The Night Gods II- Chapter XXXIV: Impeached

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It appears that Denning's hubris would prove to be his undoing. The House of Representatives had voted overwhelmingly to impeach him for his crimes... The trial was to begin soon in the Senate. If by some miracle he survived the Senate trial there was still the possibility of criminal charges. The Womacks had returned briefly from Arizona to attend and perhaps testify and even the mainstream media had to admit at last that their claims were legitimate. How quickly they forgot that not so long ago they had all claimed Melissa's letter was a forgery. A mountain of evidence against the President was beginning to mount.

Perhaps the most damaging occurrence of all was an all out offensive by the television news media. It was nonstop wall-to-wall coverage. Several news outlets had contacted the Womacks wanting interviews, but they would talk only with Bret- their memories were longer than the media's. The renewed interest spread like wildfire across social media and the video had gone viral, as had theories ranging from a presidential serial killer, to painting Denning as a victim of an attempted coup d'etat.

This was the atmosphere that surrounded Denning when he was contacted by phone by Przybysz...

"Looks like you're up the proverbial creek, Mr. President," he said.

"Call to gloat, you fucking prick," Denning replied. "You're the one that planted that fucking Price here- he's one of yours."

"I knew nothing about that until he contacted me," Przybysz told him. "You brought all this on yourself... I tried to give you an out, if you remember."

"So why did you contact me now," Denning wanted to know.

"Look Denning," Przybysz began, "believe it or not, the people I represent are on your side. They don't want Beck in the White House any more than you do. He's a lunatic. I just want to come by to talk with you, without you going nuts on me... Maybe it's not too late."

"Not too late?" Denning cried incredulously. "Don't you watch television- the House has already passed impeachment."

"Do you want to stay in the White House?" Przybysz asked.

"Of course," Denning was willing to listen to anything at this point. "Where are you?"

"I can be there in 15 minutes," Przybysz said. True to his word, Przybysz got there in the time he had said to find an anxious Denning pacing.

"What's the master plan?" He asked.

"First, we need to get a few things straight," Przybysz hoped that this fool was beginning to see the light. "You've been biting the hand that feeds you this whole time."

"What are you talking about?" Denning asked.

"Lockhart tried to explain, Beck even tried to explain..." Przybysz began.

"You mean all that devil worshipping shit... is that what this is all about?" Denning asked incredulously.

"Call it what you want," Przybysz told him. "You're up against something too big to fight... If you haven't figured that out- then I can't help you. You played right into Beck and his maniac buddy's hands."

"Ok, ok," Denning said impatiently- he was more interested in how Przybysz could save his presidency.

"My people want assurances that you'll play ball now... That's if it's not already too late. There's no guarantees here. Przybysz went on: "You've been fighting them the whole time- they run this whole show- don't you get it. You got yourself into this whole mess."

"Alright," Denning said resignedly. "I get it- but I still don't see how you can save me."

"I'm not sure, at this point, we can," Przybysz told him truthfully. "But you do want us to try don't you?" He went on without waiting for an answer, it was a rhetorical question: "You know these people control the mainstream media."

"What about that prick Shoemaker?" Denning cut in.

"Leave him to me," Przybysz said.

"What are you going to do?" Denning asked hopefully.

"Not what you think," Przybysz replied.

"But that broad of his... And the Senator?" Denning asked.

"Let me lay this out for you as plainly as I can," Przybysz said. "Beck and his band of lunatics want to start a war- a big war... You're pal Wade is in with them."

"Wade?" Denning couldn't believe it- he had trusted Wade.

"The Senator doesn't want war. Neither do we- nobody does, it's bad for business... At least the kind of war Beck's planning."

What do you mean?" Denning didn't like what he was hearing.

"He plans to reopen hostilities with N. Korea for starters," Przybysz told him.

"What can we do?" Denning was beginning to get the picture- and he didn't like it.

"Here's the plan," Przybysz began, "Price worked for a radical fringe group that wants to bring you down... He set you up- he's the one that killed the girl. You were drugged and woke up groggy to find him wrapping her up."

"Go on," Denning said. "But what about Konstantinov and the pictures?"

"He'll sit on them for now," Przybysz said. "He doesn't want war anymore than the rest of us."

"Just in case, huh?" Denning smiled grimly.

"Call it what you want," Przybysz replied. "What's your answer?"

"Do I have a choice?" Denning asked- he didn't like it, but what could he do.

"Sure," Przybysz said, "you have several, none of them good. You can ride out the impeachment and go down in flames, or you can resign- either way Beck wins. Or, you can play ball with us and hope for the best. If you'd have just done that in the first place, none of this would have happened."

"Do you think it will work?" Denning looked concerned.

"It all boils down to how much juice Beck has in Congress," Przybysz told him. "He has a lot of backers... You really shot yourself in the foot this time."

"Ok," Denning said dubiously. "Looks like I got no choice."

"Not really," Przybysz replied, "not if you want to keep living here." Przybysz got up to leave: "I'll call my people- I hope it's not too late."

"What about Price?" Denning asked.

"He's gone," Przybysz said. "Abroad- he's already somebody else."

As he was on his way out, Denning stopped him: "Hey Przybysz... Thanks- I thought you hated me."

"I do, Mr. President," Przybysz didn't look back. "I just hate Beck and his lunatics more."

Later in the day, Denning's private secretary buzzed to announce the arrival of Vice President Beck. Denning was expecting him and knew what was coming.

"Good afternoon, Mr. President," he said, "I saw the news... A setup huh. Do you really think you can sell that story?"

"I guess we'll see," Denning replied casually.

"You might sell it to the public," Beck said, "but the Senate knows better. "You don't have a prayer."

"Maybe," Denning said. "I know what you're up to and I won't let it happen."

"You can't stop it and neither can the weaklings in the Council, what's left of them," Beck said confidently. "We already have the votes to indict and we have most of your Cabinet behind us. All you've got is..."

"What do you mean, my cabinet?" Denning asked angrily.

"You pissed a lot of people off with your antics," Beck told him. "Along with pissing away whatever political capital you may have had."

"You bastard," Denning fumed. "You turned my Cabinet against me?"

"You turned them against you, Mr. President," Beck replied calmly.

"Well, I know what you're up to," Denning said, "and I'm not about to sit idly by while you start a war."

"You can't stop it," Beck repeated. "Like I said, we've already got the votes. Do you think I'd be here if we didn't? Look, Mr. President, I came to offer you an honorable way out."

"What do you mean?" Denning cut in.

"Your little charade in the press may have the public convinced," Beck said. "They're a bunch of stupid sheep anyway- they believe what the television tells them. Just tell them that you've decided that with all the allegations you no longer feel that you have the confidence of Congress and it's become impossible to govern- for the good of the nation, you've decided to step down."

"Never," Denning shouted. "I'll hold a press conference and expose the whole lot of you."

"I wouldn't do that, Mr. President," Beck said his face reddening. "You'll come off like some crazy conspiracy theorist. They'll put you in a padded cell."

"The people already believe it," Denning said voice still raised.

"But not for long when we get done," Beck said.

"Get out of here you bastard," Denning shouted angrily.

"I'll take that as a no then," Beck said having regained his composure. "Good afternoon, Mr. President."

(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
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-chapter-xxxiii-the-road-to-ruin

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