The President is Missing

Brandt meets with Carolyn Brock, demanding to know where the president is. Carolyn refuses to disclose his location. Although Carolyn has conveyed that President Duncan has ordered the White House to remain locked down, Brandt refuses to listen unless she receives this information directly from him. She has an upcoming meeting with an unknown party that is important to her.

In Berlin, Suliman Cindoruk reviews news headlines. He confirms that Nina is dead and that Augie is now with the Americans.

President Duncan awakens just before four o’clock in the morning on Saturday; he has received medical treatment, but the doctor cautions him that he is still in an extremely fragile state. He immediately calls Carolyn, who gives him new and alarming information. Duncan orders his team to take him to his private helicopter.

As the president and his team drive to the helicopter launch pad, he watches a video of an explosion that has recently taken place in Los Angeles, California. The explosion seems to have been triggered by a cyberattack and could potentially be connected to Dark Ages. Duncan and Augie board the helicopter.

President Duncan questions Augie to see if Suliman and his team could be behind the explosion; Augie is unsure. Duncan finally has the time to ask Augie to explain how the virus works.

The helicopter lands in Virginia, on the isolated estate of one of the president’s close friends. His team of top cybersecurity experts is assembled there, and he introduces them to Augie. Duncan also learns that the attack in Los Angeles was not actually targeting the factory that blew up.

A laboratory responsible for responding to biological attacks was the actual target of the attack; it was located next to the factory. White House experts now fear that Los Angeles is facing a biological attack since it has been rendered vulnerable. They are rushing to investigate and divert resources there, although Duncan fears that this may be a feint, intended to leave other locations vulnerable.

The prime minister of Israel, a close ally of the US, arrives; Israeli cybersecurity experts are part of the team working to understand Dark Ages. The German chancellor is also attending.

President Duncan learns about a software breach at a water-treatment plant near Los Angeles. The breach would disable the ability to detect tainted water. Fortunately, it was caught and corrected before any tainted water left the plant. However, the treatment plant is no longer functional. If the breach isn’t corrected soon, there may be no safe water supplies available for Los Angeles.

Upon learning about the cybersecurity attack in Los Angeles, security advisors ask for support from the elite cybersecurity team. However, these experts are already gathered with President Duncan in Virginia, working on the pending Dark Ages attack. As Duncan thinks more about the sequence of events, he is confused by the choice to blow up the lab first and then contaminate the water: The explosion would lead to a close inspection of the water-treatment plants.

He concludes that the powers behind Dark Ages are deliberately trying to draw attention and resources to Los Angeles, leaving other locations more vulnerable. Despite advice from others, Duncan declines to send any cybersecurity support to Los Angeles.

Vice President Brandt meets with Speaker Rhodes. While the meeting is planned, it has been carefully choreographed to appear accidental. They discuss the possibility of President Duncan being impeached. Brandt is eager to see Duncan impeached, but Rhodes wants something from her in exchange for pursuing the impeachment.

Rhodes wants his daughter nominated to a Supreme Court seat. If Brandt agrees, he is willing to pursue impeachment proceedings that will remove the president from office.

President Duncan sends resources to Los Angeles, though not his Imminent Threat Response Team, who continue to work alongside Augie and the German and Israeli cybersecurity experts. He also learns more about Nina: She was from a disputed region in the republic of Georgia and may have had support from Russia.

The president questions Augie about whether Nina was allied with the Russians because of their support for the autonomy of the region where she grew up. Augie explains that the Sons of Jihad is broadly anti-Western in its philosophy; this often aligns with Russia’s foreign policy but doesn’t indicate that they work for the Russians.

President Duncan confers with the Israeli prime minister and the German chancellor. They question whether Augie is truly trustworthy, but Duncan counters, “I have no other choice but to trust him” (270).

Augie meets with the assembled world leaders, explaining how the entire infrastructure is now tied to the internet and thus how an attack destabilizing internet access would be devastating. A dormant virus has been planted within internet-connected devices, and if it is released, it will affect every aspect of US citizens’ lives.

Augie continues his explanation: The virus shuts down internet access and deletes crucial files and all their back-ups, affecting basic infrastructure like water and electricity. The damage will be so extensive and long-lasting that every aspect of American life will be destroyed.

The leaders discuss how Russia would benefit from the attack if it is the power behind Dark Ages. While Russia could be interested in weakening America in preparation for a direct military strike, this action would violate the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and possibly start a world war. Duncan receives word that the Russian prime minister has arrived at the summit.

President Duncan explains to the Russian prime minister that in the two weeks since the virus became known, the US has been able to reconstruct key military systems, meaning that even if infrastructure is affected, they can offer a military response. Duncan explains that any nation that tries to exploit American vulnerability in the aftermath of an attack will face severe retaliation. He indicates that if the Russians are found to be behind the Dark Ages attack, they will face severe repercussions.

The president discusses possible courses of action with the Israeli prime minister; she questions whether, in the wake of an attack, it would be wise for the US to spend its limited resources on a counterattack on the Russians. Duncan insists that if the cyberattack does occur, it will be imperative for the US to demonstrate strength. They are both aware that a war between Russia and the US would be devastating.

Bach and her support team are on a boat at an undisclosed location, preparing for another attempt on her target. She enters the water with a scuba tank and her rifle.

President Duncan consults with one of his advisors: She points out that if the Russians are behind Dark Ages, they will call off the attack now that they know that the US can still respond with military force even after the cyberattack. However, she believes that this is a moot point since she doesn’t think the Russians are behind the attack.

Duncan receives an urgent update from Carolyn. She is upset because of a televised interview in which Vice President Brandt was questioned as to whether or not she knows the current whereabouts of the president. Although Brandt seemingly defended Duncan, she subtly planted negative ideas. Carolyn is very angry with what she perceives as Brandt’s disloyalty and frustrated that she couldn’t control the vice president. Duncan asks for a message to be conveyed to Brandt, asking her to get in contact with him.