“What does that mean to you, the patriotic citizen who cares about this country and the standard bearer of freedom that we’ve become on this planet? It simply means that we will do what’s necessary to create an environment of safety for all Americans, both here and around the world.”
Young's statement was met with lukewarm applause from both sides of the chamber. He studied the lawmakers and judges seated in front of him. Many of them shifted in their seats and wore furrowed brows. Others gazed around the room, trying to see how others were reacting to the news that America did indeed negotiate with terrorists whenever it deemed necessary. And while the news wasn't shocking since Young's tactics had already been exposed, many in Congress appeared concerned with the admission.
As Young read the room, he decided to curtail the next paragraph in his written speech, speeding ahead to the part where he introduced A’isha.
* * *
“HOW ARE THINGS LOOKING from your vantage point?” Alex asked Hawk over the coms.
“Nice and cozy here with no sign of activity whatsoever,” Hawk said. “It’s like a ghost town.”
“I guess that’s a good thing, right?”
“To be honest, I’d prefer to leave here tonight without firing a shot. And I’d consider that a good day at work.”
“That’s the gold standard.”
“What about you?” Hawk asked.
Alex sighed, loud enough that Hawk could hear it.
“Is everything all right, Alex?”
“Well,” she said, “it’s just that I’ve been noticing some anomalies over the past half-hour in the security feeds, and I’m not sure what’s going on.”
“What kind of anomalies?”
“It’s like a cyber attack of some sort, but it doesn’t look like they’re trying to insert a virus of any kind,” she said. “To be honest, it looks like amateur hour. There’s no real discernible pattern here, which usually suggests it’s a wannabe hacker who’s still learning the ropes.”
“Takes a lot of guts to try and hack into the security network on Capitol Hill during the State of the Union address.”
“Or stupidity, though they’ve done a good job at masking their location. I can’t seem to find where these attacks are originating from.”
“Is anyone else aware of this issue?” Hawk asked.
“I let the cyber security team know, but they’re more focused on data mining attacks and protecting all these officials’ privacy. Apparently, capturing dirt on opponents is a venture that pays big dividends.”
“You say that as if you’re surprised.”
Alex chuckled. “I’m not. But it is the upside down world we live in. We’re all about protecting our individual interests rather than banding together to protect the interests of others.”
“If this spy thing doesn’t work out for you, maybe there’s a future for you in philosophy.”
“There’s no future for anyone in philosophy, at least if you want to be gainfully employed.”
Hawk glanced around the room, checking all the visible entryways.
“There’s still no movement here,” Hawk said. “Meanwhile, Young is still rambling on.”
“This is his moment. Just relax.”
“Did you figure out what all those glitches were about?”
“I wish,” Alex said. “In fact, they just started to intensify.”
“What’s going on?”
“Whoever was initiating these attacks has somehow gained control of the closed circuit feed.”
Hawk glanced at the screen, which was still projecting a live image of Young at the lectern. “Well, there’s nothing unusual on now. It’s just Young talking. Can you stop what they’re doing?”
“I’m working on it. Stay tuned.”
* * *
PRESIDENT YOUNG TURNED to his left and held out his hand before gesturing for A’isha to join him on stage.
“One of the things I wanted to highlight tonight is our country’s incredibly generous spirit,” Young said. “This young girl from Afghanistan suffered horrifically when a Muslim extremist set off a suicide bomb in a marketplace in her hometown, killing more than a dozen people and injuring scores of others. Unfortunately, A’isha lost her leg in this attack.”
As Young moved away from the lectern, she strode up the steps and took her place next to him out in the open so everyone could see her prosthetic leg.
“When some of our people in Afghanistan learned about A’isha’s story, they reached out to see if they could bring her here for a surgery. She couldn’t afford one here or anywhere else in the world, but we offered the whole procedure for free. And now, I’m happy to show you what this has meant to this vibrant young girl. She will undoubtedly overcome the pain and suffering she’s endured at the hands of violent lunatics, determined to force the rest of the world to bend a knee to their narrow-minded ideology. Her spirit is infectious, and I wanted to share her story with you tonight.”
“Thank you, Mr. President,” she said.
Many people on the chamber floor leaped to their feet. Even the most partisan members of the crowd couldn’t help but stand and clap for the girl and what her story meant.
After a few seconds, Young held up his hands in a gesture to quiet the cheering. “America is not a bully. In fact, we’re one of the few countries courageous enough to confront global bullies. We don’t want to exploit our neighbors. No, we want to help them experience the incredible freedom and prosperity that has marked this nation since its inception.”
Young didn’t see the screen behind him flash. His image flickered in and out until it went dark.
“Ultimately, America is about—”
"To experience the consequences of its sins," boomed a loud, distorted voice over the sound system, drowning out Young. "Your president is a liar, and today he will pay for his crimes against the world."
Young stopped talking once he heard the voice and noticed everyone in the audience staring at the large screens flanking him. He turned toward the screen before looking back at the audience, which stared in disbelief.
Gunfire echoed in the hallway
