"Sign it, Leo."

Roosevelt’s voice echoed in his mind.

’When Caesar crossed the Rubicon River, he didn’t bring all his friends with him. Some paths are destined to be walked alone.’

’Murphy is a relic of a bygone era; he can’t keep up with you anymore. Leaving him behind would be a release for him, too.’

’After all, this is all happening because of this election. If it weren’t for this election, you wouldn’t even be facing this problem.’

’Take that five hundred million US dollars and go back to Pittsburgh. That is your battlefield.’

Leo put down his phone.

He stood in the hallway, watching the White House Chief of Staff drinking coffee in the distance.

The man sat there, perfectly composed, as if he had already seen the outcome.

He was certain Leo would compromise.

Because it was the rational choice.

Leo adjusted his collar. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

He strode back into the dining room.

Stern looked up, set down his coffee cup, and glanced at his watch.

"Six minutes," Stern said with a smile. "Faster than I expected."

Stern picked up a napkin, dabbed the corner of his mouth, and leaned back.

"So, is it settled?"

"Murphy will find some health or family reason to gracefully withdraw from the primary in the next day or two, correct?"

Stern pulled a document from his briefcase.

Leo glanced at the cover. It read, "Pennsylvania Integrated Freight Mobility Plan."

"Those people in Harrisburg are suing you, claiming your Inland Port project lacks statewide coordination and that you’re building your own independent kingdom, right?"

Stern’s finger tapped the document’s cover.

"This document will shut them up immediately."

"In the Federal Transportation Department’s records, the Pittsburgh Inland Port has always been a key node in the Northeast Corridor’s logistics network. This document explains how your port complements Philadelphia’s seaport, rather than competes with it."

Stern looked at Leo.

"The only reason Harrisburg is still reviewing it is that the Federal Government just so happened to forget to send them this amendment."

"All you have to do is nod. All Murphy has to do is withdraw."

"And this is yours."

Stern slid the document to the middle of the table.

Leo looked at the document.

That was five hundred million US dollars.

That was Pittsburgh’s lifeline.

’Just a nod, and all this pain would end. He would return to Pittsburgh with the money, a hero.’

’Murphy would be disappointed, furious even, but he’d still be a Representative. He’d get by.’

’It was the perfect ending, the most rational choice.’

Leo reached out and placed his hand on the document.

The smile on Stern’s lips widened.

"Smart kid."

"No."

Leo spoke.

Stern’s smile froze on his face.

"What did you say?"

Leo kept his fingers on the document and pushed it back.

Back in front of Stern.

"I said, no."

Leo’s voice was calm and hard, like a cold stone.

"Murphy is not dropping out."

Stern narrowed his eyes.

"You’re playing with fire, Mayor Wallace. Do you know what this means? It means you’ll go crawling back to Pittsburgh empty-handed. It means your city will go bankrupt. It means you will have nothing."

"No, Mr. Stern."

Leo leaned forward.

"You’ve got one thing wrong."

"I didn’t come here seeking goodwill."

"I came here to inform you."

Leo stared into Stern’s eyes, a mad fire burning in his gaze.

"Not only will Murphy not withdraw, he will continue to campaign."

"And you."

Leo extended a finger and tapped the table in front of Stern.

"Not only will you not stand in our way, you will help us."

"You will approve the five-hundred-million-US-dollar bond issue immediately."

Stern was so furious he laughed.

"On what grounds? On that threat of yours to leave the Democratic Party? Young man, you think far too highly of yourself. If you actually do that, we will use all our media resources to destroy you. You’ll become a pariah."

"Mr. Stern."

Leo shifted his weight forward, his hands clasped on the dining table.

"Let’s not talk about me for a moment."

"You just said that for the greater good, Murphy must be sacrificed. You didn’t say it outright, but I know what you and those people at the National Committee are thinking."

"You see Murphy as a spoiler. You’re worried he’ll split Monroe’s vote in the primary. You’re afraid this infighting will fracture the Democratic Party’s base in Pennsylvania, ultimately allowing the Republican Party’s Senator Warren to reap the rewards."

Stern didn’t deny it. He just retorted coldly, "And isn’t that the case? The votes don’t lie. A vote for Murphy is a vote taken from Monroe. When Murphy loses the primary, it’s very likely those votes won’t transfer back to Monroe. Infighting has always been a cardinal sin in elections."

"That’s your miscalculation."

Leo countered.

"You’re still looking at this election with traditional arithmetic, assuming the voter pool is fixed. That’s the root of your mistake."

"Murphy and Monroe... they’re not even fishing in the same pond."

Leo extended a finger and drew an invisible line on the tabletop.

"Aston Monroe, the Vice Governor from Philadelphia, the golden boy of the Establishment Faction. Where’s his base? In the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, in University City, in those highly-educated, middle-class communities. That’s deep blue territory, the Democratic Party’s stronghold."

"And John Murphy?"

"His base is in Pittsburgh, in the deindustrialized areas around Allegheny County, in the small towns scattered across the state’s rural countryside."