Election of Deceit

Election of Deceit

The heavy footfall echoed down the corridor as if it were a timer ticking down. The man's beefy face was bright red expressing his impatience all the while his thick curling black mustache twitched at the corners. It didn't take long at all for the man to reach his destination, and when he did the door was thrust open with such force any other person would have pitied the inanimate object.

"This will not stand!" he roared, slapping the piece of paper down on the woman's desk. Despite the rude entrance and the paper thrust so obnoxiously into her face, Mary did not look up from what she was doing just yet. Instead she kindly slid the paper to the corner of her desk, before continuing with the blueprints on her desk.

"Mr. King, I can assure you that if you have any problems you are to take them up with my advisor James Watson," she replied, continuing to map out her blueprint. Henry King shook with rage.

"It's about the election from yesterday, I suggest you start caring, Wright, lest your new president is an undergraduate fool!"

Mary Wright sighed as she took the paper and noticed that William Baker had won by only a few extra votes, leaving Henry in second place.

"Ah, I see my new president is Mr. Baker. Wonderful, I'll make the arrangements. Thank you for bringing this to my attention," she smirked at Henry who bared his teeth in a sort of snarl.

"That's not it! I believe that Baker cheated! He manipulated the numbers. Why only yesterday I was top candidate, but by this morning his numbers changed so drastically that he pulled ahead. It's not fair I tell you!" he roared, spittle flying from his lips.

"I believe you are what we would call a sore loser, Henry," Mary replied.

"Bring him in here! I'd like to hear his side of the story, and if it is proven that he has done nothing wrong I shall lay the matter to rest," Henry crossed his arms. For some reason Mary could not see Henry laying to rest any situation in which he had lost to such a younger man, but she agreed to his terms and called in William Baker, as well as her advisor and best friend in the ship building industry: James Watson.

"Baker, it has been brought to my attention that your numbers changed quite a bit over the course of one night and in your favor," Mary said pointedly, staring Baker down. The man didn't flinch, but instead shrugged.

"I must have just gotten lucky," he grinned. Mary narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, well, I have used three methods to count the votes to see who will oversee the work done on our ships, and after calculating with the Borda-Count method, the Plurality Method, and the Plurality with Elimination, Baker, you are officially the winner. Baker's smile widened whereas Henry fumed.

"But foul play could have happened! You can't be sure," he grumbled.

"Henry King, please calm yourself immediately. This is very unprofessional. Nevertheless it is astounding how Baker pulled ahead, so Watson will be conducting an investigation to make sure no foul play has indeed occurred," Mary explained nodding to James who nodded back.

"If this matter is settled I would very much like to return to my work, gentlemen. Thank you and good day."

***

The room was dark as the digital clock on Wright's desk read 1:30 AM exactly. The dark figure smirked as it entered the usually locked room, pocketing a key as he went. The man's gloved fingers slid across the mahogany desk as he moved around the piece of furniture toward the drawers in the front. Carefully sliding open every door and making sure the moonlight streaming through the windows didn't reveal his face, he found the marked ballots the voters of the ship building industry had filled out just two days before.

The person's fingers curled lightly around the material and extracted it from the drawer leaving behind no other trace, before turning to go. The footfall was silent and sneaky as the man relocked the door and slipped past the security guards on duty. Once he was out into the night, the man traveled to the end of one of the metal docks before pulling the ballots out of his jacket pocket and tossing them into the ocean. Without looking back the man turned and strode away, the ballots floating out to sea for good.

***

"They're gone," Mary cried, searching all of her desk drawers for the ballots in order to do a recount.

"How could they be gone?" James asked, searching some cupboards along the wall as well. "It's not like they sprouted legs and walked off."

"No, but I bet they didn't need to. Someone provided them with the legs," she grumbled.

"What?" James arched an eyebrow, staring at her like she was crazy.

"Someone stole them," Mary replied. James looked taken aback.

"Stolen? You can't be serious. Who would –?"

"Who wouldn't?" Wright cut him off. James fell silent realizing that she was right. "I have no choice but to call a revote. And this time I will collect the ballots myself," she huffed. "Call in our candidates."

When Genevieve or Gen, Henry, and William entered the room Mary explained the situation. The response was much arguing and pointing of fingers between the three candidates.

"Enough!" Mary ordered causing them all to stop bickering. "I'm afraid the only thing we can do is have the workers re-vote," she sighed. "And this time, the ballots will be kept locked up and safely with me," she narrowed her eyes.

"A revote?" Gen inquired.

"Yes," Mary nodded. "Otherwise known as the Monotonicity Criterion, but that is only if Baker wins the second time around."

Baker licked his lips.

"How will the ballots be kept safe, exactly?"

Everyone in the room turned to look at him. William seemed to grow uncomfortable under their gazes.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us, Mr. Baker?" Wright inquired. William shook his head, not meeting her eyes.

"Very well, you are all dismissed. I cannot wait to see who pulls out on top of this election," Wright smiled as Gen and Henry turned to leave when William spoke up.

"Alright! It was me, okay?" he shouted. Everyone froze, their eyes going wide. "I fudged the numbers! I did it! But you want to know something? I hate working with Henry! He is just – ugh! Impossible! I can't stand it anymore! He acts so superior to me and I knew it would only get worse if he became the President," Baker concluded.

"I knew you were up to no good!" Henry roared. James and Gen shared an astonished look.

"Quiet, Mr. King," Wright shushed him before turning back to William. "So last night you stole the ballots," she scowled.

"Stole them? I never stole anything, I swear. Why would I want to steal the ballots if I was winning?" Baker demanded.

"That's true," James spoke up. "It seems very unlikely that he's guilty of that."

Wright turned her furious gaze upon Gen and Henry. Gen looked like a deer in the headlights, but Henry was the one who finally caved.

"I did it for the good of the company," he sneered. "I had no choice. It was the only way I knew you'd call a revote, and it was the only way I knew I would be able to catch William for election fraud," he announced. "I have no reason to be guilty."

"Actually, both of you do, thanks to breaking and entering your boss' office and for mixing up the numbers, I have no choice but to demote both of you. Be thankful I'm not firing you, I still need your skill set. Genevieve will be my new president, and I am not personally putting her in charge of both of you two in punishment for your daft actions against this company," Wright seethed.

"But –" Henry began before Wright stared him down with an icy glare. Both men left the office, glaring daggers at each other while Genevieve grinned.

"Wow, I didn't think it would end this way," she chirped, Mary and James caught each other's eye as they both cracked small, weary smiles.

"Neither did I, Mary. Neither did I."