President Greenwald’s Man
The studio lights made Brian Greenwald sweat, as did the cameras pointed at him. His crisp, black suit felt uncomfortable as though it were a skin in need of molting.
“Some would say you’re a one-issue candidate,” Barbara Madson told him from the interviewer’s chair, a look of grave seriousness stretching her plastic surgery-tightened skin even tighter.
Brian glanced at The Man that stood behind him, a large and threatening figure in his own crisp, black suit. This man always stood behind him, assuring the world that Brian would fulfill his promise or pay the ultimate price. “I think you’ll see that I have no choice,” he said with a slight smirk.
“And what do you mean by that?” Madson asked, a pen pressed to her pursed lips.
“Well, not only am I passionate about climate change, I will literally be killed if I don’t fix it.”
The Man behind him shifted, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his hands.
Barbara Madson straightened as though suddenly aware of the large man’s presence. It wasn’t as though this man hadn’t been at every campaign stop of this grueling election cycle. He’d been next to Brian on every screen in the country, a permanent threat to remind everyone of what was at stake. It had been months and months, yet people still acted surprised.
The establishment was certainly uncomfortable with the concept, yet Brian had sailed through the primary season. Voters were the only ones that didn’t seem deterred, lining up in droves for the chance to elect the one candidate who had something real on the line.
“There are those who say climate change is a complex issue with many stakeholders,” Madson continued. “No one person or even one government can pretend to have the solutions.”
“That’s just excuse making,” Brian said, willing himself not to wipe the sweat off of his palms while on screen. “My life is at stake because all of our lives are at stake. We can’t pretend to have a future if we don’t solve this.”
“There are other issues
