OPENING BID: A House of Cards Fanfic
By DavidB226Morris
Summary: Representative Henry Malloran believed that the election of Garrett Walker was the beginning of the end of his political life. But as Walker's presidency begins to unravel, Malloran begins to see patterns that few in Washington can, and many of them involve one of his superiors, Majority Whip Francis Underwood.
Malloran learned early about the malevolence hiding in men like Underwood. And as his friend Peter Russo becomes ensnared in the grasp of Underwood's plans, he finds he will have to confront that evil – even if it means going up against the wolves.
Disclaimer: Francis Underwood, Peter Russo and the cast of House of Cards are the property of Beau Willimon and Netflix. For all the controversy surrounding the series, I am still an admirer of it and this fanfiction is a commemoration of their work. Henry Malloran and some of the other characters in his circle are part of the work of another brilliant author whose identity will become clear to some of you soon (and very close readers of YA might even know who he is). I will refrain from revealing his identity, but though he has an adult, his origins are not my own.
Author's Note: This will be a long term project; I'm telling you right now. The actions in this fanfic will operate parallel to what is going on in the first season of House Of Cards from an observer who exists outside the system. Much like the original series, which Netflix earned the rights to only after receiving an agreement for a two-season pickup, much of the action in this fanfic will involve a parallel to the first two seasons of House of Cards before it begins to move into its own territory. Like the writers I do have a plan in mind for the structure but it's going to take awhile to get there. I hope you choose to stay along.
Furthermore in keeping with Underwood's breaking of the fourth wall, I intend to do the same throughout this fanfic and throughout follow-ups. This story will be divided between the action and monologues from the perspective of the central character.
Whenever the narrative turns into italics, picture my central character speaking directly to you, a la Frank and Claire. Just to be clear, he is not evil but, like the Underwoods, he has his own agenda which you will be privy to.
I won't be updating this story at the same pace as some of my other fanfics (I intend to resume work on my Lost-Grey's series sooner than this) but I do intend to pursue it steadily. As we get closer to what will be another difficult election cycle, this may serve to be therapy as much for me as any of the readers.
Deep Breath. Here I go.
Chapter 1
"And as the President-elect celebrates his resounding victory, the question awaiting America is what will Garrett Walker's agenda be for his first 100 days. While Walker won in the biggest electoral margin for a Democrat in nearly half a century, the fact remains his coattails did not apply to the same degree in both Houses of Congress. Speaker Robert Birch…"
"Shhh, they're talking about the boss!"
"They're not, but he'll be grateful for the lip service."
"…actually has less of a majority to work with, having lost eleven seats less than a month ago. With the Democrats having a majority of seventeen seats and six of them in districts that Walker did not carry, the question is how ambitious an agenda can he expect to get through."
"That would assume he has an ambitious agenda at all."
Peter Russo looked at his old friend. "I know I've only been in Congress two years fewer than you, but you're already thirty times more cynical than men, Henry."
Henry Malloran looked at Russo with a glare only slightly less bleary than his friend. It was one of the worst kept secrets in DC than Peter was one of the House's biggest drinkers, but tonight Henry was almost keeping up with him.
"The argument could be that you're not cynical enough." Henry told him.
"I have two kids Henry; I have to try to be cheerful." Peter said.
"I have two kids and am happily married. My wife knows better." Henry actually winced. "I'm sorry."
Peter waved it off. "It's been three years. I'm over it." He paused. "And I got there the best way possible."
"No, no, Peter. I do not share the details of my sex life. Please spare me those of yours." Henry was actually kidding. Christina was the best thing that had happened to Henry. He knew were it not for the ridiculous hypocrisy of this town, Peter and his assistant could live out in the open. As it was, he was just leaving himself open for a scandal if this came out.
That was, to be fair, assuming Peter could avoid scandal on any of the other bad habits he knew his oldest friend in Congress had. The vodkas they'd been draining the last hour were the least of it.
"Henry, I love to get drunk as much as the next fellow but I can count the times you've even tried to keep up with me on one hand." Peter looked at him. "Why are you drowning your sorrows in 7 and 7 tonight?"
"I'm not sorrowful. I'm celebrating," Henry downed his glass in two seconds. "
"You are more knowledgeable than me on legislation but I'm the expert on drinking, and this is the attitude of someone on a bender."
Henry knew Peter was telling the truth. "But I am celebrating. In a week, when we will all be sworn in as the new Congress, it will be the very last time I ever take the oath in the House of Representatives. You and 433 of our closest friends will be witness to the end of my career in professional politics."
Peter shook his head. "You won your primary by 23 points. You ran ahead of Walker by eleven in your district."
"All true and all irrelevant." Henry poured another shot in his glass. "The knives have been out for me since after the Convention. Walker will not forget a slight like this, and even if he were we all know that the DNC will not either."
"I really think you're worrying to much about what you said in August. The party always unites after an election."
Henry put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter, Peter, friend of all things illegal, immoral and fattening. I realize that in the grand scheme of things, neither of us have been in DC that long. But I have been here long enough to know the rules of Washington. And three months ago, I broke one of the most critical ones. And I am very aware that the people who sit in the corridors of power have a long memory." Henry picked up the glass with a hand that wasn't quite steady. "Even if I were to forget, they won't. And they certainly won't forgive."
Peter knew very well what his friend was talking about. "You never told me why you did it."
"You're better off not knowing." Henry said. "You want a future in the party, you'd do well not to stay true to your principles."
"What makes you think I even have any?" Peter raised a glass.
Henry shook his head. "You care for people. That's better."
He got to his feet. "Yeah, I am not equipped for this. Could you do me a favor?"
"Anything."
"Call my driver. Tell him to meet me here as soon as possible. I've got a long night and an even longer day tomorrow ahead of me."
Peter's a good friend, loyal, devoted and despite his character flaws, fundamentally honest. I hope I can stay friends with him when I start becoming radioactive.
Oh that's right. You don't know what this is about. Unless you live in the Worcester section of Massachusetts or pay very close attention to C-SPAN you probably don't even know who I am. There's a good chance people in my district don't know either.
I'm Henry Malloran, representative of the eighth district in Massachusetts. I'm thirty-seven years old. My wife is Nora, and I have twins that I have done my level best to keep out of the spotlight. No mean feat when you've spent the better part of thirteen years in the public eye and have been in Congress for eight years. But unlike most of my breed, I actually believe it when I say that my children mean more to me even than my life as an elected official. I know how harsh and cruel the world can be for them, and in a large part it is why I got into politics in the first place: I really did want to make the world better for them.
My ambitions were never that high when I got here: it took me less than six weeks to see just how fucked up our government truly is. And that was eight years ago. In a world where everything in partisan from cable news to Sesame Street, I'm amazed anyone voluntarily comes here anymore..
That being said I knew that going in, and I also knew that things had to change. I had the inkling of an idea of how to do that but I learned very quickly it was going to require a lot of time to even have a chance of executing it: years, maybe decades. But I had a campaign staff made up of friends who believed in me and a wife who supported me. All of them were willing to be patient. How many of them thought my ideas were crazy is an open question. And there's a very good chance that's about to become a moot point.
I spent my first three terms doing everything a good Congressman should do both in public and private. I built alliances in Congress; I voted the party line loyally and I campaigned for Democrats when asked and often when I wasn't. I was also willing to reach across the aisle more than my party would have liked me too. Was I doing it for selfish reasons? Of course. But I also believed that anecdote about Republicans being the opposition, not the enemy.
Things were going according to plan and then in the lead-up to the Democratic primaries I made a monumental error. I went out of my way to attach myself to one of Garrett Walker's opponents in the Presidential primary. I also made several vehement anti-Walker comments leading up to the caucuses and kept making them even as Walker built a larger and insurmountable lead in the delegate hunt.
None of this was a sin of course; it's politics as usual. My violation came after my guy conceded in just after the California primary. Everyone who was with him watched him endorse Walker. I wasn't there. And I was very clear to avoid the press in the days to come. Every time a reporter approached me, I told them that I was concentrating on winning my primary which I had neglected as part of the campaign. I wasn't worried, I'm loved in my district. The thing is, at the convention when everybody was on stage celebrating Walker, I wasn't. I wasn't even in Charlotte.
I violated Rule 11: You always say you support the nominee for President, even if you hate their guts. And the thing is, I knew that and I still didn't say anything. Not before the convention, not during the fall campaign. I spent the fall of 2012 entirely in my district, and it was noticed. I'd already won my primary by the time the convention ended, but my funding was kept to a minimum and only Democrats from Massachusetts came out to campaign for me.
I got the message: "it's too late for us to kill you in your bed, but in the next cycle we're going to erase you. Expect a primary challenger to come starting next November."
To be clear, these actions did everything to destroy any long-terms plans I might have. So why did I commit political suicide? Part of it is principles: I always thought Walker was the weaker candidate going in. Everybody who runs for office is a fraud in some way but he claimed to be a man of the people while before he ran for governor he was a Fortune 500 CEO. I thought he was a dilletante disguised as a populist.
Still I could have lived with even that had it not been one of the men who joined his campaign within a week of Walker's announcement. My immediate superior: Francis Underwood, House majority whip.
Underwood's reputation is that of a solid legislative hand in DC, the ultimate party man, never seeking higher office, always with a kind word for everyone. And he hasn't said or done anything in the eight years I've known him to make me doubt the public impression. So why, the moment Underwood appeared at a campaign stop in South Carolina, did I know I could never endorse Walker no matter the cost?
That's complicated, and I don't know you that well yet. For now I will just tell you this much. At a very young age I encountered in not one, but two very different personalities the most blatantly malevolent people you will ever have the misfortune of meeting. I was fortunate that the former was gone from my life before we ever met. I couldn't avoid the latter. But I knew just how horrible these men were and I knew almost from the start how dangerous they could be. No one but a few in my circle know this secret, but they trusted me when I told them why I got this same feeling around Underwood, even if they don't.
And so they supported me. And now I will most likely reap the whirlwind. Tomorrow morning, I have a meeting with my full staff to figure out what the next steps will be going forward. They're smart people so they might know a way out. The problem is I know this town. And if you cut yourself shaving, no one will offer you a band-aid. I've just set myself on fire and I seriously doubt anyone will piss on me to put it out.
Welcome to Washington.
THE NEXT DAY
"Are we boring you, Henry?"
"My husband is suffering from a massive hangover," Amy Malloran said fondly.
The members of Representative Malloran's staff looked stunned at this.
"Are you surprised that I'm a human being?" Henry said in a voice that sounded detached but was trying to keep his splitting head calm.
"Forgive me, it's just I've known you for five years. I've never seen you take more than two drinks at a benefit." Jane said.
"He doesn't usually." The most senior staff member at this meeting assured her. "Which means he's certain that's he as fucked as he says he is. Why again is that?"
"Don't you know? He violated a rule." Amy said with a smile. "Granted it's one that only he knows about so you'd think there would be margin for error."
"All right. Say I'm talking out of my ass. In this town we practically do it for a living." Henry seemed a little steadier now. "Everyone knows what I did during the campaign."
"We're very aware of it. As I recall, I made no less than six separate attempts to talk you out of it."
Ray Bannister. He goes back with me the furthest. With the exception of my wife and one other person, there's no one else whose instincts I trust the most."
"And each time I made it very clear why I couldn't do that." Henry looked at Ray. "Do you think I'm wrong?"
"About Frank Underwood, no. I get why you thought that way. As I recall we had no less than three separate conversations as to why you should make a token statement anyway." Ray said. "We all know that statements of support are like a verbal contract, especially in this town."
He has a good point. It's not like anyone else's were actually sincere.
"You're the first one who said that politics is about compromise," Amy reminded him. "Isn't that the point of those long term plans of yours? The ones that you basically threw on the barbecue?
Henry shook his head. "If the purpose of this meeting was merely to repeat how much of an idiot I am…"
"No, we can do that with every other meeting we have." Ray said. "You wanted to discuss your political future. Which right now, you seem the only person in D.C. who doesn't seem to think you still have one."
"Let's put it bluntly. I did not support the President-Elect in his campaign at any point." Henry put out a finger. "He is now the leader of the Democratic Party, at least for the next four years. It is in the interest of any President to have people who he is certain will be loyal to his agenda. "
"You don't think your history in the party is enough?" Harry asked.
"If I'd been in office four or six more years, probably," Henry said. "I'm borderline. The fact that I'm in a solid blue district will make this easier. Walker's going to think – not without reason – that he can tap anybody in a primary and he'll be reelected in two years. I'm a potential troublemaker and at some point Vasquez or Birch or somebody is going to consider my loyalty. So, the question is: what can we do to prevent my career from coming to an abrupt end in two years?"
"Well, the first step is obviously to become as vocal a supporter of whatever Agenda Walker agenda promotes right out the gate," Ray said. "Prove that you're a loyal soldier, vote the party line on every thing he asks you too, and don't ask for any favors."
"In other words just become a total lickspittle for a man he spent last year saying nothing good about," Amy said cynically.
Henry shrugged. "It's DC. You follow your party no matter what any way."
"And the fact this might do damage to the reputation you've spent the last eight years building?" Amy looked her husband in the eyes.
Henry nodded. "That's the problem. I sacrifice my present reputation to preserve my future long-term goals. Again, nothing new."
"And it's not like anyone's really going to notice anyway," Harry reminded him. "We all know for the next six months at least, every source in the country is going to be focused on what the Republicans do in reaction to Walker. Lest we forget, he could say the sky is blue and they'd introduce a motion saying that it is red."
"Which gives you a different route: every time you get asked to attack the Republicans-"
"No!"
Ray sighed. "I know the story you've told me. And I agree with it."
"The election was three weeks ago. Can we at least wait until Walker gets sworn in before we go full partisan?" Henry asked.
"Do you really think the minority will share your standards of decency?" Jane had heard this argument over and over.
"I realize that this goes ahead the laws of man and politics, but need I remind you that there are several Republicans in the House who will talk to me in the cafeteria?" Henry said rhetorically. "Some of them have been willing to vote with me. Two or three even partnered with me on legislation! These long term plans do not work without a decent relationship with the other side, at least for a while."
"So just to be clear, you don't want to defend your party and you don't want to attack the other one." Harry threw up his hands. "Are there any other options left?"
"You could hope that Walker's a terrible president," Amy said rolling her eyes.
"He very well might be a terrible President, but I'm not going to actively hope he will be." Henry said. "There's a difference between not thinking he'll be good at his job and actively rooting for him to fail."
"Of course, none of us want that," Ray agreed. He thought for a second. "There might be one more option, but it may be out there even for you."
"That's why we're all here, isn't it?" Henry asked.
Ray paused. "Accelerate the timetable."
There was a long pause. "You always were the magician in our circle," Henry said finally. "But I'm pretty sure this is one trick not even you can pull off."
"You've spent the last several days saying that your political life is over," Amy said. "That means you have nothing to lose by gambling."
My wife has always been my biggest supporter. She was capable of some performances herself when she was young and she never grew out of it. She always brings out the best in me. That said…
"I do have nothing to lose by gambling. The country might lose a lot more if I try and fail," Henry pointed out.
"We've been telling you for years that your plan might fail if it when according to the timetable you had in mind," Ray pointed out.
"I can't argue with that logic," Henry admitted. "The reason I had such a deliberate timetable was because there were other factors involved, not all of them connected to my fate. But lest you forget: the reason I thought this insane dream could even be possible was the long game had to be the long game. Best case scenario I had to wait until four years from now to have enough collateral and chits that the first step would be possible. And all of you agreed that one was the only where it could begin."
None of his colleagues could argue with that part of it. As much as people ran for office claiming to be outside the establishment, in order for what Henry had in mind he had to have enough of an organization for it to work, and you couldn't do it without having the establishment. Henry had done a lot of good work in eight years, but no one was going to take someone who was only two years old than the minimum requirement for the Presidency seriously for what he had in mind. And Phase One didn't have the Presidency on the horizon.
"Then there's the fact for this to work, it has to begin in a year with the Presidency at stake." Henry reminded them. "People have to be so upset at everything in Washington that they won't dismiss it outright. And everyone's going to give the new President a honeymoon period."
"You yourself kept saying that gets shorter every time," Harry said.
"Yeah and we all know how it's going to play out." Ray said. "The Republicans will jump on it as soon as they find an opening and by the midterms they will take back both Houses of Congress even if Walker has one of the greatest first two years of any President. And no one's going to mistake Garrett Walker for FDR any time soon."
"He doesn't have the majorities FDR had anyway," Henry agreed. "And once Underwood takes whatever Cabinet post Walker gives him, the House is going to be that much less disciplined anyway. Which is another reason I'd still have to wait until Walker runs for reelection at the earliest. Divided government is going to be one of my talking points."
"And you really don't think you can do it as an outsider," Jane said.
'I don't have the name recognition which means I have no way of getting the money." Henry pointed out. "That is the biggest problem when it comes to accelerating the timetable."
"I still think you should wait until Jerry gets back until you say no," Henry said.
Jerry is my chief-of-staff, my best friend, my brother-in-arms. He was the only person who knew Underwood for what he was the moment he met him, the only other person who had no doubts about what I was doing and why. His political fate is tied to mine and he had no problems saying it was fine for me to sacrifice us both.
"Jerry's doing what we all need him to do right now," Henry reminded them. "Make sure the faucets are still open right now. If there's any chance that I'm wrong about this or my plan having a future if I'm not, I need him to keep pounding the pavement in Boston. When he gets back on Friday, you can sound him out."
Ray's known Jerry as long as he's known me. They divide time between my district and DC. Ray has the ability to think around corners I can't. Jerry has the guts to do the things I won't. I've never run from a fight but in this town, sometimes you have to let someone get your hands dirty instead of you. I don't like the game, that's why I want to change how it's played.
"You and I both know what he'll say," Ray said with a smile. "Stop being a pussy and do what you came here to do."
Henry smiled. "And then I will have to ask how we can do what may be the biggest trick in DC in half a century with nobody else – not the party, not the press, only our small circle – finding out what we are planning."
Ray paused. "Okay, I'm still a little spotty on the details."
"Well, that doesn't make you different from anyone else in this town." Everybody laughed.
"I will say this. I think that we can start making plans a little sooner than you might think," Ray pointed out. "Need I remind you that there actually is a quasi-referendum on Walker coming up before the midterms?"
"Pennsylvania," Henry admitted.
"Let's not pretend this isn't a big deal. The administration and the party is going to be focusing on this before the 100 days are even over. We need the state to stay Democratic not just for the midterms but for Walker's reelection."
"Peter's been worried about that," Henry acknowledged. "He actually mentioned it last week. He said that if we don't replace Matthews with a Democrat, our political obituaries will appear in the same issue of the Congressional Record."
Everyone was quiet. "Do you think he'd jump if you made the offer?" Ray asked.
I can either be a good personal friend or political friend here. I don't think I can be both.
"You know the stories about Peter as well as I do," Henry said reluctantly. "I don't know how many of them are true but the minute he becomes part of my plans he'll be facing more exposure here than he would as a Democrat. Until he finds a way to take care of himself I think letting him be a part of this would not be beneficial to anybody."
That was as diplomatic way as I could say that Peter is a drunk and possibly a drug addict who would start to burn the moment he is exposed to a broader spotlight. Even putting it that blandly I feel like taking a shower.
"Anyway right now, I'm only prepared to wreck my own career," Henry said.
"You're going to wreck some promising careers along the way no matter what you do," Ray was serious now. "Don't let that be a reason you're being squishy."
"I haven't said no to anything you're suggesting." Henry said. "All I'm saying is that even if things were according to my timetable, we'd be working without a net. On yours, the ground just got a lot higher."
Ray didn't even bother to deny that one.
"And let's not kid ourselves." Amy said. "It's going to be another ten months before the Pennsylvania election. That's an eternity in politics."
"We may have to face the fact that we're dealing with how Lincoln put it," Henry said resignedly. "I don't pretend to have control over events, but I can plainly say events have controlled me.' Walker's election was one event we wouldn't control. We have to wait for at least one or two more events before they are in position for me to control things."
Just then Henry's cell rang. "It's Jerry. Maybe he'll have some promising news."
"Put him on speaker," Ray said. "He might have an opinion on whether I'm crazy or you are."
"Ray, you've owned the title ever since you built that guillotine," Henry said absently. "Jerry do you have good news from Boston?"
"No but I have a great bit of info from the West Wing."
Rule Number 12: Make friends among the junior staffers everywhere.
"What do you know?"
"Walker plans to tap Kern as Secretary of State."
Henry blinked. "I'll admit a certain interest but why do I need to know that ahead of the Post?"
"Because that's what Underwood thought he was getting."
For the first time in a long time, a glimmer of hope entered Henry Malloran's chest. "What did they fob him off with? Treasury? Interior?"
"Nothing. Underwood's staying put. According to Vazquez, he's too valuable to the Administration to take out of Congress."
There was a huge murmur among everybody. Almost no one outside of Jerry considered Frank Underwood as dangerous as the Congressman did, but they all know that when he had signed on to Garrett Walker's campaign as early as he had, it was for the only reason anyone did when they did in Washington: they expected a position in the administration as a reward. Now after being the good and loyal servant, Walker had cast Underwood aside as if he was so much garbage. A lesser elected official would have taken offense at this; none of them wondered just how angry Frank Underwood had to be right now.
"Your sources have any reason as to why Walker had this sudden burst of intelligence?" Ray asked.
"I'm trying to get rocks turned over as we speak but considering we were never inside the campaign to begin with, it's going to take a lot of work," Jerry said. "I'm going to be on the 11:14 back to DC. We have to figure out what our next steps are but the reports of your political demise may have been greatly exaggerated."
"Let's hope so. Call me when you get back." Henry said.
"Well, that was one of those events you were talking about," Harry said.
Henry was still a little dazed at the news. "I don't doubt you on that. But right now we've got another agenda that I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with."
No one could pretend they didn't. "Underwood won't take this lying down," Jane said. "He'll deny it happened of course, and he'll smile at whoever takes his place, but he will be seething about this."
"Any normal politician would and Underwood actually had power before this began," Ray agreed. "You're the one who was willing to throw his career away because you thought you recognize the kind of man he was. What do you think he'll do?"
Henry had considered this. "There's an old Marx brothers movie. Groucho and Chico are planning to steal a painting that's somewhere in a house. Groucho asks what happens if the painting isn't in the house? Chico says then we look in the house next door. Groucho asks what do we do if there isn't a house next door? Chico says then we build one."
"I think the reason Underwood is so dangerous is because he can think so far ahead. He's always building the house next door." Henry looked at them. "He may have been thrown by this but it won't take him long to start building another one. I wouldn't be shocked if he's already laying the foundation as we speak."
