by Eric M Hill
“Agreed,” said Alvin.
That last comment made Anderson’s stomach turn. Chief King saw it in his face. “Heard enough, Dr. Anderson? I have. Let’s get out of here and walk the floor. See how things are progressing in the jail.”
Anderson headed straight for the door. “Take me to a T1-2.”
This was a predator who had raped and murdered.
“Absolutely.” The chief’s voice was robust, but his heart was heavy for Dr. Anderson. Watching another murderer and rapist die isn’t going to bring your daughter back, he thought. I wish it would.
Chapter 52
There was no more appropriate word than giddy. The president was giddy. He listened intently to the Attorney General’s words. Each one was to his ears what chocolate was to his tongue, and he loved, loved, LOVED chocolate. He held and savored that last sentence, refusing to swallow.
“Please, Bob, repeat that,” asked the president, his eyes closed and his heart beating fast in political ecstasy. This was political sex, and he was close to screaming.
The AG looked at the chief of staff and back at the president. “I said thousands of predators have died, and thousands more are infected.”
“That—is—good. But no, Bob, what you said after that,” the president’s eyes still closed.
“I said if this plague continues, it could wipe out at least thirty percent of the state prison population.”
“That’s the part,” Cuning punctuated. His eyes opened with a gleam. “These predators have nearly brought this great country to its knees.”
The AG spoke before Cuning could continue. “If I may, Mr. President.”
The chief of staff closed his eyes and shook his head in his hand. Here we go, he thought.
Cuning exhaled dismissively, still in shock over the religious crap his AG had stepped in three months ago, and how he tried to wipe it on him nearly every time he saw him. “Sure. Why not? I missed church last Sunday, and I’m sure I’ll miss it again this Sunday. May as well be preached at by my attorney general. Shoot.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. The Bible says, ‘If My people which are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The chief of staff’s eyes were still closed and his head was still shaking disbelievingly in his hand. A long “Ohhhh boy” slipped out.
Cuning tilted his head. His face and grin was an expletive in human form. He looked at his chief of staff hiding behind his hand. “Hal.”
He looked up. “Yes, sir, Mr. President.”
“Did you hear the Attorney General?”
“I did, Mr. President.”
Cuning looked at the AG. “Well, what insight, Mr. Attorney General,” his voice filled with mockery, “all this time me and every president and Congress since 2020 thought this plague of predators was something so complicated no one could figure it out. Who would’ve thought,” Cuning paused with a sneer, “that all we had to do was pray.”
His contempt turned to anger. “Is there anything else you want to tell me, Mr. Attorney General, before you leave my office for the last time? What about the economy? It’s in its third straight year of contraction. We could use a little heavenly help there, too.”
The Attorney General stood and looked Cuning dead in his eyes. “Just this, Mr. President. My loyalty and obligation is to the American people and the Constitution. As the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, I will perform my duties without partiality.”
“Are you threatening me, Mr. Attorney General?”
“Not at all, Sir.”
“Good. Because I only know one way to deal with threats.”
The Attorney General couldn’t mask his surprise at the president’s words. He knew his boss was threatening far more than firing him.
“And that’s to strike first,” Cuning stated.
“Mr. President,” said the Attorney General. He turned and walked away without looking at the chief of staff, too busy contemplating how far the president would go with his threat. Surely, he wouldn’t resort to his rumored criminal instincts against the United States Attorney General. Would he?
The moment the AG left, Cuning spat out a curse and picked up a small brass statue and threw it at the door behind the traitor. “Just who does he think he is?” He glared at the door. “He works for me. I gave him that job. Three months ago he was a standup guy. I could count on him. Now he comes in here thumping that Bible of his and telling me he’s a servant of the people and of that worthless Constitution.” He bounced his finger at his chief of staff. “You know, Hal, the only reason I gave in to the Senate and brought on Nancy to be FBI Director is because I knew my Attorney General would keep little Miss Integrity under check. Now I’ve got two Bible-thumping, Constitution-loving, pains in my—”
“Mr. President,” said the chief of staff.
Cuning pulled his glare from the door.
“Mr. President, they can’t stop you. No one can stop you now. America sees its greatest problem melting away before their very eyes. Every predator’s death is worth a thousand votes in the general election. STOP is only one speech away. Forget about the Attorney General and the FBI Director and give that speech.”
“Don’t let that man back in here,” said Cuning. “He wants something, he can talk to you. Or he can talk to the Director of National Intelligence.”
“You don’t stop the car because of a speed bump, Mr. President.”
“You’re right,” said Cuning, his eyes full of fire. “You run over it.”
The chief of staff was sure they were talking about two different things. “Mr. President, I fear you may turn this speed bump into a mountain when it would serve you better to focus on your speech. Great history is made when the moment and the man consummate. It would be a shame to go limp now when the nation is ready for you. Give that speech, Mr. President—before the moment passes.”
His chief’s sexual metaphor hit home. He snapped out of his rage. This was his moment. He had to seize it. He had to seize the nation while it was drunk with fear and confusion and lying on its back. He smiled at himself first, then at the man who had helped position him to become America’s first dictator. “You’re right, Hal. I’ll have plenty of opportunity to deal with traitors like the AG once I become the Constitution.”
Chapter 53
The president had given the first STOP speech in the Oval Office for its dramatic effect of seriousness. The second STOP speech would be given in the White House briefing room so the press could help him close the deal with the American people and Congress. In that order.
Those little girls on Capitol Hill could say no to him, but they couldn’t say no to tens of millions of armed citizens who were tired of the government’s inability to provide them with domestic security. He knew he had the winning hand. He simply had to play it smart. Convince the people that Congress was the enemy; convince the Congress that the people were dangerously volatile. Convince them both that he was the only person who could save them from one another and keep the nation from general anarchy—if only he had the power.
It was an incredible plan of unparalleled ambition. The television camera’s red light turned green. A camera man pointed a Go to the president. Cuning looked toward the camera. Calmness draped over him. He felt as though he were playing high-stakes poker, and he could see the faces of everyone’s cards. Plus, he had an ace up his sleeve.
Thousands of dead predators.
“My fellow Americans, I’m sure many of you have heard reports that there have been thousands of mysterious deaths of local, state, and federal prisoners. The speculations are many; the facts are few. Here are the facts.
“Thirty years ago, a violent phenomenon known as the Great Crime Spike of 2016 occurred. Like many of you, I’m old enough to remember what life was like prior to the spike. Our society was far from perfect, but it was yet the env
y among the nations of the world. A beacon of hope for those trapped in lands of despair. A dream come true for those blessed enough to reach our uniquely blessed nation. That was prior to the Great Crime Spike.
“Now, only the most desperate of the most desperate would dare leave their land to make America their home. How did this happen? One word. Predators. They’ve overwhelmed our society like endless swarms of locusts upon a farmer’s crops. Their sheer numbers have nullified our law enforcement and courts. They assault, rob, rape, and murder with near impunity. Serial rapists and serial killers now seem to outnumber those whom they prey upon. It is as though we who obey the law are on the endangered species list.
“Predators have dimmed America’s light. Predators have violated our daughters and sisters, our wives and mothers. Predators have murdered our sons and brothers, your husbands and fathers. Predators have turned the innocent sound of a tree blowing in the midnight wind into a gripping fear that someone may be at our window.
“Predators have devastated our society. Predators have wrecked our economy. Predators have laid claim on our future.” Cuning waited to give his next words maximum effect. “And now predators are dying by the thousands. It’s estimated that at the rate they are dying, thirty percent of the most dangerous categories of predators in state prisons may be wiped out within days.
“I want to share a story with you that begins horribly, but ends,” he paused, “in justice. On May 13th, 2036 an animal named Johnny Ray entered a nail salon and robbed everyone inside. He made everyone lie on the floor and shot each one in the head. He then looked at the surveillance camera and gave his middle finger before leaving. He was caught, tried, and convicted. He was given life without parole because the state of Washington believed it would be cruel and unusual punishment to give such a man the death penalty—not that he would have ever been executed had he been sentenced to death.
“This predator was incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary. Recently, a federal judge ordered the release of this prisoner, as well as one hundred and nineteen other predators,” the president’s voice turned hard, “because of the prison’s chronic overcrowding—which is caused by two things,” he said, accusingly.
“Number one, it is the prisoners themselves who cause the overcrowding. If they stopped committing crimes, we wouldn’t have to lock them up. Number two, the state government of Washington, and a majority of their voting age citizens, insanely value the lives of predators more than their own safety. If they killed these predators, it would dramatically lessen the prison population.
“The murderer, Johnny Ray, and the other early release predators, were originally scheduled to be loosed upon society in two days so they could get back to raping and murdering. The same federal court that ordered their release moved up their release date because in the words of the court, and I quote, ‘The imminent danger of those prisoners selected for early release necessitates their immediate removal from the assumed source of their danger. The immediate release of said prisoners are thereby ordered.’”
The president raised both hands from the podium. His palms faced the audience as he looked down. He lifted his face and lowered his hands and grasped the podium’s sides. He knew this would convey suppressed anger.
“The court proved it can move quickly when it feels the life of a predator is at risk. I believe I speak for the majority of the American people when I say, I wish it moved even half as quickly to save the lives of law-abiding citizens, or to meet out justice when an innocent citizen is victimized by one of their beloved predators.
The president grimaced for effect. “I’m sorry. It’s ordinarily inappropriate for a sitting president to criticize the judiciary.” He shook his head in obvious conflict. “But when I think of what predators have done to our nation…when I think of the victims of criminals whose primary purpose in life is to hurt and destroy, it moves me beyond what may considered appropriate to what I know is right.
“Protecting the innocent is right. Prosecuting the guilty is right.” Say it now. “Exterminating predators is right.”
Everyone knew this had to have been the president’s doing. But had he just admitted to scientifically exterminating prisoners before Congress had even voted on his dubious Scientific Termination of Predators legislation? Had he just admitted to committing an impeachable offense? Questions lodged in every throat of the media like an overdue baby trying to force its way out of its mother’s belly. Protocol barely restrained them from blurting out questions as he spoke.
“Washington State Penitentiary was forced to release what remained of the early release predators. Seventeen of them. Seventeen of the original one hundred and twenty. That’s seventeen too many.
“It’s an empty victory. It does nothing for the seven people he killed in the nail salon. But Johnny Ray learned that he’s not the only one with a middle finger. Lady Justice has a middle finger, too. And today she showed it to him when his gall bladder ruptured and he died on the prison bus that was transporting him to his drop-off point.”
Cuning scanned the room of salivating, scum-sucking media. He lifted his hand and said politely, “I know you have questions you want to ask, and concerns about the welfare of predators”—take that, you bleeding heart idiots!—“I promise you, you’ll get your chance to ask questions. Now, the question is, why are predators dying by the scores?”
Bodies leaned forward in anticipation of what the president may say.
Cuning looked at them and imagined soon having power to take away the press’s Constitutional protection. They deserved to be locked up as enemies of the state. He looked into the camera. “Predators—murderers and rapists—are being exterminated because I love America and refuse to accept Washington’s status quo of ineptness. Predators are dying because they have destabilized our nation and have nearly brought us to the point of civil war. Predators are dying because for thirty years politicians have used the Constitution as an excuse to let our nation be ruined by violent criminals. Predators are dying because Supreme Court decisions have emboldened violent criminals to hunt women and children as sport.
“Predators are dying because I promised when I campaigned to serve as your president that I would stop the violence and make our streets safe again. Well, experience has proven that you can’t stop the violence and make America safe again without stopping the predators.”
Everyone in the room knew this was it. The moment of disclosure. It was in his eyes.
“Predators are dying because my worthy opponent and I have put our differences aside for the sake of the nation. The predators are dying because I asked Dr. Anderson to create a foolproof, impartial, and scientific way for predators to be identified and summarily destroyed. His patriotic duty to the land he loves compelled him to agree. I have implemented STOP. The scientific termination of predators has begun.”
Cuning barely held his smirk from forming. Now you jerks can’t come after me without coming after your beloved Dr. Anderson, he thought.
The hands shot up and rapid-fire questions came at him like hot bullets from a machine gun’s barrel.
Chapter 54
“Mr. President, Congress doesn’t vote on STOP until tomorrow. Where do you get the authority to implement legislation that has yet to be voted on by the House and Senate? Legislation that even if passed is certain to be declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Cuning heard the question amidst the frenzied outbursts of competing voices. It was the one he wanted. A fastball, thigh-high and right across the plate. “Karen,” he said, acknowledging her question.
The competing voices continued with renewed energy, demanding acknowledgement.
“Quiet down,” Cuning ordered. “You’ll get your chance.” You bloodsucking vampires.
The cutting edge in the president’s voice startled the reporters. It was apparent that they didn’t like his scolding tone, but the room quieted.
“Where do I get the authority to implement STOP withou
t Congress’s approval?” Cuning waited a few seconds. “You ask the wrong question, Karen. The question that demands a public response is what gives any congressperson or senator or Supreme Court justice the right not to protect the American people? What gives Congress the right to kick the safety can down the street? What gives a judge the right to order the release of one hundred and twenty murderers and rapists?”
Cuning lifted his hand to silence the anticipated reporter’s response. “The Constitution. Political deliberation. Due process. That’s what you’re getting at, isn’t it, Karen?”
“Why, y—”
Cuning cut her off. “According to Department of Violent Crime Eradication statistics, there are five million reported rapes of women a year. Five million.” Cuning’s peering eyes rolled accusingly over the audience as though they were the rapists. “Thirteen thousand, seven hundred rapes a day. Five hundred and seventy rapes an hour. That’s nearly ten women raped every minute!” he punctuated. “Karen, the time it has taken you to ask me why I’m stopping predators, and the time it has taken me to answer, do you realize that in that short period of time at least ten women have been brutalized by predators?
“Those are the reported rapes. The ones reported by those brave women who still miraculously believe that something will actually be done to bring their attackers to justice. But we all know there are at least two or three times as many unreported rapes. Probably more.
“And what of the senseless and sadistic murders? The savage beatings? The brazen and violent robberies? What gives me the right to stop these predators from destroying our country? I’ll tell you what gives me the right.
“Some of you are familiar with the Bible story of how Cain killed his brother, Abel, because of envy. He thought he could spill his brother’s blood and justice would not hunt him down. But the good Lord and righteous judge of all the earth did hunt him down. He said to the evil murderer, ‘What is this you have done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.’