Page 53 of Tattletale

“All of that was a precaution? I thought it was an urgent life-and-death matter that we needed—” Callen stops midsentence and grits his teeth. “Eden,” he says, while glaring at Vesper. “I’d like to file a complaint with human resources.”

Eden clears her throat. “Sure.” She turns her attention to Vesper. “Vesper, Callen doesn’t appreciate you using him like an errand boy for purposeless decoy tasks.”

Vesper returns Eden’s smirk. “Noted.”

“Happy?” Eden asks Callen.

He slumps in his seat, grumbling under his breath.

“Why are we all gathered here?” Linc asks. “There has to be some reason for the theatrics, right?”

Vesper nods. “Vienne, the floor is yours.”

Vienne stands and walks to the board. Her stilettos click loudly in the silence against the tiled floor. She runs her finger over the picture of Gabriel. In an uncomfortable show of affection, she traces his face. “I met Gabriel when he was a young man. I was blown away by his intelligence. I gave him his first loan at twenty years old to develop a prototype.” She laughs. Vienne’s eyes are soft and her smile warm, like she’s reflecting on a treasured memory. “It was a robot butler, designed for hospitality. I was wildly impressed; I didn’t realize that was just child’s play to him. A little over ten years later, he’s built an indestructible empire. You can’t have a digital transaction thesedays without Lochland being involved in some way or another. Robotics is barely scratching the surface. He’s running the world. He could collapse the economy with a snap of his fingers.”

“There’s no crime in being rich,” Linc says.

“No, of course not. But Gabriel was the main contributor to my husband’s presidential campaign. He even moved here to D.C. to be close during the campaign in case we had any needs. He took a lot of risks and stuck his neck out to ensure my husband not only was elected but secured a second term. It was intentional.”

“You’re saying the election was rigged?” Callen asks, one brow raised.

Vienne shakes her head. “I’m saying a man who controls the economy can also control the narrative. People are easy to read, and therefore, easy to manipulate. I can tell you who the next three presidents will be right now. Leadership in this country is by design.” She pauses and steps away from the board. She leans in as close to us as possible from across the table, her thigh pressing against the edge. “Today’s democracy is by design. Yes, people vote. But—”

“You feed them their votes,” Lance says.

Vienne nods. “The internet is inception at its finest, and perception is a powerful tool. Control the world’s perception, and you control the world.”

“A very accurate thesis, but control doesn’t constitute an assassination. So, he’s manipulative? How is that any different than any other politician, your husband included?” Vesper asks.

I half expect Vienne to throw a dirty look at Vesper, but instead, she smiles. “I’d have the same skepticism. But Salazar is a good man. I fell in love with him because of his golden heart. Do you know I begged him to get off the presidential track? I thought the journey would corrupt him.”

“Has it?” I can’t help but ask.

Vienne glances at her left hand, then twists the fat diamond on her left finger. “Surprisingly…quite the opposite. You could say Sal restored my faith in humanity. Good people like him deserve a chance to do good in this world.”

“What does any of this have to do with Lochland?” Linc asks. He removes his arm from around Eden’s shoulders and crosses his forearms, the way he does when his patience is running low.

“There’s a reason Gabriel wanted my husband in office right now. We had another shot at the Oval Office about ten years ago, but the time wasn’t right. Gabriel ensured Sal was elected now… I think because he’s ready to implement his plans. My husband sees Gabriel like a son. He can’t see the monster in his eyes. Sal gives him access to resources, clearances, and permissions that he simply shouldn’t have. And now, Sal can’t see that we’ve lost control. I know whatever Gabriel is working on is massively destructive. He could collapse the world, and us all.”

I furrow my brows. “What’s the point? To be the ruler of an empty world?”

Vesper, who is usually stoic and poised, sucks in a sharp breath. It’s quiet, but enough of a reaction from Vesper to capture all of our attention.

“What’s wrong?” Linc asks.

Vesper turns to Vienne, ignoring Linc. “He’s acting on behalf of Aeon.”

Vienne smooths her long hair as her eyes drop to the ground. “No, Vesper. Aeon acts on behalf of Gabriel.”

I can read the tension on Vesper’s face. I’m not used to this look. She seems disturbed, which is unsettling, because as far as I know, Vesper isn’t afraid of anything. “What is Aeon?” I ask.

“A doomsday, terrorist organization that lives to serve an old prophecy about world destruction. I mentioned them to Lance a couple of weeks ago,” Vesper says.

“Of course.” I roll my eyes. “More secrets between you two.”

Lance exhales and rolls his eyes even harder than I did. “Keep going. That tantrum looks good on you, C.”

“Shut up,” I snap back.

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