End Game (Will Robie #5)(54)

“Yours, I believe,” he said, indicating Reel.

Reel eyed the sniper rifle. “Yes. Can I have it back? Loaded?”

“Please, sit down and eat before it gets cold,” said Dolph.

They sat and uncovered their dishes to see baked chicken, rice, and vegetables together with a small salad and bread.

Dolph took the seat at the head of the table.

As Robie took up his fork he said to Dolph, “You’re not eating?”

Dolph waved this comment off as he continued to examine the rifle. He finally placed the weapon on the table. “My men tell me that you’re both excellent shots.”

Reel took a bite of salad and chewed it methodically, making him wait for her answer. “We’re the best you’ll ever see.”

Dolph made no reaction to this bit of bravado.

“What’s your real name?” Robie asked him.

“I already told you that,” he said impatiently. He looked at them curiously. “How old do you think I am?”

Robie said, “Midthirties.”

“I’m fifty-six.”

Reel’s eyes widened a bit. “So you’ve discovered the fountain of youth in eastern Colorado?”

“No, I discovered something far better. I discovered absolute power. It’s wonderful for the complexion.”

He sat forward and assumed a thoughtful expression. “I have so few people to share my philosophies with. My men, they’re good and they work hard and they obey me. That last part is critical. But they don’t think at the same level that I do. Now, you two are from Washington, DC. As barren as that place is, people do talk politics, competing philosophies.”

“Your philosophies seem pretty clear,” said Reel. “You’re wearing them.”

“No, no, disabuse yourself of that notion. I chose Nazi, but I could have chosen something else.”

“I’m not following,” said Reel.

“Hitler was only one of many. And, indeed, in terms of longevity, while he had perhaps the greatest impact on the world, he was not successful in maintaining what he had created. In fact, he was one of the worst.”

“The Thousand Year Reich lasted, what, a couple decades?” said Robie.

“Precisely. I could name twenty others who did it longer and better than he did. But give the man credit. It took an entire world to bring him down.”

“Well, the world was fighting Italy and Japan, too.”

“Please, the Italians don’t count. To a man they preferred wine and meatballs to fighting. The Japanese fought hard, I’ll give you that. But they had a warrior tradition. The emperors of the Rising Sun ruled for centuries. The Chinese the same. The monarchies as well. And it all comes down to one thing.”

Robie took a bite of chicken. “And what is that?”

“Democracies are clearly the weakest form of government there is.”

“I don’t think you’d find many free people to agree with that,” said Reel.

Dolph looked disappointed by this comment. “I really had hoped for at least a bit of nuance.” He sat back and puffed on his cigarette. “Yes, they’re free. To live in chaos. Too many cooks in the kitchen. Too many people with a place at the table. Too many voices in the room. People are idiots. They don’t know what they want other than to get as much as they can at the expense of their neighbor. You think that Lord of the Flies mentality happens only after a disaster? It happens every day, stopping just short of criminal action.” Though his words seemed inspired by anger, Dolph suddenly laughed. “I’m sure you like facts. I will give some to you. America has the longest-running democracy in history. And what is it? About two and a half centuries old? In the timeline of history that’s a rounding error. The most efficient, the longest-lasting form of government is, without debate, autocratic. One commands and others obey. People deride that as evil. I would say then the world dearly needs more evil.”

“I think there’s more than enough, actually,” opined Reel.

Dolph did not seem to hear her. “You saw what happened when Saddam was toppled. Certainly he killed many of his own. Certainly he was cruel. But by taking him out of power, how many more have died? Ten times? A hundred times? I can give you example after example. People don’t want freedom. People want to be safe. Democracies cannot provide that. But one person with the requisite power can. I am that person to my people. And I desperately want my people to greatly increase in number.”

Reel had to use her hands to dig into the chicken since no knife had been provided, for obvious reasons. “So you’re the leader who keeps your people safe?”

“I am not a joke, or a lunatic, since I know that is what you’re thinking. I rule, but I do so benevolently.”

“Like you did with Holly and Luke?” she said.

“Luke Miller broke his oath. This I have already explained to you. Holly was an example. This she brought upon herself when she formed her alliance with the traitor Luke. I must have rules. And those rules must be enforced. Otherwise, there is chaos. And chaos will bring down any regime. Even mine.” He paused and stubbed out his cigarette on the tabletop. “Now, when you are trying to change things and your power is not yet at its height, you must use stealth. You work from the inside out. You turn people to your cause. Then before your opposition knows what is happening”—he stopped and, pulling a knife from a holder on his belt, drilled its point into the table—“they are the weaker ones and they can be vanquished.”