There is a narcissistic psychopath within the White Home, and a pair of secret brokers realizes he is about to destroy the nation. That is the premise of the newest thriller by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois, "Blowback" (Little, Brown and Firm).
Learn an excerpt beneath.
Like another presidents earlier than him — Nixon and Trump, for instance — President Barrett does not prefer to work from the downstairs Oval Workplace. The day after his inauguration final yr, in a sit-down with editors and reporters from the Washington bureau of the New York Occasions, he had mentioned, "An excessive amount of historical past in that place. It feels such as you're in the course of a museum exhibit. I would like to have the ability to sit back, put my ft on the furnishings, and get work finished with out being interrupted all of the goddamn time."
President Barrett is sitting behind an previous wood desk that was supposedly utilized by President Harding. He will get up from the neatly piled folders and phone financial institution and briskly walks over to Liam.
That is when the CIA officer notes he and the president aren't alone within the small, wood-paneled room.
On one among two small blue couches organized round a wood espresso desk is a girl about Liam's age, sitting nonetheless and searching sensible. She's sporting a two-piece black swimsuit — slacks and jacket — with an ivory shirt. Her light-olive complexion is framed by black hair that's minimize and styled shut.
She stares at him with dark-brown eyes, and President Barrett says, "I imagine you already know one another."
Liam nods, smiles. "Noa Himel. We have been in the identical coaching class."
She will get up, presents a hand, and says, "Glad you remembered me. My hair was longer again then."
He takes her grip, agency and heat, and says, "I remembered you outrunning my ass on the impediment course."
She smiles, sits down. "It isn't known as that anymore. It is the boldness enhancement course."
Along with his trademark excellent smile, President Barrett says, "I hate to interrupt this firm reunion, however we have work to do. Liam, sit subsequent to Noa."
Liam goes over and does so, catching a slight whiff of her fragrance. It is good. The workplace is small, with bookcases, a few framed Frederic Remington western prints, and never a lot else. The PDB feels heavy in his lap, and the president says, "Liam, you may put that apart for now. We have got extra vital issues to debate."
"Sure, sir," he says, now confused, as he places the leather-bound quantity down on the espresso desk. The PDB has been practically sacred for the reason that period of President John F. Kennedy, when it was generally known as the President's Intelligence Guidelines. Since then it has expanded and grown in significance, and it is now thought-about essentially the most extremely categorised and vital piece of intelligence the president receives regularly. Some presidents wished the briefings every day, others weekly, and over the last a number of administrations, it was ready on a safe pc pill, however this president — sitting throughout from him and Noa, sporting dark-gray slacks and a blue Oxford shirt with the collar undone and sleeves rolled up, his pores and skin tanned and thick brown hair rigorously trimmed — demanded it return to paper.
And now he is ignoring it.
Liam thinks possibly he ought to say one thing, however ...
Liam is CIA but additionally former Military, and he is within the presence of the commander in chief, so he retains his mouth shut.
The president says, "Fast query for you each, and one reply apiece. Who're essentially the most harmful non-state actors we face as a nation? Noa, you are up."
Noa crisply says, "Cyber."
"Go on."
She says, "We have gone past the purpose the place hackers and bots can exit and affect an election or steal financial institution accounts or maintain a metropolis's software program ransom. They'll flip off the ability, change off the web, and incite individuals in a rustic to stand up in opposition to a supposed enemy. You could be a First World nation within the morning, however after the cyberattack you could be a Third World nation come sunset."
The president nods. "Precisely. Liam?"
With Noa going earlier than him, he has a number of seconds to suppose it by and says, "Freelance terrorist cells and organizations. They're going to preach their ideology or twisted view of their faith whereas they're killing individuals and blowing up issues, however secretly they're on the market to the very best bidder. They preach sermon, however in actuality they're nihilists. They're going to strike wherever and anyone for the best worth."
"Good solutions," the president says. "Which is why I've known as you each in right here right now."
"Sir?" Liam asks. He is unsure the place the hell that is going, however his preliminary impression of his handsome sofa mate, Noa, is constructive. She gave a neat, thorough reply to the president's menace query. He has the odd hope that Noa has an analogous feeling about his personal reply.
The president clasps his arms collectively and leans over the espresso desk.
"After many years of our being the world's punching bag, I've determined this administration is not going to be reactive anymore," he says. "We'll be proactive, go after our enemies earlier than they strike. We're not going to be the sufferer. I'll arrange two CIA groups, one home, the opposite international, and also you two are going to run them. I'll provide the authorization to interrupt issues, kill unhealthy guys, and convey again our enemies' heads in a cooler."
From "Blowback" by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois. Copyright © 2022 by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois. Reprinted with permission of Little, Brown and Firm. All rights reserved.
For more information:
- "Blowback" by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois (Little, Brown and Firm), in Hardcover, Massive Print Commerce Paperback, eBook and Audio codecs, out there through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound
- jamespatterson.com
- brendandubois.com