The presidents men a gri.., p.1
The President's Men: A Gripping Psychological Thriller, page 1
THE PRESIDENT’S
MEN
By
C T Mitchell
Copyright
Copyright © 2023 by C T Mitchell
Cover and internal design © C T Mitchell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems – except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews – without the permission in writing from its publisher, C T Mitchell.
All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. We are not associated with any product or vendor in this book.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
About the Author
DEDICATION
To all those who have lived in an abusive relationship, whether at home or at work, there is a better world out there for you.
Leave the narcissist
CHAPTER 1
“Your father worries me.” Sally Barton leaned back in her deck chair and closed her eyes behind her over-sized sunglasses. “I know we are supposed to be relaxing, enjoying some mother-daughter time, but I can’t relax when I’m forever thinking about your dad. What if he does something while we’re away?”
It was a stay vacation close to home, but still felt like miles away from the city that never slept.
“He’ll be fine Mum. We’re enjoying ourselves on vacation. What else is there to do?” Beth Barton tugged the wide brim of her sun hat further down on her forehead. “Dad isn’t a child, Mum. He’s at work.”
“You know that’s not what I mean.” Sally bit down so hard on her bottom lip that she tasted blood. “What if he has one of his episodes?”
“Why don’t you check his YouTube channel? That’s the only way any of us can keep track of his comings and goings anymore.”
“Great idea!”
Sally picked up her phone and tapped on the YouTube app. She knew Warren’s channel address by heart now. Warren-Rants. They’d watched and re-watched every single video he posted to try to make sense of the dark turn his life had taken since starting at the financial firm seven years ago on Wall Street.
Warren grew up wanting for nothing. Doors were instantly opened for him. But in the past twelve months, the lights dimmed. The psychologists said the notoriety made him feel entitled and out of touch with reality. He was used to getting what he wanted. And when that didn’t happen with the people around him, he had a furious reaction.
He posted nasty things about them online.
First, it was Facebook, and then he started a YouTube channel with his video blog ‘Warren Rants’. It turned out Warren says a lot of things and none of them were flattering about his co-workers, especially his immediate bosses.
“Maybe you’re just a little too sensitive,” Sally remembered telling him after he uploaded his first video. “Bullying happens. Just brush it off. I’m sure that will do the trick.”
But it didn’t do the trick that time. It seemed every one of Warren’s colleagues had it in for him. A jibe here. A smart remark there.
To Warren, it was always personal. Most times they apologized, but it wasn’t as easy for Warren to put the constant rejection behind him. And he didn’t accept the behaviour of the President and his executive team.
“Oh, look, Mum, Dad’s uploaded a brand-new video.”
Sally clicked the play button and held out her phone so they could watch it together. Warren’s face filled most of the frame. He didn’t look dangerous with his ‘Brad Pitt’ looks and perfect smile. He certainly didn’t look like the sort of guy anyone would tease.
The only thing that seemed even the slightest bit off about Warren was his eyes. They shifted back and forth like an over-wound metronome, particularly when he started ruminating on screen.
“Is he drunk?” Beth muttered. “He looks out of it.”
“Hush, darling, so we can hear what he has to say.”
“Hi everyone, this is Warren. Today on Warren Rants is ‘payback a prick day.’ I’d like to dedicate this very special episode to Nick, Jack, and Michael. I’ve tried to be nice. I tried to do my job well. But you continue to bully me. You deny it. But you’re lying. You’re lying through your pearly whitened teeth, Nick. You have defrauded accounts, and now it’s payback time. And you Jack, ‘Mr. Three Month Married Man’ still touching the asses of every little 25-year-old girl you can lay your grubby fingers on. And Michael, you cocaine snorting, unemployed for the past five years; you are a grovelling ass. See you in Hell, pricks!”
Warren jostled the camera around so he was no longer the focus. Instead, it showed the front of the financial headquarters on Wall Street.
Sally and Beth heard a round of pop-pop-pops that sounded like firecrackers going off. But it wasn’t. Screaming, running, and swearing was happening as someone big and burl dressed all in dark navy tackled Warren.
They realized their worst fears were coming true.
Those weren’t firecrackers going off.
Those were gunshots.
CHAPTER 2
With taking down an offender, Detective Jack Creed was always taught to react first and think later.
“I need backup in Central Park!” he shouted to a passer-by, who was standing around with his mouth hanging open. What was he trying to do, catch flies?
“Just hold him a little while longer, Jack.” Detective Danielle Rodrigues hit the ground like she was sliding into home plate and cuffed Warren.
Danielle was the complete opposite of Creed. She could play both sides of the card as needed, rough and tumble cop or undercover veteran.
Today she was both.
“Danielle to the rescue,” he joked.
Jack knew being transferred to the States was going to be a huge adjustment. His wife was pissed, but she understood this was something he needed to do. It was a change for the better. He had burnt his bridges back home.
But he was experienced with a good record for catching crims and that’s what the yanks wanted.
His family was going to join him after he settled in. The market was slow, but they had some prospects checking out the property.
“As usual,” she replied with a grin and brushed her dark Latin hair out of her face.
Creed sat up and dragged the offender with him. “I just wish we had gotten here two minutes earlier.”
“It is what it is,” Danielle said.
“Tell that to the families of the staff he shot.”
“Who is talking to the press? You or me?” She stood and dusted off the knees of her jeans. “Cause if it’s me, I need to put on something that’s more we-are-deeply saddened-and-in-shock instead of I-just-woke-up-after-an-all-night-bender.”
“You’re the camera-ready one, Danielle, not me. Besides, the media prefer a good-looking hot girl with curves over a wrinkly, gray-haired fifty-something-year-old,” Creed said with a smirk, knowing full well it would rile her up.
Danielle didn’t bite. “Why wouldn’t they? Not bad for 37. And you? Fifty? Ha, closer to sixty, I’d say.” She mocked with a smirk.
Creed shook the offender, who howled for his lawyer.
“Good call. Besides, I have this prick to deal with.”
*****
“For the last time, I told you I’m not saying anything until you get me a lawyer,” Warren insisted. “Call my wife. She’ll give you the number of the guy we used to buy our house. Not sure if he’ll be much fucking use here, though,” Warren huffed.
“Oh, you’ve said plenty already,” Creed remarked. “We’ve had you on our radar for months. Your videos speak louder than anything you could think to say right here and now.”
“What videos?” Warre
“Don’t play dumb with me,” Creed snapped. “You know exactly what videos I’m talking about.”
“Why did you shoot those three guys today?” Creed questioned.
The interrogation had begun. Maybe Warren would slip up and give away some details about the crime.
He’d shut up faster than a politician in the middle of a scandal
“You had an office full of people. You could take aim at anyone. Why them?” He slapped three pictures down on the table in front of Warren. The three victims. “Why Nick, Jack, and Michael?”
“Why not?”
“What did they ever do to you?”
He shrugged. “Plenty. I was a joke to them. Now the jokes on them.”
CHAPTER 3
“How long did you have him going till he clammed up?” Danielle asked.
Rodrigues arrived back from the press coverage and stood next to Creed behind the two-way mirror. They could see into the interrogation room, but Warren couldn’t see out.
“He can’t deny the shooting. He’s the one that posted the video online.” Creed sipped at his steaming cup of black coffee. “We can stick that on him, maybe more. We’re gunning for the hate speech. Those videos he posted...” Creed shook his head. “Those videos are our most damning evidence if we can find them.”
Danielle frowned. “What do you mean, if we can find them? They’re up on his YouTube page. The guy is obsessed with documenting his every thought and move.”
“Was obsessed with documenting his every thought and move,” Creed corrected. “He’s deleted them from his account and the guys in IT can’t find a cache. We’ll need to get a warrant to search his home to see if we can find the original copies.”
“So, he’s smarter than he looks, huh?”
“Seems so.” Creed took another long draw from his coffee cup. “His wife and daughter are on their way to the station. I think we should separate them and question them to see what they knew while the boys work on getting that warrant approved.”
Danielle nodded while palming a locket around her neck. “Count me in.”
*****
Beth Barton looked up when the door to the tiny interrogation room opened.
“Miss Barton, I’m Detective Creed.” Instead of offering to shake her hand, Creed set a folder of crime scene photos in front of her. Old blokes don’t shake young girl’s hands. Kind of weird. “I’m in charge of your father’s case.”
“Do you think my Mom or I had anything to do with this event?” Beth asked. “We’re in as much shock as anyone else.” Creed glared back at her with a look that showed he had heard it all before.
“He’s lost his way.” She looked at anything and everything but the crime scene photos.
Creed didn’t really blame her. Three families lost their husbands today and her dad caused it. Why would she want to be reminded of that? Denial was easier. Denial helped you sleep at night.
“What changes did you notice in your father within the last few months?” Creed asked.
“You mean when he started posting those horrible videos?” Beth looked up and held Creed’s gaze.
“Three months ago, Dad started changing. He withdrew from us and refused to tell us where he was going or who he was seeing. He dropped all his old friends and only wanted to be alone.” Beth frowned.
“At least that’s what he said. Mum and I weren’t so sure. We could hear him talking to someone late at night. More like arguing. They were planning for something, but when we confronted him about it, he said we were being paranoid and to leave him alone.
We were forced to subscribe to his YouTube channel if we wanted any hint of what he was up to. He never talked to us anymore. It was like living with a ghost. He was there, but not there. Mom and I are just as shocked as anyone else by today’s events at the office. Believe me, Detective Creed, if we could have stopped it, we would have.”
“When you say you heard him arguing with someone at night, did you ever question him about it?”
“We tried, but he always got upset and told us to mind our own business and stay out of his life.” Beth spread her hand out in front of him in a hopeless gesture. “That’s when we subscribed to his YouTube channel. Why would he tell the world what he was thinking, but not his own family? We didn’t understand, though we wanted to.”
“Could you hear this other person at all? Did Warren ever talk to them over Skype or Messenger?”
Beth shook her head.
“We’re going to need to search your house,” Creed said. “It’s probably best if you’re not there. With the media crawling around, you’re going to thank us for that advice.”
Beth nodded. “I understand. We were on vacation. We can just go back up there to the hotel. I can leave our number in case you need us for anything. Your parents alive, Detective Creed?”
Creed nodded.
“If your dad did something so horrible and so heinous that you couldn’t wrap your head around it, what would you do?”
“I’d do the same thing you and your mother are doing,” Creed assured her. “Sometimes people are just broken, but no matter how hard we try to fix them, it’s really up to them to fix themselves.” Creed looked at Beth with understanding.
CHAPTER 4
The Barton house was eerily quiet. Creed and Danielle led the team to Warren’s office. “Dust for prints,” Creed ordered. “Based on interviews with his family, we might look for a second person as well.”
“Just what we need. Two men haters running loose.” Danielle crouched and shined a flashlight under the desk. “This guy should have just accepted a joke or two and moved on. Instead, he goes out and kills three guys.”
“Maybe it’s not that they made jokes at him but how they said it,” Detective Jenkins, one cop dusting for prints, said. “I mean, what makes snide remarks above the law?
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re standing up for this idiot!” Danielle pulled several boxes out from under the table. “He just needed to harden up and not be so sensitive.”
Danielle was a tough bitch. You had to be growing up with four brothers. She had to fight for everything.
“So, you think calling somebody a black bastard is, okay?” Jenkins argued.
Nick was the biggest racist of them all. He hated blacks and expressed his views often. The others followed suit. They needed to save their jobs – spineless pricks.
Danielle shrugged. “Of course not. There’s no place for racism.”
“Danielle, can you turn on Warren’s laptop? Perfect. No password to protect his stuff.”
“Well, our shooter has left quite the video trail.” Rodrigues double clicked on the video with the earliest one first.
“Hi, all. This is Warren, and you’re watching Warren Rants. I know a lot of you are going to say ‘so what’s up with all this whining? Just suck it up and move on, buddy,’ but I can’t. How would you feel if you were being constantly bullied by your bosses? Nick, this is for you. You said my finance knowledge would be helpful when I joined the company. But then you turned into a total bastard. What gives? How can you use someone like that? Think it’s okay because you are the President? Well, it’s not, pal. I’m calling the shots and you’re going to get what’s coming to you. You heard it here first, Nick Reid.”
“Sick” Creed commented.
Danielle clicked on the next video. Warren’s face filled the screen again.
Society sickened her. She was becoming jaded. It didn’t help she lost her soul mate on the job. That fateful night when they broke the news was still fresh after several months of mourning his loss. Being widowed was bad enough.
Her daughter Tina was a handful. She was hanging with the wrong crowd.
“Hi all. This is Warren from Warren Rants. Today’s video is dedicated to Jack. I bet you thought I’d still be upset with Nick, right? Wrong. Jackson and Wright are just a boy’s camp of failed real estate agents out to bash anybody they can while trying to sell the American dream.
Double standards. You make me feel like shit ‘cause I dared challenge you. We’re not all ‘yes men’, dumbass. Jack. You think you’re hot. Working out the gym, flexing your muscles. Who fuckin’ cares, dickwit.
Preaching morals to the team while you are trying to get into the panties of every young girl who crosses your path. And you’ve been married for just three months. Disgusting. Berate me in public... oh, you’ll get what’s coming to you.”
