Hell on Wheels (Black Knights Inc. #1)(87)
Frank was grateful to the president for allowing her to take part, because the poor woman deserved to see Senator Aldus brought to his f*cking knees more than any of them.
And speaking of…
A loud knock heralded the senator’s much-anticipated arrival.
“Come in,” President Thompson commanded, his voice smooth and authoritative. No doubt that tone helped inspire confidence among the people of the nation. Frank had to admit, it even worked for him.
When two Secret Service agents escorted a tall, middle-aged man into the room, he forgot all about Zoelner and Ghost and Ali, because he instantly recognized the senator. He’d seen Alan Aldus on the nightly news a time or two, extolling this or that accomplishment or, more often, ranting about the failings of the opposing party.
He remembered thinking even then that the guy looked just a bit too slick for comfort. Turns out, his instincts were right on the mark. Senator Aldus was nothing more than an arrogant * with good diction and a fancy suit.
Frank hated guys like that.
“Senator Aldus,” President Thompson said, “we have a few questions to ask you.”
“I’m not saying anything!” Aldus barked, jerking his arms free of the agents’ grasps. “I want my lawyer!”
“Oh, you’ll get your lawyer,” General Fuller hissed, his voice as harsh and gravelly as Thompson’s was calm and smooth. Right at that moment, Fuller looked very much like the badass commando he’d once been. “In fact, I bet you’ll be spending so much time with your lawyer over the next few months you’ll get sick and tired of the man’s face and beg for one glimpse of our ugly mugs.”
Aldus’s ugly mug turned a very abrupt shade of crimson, and Frank wondered idly if the man was going to have a coronary right on the spot.
He hoped not. That would be too easy. Aldus deserved to pay for what he’d done.
“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk,” President Thompson soothed, steepling his long fingers under his very presidential looking chin. “We don’t really need you to, considering we’ve got all the evidence we need to bring you up on charges of treason.”
“Treason!” Aldus sputtered, white spittle gathered at the corners of his mouth, standing out like two truce flags against his cherry-red face. “How dare you! I love my country!”
“You love your country so much you sold illegal weapons to its enemies?” President Thompson looked genuinely perplexed. “I’d hate to see what you would’ve done had you hated your country.”
“They weren’t our enemies when I sold those weapons,” Aldus hotly declared, amazingly unaware that he’d just been maneuvered into a confession.
Frank really had to admire President Thompson’s skill. The man must’ve been one hell of a lawyer before he decided to throw his hat into the political ring.
“They only turned into our enemies after you stupid, slow-moving politicos failed to sufficiently arm them against the Afghan Taliban. I was doing what needed to be done, goddamnit! What you all,” Aldus swung his arm to include the entire array of Joint Chiefs, “were too scared to do.”
“Really?” General Fuller demanded, interrupting whatever President Thompson opened his mouth to say. Frank was surprised when President Thompson just folded his hands and leaned back in his chair, apparently willing to pass the interrogatory ball to Fuller. “And how did that work out, senator? Did those weapons you sold the Pakistani tribesmen help eliminate the Taliban?”
“Well…” Senator Aldus hesitated, and General Fuller jumped into the gulf. “No!” he barked, slamming his big fist down on the president’s desk. Ali nearly jumped out of her seat at the resounding boom, and most of the Joint Chiefs shuffled uncomfortably. Even Frank lifted a brow at the general’s audacity. He couldn’t help but glance at the president’s face to gauge his reaction, but Thompson didn’t seem to notice the impertinence. His expression remained supremely calm, totally impassive.
Interesting.
“They didn’t help eliminate the Taliban, because you’d know if you weren’t so goddamned arrogant,” continued Fuller, his face contorted with rage, “that what the Pakistani tribesmen care most about is money and land, not peace or religion or any ideology. They don’t give a shit about the Taliban, except, oh wait! Because, lo and behold, the Taliban were more than happy to pay them to use those weapons you so patriotically supplied them with. Only they paid them to kill our soldiers!”
“But, but…” Senator Aldus sputtered.
“But nothing!” Fuller bellowed, and Frank could only cross his arms and stand in awe of the general’s righteous fury.
The man must’ve been a veritable monster out in the field.
“If you hadn’t been busy sitting around fantasizing about yourself as the God of War, you’d have taken more time to read all those shiny dossiers that crossed your desk, and you’d have known what we,” General Fuller threw his big arm out to encompass the room, his chest full of medals jangled with the motion, “have known for years. Which is that Pakistan is the epicenter of Islamic terrorism. My God man, the British government has estimated something like eighty percent of the terror threats they receive have Pakistani connections. And what about Bin Laden? I can verify, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was no surprise to any of us military brass that he was found there. So good job, senator. Like the president said at the beginning of your visit, you armed our enemies.”