"The Progressive Party candidate's electronic vote count has taken a commanding lead across the board. If the Conservative Party candidate cannot secure a substantial lead in the physical vote count, then the outcome of this election will not change much."
"According to the first reports we received from our reporters at the various voting stations, Ms. Catherine, the Progressive Party candidate, still maintains a clear advantage in the physical vote count."
"Of course, the final result will be determined by the official count."
"...Television Station, bringing you the latest election news at any time!"
An elderly, fair-skinned federal man in his fifties, with short, graying hair that was tousled but not messy, slowly rose from the sofa.
He muted the television with a casual gesture, then entered the study.
There were some hidden mechanisms here, and he operated them skillfully. He lifted the carpet in the center of the study and then gently pushed against the floorboards. A row of cases sprang up.
These were his personally customized weapons. As a highly professional assassin, he had his own personalized custom equipment.
He had spent nearly a fifth of the money he had earned during his career as an assassin on customizing various pieces of equipment.
He had not touched this arsenal for several years, but today, he had to use it.
Every weapon had been carefully maintained. There were obvious signs of use, but they did not affect the firearms' stability or accuracy.
He took out three weapons, checked their condition, and then tucked them into his holsters.
It was a difficult job—one that could even be called a certain death sentence—but that did not matter to him in the slightest.
If not for the aid the Chairman of the Conservative Party Committee had given him many years ago, he