[Chapter 574: A New Sinister Plot]
As Linton had suspected, just past 4 a.m., when the headquarters of three major pharmaceutical companies in New York, New Jersey, and Chicago were simultaneously destroyed by explosions, Deputy Attorney General Eric Gorelick and FBI Deputy Director Maslow received the news and immediately sensed something sinister. Why target these three pharmaceutical firms at once? Could this be Linton's brutal retaliation?
Maslow's unease deepened when he tried reaching Kester, the FBI field director in New York, but couldn't get through. The tension compelled him to rush to the FBI headquarters at the Hoover Building for a crisis meeting personally led by Director Lawrence.
By the time the meeting ended at 7 a.m., Maslow again attempted to contact Kester -- still no answer. He finally called Tusk, head of intelligence at the New York FBI office. Kester had introduced Tusk to him personally during a prior inspection visit.
The New York FBI office was in chaos. There had been severe bombings in Midtown Manhattan and the industrial zone. The city government and NYPD had immediately reported the attacks, demanding urgent FBI investigation.
But at this crucial moment, Director Kester was missing. Eventually, Deputy Director Stewart gathered the key personnel to coordinate the inquiry. Hearing this, Maslow's anxiety skyrocketed, and he ordered Tusk to check on Kester's residence.
Half an hour later, Tusk's trembling voice came over the phone: "Director, it's a horrific massacre. Kester and his entire family were slaughtered at home. They're so tragic -- the perpetrators decapitated every one of them."
"Every head was severed? Do you mean like the gang killings in Los Angeles?" Maslow asked, his voice cold.
"Exactly the same manner..." Tusk replied.
Maslow felt a cold chill run from the top of his head down his spine. His body trembled uncontrollably. He barely remembered hanging up the phone.
At that moment, it dawned on him that their earlier analysis of Linton's threat had been gravely mistaken. This brutal force with mysterious, lethal capabilities was not under the control of Commander Clinton, but rather firmly in Linton's hands.
Undoubtedly, the destruction of the three pharmaceutical headquarters was Linton's doing.
It seemed that a leak had exposed their clandestine operations against Linton. In response, he smashed the table without hesitation -- murdering entire families and demolishing companies.
Maslow feared that the families of Hoffman Martin, Robert Gavin, and Gittens Cooper -- bosses of the three targeted pharmaceutical companies -- had likely suffered the same grim fate as Kester's family, brutally slaughtered.
Even more chilling was the fact these companies were located across three cities. Chicago was over an hour's flight from New York. For all three to be destroyed almost simultaneously suggested Linton's reach was controlled by more than one operative.
What scared Maslow most was not knowing whether Linton realized that Eric Gorelick, Roger Wayne, Carol, Cody, and himself were involved in this plot against him. If he found out, the five of them would face grave danger. With Linton's current power, there was no way to resist. And in true ruthless fashion, Linton would not spare even their families.
The bitter weight of regret filled Maslow's heart. How had he been so blinded by arrogance? Knowing full well Linton's overwhelming strength and his backing by the highest political powers, how had he still schemed against him? Now he was facing a life-and-death crisis.
...
Deputy Attorney General Eric Gorelick shared the same panic and remorse. As the first to receive news about the pharmaceutical attacks, he was deeply unsettled. Though the FBI had sealed off news of Kester's family's decapitation from the public, as Deputy AG he was informed immediately.
Like Maslow, Eric Gorelick concluded Linton was behind these acts and was both terrified and filled with regret, hoping their involvement hadn't been exposed.
...
Just then, Maslow's phone rang. Normally, they left phones outside meetings, but under the dire circumstances, everyone had them on hand.
Maslow answered on speakerphone. Tusk's shaky voice reported, "Director, another catastrophic event... Hoffman's entire family was slaughtered at home. Hundreds of bodies -- every head severed by the killers."
The room's occupants let out a collective gasp, exchanging grim looks. Despair and fear thickened the air.
After a long silence, Eric Gorelick asked Roger, "You had two questions earlier. What was your other concern?"
Roger replied, "I was going to ask: Our alliance of nine is a highly secretive group, so how did Linton find out? But now it seems irrelevant. Given Linton's savagery, it's likely Kester, Hoffman, Robert, and Gittens have all been forced to reveal us."
"That's right," Maslow agreed. "We can't afford to hope for luck anymore. We're probably next in his sights -- this means we're all in grave danger."
Carol, senior senator from New Jersey, trembled, her voice unsteady, "How could he dare attack us? We are the true leaders of America! If he kills us, what place is left for him in this country?"
Illinois senior senator Cody grasped for hope, "Yeah, and even if our alliance formed to oppose him, we haven't done anything yet. Has he actually been hurt?"
Maslow shattered their illusions. "I wish he would hesitate. But think about the Bronfman family's destruction two years ago, the massacre of five New York gangs last year -- none dealt any real blow to Linton. Also, Kester and the chairmen haven't acted against him in earnest yet. So my advice: prepare for the worst."
Haunted by Linton's cruelty, the group felt icy dread and endless regret for having been blinded by greed and dared provoke such a deadly force.
But regret was futile now. Their stark reality was how to survive the coming storm.
Some proposed fleeing, but where could they go? America was the world's strongest nation, and even with their great power, they couldn't protect themselves here. Was there anywhere else safe? And without their American authority, who would listen to them?
This option was quickly dismissed.
Others suggested seeking a mediator to negotiate peace. After all, they hadn't truly harmed Linton yet, and as five powerful politicians united, surely someone would intervene.
But whom? Only Commander Clinton and Secretary of state Warren Christopher held the stature to broker such talks -- with Linton.
The problem was those two were staunch rivals; these five were all from the opposition party. Moreover, their secret alliance against Linton started in the first place, was because the White House was not giving them any Pills.
Explaining everything to them would mean betraying their own cause, and they had no leverage to secure help.
So neither fleeing nor negotiating was viable. Their only choice was to fight desperately -- to strike first.
Their plan began with summoning all key family members to Washington immediately. None of them could leave the capital during this period.
After all, Washington was the heart of America, the most heavily protected city in the world -- the safest place they could be.
Even Linton, no matter how powerful or ruthless, would hesitate to act openly here.
Defense alone wasn't enough. One can not guard against threats for a lifetime. The safest course was to eliminate the threat.
"Maslow," Roger said bluntly, "Linton is in New York now. With the terror attacks and murders there, can you use the investigation as a pretext to send loyal agents to apprehend him? Then make him commit suicide."
Roger knew FBI politics well and laid the proposal plainly. The others all looked to him with hope.
"Gentlemen, if Kester were still alive, this plan might work," Maslow said. "But we can't trust New York now. Any leak would alert Linton and put us in even greater danger. Sending agents from Washington is even less realistic. Linton's a national icon, a global billionaire, the creator of the Vitality and Beauty Pills -- everyone knows he's a favorite in D.C. No one here would risk such a high-stakes move.
Even our closest operatives can't be trusted -- it's likely that if I ordered an arrest, someone would betray us immediately. Unless I lead the team personally and cut off all communication, but just before I arrived, Director Lawrence organized a meeting to personally lead a task force to New York."
Since using official law enforcement to assassinate Linton was off the table, they had to resort to actual hired killers.
Confirming that Linton's concert was still scheduled, the group agreed to strike that very night.
Roger, Carol, and Cody -- three senior senators with substantial resources -- each arranged special forces snipers near Madison Square Garden, where the concert would take place, ready to assassinate Linton during the event.
Eric Gorelick organized armed operatives to infiltrate the concert. After the shooting, they would manufacture chaos, leaving false evidence implicating Middle Eastern terrorists.
Meanwhile, Maslow prepared FBI officers to immediately control the scene after the shooting, ensuring Linton did not escape alive and that the incident would be officially framed as part of a continuing terrorist attack.
Their deadly gamble to eliminate Linton was set -- to gamble everything on one night at Madison Square Garden.
*****
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