The Candidate ✓ (Book Two)

Chapter Three

  "Lauren-" I wake up to Kyle's hand on my shoulder, trying to shake me awake. "Lauren wake up."

  I groan. The effects of the sleeping pill are still hanging on a bit. I sit up, my head immediately rocking forwards. I yawn, forcing my eyes to stay open. "What is it?"

  "You've got like- a hundred and fifty missed calls from headquarters." He says, scrolling down on my notifications screen.

  I dart up, taking the phone from him. Almost all of the calls are from Headquarters and David- though one from Meg's in there too. Great. What the fuck happened in the few hours I was asleep? I click on David's name first, and he picks up immediately. "Have you seen the news?" He asks.

  "No I just woke up- what's going on?"

  "Let's just say you missed.. a lot while you were out." David replies. "Turn it on. It should be on every station." He hangs up.

  I shrug, walking across the room to grab the remote off of the couch. I press the on button, and instantly- a breaking news banner runs across the screen.

  Was President Wells the corrupt one?

  I roll my eyes. They've tried this shit before but it's still entertaining every time. I turn the volume up just as Megan's  morning show starts, and plop down on the couch. Like always- she's so well put together, and her skin is so perfect even though she's said she only gets an hour or two of sleep a night. I wouldn't be surprised if she were a robot. You can hear her shift from her normal voice to a news reporter's one in the first sentence though- but that's the only sign of any humanity she has left.

  "Good Morning America I'm Meg Haines here with some breaking news." She starts. "The past few hours we've been following a reporting that the United States government assassinated former President Williams because of his association with a terrorist organization. Just minutes ago, we were able to confirm that he was shot by a military soldier after he started shooting at them himself. President Williams will not receive a state funeral."

"Jesus fuck.." I mumble under my breath as I quickly connect to a headquarters group call.

"Where have you been? We needed you here ten minutes ago?!" I get yelled at by the intelligence director.

"I know I know-" I say as I quickly throw one of my work dresses on, motioning to Kyle to zip it up. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

I leave my hair in it's messy bun- with no time to really fix it. In the living room, I give Ella the "come on" look, as her motorcade car has a badge on the front that lets cops know she has clearance to drive as fast as she fucking wants. She gets me there in three minutes- on a route that would ordinarily be almost ten. I step out of the car, and she instantly drives away, back to the house. I speed walk past everybody today, giving the scanner on the situation room's door just enough time to read my chip before I shove it open. "What exactly did I miss?" I ask, out of breath.

"What didn't you miss?" I notice Ethan sitting at the table and flip him off. "Well for starters the director of the CIA threatened the secret service director into letting us arrest him and when we sent agents and military to do it he started shooting at them himself."

"And?" I gesture for him to continue.

"His own secret service had to tackle him to the ground and put a bullet in between his eyes after that soldier shot him because he still wouldn't stop when blood was pouring out of his knee. We have agents inside of his house now turning it upside down." One of my special agents says.