As Alex sat mulling over what was the best course of action to take, one of her computers on her desk beeped, signaling it was finished with an analysis. She wheeled over to the terminal and pecked on the keyboard to view the full report. Ever since Black had given her Fortner’s phone, she’d been trying to hack it and find out what was inside. Finally, the process was finished—and she had cracked several encrypted files that Black’s expert couldn’t.
Alex smiled a wry grin and dug into the messages. Her mouth fell agape as she read the once-ironclad messages. Over the next fifteen minutes, she called in a few favors and compiled some more information based off what she’d learned. Then she dialed Blunt’s number to deliver the good news.
“I didn’t expect to be hearing from you again tonight,” he said as he answered the call.
“I didn’t either, but you’re going to like what you’re about to hear—or maybe not.”
“What is it?”
“I cracked those encrypted messages on Fortner’s phone. Turns out she’s not in some romantic relationship with Samuels.”
Blunt grunted. “I was hoping for some real news instead of gossip.”
“I’m not finished,” she said. “The first lady has been in contact with Richard Joseph.”
“That reminds me, have you finished that workup on him that I assigned to you a while back.”
“Not yet. I’ve been a little busy with some other things. But I know enough to be dangerous.”
“The first lady was talking to Joseph on the night of the State of the Union. Their message is very cryptic, some sort of code they’ve developed to keep away any suspicion. But I can tell it means more than it says on the surface. I’m just not sure what right now.”
“You think Joseph is the one the first lady is involved with?”
“Nope,” she said. “It’s Fortner.”
“What?” Blunt asked, his voice booming through the receiver. “Are you kidding me?”
“I would never do that, sir. Fortner and Madeline are quite the item. She was using the encryption program to send him racy texts. And apparently they’re planning on running away together after this attack happens on the White House.”
“Where does Joseph tie into all of this?”
“I’m not sure, but I just looked up his phone records and saw that she contacted him a half hour ago. I cross-referenced that with his schedule, and he’s headed to some fund raising event at the Kennedy Center.”
“The president told me his wife was going there tonight, too. He said it was kind of a last-minute thing.”
“Well, it wasn’t,” Alex said. “They’ve been planning this for a while.”
“And what are they planning?”
“I’m not sure, but if you start to put everything together, it’s easy to see that this isn’t about some surprise birthday party for the president.”
“That’s for sure,” Blunt said. “Keep digging. We need to know what we’re about to wade into here, and I’ll call Hawk.”
CHAPTER 26
MADELINE YOUNG REMOVED her pearl necklace as she got ready for bed. Staying on her feet all day and most of the evening at the fund raiser had exhausted her. She couldn’t imagine just how tired she would be had she stayed until the end. But she needed to leave a little early for other reasons.
When she married Noah Young, she was enamored by his winsome personality and handsome appearance. A commanding voice with a chiseled jaw line and blue eyes that twinkled when he smiled drew her in. But his ambition and drive were what made her think she’d found her soulmate. She needed someone who was a fellow go-getter, someone with the drive to press forward even when everyone else was saying stop. That was the mentality that earned her a spot as a fighter pilot in a male-dominated profession. And even when she retired from flying to support her husband’s political aspirations, she still listened to that voice in her head that challenged her to keep moving. But he stopped listening a long time ago.
Madeline supported his dreams only because she had a few of her own, ones that she knew wouldn’t likely get accomplished without wielding the power of the wife of a famous Washington politician. But her goals had changed. No longer was she interested in dedicating the rest of her life to raising the literacy rate across the globe or eradicating human trafficking, though she still believed them to be worthy causes. She wanted something for herself. While living in the midst of the capital’s chaotic state, she realized she needed attention from someone who loved her, someone who cared about her, someone who saw her. And someone who she could escape with to a far away island and live a lavish lifestyle in anonymity. And Noah Young was no longer that someone, nor was he ever going to be capable of it.
Madeline tried to engage him in conversations that didn’t consist solely about work. But matters of the heart were glossed over, pushed aside to discuss the latest slight from a senator from the rival party or his newest policy idea. While at the height of her fame as a pilot, she enjoyed basking in the spotlight as well as the freedom to vanish into the shadows. Such a rhythm never took place as the first lady.
What was I thinking?
In a moment of clarity, she realized she wasn’t thinking; rather, she was bewitched by Noah. However, she never imagined that his traits would eventually lead him to the White House. Yet here they were—and Madeline couldn’t wait to leave.
“Noah,” she called, “are you ever going to come to bed?”
Young trudged back into the bedroom. His tie was loosened along with the top button on his white oxford shirt.
“You look tired,” she said.
“It’s been a long day,” he said. “And it’s not over yet.”
“What’s keeping you up tonight? Is it that summit next month in Copenhagen?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing to worry
