Full Black - Brad Thor [29]
“I did exactly as I was told.” Chase removed his shoe, pulled out the two SIM cards, and handed them to Sabah. “Just before the village with the soccer pitch, there was a small lake. I took the phones apart and threw the pieces into the water. Anything else you want to ask me?”
Sabah smiled and placed his large hand on the young man’s shoulder. “No. I have no more questions,” he said. “All that matters is that Allah has delivered you safely to us.”
As Sabah motioned to his car, it was obvious to Chase that the man didn’t trust him at all. He was beginning to think that leaving the shiv behind had been a very bad idea.
CHAPTER 15
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Ralston wanted to know all about the plot Salomon thought he had uncovered to collapse the United States. “Give me the details on Project Green Ramp.”
“To understand it,” said the producer, “you have to grasp its underlying principle. It actually boils down to a simple question. If we were in a house and I thought it was burning, but you didn’t, would it be okay for me to lie or even use force, to get you out of the house?”
“Hell no.”
“Why not?”
“What if you’re wrong?”
Salomon smiled. “Bingo.”
“What do you mean, bingo?”
“Individualism in America is hard-wired into our DNA. We want to make our own decisions, even if it means making mistakes. We don’t want other people telling us what to do.
“There’s a group of people, though, who believe that you and I are too stupid to make our own decisions and that they should do it for us. Despite America being the greatest force for good in the history of the world, they see it as greedy and evil. They’ve been tearing it apart bit by bit for decades and have become desperate to finish the job. They believe they can and should use any means necessary to get across the goal line, no matter what the cost.”
“The ends justify the means,” said Ralston.
“Exactly,” Salomon replied.
“And getting across the goal line means collapsing the United States?”
“According to James Standing, the United States is the only remaining obstacle to a just and stable world.”
Ralston shook his head. “That’s beyond insane.”
“So is sending a Russian wet work team to kill three filmmakers. Standing is a full-on sociopath. Nothing about him makes sense. Despite being born and raised Jewish, he’s a rabid anti-Semite. Despite being a billionaire many times over, he’s a vehement anticapitalist. Despite having benefitted greatly from everything America has done to empower the individual, he is a vocal proponent of social engineering and the redistribution of wealth.
“One of the best descriptions of him I ever heard was that he was a malignant, messianic narcissist who, left unchecked, would bring about horrors beyond those performed by Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or Pol Pot.”
“So who’s keeping a check on him?” asked Ralston.
“Nobody.”
“Come on.”
Salomon held his right hand up and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. “Money may not be able to buy happiness, but it can buy almost anything else. Even an entire political system.”
Ralston looked at him. “Now who’s insane?”
“I heard a comedian make a pretty good point recently. He said that all members of Congress should be required to wear NASCAR uniforms. You know, the kind with the patches? That way we’d know who was sponsoring each of them. I think he was kidding and we’d never be able to get them to do it, but it’s a great idea and would wake people up in this country instantly.”
“And Standing would be seen as the root of all evil? That’s hard to believe.”
“He has a very clear vision as to what he wants to have happen to America. Along with a handful of leaders of other key foundations, he developed a very simple plan to bring it about.
“He started by using his wealth to co-opt anyone who could have any impact on popular culture or public opinion. Newspapers, actors, journalists, publishers, politicians, business people, unions—you name it. The idea was to be able to control the media, as well as any other voices Americans trusted.