登陆注册
10471700000005

第5章

4:57 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Bubba's Lounge

Chester, Pennsylvania

No one remembered who Bubba was.

The small tavern had sat there on a street corner in the southeast end of Chester, near the river, since sometime after World War II. Ten different people had owned it at one time or another, and it had always been called Bubba's, as far as anyone knew. But no one knew why.

"I guess she's going to throw in the towel," one man at the bar said.

"About time," said another.

Marc Reeves was working the stick today. Marc was an old-timer, sixty-seven years of age. He had poured beer at this bar, off and on, for the past twenty-five years, outlasting three owners in the process. He had watched the whole town go down the tubes right from this bar. In a city where damn near everything was boarded up or about to be, Bubba's was a success story. Even so, nobody kept it for long.

The place broke even-that was the problem. It didn't lose money, it didn't make money. You were better off working there, or drinking there, than owning it. At least you got something for your trouble.

There was a big old box color TV set mounted on an iron rod behind the bar. This time of the afternoon, the place had four or five daytime drinkers lined up along the rail, wasting their Social Security checks and whatever was left of their livers. Usually the television was set to whatever game happened to be on. Today was different, though. Today the President was holding her first press conference since she lost the election.

Marc had been skeptical of her when she first came into office, especially considering the circumstances, but she had grown on him. He thought she had done a pretty good job, all in all. She, and the country, had weathered a lot of storms. So he had done something yesterday that he rarely did-he had voted for her. He hadn't stepped inside a polling place in twelve years before that.

Not everyone agreed with his decision.

"I like the new guy," a fat man along the rail said. Everybody called him Skipper. He'd probably never been on a boat in his life. "What has Susan Hopkins ever done for Chester, Pennsylvania? That's what I want to know. Anyway, it's about time somebody put a stop to all these Chinamen flooding the country."

"And bring back our jobs while you're at it," a man named Steve-O said. Steve-O was so thin he was like one of those man-like pipe cleaner sculptures. He came in here and drank beer and bourbon every single day. Marc had never seen Steve-O eat even a bite of food. He seemed to survive on alcohol alone.

Marc was drying pint glasses that had just come out of the washer. "Steve-O, you've been on disability for twenty years."

"I don't mean bring my job back," Steve-O said.

A few people laughed.

On the TV, an empty podium appeared. It was flanked by American flags.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a hushed voice said, "the President of the United States."

Susan Hopkins walked onto the stage from the right. She wore a tan pantsuit, her hair in a short blonde bob. Beautiful. Marc remembered her from her modeling days, in particular a certain Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue from twenty-five years ago. He had been middle-aged then, married with kids. There was something heartbreaking about her photo shoot-she was ethereal, unattainable, from another world. He didn't have the words for what she was. And if anything, she looked even better now-more down to Earth, more mature. Marc liked a woman with a little mileage on her.

"Take it off, baby!" Steve-O said, eliciting some giggles from the others.

Marc had served Steve-O six shots and six beers in the past couple of hours. He'd say Steve-O was visibly intoxicated by now. And he was starting to pluck Marc's nerves. "You're about to get cut off, Steve-O."

Steve-O looked at him. "What?"

"Shut up or go home. That's what I'm saying."

Marc turned back to the TV screen. Hopkins still hadn't said anything yet. She seemed to be choking back some emotion. This was it, then. She was going to concede the election. She had seemed popular, but in the end she had been a one-term President-and not even a full term.

"My fellow Americans," she said.

The bar was silent. The room where she spoke was almost silent-Marc could hear the whirr and click of cameras taking photos.

"I'm going to keep my remarks brief. This was a hard-fought campaign between two very different visions of America. One vision is of optimism, understanding, and pride for what we've accomplished as a nation. The other is a dark vision of anger, despair, resentment, and even paranoia. It sees our nation as a ruined landscape, which can only be saved by the efforts of one man. And it promises violence-violence against our most important trading partner, as well as violence against our own communities, our neighbors, and our friends.

"I'm sure you know which vision I embrace. I cannot accept a worldview based on racism, prejudice, and mistrust. And yet, despite my misgivings, under normal circumstances my task now would be to congratulate the apparent victor in this race, and welcome the President-elect, graciously preparing for the peaceful transfer of power that is a hallmark of our democracy."

She paused. "But these are not normal circumstances."

Marc stood up straight. He felt a tingle along his spine. He looked along the bar at the men lined up. Every single one of them was glued to the television now. Every one of them was suddenly alert, like animals before an approaching thunderstorm. What was she saying?

"My campaign has discovered evidence of Election Day irregularities in at least five states, including voter suppression, but also including outright tampering with and potential hacking of election machinery. We have reason to believe that the election was stolen, not just from our campaign, but from the American people. We have already contacted the FBI and the Justice Department about our concerns, and we look forward to a full, impartial investigation. Until such an investigation is completed-however long it takes-I cannot and will not recognize the results of this election, and I will continue to perform the duties of the President of the United States, carrying out my oath to protect and uphold the Constitution. Thank you."

On the TV, President Hopkins moved to the right and off screen. There was a babble of voices as reporters shouted, competing with each other for her attention. Flashbulbs popped. The TV station switched to a different camera, one focused on the President as she was hustled out a side door behind a sea of very large Secret Service agents. She hadn't taken a single question.

"What does that mean?" Steve-O said. "Can she do that?"

No one said a word.

Marc just kept drying pint glasses. He didn't know the answer to that himself.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 兽灵密码

    兽灵密码

    (新书《情绪失控》已经上传发布,请各位多多支持,么么哒~)谁能想到,回家路上捡到的一只流浪狗,竟然会是一只兽灵?还附带一只神兽魂魄?更被吸入到了兽灵世界?这是要脱非入欧的节奏嘛?脱你个粑粑啊脱,谁把山海经里面的上古神兽全部放出来了!人家是灵气复苏,你们这是灵兽复苏啊喂!
  • 天赋战师

    天赋战师

    给无极战神当了替死鬼的段烈为了回到家乡无意中误入了异界,拥有秘药、锻造、徽印、鉴定四系大宗师的段烈其实还是一个天赋战士,七系的斗气、海量的战典知识,让他一跃成为最强战神,在高手如林、神圣遍地的战魂大陆上演了一场精彩的传奇。
  • The Story of Wellesley

    The Story of Wellesley

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 创业型企业如何打赢人才战

    创业型企业如何打赢人才战

    本书主要传播人力资源管理中的招聘管理技术,创业型企业在招聘过程中出现的一系列的问题,难点,本书从招聘管理9大体系环节解决招聘管理各种的问题,帮助创业型企业打赢人才战,并从录取人才的角度获取市场竞争优势,使公司快速稳健的发展。内有详细的招聘案例及50幅左右幽默搞笑的配图。
  • The Painted Bird

    The Painted Bird

    Originally published in 1965, The Painted Bird established Jerzy Kosinski as a major literary figure. Kosinski's story follows a dark-haired, olive-skinned boy, abandoned by his parents during World War II, as he wanders alone from one village to another, sometimes hounded and tortured, only rarely sheltered and cared for. Through the juxtaposition of adolescence and the most brutal of adult experiences, Kosinski sums up a Bosch-like world of harrowing excess where senseless violence and untempered hatred are the norm. Through sparse prose and vivid imagery, Kosinski's novel is a story of mythic proportion, even more relevant to today's society than it was upon its original publication.
  • 剑指逍遥:霸气萝莉定天下

    剑指逍遥:霸气萝莉定天下

    穿越到男人堆,道貌岸然的师父是萝莉控,一天到晚将她抱在怀中。同门全是师兄,人人都将她当作公主一般宠。唯一的另类很是玉树临风,可是……拜托你口味能不能不要这么重!天下汹汹,遍地是枭雄,且看她一介女流,如何助他大一统!情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 混沌归元剑

    混沌归元剑

    今生,我方晨愿以人族之身!入你化魔池,受仙族洗礼,噬兽族之血。只为让你三族,再无出头之日!
  • 金合欢爱人

    金合欢爱人

    《金合欢爱人》以长篇小说形式讲述了一代留学生学习、生活、感情的故事。以现实主义笔调,真实再现了他们在海外的种种现实遭遇。
  • 张学良和蒋介石

    张学良和蒋介石

    张学良和蒋介石是中国观代历史上声名显赫的人物。他们相交于中国社会最动荡不定的年代,几乎联袂介入了全部重大历史事件,而其历史纠葛,从来众说纷纭,亦明亦暗。《王朝柱精选文集:张学良和蒋介石》以颇具权威性的史料,较为详细地记述了张学良和蒋介石沉浮相关、衰荣相联的特殊关系,写出了他们之间或亲或疏:或分或合,或一致或相悖的变化,都曾给予中国历史以极大影响……
  • 金牌御兽

    金牌御兽

    灵气复苏,全民御兽的时代开启。在这个御兽为尊的新纪元,他带着一家破败的武器制造厂一步步崛起。楚元:“完成这套SS级合金战甲,我就能够晋级成为七阶御兽师了。”(PS:半御兽类小说,喜欢的书友请多多支持~)