Paz returned to his office, eased back into the black ergonomic Herman Miller chair and glared at the computer screen displaying his email inbox. He felt a familiar urge in his loins, which only occurred at times of extreme stress. He despised his lack of mental control at moments like this but knew his craving had to be satiated. He carefully moved the cursor down the side of the screen and clicked on a second inbox that had no mention of Theodor Consultants in its name. Paz began to type the word Eros into the header and a familiar email address popped up. He felt a twinge of self-loathing as he created a new message.

I require a representative from your company to attend my home at nine o’clock tonight. Keep to my usual specifications and send over your latest selection of photos.

He knew his predilection for rent boys was his only weakness and also his biggest secret, which neither his colleagues nor enemies knew anything about. A secret he would protect at all costs. Thirty seconds later a fresh email notification appeared and Paz immediately clicked on the attachment. He scrolled through the five naked shots and his mouth formed a slightly distorted smile. As usual, all the boys were blonde and blue-eyed and each image displayed a name graphic. It was a tough choice but he knew instantly who he wanted. He typed in a new message and hit reply.

Send Tomás. Tell him to bring the usual items. He will be required to stay the night.

Chapter Four

9 January 2012

San Francisco

Senator John Franklin walked briskly through the open-plan office of his campaign headquarters, based on the twentieth floor of a high-rise overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Over fifty young volunteers were hammering the phones, enthusiastically campaigning for their candidate. The mood on the floor was euphoric as poll after poll rolled in, showing Franklin holding seemingly unassailable leads over his nearest rivals in the upcoming presidential primary elections.

Franklin was a remarkable candidate who ticked all the right boxes with the American public. He had been groomed from a young age for a political career. The son of one of the country’s most successful and respected businessmen, his schooling included Harvard, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government and International Affairs, and Stanford, where he achieved an MBA. His academic path mirrored that of John F. Kennedy, one of the country’s most revered presidents.

In 1995, aged twenty-five he’d joined the board of his father’s pharmaceutical corporation as director of research and development. Founded in Argentina in 1946, the Franklin Pharmaceutical Corporation was ranked seventh in Forbes’ America’s Top Public Companies list and forty-fifth in its Global 2000. Its annual revenue sat at thirty billion dollars, making it one of the most powerful pharma companies in the Western world.