“I don’t believe it,” Mia said.
“That’s Charity Tucker. She was mobile when she shut off all those cameras in a matter of seconds.”
“That’s impressive to you?” Alex asked.
“She’s only carrying a laptop bag here,” Mia said, stooping closer to the monitor to examine the image. “That’s phenomenal hacking.”
“I’m sorry if I’m not as impressed as you are,” Alex said. “We have a huge problem on our hands that extends beyond a terrorist attack.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This confirms your suspicion about Charity Tucker,” Alex said. “And since we now know that she’s involved, this isn’t just about terrorism. This is about an election and Collin Radcliffe. This about the democracy of the United States of America.”
“So, what are we going to do about it?”
“We’re gonna save thousands of innocent lives first—and then we’re going to take down the sonofabitch who’s behind all this.”
CHAPTER 23
July 2
Washington, D.C.
PRESIDENT YOUNG SIPPED his cup of coffee as he skimmed a report in The Washington Post detailing how scores of groups were canceling their plans of attending the Fourth fireworks extravaganza. Everyone interviewed in the article cited fears of a terrorist strike as the reason for their reluctance to attend. Young cursed before refolding the newspaper and tossing it aside.
He’d hardly slept all night, and news like that wasn’t getting his day off to a better start. With Olivia being held captive by the Al Fatihin leader, Evana Bahar, he wasn’t sure about the most prudent path to take. Telling someone within his administration would risk the news leaking to the press. And that was sure to cost him the political capital he desperately couldn’t afford to lose.
Decisions, decisions.
While he mulled over what to do, he knew there was only one thing he could do: save Olivia. At the end of the day, he knew his presidency wasn’t worth losing Olivia over. She meant even more to him than ever after learning that Madeline betrayed him in a most painful manner possible.
Young wanted confirmation that he was handling the situation in the best way possible. He called J.D. Blunt and scheduled an impromptu emergency meeting in the White House basement.
An hour later, he entered the room to find Blunt waiting.
“Sir, I got here as quickly as I could,” Blunt said as he stood to shake Young’s hand. “What seems to be so pressing?”
Blunt divulged the secret he’d been carrying around since the previous night: Evana Bahar kidnapped Olivia.
“Evana Bahar,” Blunt said, his tone a mixture between disbelief and admiration. “This plot is so sophisticated I would’ve guessed it came from Obsidian.”
Young shook his head. “It was her voice. I’d know it anywhere. It’s haunting.”
“Well, I didn’t see that coming. We haven’t found anything to linked her to what we’re investigating right now regarding the potential threat in Washington.”
“You think it’s unrelated?” Young asked.
“There’s not enough information to say at this point, but I wouldn’t rule it out,” Blunt said. “There’s definitely a threat on the Fourth, which is hard to ignore.”
“But you’re going to handle that, right?”
“We’re doing our best and making some headway.”
Young scooted to the edge of his seat and leaned forward. “Do you have any new information?”
“As a matter of fact, we do. And you’re not going to like it.”
“Lay it on me,” Young said.
“We learned that the attack in Junction on the Texas lawmen isn’t a bunch of amateurs trying to smuggle people across the border,” Blunt said. “There were hackers inside that truck along with the terrorists.”
“It’s hard to distinguish between the two these days. Cyber terrorists and regular terrorists—is there really any difference?”
“Both can cause massive amounts of destruction and chaos, but they operate with different skill sets. And some are more lethal than others.”
“Is that all?”
Blunt shook his head. “One of the terrorists is Charity Tucker.”
Young squinted as he studied Blunt. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”
“How well do you know your opponent?”
“Charity Tucker, Charity Tucker. Name doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Collin Radcliffe’s stepdaughter.”
“She’s involved?”
Blunt nodded. “It appears so. We were able to analyze satellite footage from the day the lawmen were ambushed from the Nicolo semi. We found a crew hiding near the truck. All the members were covered under a camouflaged cloak when our team went to investigate the abandoned vehicle. And Charity was with them.”
“And what exactly was she doing there?”
“She’s an experienced hacker, sir. Though this doesn’t quite fit her usual M.O., according to my team.”
“Do you realize the kind of bind this puts me in?” Young asked. “If we accuse her as being one of the perpetrators of this terror threat, it could make me look like I’m just trying to sling mud at my opponent. And if I’m wrong, that won’t be a good look.”
Young sighed. “It’s sticky politically but not operationally. When we find her, we can address everything properly. We can find out if she was coerced or joined willingly. We can also find out who’s really behind everything. I just wanted you to know there’s a possibility Radcliffe is involved somehow.”
“And if we launch an investigation into him, I appear as though I’m abusing my office for personal gain.”
Blunt shrugged. “I don’t think we have much of a choice at this point. The country stands to lose far more if you don’t look into what he’s doing. Because if he’s working with Evana Bahar to undermine you—”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. There’s not any way around this.”
“Just get Olivia back, and we’ll sort it out later.”
Young sighed. “And how’s that going to look? I’d be negotiating with terrorists.”
“I think everyone will understand. This is one time where you need to put your political aspirations aside and think about what’s best for your daughter. You’ve got spin doctors who will help you handle the criticism after you get her home safe.”
“I know. I don't really care about my political future as much as I care about the office
