Midnight by Anna Dove (books for new readers .TXT) 📕

truly am. I was down in that bunker and I know that this was an inside job. I’m trying to bring the guilty parties out here. Get them to pay up.”

“This isn’t just a political hit job on your presidential opponent?”

“I haven’t yet mentioned her. You bring her up, not me.”

Jack was quiet.

“Besides,” said the Senator, leaning forward, “I’m not that cruel. A political hit job is a scandal, sexual or financial. I wouldn’t have her killed, which is what will happen to every person who is convicted in this.”

“Well, I don’t know you,” said Jack.

“Alright,” said the Senator, leaning back again. “Let’s get to know each other. What do you want to know?”

“I want to know how I can trust you.”

“Jack, I can’t persuade you to trust me in five minutes. I can tell you about all the honorable things I’ve done and people I’ve helped but it won’t matter. However, if you trust Haley, you can trust me, because Haley trusts me and knows me. I was the person she called after she found out about this attack.”

“And what do you want out of all of this? The presidency?”

“I want retribution for all of this. I want the guilty parties to rot in hell. But I will do this the right way. I won’t stoop to the level of abusing the law or manipulating the system to form a revolution against Adela Gilman. Although I could. But I won’t. This is a democracy and I believe that now that everything else has been ripped apart, we must hold tight to the system that was developed three hundred years ago. I believe it is so important that I would willingly risk my own life in order to try to preserve it. Adela Gilman, Snyder Reed, and everyone else involved--members of the NSA, military officials--they have tried to destroy this country. I am trying to save it, and I am asking for you to help me.”

A few moments passed. The Senator’s brow was furrowed in deep earnesty.

Jack slowly raised his chin and took a breath.

“I don’t know how it’ll help you, but yes it’s true. I was on Baker Island.”

“You saw them building the bomb, you saw the Chief of Staff come inspect operations, and you were paid fifteen thousand dollars per month by someone in the Chief of Staff’s office, when you returned to the mainland, which you used to drink?”

“Yes,” said Jack.

“Fifteen thousand dollars is a lot to spend on alcohol.”

“Not when you’re drinking a bottle every day of the good stuff. I bought some food too, occasionally some clothes, or hotel nights if it was freezing.”

“Do you have records of this spending?”

“No. Online banking, records are gone.”

The Senator nodded.

“How detailed of a memory do you have?”

“Extremely detailed.”

“And none of this is false? You aren’t lying about any of it?”

Jack shook his head. “What would be my motivation to tell you this if it weren’t true,” he asked. “I’m somewhat incriminating myself here. I’m no legal expert, but I have a feeling that I’m somewhat culpable.”

“You are culpable to a point,” agreed the Senator. “Or rather, it could be argued that you are. Which makes what I’m about to ask you so very difficult.”

“What is it?”

“Well,” said the Senator, “I’d like you to turn yourself in as a defense witness to Mr. Gilman’s trial on the twelfth.”

Jack said nothing, but his eyes were fixed on the Senator’s. A few long seconds passed; a candle flickered.

“I...can’t do that,” said Jack.

The Senator stood up slowly, and walked to the back of his chair, leaning forward on it to face Jack again.

“My friend, an innocent man is accused of orchestrating the murder of two hundred million individuals, an unprecedented event and an equally unprecedented accusation.” he said.

“I am aware.”

“And you have testimony that will save him and that will help incriminate the guilty party.”

“I am also aware.”

The Senator nodded. “You’re afraid they’ll get back at you, then.”

Jack smiled.

“I have never done what is right simply for the sake of it being right, and I’ve never done what is good simply for the sake of it being good. I don’t believe morality to be compelling. There is neither true right nor true wrong. Morality is relative--who’s to say what is right, or wrong? I don’t believe in justice, I don’t believe in it at all. A person must do what is necessary to take care of themselves. It would not be in my best interests to testify. They’ll find me, and they’ll kill me,” he answered very matter-of-fact.

“I am sure, when you were in the Marines, that you did heroic things that were not in your own interest of self-preservation.”

“It was my job.”

“Yes, serving your country was your job - and this is no different. Each of us has the responsibility to do what we can for the greater good.”

“I don’t believe in the greater good. The hell does that even mean. What does good even mean. Everyone has a different idea of what good is.”

“So you don’t believe in absolute morality, and that’s your justification?”

“Sure, that and a dash of real cowardice,” said Jack, leaning back comfortably, a man at ease with his own reason. “I could talk in circles about why I don’t believe in morality and all that high minded stuff, but when it comes down to it I’m also aware that I’m not a perfect person and as such, I’m susceptible to my own fears and flaws.”

“None of us are perfect, Jack,” said the Senator. “That’s irrelevant. You make an absolute statement when you declare ‘there is neither true right nor true wrong’; the very nature of your statement contradicts itself. If nothing is right or wrong, then how do you know your claim