Chapter 688 - 323: I Want to Be the Vice President
Pittsburgh. Intensive Care Unit.
Leo lay on the hospital bed, his left arm wrapped in thick gauze and immobilized at his side.
The effects of the anesthetic had completely worn off. Pain washed over him in waves, and every heartbeat brought a sharp, tearing sensation from his wound.
But he didn’t press the call button for painkillers.
He was thinking.
The pain kept him sharp, allowing him to seize the fleeting opportunity in this world of lies and schemes.
Right now, he was the focus of All of America.
The photograph of his blood-soaked shirt was still on the front page of every major news outlet, and his approval ratings had skyrocketed to their peak.
This was when he was at his strongest.
It was also when he was in the most danger.
He had to make his move now.
With great effort, Leo used his right hand to pull his phone from under the pillow and directly dialed David Stern’s private number.
The phone was answered after just one ring.
"Leo?"
Stern’s voice came through, tinged with obvious surprise that quickly morphed into an almost overly enthusiastic delight.
"Thank God, you finally called back."
"The President has been asking about you constantly. He even wanted to fly over himself, but the Special Service Bureau stopped him, citing security concerns. You have no idea how crazy it is out there. All of America is praying for you."
Stern spoke quickly, a desperate eagerness to please coloring his tone.
"David," Leo said.
"I’m here, Leo, I’m here. Is there anything you need? The best doctors? A transfer to Walter Reed Army Medical Center?"
"I don’t need doctors," Leo cut him off. "I need to talk."
There was a slight pause on the other end of the line.
"Of course, of course we can talk. But I suggest we switch to a different line. The Special Service Bureau has a dedicated encrypted..."
"No need," Leo said, looking out the window. "This one is fine. I’m not afraid of anyone listening in, and I assume you aren’t either."
Stern fell silent for two seconds. He immediately understood Leo’s attitude.
’Leo doesn’t care about secrecy.’
’That means whatever he wants to discuss is either completely above board, or so insane that even an eavesdropper wouldn’t believe it.’
"Alright, Leo." Stern’s voice grew serious. "What do you want to talk about? If it’s about the misunderstanding from before, I can explain."
"The most important thing right now is the election. The President needs you. We need your public endorsement, and we need you to mobilize the unions and blue-collar votes in the Rust Belt."
Stern started laying out his chips.
"Just give us the nod, and you can name any condition."
"A cabinet position?" Stern tested the waters. "How about Secretary of the Department of Energy? That would align with your energy strategy in Pennsylvania. Or Secretary of Labor? You could take your Mutual Aid Alliance concept nationwide."
"Take your pick, Leo. Anything the President can appoint is on the table."
These were indeed generous terms.
For a Mayor in his thirties, a single leap into the cabinet to wield real power in a federal department was a threshold countless politicians strived for their entire lives yet never reached.
But that was not Leo’s ambition. He just chuckled.
The movement pulled at his wound. It hurt.
"David, you still don’t know me."
Leo spoke into the phone.
"I don’t want to be in the cabinet. The Department of Energy? The Department of Labor? What would I do there? Get humiliated by Republicans in Congress hearings? Or sit in a corner taking notes during routine meetings at the White House?"
"I don’t want to be a punching bag."
"Then what do you want?" Stern was confused. "An ambassadorship? Or..."
"I want to be in the White House."
Leo cut him off.
"I want the chair right beside the Resolute Desk."
"I want the nomination for Vice President."
The other end of the line fell dead silent.
𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
The silence lasted for a full five seconds.
Leo could even hear Stern’s heavy breathing.
"What?"
Stern’s voice had changed, laced with an absurdity that suggested he thought he’d misheard.
"What did you say? Vice President?"
"Yes, VP," Leo repeated. "I want to be the President’s running mate."
"Are you insane?!"
Stern finally roared, his voice gratingly loud.
"Leo, did that bullet scramble your brains? Do you have any idea what you’re saying?"
"The Constitution! The United States Constitution!"
Stern was practically hysterical.
"Article Two, Section One, Clause Five of the Constitution! The Vice President must be thirty-five years old! It’s a hard requirement! It’s set in stone! How old are you? Thirty-two? Thirty-three?"
"You aren’t even eligible to run! This isn’t a matter of political horse-trading, it’s a legal issue! A legal issue as unshakable as a law of physics!"
Stern thought the world had gone mad.
’A Mayor who’s barely weaned is demanding the vice presidency, completely ignoring the Constitution’s existence.’
"That’s your problem."
Leo’s voice remained cold.
"Figure it out."
"You have the best legal teams in All of America, you have connections to Supreme Court justices. The Constitution was written by men, and what is written by men can be interpreted by men."
Leo offered a few utterly absurd suggestions.
"Maybe you can reinterpret the rules about birth certificates? Or pass some kind of emergency act to waive the age limit? Or better yet, nominate me first, and we’ll fight the constitutional battle after we’ve won? In any case, that’s your problem, not mine."
"You..." Stern was so angry he was speechless.
"My terms are on the table, David."
Leo’s tone turned harsh, filled with an unyielding dominance.
"Either give me the VP nomination, or that’s it. Even if it’s only symbolic, even if the Supreme Court ultimately rejects it, I want that nomination."