The President's Daughter: A Thriller

In June, two years into his post-presidency, Matthew Keating begins his day at his home in Lake Marie, New Hampshire. He wins a morning canoe race against David Stahl, his lead Secret Service agent. His day is interrupted by his former chief of staff, Madeline Perry, who pressures him about offers to write his autobiography. Keating deflects her questions, preferring to delay the decision.

Shortly after, Mel, now 19, announces that she is leaving for an overnight hiking trip on Mount Rollins with her friend, Tim Kenyon. After Keating hugs her goodbye, he watches her leave with Agent Stahl. He notes that Mel, being over 16, no longer qualifies for Secret Service protection, leaving her vulnerable.

On a remote road near the American-Canadian border, two cigarette smugglers, Lloyd Franklin and his cousin Josh, are stopped by two men in white jumpsuits. When the strangers demand their truck, a confrontation breaks out. The smaller of the two men slashes Josh’s throat, killing him.

As Lloyd attempts to run, the taller, older man stabs him in the back, severing his spinal cord. The man tells the paralyzed Lloyd he will never walk again, then kills him. The two assassins, having used the jumpsuits to protect their clothes from blood, take the truck and drive away.