Chapter 27
Tazim wanted to get Ann back to safety. Hell, he wanted to make love to her, to show her physically how damn proud he was of her.
But he couldn’t resist the pleading in her eyes. “Fine!” he snapped. He turned to his guards. “Let’s go.”
Ann and Emily explained the hiding place, then they all piled into the vehicles and off they went.
Two hours later, they collected in Hendrix’s security office, shocked by the number of videos. They’d found the metal box under one of the stones right by the waterfall. Inside the box were five flash drives. Each of the flash drives had video recordings of about fifty different people in various criminal or salacious activities. There were lawyers and politicians partying with what they all assumed were prostitutes, all of whom were drinking and many were snorting a white substance, which they assumed was cocaine. There was even one politician injecting something into his vein with a needle, probably heroin.
Within only a few minutes of watching some of the other videos, the group was disgusted with the sexual escapades of their elected leaders, but the really raunchy stuff featured some of the business owners and…sure enough, reporters.
“I’ve seen enough,” Ann muttered and left the room. She felt a little sick. The perversions of some of those people were…truly shocking.
Tazim came out and found her leaning against the wall.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Ann blinked, trying to focus but it was difficult. “I just…I didn’t know that some of those things were physically possible!”
He chuckled and pulled her closer. “I’ve seen worse.”
Ann was stunned by his declaration, but snuggled against him. “I don’t think we should release those videos into the world. It would cause too much chaos.”
“I agree, but perhaps we could send a copy of the video to Gary and tell him that he needs to step down from public office.”
Ann nodded.“That sounds good.”
“And we should turn over the videos of the parties where drugs are evident, those should be brought to…?”
Ann waited, but after everything they’d seen, they both knew that there were too many people in public office captured doing illegal stuff in those videos.
“No wonder he got away with so much over the years,” she whispered. Then she lifted her eyes. “I need to see Archer.” She sighed and leaned closer. “I need to feel his innocence and hear his laughter.”
“I need a shower,” Tazim grumbled, then kissed the top of her head.
“That too,” she agreed with a weak laugh.
Hendrix came out of his office. “What do you want me to do with these videos?”
“Send me the one of Governor Liptiz,” Tazim replied. “And his sister.” He looked down at Ann. “I don’t want her in public office either.” After she nodded, he turned back at Hendrix. “The rest of them, I don’t care what you do with them. They are all yours.”
Hendrix nodded, then turned and walked back into his office, his harsh expression more grim than usual.
“Let’s go find Archer,” Tazim announced, still holding Ann close. “Then I want a ring on your finger.”
Ann laughed in full agreement. “Sounds like a wonderful plan for the rest of my life.”