That would completely destroy the Democratic Party’s election prospects in Pennsylvania. It would trigger a nationwide chain reaction and could even cause the Democratic Party to lose control of the Senate.

This is far more serious than thousands of workers losing their jobs, or a city going bankrupt.

For the White House, this was an absolutely unacceptable strategic disaster.

"You... You’re insane."

Sanders’s voice trembled slightly.

"Do you have any idea what you’re saying? You’re betraying the party that put you in this position!"

"No, Senator."

Leo stood up straight, his face expressionless.

"It was the citizens of Pittsburgh who put me in this position."

"I am the Mayor elected by the citizens of Pittsburgh, one vote at a time. Seventy-two percent of the vote—that’s the trust hundreds of thousands of living, breathing people placed in me."

"They didn’t elect me to come to Washington and be a loyal servant to the Democratic Party. They elected me because I promised to make their lives better, because I promised to give them jobs, give them dignity."

Leo took a step forward, his voice low and powerful.

"Do you think those steelworkers lining up in the cold wind, those single mothers living in leaky apartments—do they really care if I have a blue donkey or a red elephant pinned to my chest?"

"They don’t care."

"They only care who can put a check in their hands, who can turn that damned pile of rubble into a school."

"If the Democratic Party can’t deliver, and the Republican Party can, then for my constituents, walking away is the most logical choice."

"My duty is only to the people who signed their names on the ballots, not this damned Democratic National Committee."

"You..." Sanders took a deep breath. "What makes you so confident? What makes you think you can take the whole of Pittsburgh with you to the other side? Aren’t you afraid of being torn to shreds by angry voters?"

Leo looked at Sanders.

"Senator, if you don’t believe me."

"Try me."

"Loyalty is a two-way street."

"That’s my logic."

Leo glanced at the clock on the wall.

"It’s nine in the morning."

"Tell the White House I have the resolve."

"Tell them I’m only giving them two hours to arrange a meeting."

"If I don’t get a call by eleven o’clock."

"I’ll go have coffee at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee."

"I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to hear my plan."

Sanders looked at the young man before him. Standing in front of him now was a Machiavellian, through and through.

A gambler who dared to hold his entire party hostage to achieve his goals. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Sanders took a long, deep breath.

This expressionless young man before him gave Sanders an unprecedented sense of losing control.

Just one year ago, to help this young man regain access to his campaign data, he had cast a dissenting vote in the House of Representatives, a move that came at the cost of obstructing the entire agenda of Congress.

It was a rare, hardline move in his political career, all to protect this spark of hope.

And now, that spark had grown into a raging wildfire, one that threatened to burn down the entire forest.

But strangely, beneath this panic of losing control, Sanders actually felt a flicker of inexpressible relief.

He had struggled in the swamp of Washington for too long, always trying to use gentle methods to patch up a sinking behemoth of a ship.

In truth, he should have been tougher long ago. He should have stood up, flipped the table, and backed those high-and-mighty bigwigs into a corner.

Now, Leo had done it for him.

"All right."

Sanders reached out and picked up the phone.

"I’ll make the call for you," Sanders said. "But I hope you know, Leo, once you take this step, there’s no going back."

"The way the White House sees you is going to change."

"I know."

Leo replied.

"For Pittsburgh, I’ll be whatever I have to be."

"Even a Demon."