Spider Game (GhostWalkers, #12)(126)

“You know, Senator, even though I think some of what you’re saying and how you’re acting is genuine, there isn’t any difference between you and Whitney,” Trap snapped. “He tortures little girls and forces them into sexual slavery in order to get what he wants. He believes the end justifies the means. You know that’s all going on and you let it, you betray those women and you send in soldiers with children around…”


“Vipers. Made in a petri dish. You know what he does. You know none of you, including the children, are truly human anymore.”


“There it is,” Trap said. “You didn’t give a damn whether or not the girls lived through the attack. All you cared about was making sure what you wanted happened.”


Wyatt leapt up and stood over Violet, his fingers curled into fists.


Stay calm, Wyatt. Trap’s already a hothead. I don’t need both of you to lose it in there. We have to find out what she wants. Joe’s voice was devoid of all feeling.


Wyatt swore and turned on his heel, shoving the chair out of his way so he could stalk across the room.


“To take down Whitney,” Violet emphasized. “If we manage to rid this world of him, the girls will no longer be in danger. He has seven laboratories he uses for experiments. Laboratories where he and his people create genetic mutants. Disgusting, nonhuman beings. Creatures that kill without mercy.” There was sheer revulsion in her voice, in her mind. She actually shuddered, not even seeing Trap’s reaction. She was too busy trying to persuade them that she was right.


“Seven monsters just like Whitney oversee those labs for him. You took down Braden, but that leaves six more. I don’t have those locations, but I know they exist because I’ve heard Whitney talking to the men and giving them orders. I know he flies to them whenever he feels like it. He gets help from so many people in power. If I get to be vice president, I can find those people and get rid of them.”


Ask her who set our team up to be ambushed in Afghanistan, Joe commanded. He was still feeling the effects of his injuries.


“Who sent our team into an ambush in Afghanistan?” Trap demanded. “And tell the f*cking truth because we’ll know if you lie.”


She raised her chin. “He did that. Not me. He wanted Wyatt home.”


That’s a mixture of truth and lies, Cayenne whispered into Trap’s mind.


“But you knew he was doing it, didn’t you?” Trap snapped.


Violet shrugged. “I couldn’t stop him.”


Cayenne hesitated for the first time. I think it was Violet that did it and Whitney knew, but honestly, I don’t know for certain, only that she was very aware and feels no remorse. At. All.


“But you could have warned us all,” Wyatt said. “Just tell us why you brought us here so we can go. Being in your company offends me.”


“Is that so?” Violet’s gaze narrowed on him. “You live with a snake and your best friend lives with a spider. Your children are venomous creatures, and yet you can’t be in my presence because you say it offends you? Do you have any idea of the monsters he’s created?”


“I’m looking at one,” Trap said, “so yes, I do. Tell us your f*cking plan or I’m walking right now.”


Cayenne’s fingers curled around his and then brushed the back of his hand. Slowly. Gently. There was something beautiful to him in her gesture. She wasn’t in the least bit affected by Violet’s vile prejudice. He could sense his teammate’s reactions to Violet’s bigotry. They all loved Pepper and the girls. They were beginning to have affection for Cayenne, and in any case, she was theirs. They looked after their own, and all of them were offended on her behalf. Cayenne remained the calmest of all of them, her gaze on Violet, her hand in Trap’s.


“I want to bring together all the top scientists we have to work on cancer research. I have Whitney’s research.” She sounded triumphant. “Everything he’s compiled over the years. I know you’ve been working on producing some kind of molecules to surround and strangle cancer cells. There are so many breakthroughs happening right now, so many people coming up with ideas, but Whitney’s tried all sorts of experiments. He documented them all. Flame wasn’t the only woman he gave cancer to. She was the only survivor, but his research provides a platform for all of you to start from. It will advance your work by years.”


“Why haven’t you assassinated him yet?” Trap asked.


She swallowed hard. “I can’t do that. There’s no way. It’s impossible.”


Because she’s paired with him. She isn’t strong enough, Joe said. Get this over so we can all get the hell out of here.


“You’ll have all the funding you need, Dr. Dawkins, I can guarantee that. You’ll have access to the work of the greatest minds we have in the United States. I know curing cancer is doable. I know absolutely you can do it. You and Dr. Fontenot. When the two of you published your paper on protein and sugar molecules and the possibilities of what they could do to fight cancer, so many other researchers jumped on that. You opened new doors. This platform will ensure that we will win the election. Once I’m in power and I can ferret out everyone who supports him, I can take him down.”