[Chapter 580: Kill, Kill, Kill -- Slaughter Through the Capitol]
9 a.m., the 16th, McLean, Washington.
In the exclusive Salona community reserved strictly for members of Congress, the piercing wail of sirens and ambulances shattered the quiet.
An appalling piece of news instantly sent shock waves through Washington's elite: veteran Senator Roger Wayne, a true heavyweight in American politics, had been brutally murdered in his own home.
The scene was horrifying beyond description. Forty-one people -- plus one cherished pet dog -- had all been savagely beheaded, leaving the scene drenched in blood. The sheer scale of the massacre was staggering.
What made it even more unbelievable was how silently it had unfolded. Not a single scream or call for help escaped from the victims. Even within Roger's house, two elite Secret Service agents assigned to protect him were found dead -- unable to resist or send any warning.
Every living being inside was wiped out silently and efficiently.
Outside, layers of security had simply failed to register anything amiss. Patrols around the gated community found nothing unusual. Surveillance cameras revealed no suspicious activity.
It was a young neighbor girl, who had arrived as promised the day before to visit Roger's granddaughter, who first sensed something was wrong. She rang the doorbell -- there was no answer. Then she caught a faint scent of blood.
She notified her parents, who immediately alerted authorities, leading to the grim discovery of the slaughter.
What terrified everyone further was that neither the FBI nor the Washington Police Department could uncover the slightest clue as to who the killer was -- even with every advanced forensic tool at their disposal.
Given that the incident occurred in such a high-profile enclave for senior government officials, and involved a veteran senator, the case was instantly classified and sealed from public release.
...
But secrecy applied only to the general public and media; Washington's true power brokers got the horrifying news immediately.
As details trickled out, the first response among the insiders was to link this to the four recent murders in New York from just days before.
The methods were eerily identical: silent, merciless killings that left no survivors.
Those privy to the information unanimously suspected this was blatant retaliation by Linton -- brazen, unrestrained, and openly executing top-ranking senators.
Suddenly, beneath the calm surface of Washington's power circles, dark currents surged. Voices clamored for a full-scale investigation into Linton. Calls flooded FBI Director Lawrence's office, pressing for rapid resolution.
Even President Clinton, Vice President Gore, Secretary of State Warren Christopher, and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta all privately groaned, 'Linton's audacity is terrifying. Didn't he heed our warnings yesterday? This is the end of the line -- no one can save him now.'
Senators who had previously been convinced by Roger, Carroll, and Cody to oppose Linton openly demanded action. They approached Oversight Committee Chairman Orix Vico, urging him to initiate a formal inquiry immediately.
They also reached out to Carol and Cody to rally more senators, confident that this massacre would cement broad support for hearings against Linton.
After all, Linton's actions were a direct challenge to the entire establishment -- that tight-knit elder class of the Senate.
Yet a troubling mystery emerged. Carol and Cody, so active just the day before in lobbying, vanished without a trace. Their offices were empty, meeting rooms deserted, and they failed to show for work entirely. Phone calls went unanswered.
Fear rose -- might they have suffered the same grisly fate as Roger?
...
Senate offices quickly contacted Salona community management to send staff to check on Carol and Cody's homes.
Then even more nightmarish news broke.
Both their entire households, identical to Roger's, had been silently slaughtered, decapitated in the dead of night. Eighty-three people and three small dogs were mercilessly killed.
At nearly the same time, another massacre was discovered in Maple Leaf community, where Eric Gorelick and Maslow Lawrence, two more senior officials, and their families had been wiped out.
In total, five senior American officials were violently murdered in one night, along with their families. The death toll reached 187 people and eight dogs.
Panic and fury coursed through Washington's highest echelons.
All five victims had been loudly campaigning to launch a public investigation against Linton.
Combining these chilling cases with the identical modus operandi -- and the fact that Linton had just arrived in Washington -- the powerful couldn't help but conclude that this was Linton's revenge.
The anger boiled over at how brazen Linton was. In their eyes, while Roger and the others had opposed Linton, they had done so by the unspoken rules.
Linton, instead, flagrantly disregarded those rules, the law, and the unwritten code. He had brutally wiped out entire families.
If everyone resorted to such lawlessness, the country would descend into chaos. This was an attack not just on individuals but on the foundations of governance and the bureaucratic class itself.
More than anger, there was fear -- fear of Linton's savage methods, his penchant for wiping out families in cold blood, and the dreadful fact that whoever was responsible struck without warning or trace.
They had believed communities like Salona and Maple Leaf -- reserved for government elites -- were impenetrable fortresses.
Now, Linton had proved otherwise. He possessed the means to kill silently and invisibly -- even where the security was most formidable.
If he could do this in Washington, that meant no place in the world was truly safe from him.
He could kill anyone, anytime, leaving behind no evidence.
Roger, Carol, Cody, Eric, and Maslow had all opposed him -- and paid with their lives.
That sent a clear message to the entire elite: obey Linton or share their fate.
Faced with Linton's brutal tactics, most chose silence.
After all, everyone has only one life. Most had long enjoyed power, privilege, and comfort -- and preferred to avoid risking it all now.
The decadence of their lifestyle had eroded their courage.
Even Linton's political allies faltered. Bill Clinton remained loyal only because a slave mark bound him; he could do nothing but obey.
He even called Linton, asking what help was needed. Linton told him to do nothing and wait.
Vice President Gore, Secretary of State Warren Christopher, and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta were all shaken, mentally drawing red lines around Linton. They resolved to avoid provoking him any further.
Yet they were unwilling to abandon the wealth the monthly supply of Vitality and Beauty Pills brought them.
...
Meanwhile, the FBI was under extraordinary pressure. Director Lawrence received nonstop calls from senior officials demanding a swift breakthrough.
But Lawrence was helpless. The murders were far beyond standard cases; the crime scenes yielded no clues whatsoever.
Though everyone knew -- at least in the corridors of power -- that Linton orchestrated this, lacking evidence, the FBI was powerless.
The only recourse was a congressional hearing. The Senate could vote to authorize judicial actions -- surveillance, arrest, interrogation -- against Linton without concrete proof.
Thus, the pressure shifted squarely onto the Senate.
...
That entire morning, every senator faced relentless calls demanding immediate action to launch hearings.
Fears ran high among senators: who might be next?
Of the 31 senators who had publicly supported hearings the day before, 13 wavered silently. They avoided making any statements and gave evasive answers when pressed.
There were exceptions -- some obstinate enough to defy the threat.
Inside the Capitol, 18 senators -- including Oversight Chair Orix Vico, and outspoken figures like Billy Cohn from a rural state, Nevada Nepda from Florida, and Chenier Snepp from Ohio -- voiced loud calls for rapidly initiating hearings against Linton.
...
After receiving Clinton's call, Linton mentally projected his awareness across the Capitol, focusing especially on senators' offices.
He monitored all their movements and conversations with precise clarity.
He was determined: those who dared defy him would be publicly executed -- decapitated with his flying sword before all eyes and sent to meet their maker.
'None shall dare oppose me,' he resolved. 'If they're fearless, I'll just kill them all. Without these politicians, maybe society will have hiccups, but historically even government shutdowns don't topple the system.'
As these 18 senators lobbied others throughout the Capitol, Billy Cohn barged into the office of Alivia Hill, a Republican from Utah.
"Alivia, America is at its most critical moment. We cannot let a lawless madman like Linton roam free.."
His voice still sharp and determined, suddenly a sword's gleam sliced through the air.
His head soared skyward as blood spurted from his neck, splattering Alivia's face.
The female senator screamed and fainted on the spot.
Assistants outside rushed in, horrified, then fled screaming, "Help! Someone's been murdered!"
At the same moment, Chenier had assembled three aligned senators in a conference room to persuade them to stand against Linton's chaos.
One, Claire Scarner of Maryland, had begun to agree.
"Okay, I'm with you..."
Before she could finish, a flying sword severed both their heads in front of witnesses.
The remaining two were so terrified they hid under the table.
Meanwhile, Oversight Chair Vico gathered six like-minded colleagues, urging them to support hearing proceedings.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you know what happened last night to Roger, Carol, Cody, Eric, and Maslow. This is Linton's provocation to all vested interests. He doesn't regard us one bit..."
Just as he was about to rally more support, a flying sword flashed by, severing his head and those of two convinced senators instantly.
The remaining four fled in terror, screaming for help.
Almost simultaneously, all 18 senators actively lobbying were executed -- beheaded mysteriously and publicly inside the Capitol.
Additionally, 11 senators they had recently convinced were also killed.
In total, 29 senators fell, their heads cut off in the heart of American democracy.
*****
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