“You could park a car in here,” the inspector said.
Black’s light fell on the far corner, where long wooden crates were stacked on top of one another.
“That doesn’t look like any car I’ve ever seen,” Black said.
They hustled over to the box and worked together to pull one open. Black kicked at the wood until it shattered, guns spilling out onto the floor. The find was enough to detain the men, but that wasn’t what Black was looking for. He pulled a few more down until he came to a crate with a different marking.
Black carefully removed the box and opened up one of them. Inside, he found RPGs as well as surface to air missiles.
“Would you believe it?” Black said. “This almost made it into the country.”
“Technically, it did,” the inspector said. “And that’s exactly why we can seize it. Illegal weapons on U.S. soil. That’s not exactly the smartest plan.”
“We need to remove all these weapons and arrest these men,” Black said. “Then we need to tell President Young. He’s going to be happy to hear this news.”
CHAPTER 28
July 3, 10:00 a.m.
Washington, D.C.
PRESIDENT YOUNG GRIPPED the lectern as he glanced down at his notes. The Rose Garden provided a serene backdrop, standing in stark contrast to his rollercoaster of emotions for the past two days. While critics piled on for breaking status quo and negotiating with terrorists, Young’s campaign manager thought it would be the perfect moment to show the deeply human side of the president. Some detractors accused Young of abusing the power of his office just to save his daughter, claiming that if it were anyone else, the president would dig his heels in. Young’s camp betted the American people wouldn’t see it that way.
“Good morning,” Young said before swallowing hard and charging into his speech. “Last night, millions of Americans watched as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists attempted to embarrass me through taking my sweet daughter, Olivia, hostage. She’d come home to surprise me for the Fourth of July celebration here in Washington and went out for a few hours with one of her friends. Hours later, I received a call that she’d been abducted.”
He cleared his throat and then put his head down, massaging his temples for a moment before continuing.
“That was one of the worst phone calls I’ve ever received in my life, right up there with the news that my wife had died after the bombing at the White House. And while I’m aware of our country’s policy against negotiating with terrorists, I behaved like any father would, doing anything to get his daughter to safety. The price of this action has been steep, even rendering me unfit for the office if you listen to the pundits. But I didn’t see it that way, and I hope you won’t either. This wasn’t about me being President; it was about me acting like a loving father.”
Young took a deep breath.
“The terrorist that was demanded in exchange for Olivia was found dead last night. Farzaad Shirazi died after Al Fatihin’s renowned terrorist leader, Evana Bahar, murdered him in a metro train station. Her actions make it clear that she didn’t care about her former fiancé’s life; she only wanted to embarrass me. And based on the reaction I’ve heard on many media outlets, I’d say she accomplished her mission.”
He flipped over his page and forged ahead with his speech.
“However, I refuse to apologize for doing everything I could as a father to bring my daughter home safely. And I dare say, there’s not a single father in this country who wouldn’t act accordingly if they were in my shoes. But this story’s not over. Evana Bahar will be held accountable for her actions and the terror she’s tried to wreak on this country ever since her cousin, Karif Fazil, was killed in London by an American agent who’d been hunting him for several years.
“Tomorrow night, we have the opportunity to come together as a country and celebrate our freedom, a precious privilege that thousands upon thousands of American soldiers have given their lives for. I’m not about to let her tactics force me into hiding or put me in a poor light in front of the citizens of this great nation. You’re going to experience a celebration like no other, either in person or while watching on television or your mobile devices. Despite our differences, we are a united country, one built upon the bedrock of independence from tyranny that might attempt to rule our lives. No, this is America. We will celebrate our triumph over those who sought to oppress us hundreds of years ago as well as those who still try to do that to us today.
“As your president, I realize the importance of this moment and what it will mean for the future of the United States of America. And I’m asking you to put aside your fears and show the world why we’re not going to be terrorized by anyone and we’ll do anything to protect our people.
“And on that note, I also want to share about a terrorist threat that was thwarted this morning due to the vigilance from our Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement entities working to keep all our citizens safe. A group of terrorists attempted to sneak weapons across our borders and create chaos. The stories you’ve heard about intelligence chatter suggesting that there was a plot to attack the Fourth celebration here in Washington proved to be true—and we stopped them before it materialized.
“I encourage everyone in the greater Washington area to come out tomorrow and join in this festive time, connecting with friends and family and reveling in the amazing privilege we’ve continued to enjoy for nearly two hundred and fifty years when this country was first birthed by people
