Ellen is the recently appointed United States Secretary of State who previously ran a global media conglomerate. As a widow and mother of two, she faces constant misogyny and doubt from her political peers. She works to rebuild fractured international relationships while managing the intense pressure of her new government role. She places herself in the direct line of fire to secure the safety of American citizens.

Betsy serves as Ellen's trusted counselor and has been her closest friend since they were five years old. She provides essential emotional grounding for the Secretary of State. Known for her unfiltered opinions, she frequently says what Ellen is too diplomatic to voice aloud. She actively investigates the political conspiracies brewing in Washington on Ellen's behalf.

Gil is a famous journalist working in the Middle East and the estranged son of Ellen Adams. He refuses to trade on his mother's famous name to avoid charges of nepotism. Following a traumatic kidnapping by a terrorist organization, he converted to Islam. He maintains strict journalistic ethics, refusing to surrender his sources even to his mother.

Shah is a highly intelligent weapons dealer responsible for arming terrorist networks around the globe. He holds a deep grudge against Ellen Adams because she produced a documentary that led to his house arrest. Following his unexpected release, he masterminds a massive terror plot designed to humiliate his enemies and destabilize global politics.

Anahita is a young, hardworking intelligence analyst at the State Department. She receives a cryptic warning message containing numbers and symbols that point toward a series of terrorist attacks. Her Middle Eastern heritage and family connections invite severe suspicion from US intelligence agencies, forcing her to constantly prove her loyalty.

Douglas Williams is the newly elected President of the United States. He deliberately appointed Ellen Adams as Secretary of State hoping she would publicly fail, thereby neutralizing her as a political threat. As the terror crisis escalates, he must decide whether to continue treating her as an enemy or rely on her expertise.

Eric Dunn is the vain, self-centered former President of the United States. During his tenure, he dismantled vital international relationships and struck disastrous deals simply to appease flatterers. He remains highly critical of the current administration and continues to wield influence through his loyal holdovers in the government.

Boynton serves as Ellen's Chief of Staff. He was placed in her office by the president's team, causing initial friction between him and Ellen's loyalists. Despite his ties to the president's inner circle, he accompanies Ellen on dangerous international trips to uncover the truth behind the terror attacks.

Katherine is Ellen's daughter and the current head of her mother's former media conglomerate. She manages the intense journalistic chaos surrounding the terrorist attacks while actively supporting her mother's political efforts. She proves courageous when swept into dangerous intelligence-gathering missions overseas.

As the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Whitehead is a commanding military presence in the White House. He possesses extensive knowledge regarding Bashir Shah and the region's geopolitical instability. He works back channels with Betsy Jameson to uncover traitors operating within the US government.

Tim Beecham is the Director of National Intelligence and a prominent holdover from the previous Dunn administration. Ellen views him with heavy suspicion due to his connection to the former president's disastrous policies. He takes an aggressive stance during the crisis, ordering heavy-handed arrests of Anahita's family.

Barb Stenhauser is the President's Chief of Staff. She harbors a deep animosity toward Ellen Adams and actively works to orchestrate her failure. She is highly protective of the president's agenda and aggressively manages the administration's internal politics.

Pete Hamilton is the disgraced former press secretary for President Dunn. Fired after a manufactured scandal regarding drug trafficking, he now cultivates the false outward appearance of a ruined addict while secretly searching for proof of the conspiracy that ousted him. He possesses the skills necessary to navigate hidden government servers.

Zahara is Anahita's cousin and a student of statistical mechanics in Iran. She is a member of a progressive student organization. After discovering terrible secrets regarding a terror plot, she risks her own safety to send a cryptic warning to Anahita in the United States.

Behnam Ahmadi is a nuclear physicist living in Tehran. He is Anahita's uncle and Zahara's father. Caught between his loyalty to the Iranian regime and the safety of his family, he makes difficult choices regarding the impending terror attacks.

Maxim Ivanov is the ruthless President of Russia. He orchestrates hostile conditions for visiting diplomats and operates with fascistic tendencies. He leverages the Russian mafia to supply materials to international terror plots, using the chaos to weaken the United States.