over her chest. "What've you got on Bates?"

"Enough to tell you that you're definitely on the back foot." Mr. Bright put down one of the phones, winking at her. "But he's the one people want to trust."

"They're just nervous." Ms. Darke turned in her chair to face Anna.

"And why's that?"

"They think he'll turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing." She shrugged, "They've seen enough politicians talk a good game and then betray them when it suits their personal interests or when the going gets tough."

"What does his record say?" Anna turned to Crowe and waited as he looked over some notes.

"He's dependable. All the way back to school trustee." Crowe put down his notes and templed his fingers as his elbows rested on the table before him. "Which might be the wrong choice."

"Why's that?"

"Crowe wants him to fight dirty." Bright shrugged when Crowe scowled at him. "What? You know you'd rather a mudslinging contest."

"It is what he's best at." Darke admitted and Anna shook her head.

"That's not the game we're playing this time." Anna pivoted to fully face Crowe. "It'll be a harder battle but we'll taste victory all the sweeter this way."

"Maybe we will, maybe we won't." Crowe pushed back from the desk and walked to Anna, lowering his voice as he spoke. Anna noted that he stayed out of reach, as if loathe to have her touch him. "What made you pick him anyway?"

"Does it matter?"

"It speaks to motive." Crowe pursed his lips. "I've my theories but I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt over most of them."

"Because you've got lurid ideas about me?"

"As salacious as…" Crowe counted, "Two of them are, I don't think the chances of those possibilities are likely."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

"In all seriousness." Crowe waited but Anna stayed silent. "Why him?"

'Why not him?"

"Because you choose winners and he's not a winner, Anna."

"He's not a winner yet."

"Never." Crowe shook his head, "A man like him won't compromise. And he'll have to compromise. He can't do the job if he spits in the faces of people he doesn't like, which a man like him will do if they threaten his commitment to his morals, and then he'll be in a job with no friends and out almost as soon as he was in."

"He's not the kind of man to spit in anyone's face."

"You know what I mean." Crowe sighed, "he's going to make more enemies than friends with the iron will he's got and an unbending spine."

"Would you rather I stump for someone like Thomas Barrow?"

"I'd rather you support someone I understand." Crowe shook his head. "I don't understand John Bates in anything but theory."

"You don't have to understand him to-"

"No, I do need to understand him or I can't find his weaknesses. And if I can't find his weaknesses then you're left flapping in the breeze when someone like Thomas Barrow, who I do understand, decides to set his sights on him and lets fly with everything he has." Crowe took a breath. "I need to know why we're fighting an uphill battle for a man who would never approve of the type of thing we're doing in this office."

"It's not illegal."

"But it's not his style." Crowe shook his head. "You run two risks with this one Ms. Smith and you won't like either option."

"And what are my options?"

"First, you turn him into a politician and whatever you saw in him that you liked will be gone." Crowe ticked off on his fingers. "Second, you ruin his future in politics and he can't change the world the way you think he can."

"And if he loses then what future does he have in politics?"

"Hopefully none so he can actually do the good in the world he's already doing by not being involved in this mess." Crowe took a step back, collecting himself. "I'm no fan of people with morals. They're difficult to swindle and they make you feel guilty for trying."

"What an astounding observation."

"But they're also the kinds of people the world needs." Crowe almost seemed to bite his tongue at the words. "Which makes me ask again, why him?"

Anna took a moment, noting Bright and Darke continued to glance their way as they worked. Taking a breath she faced Crowe full on. "Because I think he can make a difference. I think he can stay the person he is and still be a good politician. It's not impossible."

"Tell that to the national animal of Scotland."

"That's not funny."

"Neither is you taking on someone who shouldn't be running for this job in the first place."

"Because the people who go after power are the most unqualified to have it?"

"Exactly." Crowe pointed toward the screen with a paused image of John's face. "That man is the type of person everyone wants to trust. You start making him someone he's not and you'll lose."

"Then I won't make him anything but more of what he is."

"No one comes out of this game clean." Crowe pointed at himself and then to Bright and Darke. "You think we're squeaky?"

"No more or less than I am."

"Then it's worse than I thought." Crowe lowered his voice, "I know where you were before your latest ad campaign."

"It's not exactly a state secret."

"But does Minister Bates know?"

Anna chewed the inside of her cheek. "It's not important that he know."

"And if you crack under the pressure?" Crowe folded his arms over his chest. "What does he get to know then?"

"Are you my sobriety companion now?"

"I'd never want the job and I'll guess that Ms. Dawson will do a fine enough job of that, given the chance." Crowe gave another sigh. "I'm not one to judge vices, Ms. Smith, and given that you'll pay yes whether you win or lose I've really no skin in the game if the outcome is in question."

"Then why do you care if Minister Bates will win or not?"

"Because it speaks to a shift in the way you work." Crowe pursed his lips. "I… I know life's not exactly treated you kindly in the last few years and if you're trying to… Set some cosmic book right then I've no interest in being on your balance sheets for whatever good deeds you think you'll rack up."

"You think this is charity?"

"What else could it be when he's practically lame?"

"Hope, Mr. Crowe." Anna checked her things. "And I expect, when I come in tomorrow, to have a full report from you about the strategies we should take moving forward and the types of warfare we should expect from our opponents. Near and far, by the way."

Crowe opened his mouth as if to speak but shut it and nodded. Giving a sigh of her own, Anna bit at her lip before speaking. "Thank you, for whatever worry you have about me and mine."

"It's not personal."

"I never said it was but it's kindness all the same." Anna offered a small smile. "And if you're worried about it, trust that I'm fine."

"No one's fine."

"Then I'm cured."

"Sobriety it's a cure, Ms. Smith."

"I take mine where I can get them." Anna two-finger saluted Bright and Darke. "Good luck."

"We won't need luck." Crowe rolled back his shoulders. "Barrow's… A friend of Dorothy's and Mr. Bright just happens to dally with those sorts of friends."

"Nothing illegal."

"There's nothing illegal about arranging for two single, good-looking males to meet and enjoy private time together." Crowe almost smiled. "In fact, it's one of my specialties… In another capacity and occupation."

"Please don't tell me more." Anna headed for the door, "And I'll be back early so please don't keep yourselves too late here. The work'll be right where you left it when you come back."