Scandal (h.s.) [ON HOLD]

Ch. 4

I rushed to the White House, sending a text to Emily that she would have to talk to the lieutenant while I was gone. The whole corridor was going mad, everyone hustling to their stations and many reporters going to the briefing room so the Speaker of the House could address the situation.

I passed Molly's desk and went straight into the Oval Office. The President and First Lady were absent, but Niall and Will were present, along with a few other staff members awaiting the First Family's arrival.

"So?" I asked, tossing my purse on the arm chair next to me. "What's going on? What happened?"

"There were two attacks in Europe," Will stated, crossing his arms and facing me. "One was intended for a government building, the other for the President upon arrival almost identical to Kennedy's assassination."

I closed my eyes and pursed my lips. Thank God someone was able to prevent such a horrible act. "Okay, Harry has addressed the first attack," I said, starting to pace the room and think about ways to turn this around. "He needs to speak to the journalists about the second."

"And what exactly is he supposed to say?" Niall asked.

I shrugged and placed my hands on the back of the couch. "Well, if the offender or offenders are caught, then he needs to state that the terrorists have been arrested and he's looking further into the investigation."

"Both criminals have been arrested," Will said. "The FBI is currently working on this case."

"So where are the President and First Lady now?" I asked.

"Downstairs with secret service." Niall said. "It was to risky bringing them in through the main doors so we had them take the back way."

I sighed. This wasn't the first time the President's safety was put at risk, but it was definitely the worst scare we've had since he was sworn in. It wasn't long before Harry finally joined us, with Audrey close behind.

"Mr. President, you need to speak with the reporters," Will said. "They're waiting on you."

"What?" Harry said, looking at Niall in confusion. "And say what? I have no idea what's happened, only the smallest details."

"You need to address the situation," I said, and he immediately turned to me with a softer gaze, but I wouldn't let those eyes fool me again. "You need to say that the FBI is working on it, and both criminals have been arrested. Let the people know that not only you, but the country is safe from them."

Harry pursed his lips and nodded before heading back out the hallway to the briefing room. Audrey sat down on the couch, and I hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to her.

"What do I do?" She asked aster a few silent moments. "I feel so helpless."

"It's okay, Audrey," I said. "We are doing everything we can to help you and your husband."

Moments passed and all of us anxiously awaited Harry's return. I called Emily, seeing if she had met with the lieutenant yet.

"I was just about to call you," she said. "I just spoke to Mark, and he said everything was fine when his wife left that morning, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I called her workplace, and they said she showed up, but some people saw her leaving in a car that wasn't hers."

"Do you know anything about the car yet?"

"I'm having Liam look at the building's surveillance cameras for any leads. I'll let you know when we find something."

*

I left the White House later that afternoon, heading back to he office to see if Emily found anything about Mark and his wife. I walked in, and there was a young woman sitting at the table in the back room.