Rick pulled up the news site on his laptop and accessed the video of the vice president’s arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. He barely recognized Cynthia standing beside her father. She wore winter clothes, makeup, and a fuzzy pink cap.

She looked very calm, very regal. Vice President Randal Myers stood at the podium, and she stood to his right. He answered questions about the incident the night before using generalities and little demurs. Rick wondered if he would mention his team or if they would remain top secret.

“Mr. Vice President, news staff present at President Akinjide’s home claim that US military were the rescue force. Can you comment on that?”

Myers impressed Rick with his answer. “The exact location and movements of any US military unit is not a topic I would discuss in a press briefing.”

Basically, none of your business, reporter.

Myers’s staff had requested no release of any photographs or videos of Rick’s men on the site. So far, he hadn’t come across any. He appreciated them accommodating the request. Their enemies had access to the same kinds of media outlets he did. He’d rather his team not be identified.

Even when someone directed a question at Cynthia, her father answered on her behalf. Had they set up that process ahead of time, or was he instinctively protecting his daughter from people who likely did not have her best interests at heart? Eventually, a question came that he couldn’t deflect, and Cynthia stepped closer to her father to answer it.

“Doctor Myers, can you tell us how you felt during the incident at President Akinjide’s home?”

She spoke clearly and calmly. “It’s hard to put into words. A warlord trying to stage a coup attacked us. People were killed in front of me, and I was powerless to do anything about it. Some brave men died, and some brave men saved us. The reign of terror created by a terrible warlord who spent years terrorizing the outer villages, stealing children, killing fathers, and maiming mothers has been put to an end. I’m not quite sure what my feelings are, but I think the friends I left behind in Katangela would use words like relieved. Likely thankful. Perhaps even overjoyed.”

Rick smiled. Cynthia had no fear. He heard no hesitation in her voice. Despite her views on meeting violence with violence, she didn’t hesitate to say that putting an end to Chuckie was the right thing to do. He appreciated her honesty and her self-evaluation that came from that.