Madam President ✓

49. Revelations

Tanya

   What kind of cruel fucking joke is this?

As an instinct, I turn around to make sure the hallway is empty. With the late hour- we've only gotten lucky. Normal working hours don't really apply to the White House- so it's pretty common for the west wing to be alive all hours of the night.

I want to slap the shit out him with every bit of strength I have. Maybe that'd make me feel better- but when I look in his eyes again I see it: He's not lying. At least he doesn't think he is.

"How...what... I....when....huh?" I had every intention of asking what the fuck, but the words never come out.

"What....I.... That's not possible." Darrel shakes his head. "I.... When..."

"Apparently it is-" Walter's eyes meet those of a janitor that walks by us and mumbles excuse me, Madam President. "Back to the office."

I nod, terrified.

What...

What the FUCK?

As soon as the door's closed and locked again, I look at the both of them.

"Hold on how... how the hell would you know something like that anyways? Wh..What?" I stutter, my brain still buffering.

"Tanya.... Do you remember the company Genlabs?" He turns to Darrel.

"Yeah they... dealt with my genetic diseases screening during the transition to my first term. Wha... what do they have to do with.... this?" He swallows.

"They also deal with genetic testing for inmates on death row to ensure they don't have the two most common genes that correlate with those who survive lethal injection or go painfully because their body is capable of resisting the chemicals."

"No...no that's not...." I shake my head.

"Apparently a lab technician found the relation between.... her and Darrel when he put her results in their system. The technician leaked it to.... Meg Haines. She's giving us forty eight hours to respond before she publishes the story."

"It..." I shrug. "It's not like it matters because that's... there's no way that's true I... I think I would have remembered sleeping with a thirty five year old when I was eighteen."

"Tanya- may I speak freely?" Walter asks.

Oh boy.

"That's your damn job." I snap. "What?"

"How many sexual partners did you have between May 1st to 10th of 2004?"

"I..." I try to count on my fingers. "Five. Technically six."

"Oh god...." Darrel's faces falls.

"What? We were both ho's back in the day-"

"No I didn't mean it like that-" He says.

"Were you in New York City then?" Walter asks.

"Yes but... oh my god." He places a hand over his mouth. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck-"

"Darrel."

"I was in town for my best friend's brother's birthday. The costume party? 432 Park Avenue? Well over a thousand guests."

My eyes widen. I sit down, feeling lightheaded.

"Madam President?" Walter never calls me that anymore. "What are you remembering?"