The Belial Stone (The Belial Series #1)(74)

He sneered. “Men? They’re not men. They’re burdens to society. As you well know, we have over one and a half million people incarcerated in the United States with another five and a half million under some form of correctional supervision. The criminal justice system is the largest part of most state budgets and a huge part of that goes towards housing and supervising felons. Good, decent Americans can’t send their kids to college because we’re too busy housing convicts. And then what happens when we let these offenders out? They commit more crimes. The cycle has to stop.”

“By killing them?”

“They provide a vital service to this country. They’re helping secure its future. They are finally paying back the debt they owe the country that they have so egregiously harmed. Some may not survive, but their work will.”

“They were incarcerated. They’ve paid their debt.”

“Paid their debt?” he shouted, his face turning a violent shade of red.

Maybe I’ll get lucky and the guy will have a heart attack.

He pounded a fist on the desk. “You liberal professors are always the same. Inmates are incarcerated, for what? Maybe a half of their actual sentence? And then they’re released for ‘good behavior’. And what is that good behavior? They didn’t kill anyone while locked up. How’s that paying their debt?”

He shook his head. “No. We need to start treating inmates like they treat us. We need to use them for what we need and not care about the ramifications of our actions.”

She stared at him with disbelief. Was this guy serious? Did he actually believe the crap he was spewing? “How does that make us any better than them? If you’re so angered by their behavior, how does becoming like them make us any better?”

The Senator stood up and began to pace the room. “Like them? I am nothing like them. I am not doing this for my benefit. I am doing this for my country. Through my efforts and their sacrifice, this country will be stronger. Our future will be assured. This country will be restored to its former glory and we will lead the world once again.”

Well, apparently someone had seen one too many James Bond movies. He was the villain come to life. “With you at the helm. Right, Senator?”

“Someone with the right vision has to lead this country. And true leaders make the tough decisions and don’t look back. I am willing and able to make those decisions.”

He nodded his head as if to confirm his own righteousness and Laney saw how close to madness the Senator truly was. He was lost in his own vision of the glory of America and his role as its savior.

Her mind raced. He actually believed Gideon was going to give him the stone. All his arrogance was only going to serve to get him killed. She looked at him, lost in his own glory. He was swimming in very deep waters, and he didn't even know it.

She glanced behind her. They were still alone. Now was probably her only chance. Besides Gideon, she hadn’t seen any other guards. She just needed the Senator to move a little bit closer. And for a man with his ego, there was one surefire way to do that.

Leaning forward in her chair, her voice dripped with condescension. “And if you happen to make millions in the process, while killing others? You could have just given this discovery to the world. But no, you kept it for yourself. You’re selfish, you’re egocentric, and you’re greedy.”

The Senator’s face returned to its violent red hue. “How dare you! I am this country’s hope for the future. You do not get to speak to me that way. Who do you think you are?”

Laney braced herself on the edge of her chair. “Who am I? I’m one of the people you claim to speak for. You’re not what America is about. You are arrogant. You are elitist. You are without conscience. You are the worst of what America stands for.”

With a strangled cry, the Senator launched himself around the desk at Laney. His hands reached for her throat.

Laney sidestepped his hands and aimed a jab straight at his face. His head snapped back, a strangled cry on his lips.

Grabbing his shoulders, she yanked his head down, slamming her knee into his face. Cupping the back of his head, she pushed it towards the floor, forcing him to the ground while holding onto his right arm. She aimed two more punches at his ribs as he headed to the floor and put a knee into the middle of his back.

She stepped over his arm with her left leg, kicked him in the face, and trapped his arm between her legs. She wrenched back on his arm, breaking it at the elbow. The Senator screamed in pain. She dropped his arm, spun around for the door, and went still.

Gideon lounged against the door frame, a pistol aimed straight at Laney.

“I told you she was a security risk,” he drawled.





CHAPTER 64



Beaver Creek, MT



The security team performed a search of the grounds, but didn’t find any sign of Laney. They did, however, find a total of twelve men killed, five belonging to the Chandler Group and seven strangers.

Jake had personally searched almost every square inch. He’d failed her. Guilt and fear engulfed him. He paced up and down the drive. “How the hell did they find us?”

Patrick stood against the Suburban, his face ashen. “Laney said you let her make a call earlier. Could they have traced us through that?”

Jake shook his head. “No. The phone was untraceable and we didn’t call Kati directly. That’s not what led them to us.”