Enforcing The Pre-Nup

Things were heating up in the election. There was still ten months to go, but preliminary polls showed Stanley ahead slightly, but close enough to cause concern. He had a pretty good flow of contributions, and was flooding the media with print ads and commercials.

My business had grown considerably. I suspected at times it was because of my political connections, but I couldn't help who I married into. If any of my customers hinted at bigger contracts in return for my supposed influence, I tried to drop them. I did an excellent job for a reasonable price, so as soon as they figured it out they stopped. I now had four crews working in different locations, so I rarely laid cable anymore unless it was an emergency. I managed and supervised mostly.

Eve was proud of my success, and was pushing me to start a family. I surprised her one day by calling her into the bathroom.

"Watch" I said, as I flushed her birth control down the toilet.

She cried for two hours, then went on the internet, looking up popular baby names. The loving I got that night was extra good.

.................................................

Three months later Eve met me at the door, tears streaming down her face. I thought someone was hurt. I held her, trying to get her to tell me what was wrong.

She finally held something she had in her hand up. "Test-sob-positive-baby-sob."

I went to my knees, dragging her with me. We were gonna have a baby! Soon I was crying as hard as she was. It took us ten minutes before we were able to get up and go inside.

She had her mother go with her the next day to the doctor. When he verified it, she and Greta went straight to Celeste's shop and told her. Work came to a standstill. Soon the whole family knew, and we ended up having a cookout in the meadow to celebrate.

I think Amy was happier than anyone. She was just past ten, and she told us pointblank if we ever used anyone else to babysit when she got older, she would never speak to us again. Eve told her she was hired. Even wrote up a little contract and signed it. She framed it and hung it on her bedroom wall.

................................................

I did a commercial for Stanley. It was one of the most effective for him to date.

It was me, in work clothes, running my Ditch Witch. I cut it off, and looked into the camera. There were about a dozen of his political posters behind me.

"Stanley Wallace?" I said, in a serious voice, "Yes, I'm voting for him. His programs for small business owners like me puts him well in front of his competition. He understands we're the backbone of this country, if we go, so goes the state."

I adlibbed the next part, thinking they would edit it out, but they liked it so much they left it in. Said it humanized him a bit more.

"Besides, he's my father in law. My wife would kill me if I didn't vote for him."

He won his primary easily. His opponent did even better, garnering almost a hundred and fifty thousand more votes than Stanley. His team was worried, if he could generate that kind of numbers in a primary, he might actually win come November.

He stepped up his advertising, until one of his commercials aired at least once an hour on all the local channels. His opponent was single, having divorced years ago and never remarrying. His team pushed this difference, portraying Stanley as a staunch family man. Greta, Eve, and I were dragged along on countless appearances, to reinforce the image. It got pretty old pretty quick.

I cut back, despite his displeasure. I wasn't running for office, and had a business to take care of. Eve came home with me for a few days, then her dad called and she rejoined him on the campaign trail, over my objections.

She called every night at first, then it would be every few days. He was concentrating on the western part of the state, his weakest area. I would see them on television, and both Eve and Greta were getting thinner, paler, and their smiles were as fake as you could get.

I put my foot down. It was six weeks before the election, and his opponent was ahead by four points. He was going wide open, I don't think he slept more than three hours a night, and expected the same from everyone around him. Eve was six months along, and the pace was getting to her.

I went to the town he was speaking in, unannounced, and tried to take Eve home.

"Enough is enough, honey. You look worn down, and I'm afraid it's not good for the baby. Your dad either wins or he doesn't, at this point I don't care. Let's go home, I'll build a fire and we'll snuggle. I'll run you a bubble bath, light some candles, rub lotion into that sexy baby bump. We'll love on each other for awhile and sleep ten hours straight. Okay?"

She was snuggling to me, hanging on to me like I was a life preserver on a sinking ship. I was shocked when she refused.

"I can't, honey. I promised daddy I'd stay with him until the election. It's only a few more weeks, then it'll all be over. I'll be home, we'll be fine, it'll all be over."

I didn't like hearing that at all, and I really didn't like the look in her eyes. They were the eyes of a trapped animal.

"Listen to me carefully, Eve. I don't like the way you're looking, I don't like the way you're acting. You seem to be hiding something. Look me in the eye, tell me what's going on."

She held me tighter and wouldn't look at me. Greta came in, alerted by one of the flunkies I guess, saw us together and paled. I took that to be a bad thing.

"Greta, please, talk some sense into your daughter. Look at her, she doesn't look well, I'm afraid for the baby. Tell her to come on home with me. Think of your granddaughter."

Yes, it was a girl.

I was more than surprised when she supported Eve on staying.

"Please, Tommy. It's just a few more weeks. I'll make sure she gets her rest, takes her vitamins. It'll be over soon, and we can get back to our lives."

I wasn't going for it.

"No. If he wins, in two years he'll be gearing up for reelection. If he loses, He'll start planning his comeback now. Either way, we lose. We're going home, NOW. Come on Eve, let's get you packed."

She looked at her mom in a panic. They were about to say something when Stanley came into the suite with his entourage, including his security detail.

"Tommy, boy, what's this I hear about taking Evie home? It just isn't possible right now. Demographic show many women identify with her, especially as she's in the family way. Be reasonable. Run along home, or better yet, stay with us. Your crews can look after themselves for a few weeks."

I couldn't believe the gall of the man.

"Not no, Stan[did I mention he hates being called that?], but hell no. There's not an office in the world that's worth the health of my wife and child. We'll be leaving shortly. End of discussion."

Instead of answering, he motioned everyone out except his security people. Four guys, two pretty big, all ex military. As they were leaving I heard Eve whisper "Please, daddy, don't..." as they shut the door. The look on his face when he turned was not pleasant.

"Listen asshole, I'm not about to let some redneck fuck up this campaign, even if my daughter was stupid enough to marry him. I need to win. I've made a lot of promises to a lot of people that I need to prove up on. Think about it, it could be a sweet life. I'll appoint you to some position or another, with a great salary and a lot of perks."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Listen to me closely, Stan. I don't give a fuck whether you win this election or not. It's not worth my wife and child being endangered. I'm going home and taking her with me, and I don't want to hear you say shit about it. Don't push me on this, I'd hate to go to the press and tell them the great Stanley Wallace wants to be Governor so bad he's willing to risk the health of his only child and first granddaughter. That would go over well with Marge in Nowheresville."

Then it became surreal.

"Greta, Eve, out. I need to explain the facts of life to this hick."

They were both crying, begging him to leave it alone, but the two smallest security guys took their arms firmly and led them out. Eve had the wildeyed look of a trapped animal.

"Please, honey, please. Remember I love you. Please..." She was still begging when they shut the door.

I hadn't stood idly while this was going on, going after her immediately. The two biggest goons locked down on me. I think I surprised one when I turned and headbutted him. He staggered back, and the other one simply buried his fist in my stomach.

I wasn't a fighter, wasn't trained in martial arts, but I was a husband enraged. Even out of breath, on the ground, I tried to fight back. The guy I head butted kicked kicked me in the balls, hard. It knocked me out.

................................................

I came to, strapped into a chair. Stanley pulled another chair in front of me, lifting my head and slapping me, hard.

"Good, you're awake. You don't know how long I've wanted to do that. I despise you. I had big plans for Eve, getting her married to just the right man, make us all happy. Then here comes Joe Redneck, and screws it all up. But, you have a chance to save everything. Being a redneck brings in a certain vote."

He slapped me again, grinning.

"Damn, I could do that all day and enjoy it. All right, now that I've got your attention, here's how it's going to be. Tomorrow, and for the rest of the campaign, you're going to be on every podium with me, smiling and waving to the crowd. Understand? If you do, then when it's over you can go back to your petty little life. Not with Eve, of course, but if you're good I'll allow visitation for your child, occasionally."

He was grinning like mad, enjoying this tremendously. My rage was beyond description.

"Fuck you Stan. When this gets out, you're done. Kidnap? Assault? Kiss the governorship goodbye, asshole."

He actually laughed.

"You won't tell. I have a little leverage, insurance if you will. Watch this."

He held up his phone, showing a video clip, one that destroyed my world.

It was Eve, in a room somewhere. You could hear Stan in the background. She was naked, her pregnant belly plain to see.

"Here she is, as promised, ready to serve. So, can I count on your support? The camera angled, to show a man in his late fifties, naked, erect, and grinning."

"If she's as good as she was last time, I'm in. Come over here baby, remind me why I like your Dad so much."

Eve was pushed to her knees, while the camera zoomed in on her face. Tears were streaming down her face and she was mouthing "No" over and over again. He cut off the phone.

"You don't need to see the rest, you know what happens. Here is how it's going to work. Nobody needs to see this, nobody needs to know just what a whore your wife is. Think about the baby, it may actually be yours. So, if you want me to keep it buried, you be up on that podium with me tomorrow, smiling and waving. When I win, you can go back home. Eve might actually want to go back with you. I don't care, I'll be done with her, at least until the next election. Understand. Just so you know, buck me on this and I'll tip the cops off about the kiddie porn you have on your computer, put there by my people, and make sure you never get to see your child."

My eyes had bulged out, my face was flushed, my heart was going a mile a minute. I never knew rage and heartbreak like I did now. Then, an icy calm came over me. I wasn't going to kill him, I was going to destroy him. He'd never hold a public office again. Maybe even end up in jail. One thing for sure, I was done with the whole family. Nothing mattered anymore except revenge.

Stan's eyes narrowed. He slapped me again.

"You're thinking about doing something stupid, I can see it in your eyes. Think about it, I'd hate for Eve to end up in an accident, maybe die or lose the baby."

God, how I wanted to kill him then. I took great pleasure in imagining beating him to death, slowly, savoring every blow.

"If you do end up doing something stupid, I have a lot of video, video you don't ever want your family to see, that will someway find it's way on tho the internet. I'll of course be devastated, bemaoning the fact that you led her into such an aberrant lifestyle, and promise to stand by her while she's rehabilitated. Face it, you're only option is to go along. It'll be over soon, and I'll still find you some cushy job, far away from me and out of the public eye."

Then he made his mistake.

"Oh, one more thing."

He slammed a fist into my ribs. We all heard it snap. Pain like I never knew washed over me.

"Damn that felt good."

I was slumped down, trying to breathe.

...............................................

They let me hang, strapped to the chair, for what seemed like hours, but it was probably only ten minutes.

One of the security guards finally noticed my gasps for breath, and the blood foaming on my lips. The rib had punctured a lung. I was literally drowning in my own blood. Still took them twenty minutes to decide to call the EMTs.

They took the time to bruise me up pretty good, then dropped me at the bottom of the stairway in the hotel.

I was put into intensive care after the operation, kept sedated. I finally woke up, and the doctor and nurses were very constrained around me.

The doctor tried to explain my injuries.

"When you fell down the stairs...."

"Bullshit, Doc! If you're any kind of doctor at all, you can tell I was beaten. I expect to have you testify in the trial..."

The doctor wouldn't look me in the eye.

"As I said, your fall down the stairs did a lot of damage. We have you in a light cast, and the splint on your broken finger should let it heal just fine. Just follow the nurse's instructions and you'll be fine in a month. We're going to keep you for a few days, just to insure the healing process. Is there anything we can get you, just buzz."

I was starting to get really angry.

"I need my cell phone back. I need to make a few calls. And where are my clothes?"

Hr reached up and adjusted my IV.

"Now, now. Remember to remain calm."

I was doing my best to try to scream for help when I passed out.

I was kept drugged for six days. I remember people coming in and out, and barely being awake long enough to be fed by a nurse.

On the seventh day I opened my eyes, thinking clearly for the first time. There was a young nurse watching me. She looked familiar somehow.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

I looked at her as she fiddled with my IV, scared to death she was putting me back to sleep. She leaned down close to my ear and whispered.

"It's pure saline. It should flush the drugs out of your system in a couple of days. I've met you before, you helped my handicapped sister keep her job. If she hadn't, my mom would have had to quit her job, and we would have lost our house. Now, is there anything I can do for you that won't be traced back to me? They have guards posted outside, and we're checked before and after we come into the room. I don't know what's going on, but I feel like it isn't strictly legal."

I shook my head, trying to clear it. Suddenly I knew what to do. I repeated the same number to her over and over, until I felt she had committed it to memory.

"Call this woman. Don't do it from your phone, borrow one. Tell her where I am, what's happening, and tell her to come get me, as fast as she can. Tell her to bring Jerry, she'll know what I mean. Don't give her your name, and I'll keep you out of it. But hurry! Do it as soon as you can."

................................................

Eighteen hours later I heard a commotion outside my room, a couple of shouts, as few grunts, and the door was swept open. A man I had worked on a committee with last year walked through the door, followed by Vivian. The doctor was with me, desperately turning the valve on my IV drip. I had acted confused and unresponsive, keeping up the pretense. I looked up and grinned.

"Give it up, Doc. I'm wide awake. Hello Vivian, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. I need a blood test, right away. I have no idea what they've been putting into my system. Oh, and have Jerry arrest everyone you see, would you? You'll do that, won't you Jerry?"

Jerry, head of the State Bureau of Investigation, said he'd like to do that very thing, but right now he was holding everyone for questioning while he sorted it out.

I found out I was in a private clinic, mostly for people who wanted to lose weight. They seized everything. Jerry explained to everyone that they were looking at kidnapping, assault, reckless endangerment of life due to the drug cocktail I had been living on, and as many smaller charges he could think of. The doctor demanded a lawyer. His face paled and he lost most of his bluster when he was told that due to the political nature of the case, it was being handled under Homeland Security guidelines, and that meant no contact with the outside world. He also told everyone that the first to make a deal would be the big winner in the plea down dance.

One of the nurses, realizing what she was facing, cut a deal and sang like a bird.

Jerry put them all into seclusion, no contact at all with the outside world, while he sorted out the charges. Vivian was enraged.

"I always knew he was a shifty bastard! I'm gonna enjoy watching his world collapse. We need to get Eve and get you safe."

"I'm afraid the apple doesn't fall from the tree, Vivian."

And then it hit me. The physical pain and uncertainty of my future had pushed the emotional pain to the rear, but now it surged forward.

Eve, the love of my life, my future, was no more. Maybe she never was, but like Stanley, was clever enough to keep it hidden all these years. Either way, she was gone for good.

So for thirty minutes Vivian held and rocked me while I screamed in pain and cried like a baby. She sent every one but Jerry out of the room while I told what I had learned, and the video I had seen.

When I was spent, Vivian held my head between her hands, looking into my eyes.

"I've known Eve for a long time, Tommy. She loves you, no one is that good an actress. Something is terribly wrong, I can feel it. Have you listened to her explanation? Has she said she doesn't love you?"

When I told her I hadn't had a chance to talk to her, and didn't know what I would say if I did, she begged me to reserve judgement until we talked.

"I don't know if I can" I told her, "even if we do talk, I can't get that video out of my head. What could she possibly say to justify that?"

"I don't know, honey. We need to see her, and you need to promise to listen. Will you?"

After a few minutes of soul searching, I agreed I would. If nothing else, to make sure the marriage was really dead.

...............................................

We needed to act quickly. Stan didn't know I was free, and I'm sure he had someone reporting on me at regular intervals. Jerry took my complaint, to give him a legal reason to investigate him. At the very least he could be charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, and attempted blackmail.

When I told him about the threat of kiddie porn on my computer, he immediately sent someone to collect it.

Because of the kidnap, the FBI was called in. They agreed to let the SBI take the lead, then add the federal charges when he was in custody.

Being drugged and confined to bed actually helped my rib heal, so I could move fairly well, as long as I didn't try to go fast or bump anything.

"We need to seize that cellphone, and as many of his campaign computers as we can. Can you tell me how many were aware of what's going on?"

I had no idea.

"His security detail for sure. Beyond that, I have no idea. Talk to his wife and daughter."