Meanwhile, Back in Washington

"We've just hit the forty five million viewer mark" Dawn reported happily as she poured over the stats on her screen "At this rate we should pass fifty million before midnight"

"So that means forty five million people have seen me masturbating naked" Liv realised "That makes me feel so horny. I wonder how many of them were jerking themselves off too while they were watching?"

"Unfortunately that's not a statistic we're able to track." Dawn replied with a smirk. "But I'd bet at least forty million of them."

"How many of our viewers are in the US?" Kayleigh wanted to know.

"Around three quarters"

"Okay, so that's maybe still only ten per cent of the population. It's a great start but we've still got a long way to go ."

There was a buzz on the intercom in Liv's apartment, where Kayeligh and Dawn were also temporarily based while Joey and Charlie remained AWOL.

"Good morning ladies!" a smooth, familiar voice spoke in an almost rehearsed sounding manner from outside "Mind if I come on up?"

"Daddy!" Liv called out excitedly as she immediately darted over and hit the button to let their guest in.

Moments later, Senator Adams strolled in through the front door, grinning from ear to ear. Clearly he was happy with not only the impact that Naked Truth was already having but also the performance of its three key players, both on and off set.

"Forty five million viewers girls, we're way ahead of schedule. I'm very proud of you all"

He then turned to Kayleigh and noticed a distinct lack of enthusiasm from his MVP.

"What's the matter, Preston? A viewership the size of the population of Argentina after one episode not good enough for you?"

"I can't enjoy any of this until I find Joey and work things out with him" Kayleigh answered sadly "My best friend probably hates me and thinks I betrayed him because I never got the chance to explain what I'm trying to do here, how many lives I wanted us both to save, and what his role was going to be in it all."

"I'm sorry your friend ran off on you" the senator shrugged "I guess some people just aren't cut out to be heroes."

"Don't talk about Joey like that" Dawn shot back "He's one of the most genuinely decent men I've ever come across. We should all be incredibly grateful that power went to someone who didn't abuse it."

"Yeah, that's my boyfriend you're talking about, Daddy" Liv pouted "And I miss him."

"I have to commend your loyalty ladies, but it seems to me your precious Joey chose the Russian lady over all of you." the senator told them rather coldly "The very same girl who betrayed our entire movement and ran off with our prize asset. My guess is they're in Moscow together as we speak."

"No, Joey isn't like that" Kayleigh shook her head firmly "He's gone because I drove him away. I've really fucked this up."

"Fucked it up? Forty five million viewers Kayleigh! And who even needs him when you have the power now. I think we're ready to move on to the next phase of the plan"

"Which is?"

"In the next episode I want you to tell your viewers that our current President is a corrupt, power hungry enemy of the American people, that every word he says is a lie and that he should be forced out of office by the masses."

"On episode two?" Kayleigh asked in a manner that suggested she thought she must have heard incorrectly "Surely that's way too early?"

"To get rid of the guy, yes. But once we start sowing the seeds of discontent his position will become increasingly untenable. After a few more weeks and episodes he'll be gone and we can bring in our own person."

"You mean Clarissa?" Kayleigh assumed.

"No, I think she'd be better suited to remain as our second in command."

"What? Why?" Kayleigh was confused by this "She'll do whatever we tell her and the public already trust her. Her approval rating has gone through the roof since she stripped naked and gave that speech."

"He has someone else in mind to be the next President" Dawn arched an eyebrow wryly "I bet you can't guess who it is."

"You?" Kayliegh realised as she glared daggers at Senator Adams.

"It only makes sense, Preston. I've been the brains behind this operation from the start Clarissa is just our puppet. Why should she reap the rewards for all my hard work? So, in the next episode, I'll need you to get her to endorse me as the person best placed to take over running the country. Also, I want you to tell the public they should believe every single word that I say."

"So, basically, you want to be the most powerful person on the planet with nobody able to question anything you do?"

"This is all for the greater good Preston, like I told you from the start."

"Nate, when you approached me about this back in Connecticut you said we were going to completely dismantle the government so we could could create a fairer, more equitable society with a redistribution of wealth that would allow everyone to get by, and where the people have a genuine say in the decisions that effect their day to day lives. You definitely didn't say you only wanted the President gone so you could step into the hot seat and take over yourself."

"First things first, Preston This is a multi phased plan."

"You also assured me we'd minimise the mind control shit and reverse it all once we'd removed the current regime, so people could think freely and make decisions for themselves."

"And we'll do exactly that. But not until we've reached the right moment"

"And when will the right moment come? Once you've completed your fourth term?"

"If that's how long it takes" Senator Adams shrugged and smirked a little.

"So in other words you've been lying to me from the word go?"

"Look at you, up on your high horse!" Nate's fake friendly demeanour suddenly evaporated and his manner became somewhat menacing "You told me your friend Joey was the greatest guy you knew, an honest and dependable man who could be trusted to help our noble cause. Instead he got seduced by some blonde slut into defecting to the Ruskis. As you know, we've yet to create a second batch of gunk that worked like the test version did. So, as things stand, the only people who possess the power of bullshit are you, Comrade Joey and, very soon, Vladimir Putin. Unless you want to be remembered as the second most useful idiot in history, after your best buddy, I suggest you give me the power to fix this."

"Okay fine" Kayleigh sighed.

"I knew you'd see sense" he winked at her in a deliberately patronising manner "I'll see myself out"

"Give a lying sack of shit like you a power like that?" Kayleigh muttered under her breath as the Senator left "Yeah, right. Fucking creep."

----

"Okay, that's the last of them" Joey puffed out his cheeks and placed his hands, that had been tapping away on Charlie's keyboard for the best part of the last hour, behind his head. He hadn't been able to risk cutting and pasting, in case that counted as him re-reading his own text "That's gone out to every major platform there is several times over. I really hope we're doing that right thing here."

"We are, trust me!" Charlie threw her arms around his neck and smothered him with kisses "I need to go to the bathroom real quick. Then I thought we could maybe venture a little further afield for our next lovemaking session. Maybe fuck in the woods?"

"Sounds good to me, gorgeous!"

As Charlue left the room, Joey's phone buzzed. By the time she had returned, he was staring at it with an intensely conflicted expression.

"What's up? Something happen?" she asked with a hint of concern.

"It's Kayleigh" Joey told her "She says she needs to talk to me urgently."

With thanks to TheWeirdKing for help brainstorming some parts of this chapter.