Oath of Loyalty (Mitch Rapp #21)(58)

CHAPTER 26


THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, DC

USA

DARREN Hargrave took his customary seat next to the president while Stephen Wright, the Secret Service director, settled in across the coffee table. Sam Hutchinson, the administration’s chief political strategist, kept a little more distance but, interestingly, not as much as Catherine. There were too many people in the meeting for her to completely retreat, but still she’d selected the chair farthest from her husband. The farthest from the power, Hargrave noted with a smile.

“So, the main venue will only seat a couple hundred people,” Hutchinson continued. “All enthusiastic supporters who’ll give the room a lot of energy.”

“And the rest?” Cook asked.

“Another ten thousand in various locations around DC and the country. All wearing these.” He handed the president a pair of virtual reality goggles. “They’ll allow every person, no matter where they are, to feel like they’re three rows back from you onstage.”

“So, you’re saying this is different than just watching on a screen.”

“There’s no comparison. If they turn their heads, they’ll see the sides of the auditorium you’re in. If they look behind them, they’ll see what looks like a very exclusive and intimate crowd. I guarantee you that everyone will one hundred percent feel like they’re there.”

Cook seemed skeptical as he handed the unit back. “I understand that it’s the best we can do for now, but I’m not sure about it in the long run. Politics has always been an in-person business.”

“I understand, sir, but trust me when I tell you that we’re only scratching the surface of this technology. It has the potential to actually enhance your ability to connect with your constituents. In the future, we’ll be able to digitally map your face to an actor’s. That’ll allow for virtual appearances at much smaller venues than you’d normally have time for. It’ll make your supporters feel like they have personal access to you.”

“It also has a lot of potential with regard to security,” Wright interjected. “We can set up these appearances to make it hard for people to know where you really are. For instance, you could have an actor doing a live appearance from Camp David when you’re really here.”

“It seems like those are the kinds of games that could leak to the press.”

“It’s possible, but we think the risks are low,” Hutchinson said. “The technology is so good that even experts can’t spot it with any certainty. Plus, we could just say that we’re using artificial backgrounds at the request of the Secret Service. I don’t think anyone’s going to begrudge you that.”

“There are going to be pictures of the crowds,” Catherine pointed out. “Thousands of people in virtual reality goggles. It’s going to look like nineteen-fifties science fiction.”

“I understand what you’re saying, ma’am, but I think it’s going to go over really well with the younger demographic. Polls show that they’re counting on technology to solve pretty much all their problems. Depicting the president as someone who’s mastered it is going to be a net positive. Particularly as the older, lower-tech demographic dies off.”

“Okay,” Cook said, starting to lose interest in the subject. “We’re going to try it and see how things go. If it’s a disaster, we’ll rethink. Thank you, Sam.”

The man stood and nodded respectfully before retreating from the office. The president waited for him to close the door before speaking again.

“Are you sure you can secure this event, Steve?”

“Yes, sir. We’re still purging people connected to Kennedy and Rapp, but we’ll have enough loyalists to cover it. And no one’s going to know which of the local venues you’re going to appear at until the last minute, which makes coordinating an attack all but impossible. Particularly by someone with limited manpower.”

“That said, it’s my understanding that we’re still not certain of Rapp’s or Coleman’s locations.”

“Coleman just reappeared at his house in Greece, and we have people watching him,” Hargrave said. “Rapp flew to Nicholas Ward’s compound in Uganda after he left South Africa and as far as we know, he’s been there ever since.”

“As far as we know,” Cook repeated. “Remember that one of the terms of our truce with him is that he stays in plain sight.”

“Yes, sir. I agree that the time he spends at Ward’s camp is problematic. We need to agree to some reasonable surveillance protocols, but with everything that’s happening, it made sense not to push. In another day or two, though, I think it’ll be reasonable to insist.”

“Okay,” Cook said. “Steve, unless you’ve got anything else, I’m going to let you go. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Again, the president waited for the door to fully close before he spoke. “I’m not happy, Darren.”

“Why not, sir?”

“Enzo Ruiz.”

“Ruiz was extremely ill and in his nineties, sir. He died in the middle of the day, surrounded by guards who all agree his heart finally gave out. An initial review by medical examiners has confirmed that.”