The Night Gods- Chapter XXXIII: The Road To Ruin

Artwork by @marty-art on Steemit... With many thanks!

It was a long three days but Przybysz finally got the call he was anticipating from the Doctor... It was time for the chess game with Denning to begin. The plan was simple enough: after making certain that Price was safely out of harm's way, Przybysz would approach Denning with the video of him and the murdered girl... then watch his reaction before delivering the fait accompli- Przybysz' photos and the video of his luncheon with Eddie Phillips.

Price had not only left the White House, he left the Washington area altogether. Przybysz had given him a secure phone so they could contact him if need be, or vice versa, although he would likely be safe enough at the Doctor's brownstone in New York before leaving the country- with a new identity... It was time to move.

Przybysz waited in the room he kept in the Executive Quarters in the West Wing. Certain that Denning was alone, he gathered his portable video player walked down the hall and knocked...

"What the fuck do you want?" Denning had been drinking, Przybysz could tell from his slurred speech. "Have you seen Price, I need him?"

"Not since early this morning," Przybysz replied casually," do you have a minute- I have something that you need to see." Przybysz opened the player.

"What's this, porno?" Denning asked leering drunkenly.

""In a manner of speaking," Przybysz told the President.

"Still an arrogant prick," Denning said- he was drunk. "No respect for my office."

Przybysz turned the video on and turned the player toward Denning- maybe it was better that he was drunk. "Watch," he said.

Denning's face reddened as he watched Price and the girl enter his rooms. When the scenario of of Price covering the bloody corpse came on he lept to his feet almost tripping over the coffee table...

"That son of a bitch- that motherfucking son of a bitch," he shouted drunkenly. "He fucking set me up. You fucking set me up. Who's he working for? Is he in with you and those devil worshipping motherfuckers? Get out... Get the fuck out," He stormed waving his arms erratically.

"You can keep the video- the player too... Just in case you want to watch again when you sober up," Przybysz said smiling. "I'll give you a call in the morning- we need to talk."

"Talk about what?" Denning wanted to know. "What do you think- you can blackmail me? I'm the President of these fucking United States of fucking America- you can't blackmail me!"

"You take the night to think about it," Przybysz said. "Think about what the press would do with this."

It was beginning to sink in- the gravity of the situation was beginning to penetrate Denning's drunken fog... Lockhart was dead and he couldn't depend on a pass from the news media anymore- and then there was Shoemaker... If he got his hands on it...

"What do you want?" He asked. His face had fallen, turning white instead of its former red flush.

"Take the night to think about it," Przybysz told him. "I'll be in touch in the morning."

"That bastard Price," Denning fumed. "When I get my hands on that prick..."

"If I were you, Mr. President, I'd forget about Price," Przybysz said. "You've got troubles enough of your own."

"What do you mean?" Denning asked. He was almost sober now.

"Have you forgotten the pictures President Konstantinov sent?" Przybysz asked.

Denning put his face in his hands... He was beaten- for now. He had the night to think of something. "Go," he said, "I want to be alone now."

Przybysz left... One of two things would happen now- either Denning would realize his predicament and acquiesce- or he would lash out. Przybysz would be prepared either way.

Przybysz decided to stick close to the White House for a couple of days to watch what Denning would do. The first thing the next morning he called the President to find out what his sober reaction to the video was... Denning asked for a day to think about it. His next move was predictable- He called Wade.

"Duke," he began, I need to know something... Where did Price come from>"

"He's been working for himself, doing security- you know, movie stars... Stuff like that," Wade replied. "Why?"

"Who recommended him to you?" Denning wanted to know.

"One of my undersecretaries, Mr. President," Wade told him. "It's difficult to find someone to cater to your particular needs. Why, what's this all about?"

"I understand Duke," Denning said. "I'm not blaming you, but that Price sold me down the river."

"I don't believe it, Sir," Wade said defensively. "He came highly recommended. What exactly did he do?"

"He videotaped the girls being brought in, for one thing," Denning said. "Now I'm being blackmailed."

"Blackmailed," Wade spat it out like the word had a bad taste in his mouth. "By whom?"

"It doesn't matter, Wade," Denning said angrily.

"What do you want me to do, Mr. President?" Wade asked. "Name it!"

"Nothing yet," Denning replied. "I'll let you know soon- I'm not sure exactly what they want yet."

"Whatever you need, Mr. President. I'm really sorry," Wade said apologetically. "Just let me know what it is."

"Do you happen to know where he is?" Denning asked.

"No, Sir, I don't," Wade replied. "I haven't seen him for a couple of days. What do you want me to do if I see him?"

"Nothing for now," Denning said, "just tell him to call me- maybe we can straighten this out."

Denning had already made up his mind not to succumb to blackmail... He was the President- and he intended to tell Przybysz they had no direct evidence of his doing anything. It would take far more than that video to take down a sitting president- he'd blame the whole thing on Price... That's why he disappeared. As far as Przybysz' photos went... He'd cross that bridge when he came to it. He called Przybysz:

"Have you come to a decision?" He asked.

"Yes," Denning replied.

"What's your answer?" Przybysz asked him.

"Go fuck yourself," Denning replied, "and fuck your devil worshipping buddies on the Council- you got nothing on me."

"I guess we'll see," Przybysz said. "I figured that would be your answer. Nice talking to you... Mr. President."

Przybysz called Dick to find out what Leo Rosen told Bret about broadcasting the video. Dick said that because the video company had signed the affidavit there were no legal issues, in fact it turned out they didn't like Denning either... Bret had just been waiting on Przybysz for the go-ahead. He told Dick he'd be coming by later to spend some time with Anica, he'd been away from her for a couple of days at the White House. He asked Dick to have Bret come by... When he pulled up to the townhouse around 7:00, Bret was already there waiting.

"Well, Przybysz began, "Denning gave me his answer today."

"What was it?" Lena asked.

"Nothing I'd care to repeat in mixed company," Przybysz smiled.

"How should we handle this- Leo's chomping at the bit?" Bret asked.

"Dick's got the new video, the one Price made," Przybysz said. "I think we should start with that. Dick, did you make copies?"

"Sure did," Dick replied.

"Good. Yuri needs one too," Przybysz told him. "If we release this through more than one outlet it will have more impact- as well as credibility. Bret, you go first, that way you get the scoop. RT can provide the backup."

"Thanks," Bret said gratefully.

"Lena," Przybysz went on, "get a copy to the Senator. If this isn't enough to start impeachment hearings... This and the photos."

"Well," Dick said. "Looks like this is it."

"It's not like he didn't get a chance," Przybysz said. "I'll call Yuri and tell him to wait until he sees Bret's broadcast."

"Won't RT be upset about being scooped?" Bret asked.

"No, I don't think so," Przybysz replied. "They're more interested in accuracy than ratings. Besides, they'll have it before the mainstream guys."

The next morning Bret broadcast the parts of Price's video that would pass the censors- the girl's body, of course, appeared pixelated- only her bloody extremities appeared to the viewing audience... It turned out to be more than enough. By lunchtime the major newspapers had picked it up and run with the story. It was far too big for the mainstream news to ignore... They parsed it as an "unconfirmed report by an eyewitness." The public outcry was momentous... Protestors began to gather on the mall outside the White House carrying signs calling for immediate impeachment hearings or for Denning to resign.

At the Senate Office Building, Sen. Ashby held a small gathering in his office to watch an unedited version of the video. He sat watching in shock with Lena and several of his colleagues from both houses he had invited.

"I always knew he was a despicable human being, but this is far, far beyond anything I thought even he was capable of," the Senator shook his head sadly.

Rep. Charles Young of Wyoming spoke to the group: "This is it- the final straw... I'll bring this up in conference and by tomorrow it will go in front of the full House."

The others agreed wholeheartedly... This was more than enough grounds for impeachment.

(For links to previous chapters- go to Chapter XV)

https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xv-the-boogeyman
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xvi-wars-and-rumors-of-wars
https://steemit.com/writing/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xvii-blood-of-the-innocent
https://steemit.com/writing/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xviii-connecting-the-dots
https://steemit.com/writing/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xix-the-night-the-lights-went-out-in-georgia
https://steemit.com/writing/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xx-a-dangerous-man-part-1
https://steemit.com/writing/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xx-a-dangerous-man-part-2
https://steemit.com/writing/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxii-a-new-revelation
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxiii-clouds-of-warhttps://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxiv-yuri
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxvi-the-desperate-hours
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxvii-countdown-to-disaster
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxviii-plan-b
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxix-my-fellow-americans
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxx-the-missing-link
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxxi-the-price-is-right
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-xxxii-a-new-conundrum

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