But Mitchum was transforming that perception. The former Army Ranger had served in the Middle East yet had a knack for creating viral videos that could make a point with humor. His foray into Washington politics as a freshman representative was heralded as a game-changer. And it didn’t take long for Young to snap him up with an offer for the coveted position.
Young wanted to get his daily security briefing as well as discuss the plans for the rest of the day and that evening’s State of the Union address.
“So, how are we going to wow America, Mike?” Young asked.
Mitchum shrugged. “Be amazing as always, sir. We’re still in the middle of transitioning from being a reactive administration to a proactive one, not to mention we’re still dealing with the fallout from the National Security Complex dedication.”
“I thought that was all behind us. That was months ago, which might as well be years in Washington.”
“To us, perhaps,” Mitchum said, “but to the average voter, that’s still the latest scandal. However, there’s something else we have to worry about now.”
Young’s eyes widened. “What is it now?”
“Evana Bahar, the leader of Al Fatihin. She’s here.”
“In the country?”
“In Washington,” Mitchum said.
“How the hell did we allow that to happen?” Young asked with a growl.
“I’m working to get more details for you, but apparently she tricked some of our agents here into thinking she was someone else. The details don’t matter as much as the fact that there’s a real threat tonight.”
Young smirked. “There’s no way she could ever touch me tonight. The Capitol Building during the State of the Union address is probably the safest place to be in America, especially when they see who the designated survivor is.”
“Sir, as a result of this news, I’m not so sure we shouldn’t cancel the speech.”
“What on earth for?”
“We’re going to have most of our security forces focused on protecting you. It’d make us vulnerable in so many other places.”
Young waved dismissively. “She’d be a fool to come to the Capitol Building tonight.”
“Still, I think it’s something you should seriously consider.”
Young stood to pace around the room. “Mike, I hired you to give me creative ideas, not to try and dissuade me from delivering an incredible speech that will unite the country.”
Mitchum broke into a soft laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Young asked. “Do you see this all as some big joke?”
“No, sir. It’s just that State of the Union addresses have zero chance of bringing the country together. That’s pie-in-the-sky thinking right there. We need to use this platform to fire up our base and give the world a chance to see what kind of man you really are. You can take control of the narrative here, not the critics.”
Young nodded confidently. “That’s right, which is why we’re not about to postpone the address.”
“Okay, fine,” Mitchum said. “In that case, let’s fight terrorism by showing how this country is the antithesis of terrorism.”
“Absolutely. What stunning idea did you have in mind?”
“Well, there’s this girl from Afghanistan one of my staffers suggested we put on stage with you tonight,” Mitchum said. “She lost her leg in a market bombing by a terrorist. But two of our agents brought her here to allow her to have a surgery she desperately needs to prevent her from losing the rest of her leg and to fit her with a state-of-the-art prosthetic.”
“Sounds like a damn fine idea,” Young said.
“Only problem is she’s from the same village as Evana Bahar.”
“Why’s that a problem?”
“I don’t know. Just going with a hunch this could be some sort of elaborate scheme by Al Fatihin.”
“For the last time, I pay you for good ideas and winning over the next generation, not your hunches. Besides, I trust that our incredibly competent law enforcement personnel will catch Evana Bahar before the speech—and we’ll find a way to work that into the final iteration, won’t we?”
“Of course, sir,” Mitchum said.
“Now when that happens, do you think we should slide that bit of news in at the beginning or use it as part of the speech’s crescendo? I’m not sure I could wait for half an hour to report that we just captured the same woman who tried to kill me a few months ago.”
“I’ll figure out a way to make is splashy,” Mitchum said. “That’s my job, remember?”
“Get FBI Director Creston Taylor on the phone,” Young said into the intercom on his desk. “I need to find out where his agents are with apprehending Miss Evana Bahar.”
“Right away, sir,” his secretary replied.
A few seconds later, she reported that Taylor was waiting on the line.
“Cres, how the hell are you?” Young asked. “I’ve been meaning to give you a call.”
“Just another day in paradise defending our cyberspace and snuffing our old school criminals,” Taylor said.
“Well, I wanted to get an update straight from the horse’s mouth about the search for Evana Bahar. Have you started closing in on her yet?”
“Not yet, sir, but we’ve diverted a substantial number of resources in the area toward finding her. We’re coordinating this manhunt with the CIA.”
“That’s good to know,” Young said. “And I trust you’ll be able to apprehend her very soon.”
“That’s the goal, sir. We want to arrest her before anyone else gets killed or even hurt.”
“If there are any more developments, will you let me know straight away?”
“Of course, sir. I’ll pass along updates as soon as they’re available.”
“Excellent. I’m counting on you, Cres.”
Young hung up and asked for Mitchum to leave for a moment. Once he was out of the room, Young used his private and secure cell phone to call J.D. Blunt.
“What the hell is going on with Evana Bahar?” Young asked.
“News travels fast,”
