State of Terror

Teams stand by in every city in America, poised to act as soon as the locations of the bombs are determined. In the Oval Office, Shah is interrogated. He sneers at their questions but confirms Anahita’s theory: The bombs will detonate on the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death. An hour remains. According to Shah, the nuclear bombs will cause such chaos that America will descend into a terrifying fascist state. Behind Shah’s bluster, Ellen senses that the High-Level Informant scares him. Ellen and the president remind Shah that, even if he survives, the terrorist networks with whom he works might kill his family if they suspect he is revealing any of their secrets. Tim Beecham returns to the White House from London. Seeking protection for his family, Shah reveals that the bombs are in New York, Kansas City, and Washington. However, Ellen believes that he is lying. She sets up a video call in the Oval Office. Far away, Betsy begins to record the live video stream. As Tim Beecham walks into the Oval Office, he is shocked to see the unnamed General. The unnamed General is revealed be General Whitehead. He orders his officers to arrest Beecham.

With 30 minutes until the bombs detonate, President Williams accuses Beecham of being part of the High-Level Informant conspiracy. He receives the photograph of the address of the High-Level Informant platform and demands that Beecham give him the entry code. While Beecham and Shah refuse to help, Ellen figures out the code. She tells the president to enter 3 10 1600. As the president enters the code, General Whitehead puts a gun to his head.

Betsy watches the live video of the computer in the Oval Office. Whitehead, Beecham, and Barb Stenhauser work together to take control of the room. Their “military coup” (296) is underway. At the same time, Betsy watches the live stream of the computer screen. The High-Level Informant secret website loads to reveal live video of the bombs located in Grand Central Station in New York City, Legoland in Kansas City, and a third bomb which could be anywhere in the White House. Betsy rushes to the house landline and calls the Vice President. In the Oval Office, Beecham, Stenhauser, and Whitehead bicker about their roles in the conspiracy. Stenhauser claims that the modern America is too left wing and debauched, that the founding fathers of the country would not recognize what the United States has become. However, she does not believe that Whitehead is part of the High-Level Informant group. Whitehead turns his gun on her, allowing President Williams an opportunity to hit the General. The president dives for Ellen in the ensuing firefight. However, guns were loaded with blanks, as planned by President Williams and General Whitehead. Beecham and Stenhauser are tied up and control is restored to the Oval Office. Whitehead realizes that the bomb is located under the Oval Office and leads the rush to disarm it with four minutes remaining. Everyone waits anxiously for the bomb disposal effort to save them.

Sitting in the secretary of state’s office, Ellen watches President Williams deliver a press conference with Katherine, Betsy, Gil, Anahita, and Boynton. Ellen believes that the president will be announcing the truth about what transpired. Two Supreme Court Justices and six members of Congress have been arrested, the beginning of a huge investigation into the High-Level Informant conspiracy. Ellen reflects on the traumatic moments before the bomb was defused with only two seconds remaining until detonation. She explains to the others how she realized that Whitehead was not a traitor.

Whitehead visits his friend in Canada and thanks him for his help. He is tempted to retire and live in the small Canadian town, but he feels a patriotic duty to bring justice to his home country and track down all the conspiracy members.

In Ellen’s office, they watch the president’s press conference. As per Ellen’s suggestion, he tells the entire unvarnished truth about what transpired. Afterward, Gil and Anahita go for a romantic dinner. That night, Boynton visits Ellen with terrible news: radioactive materials and biological weapons, amounting to “every horror known to man” (308) are missing from secure American facilities. Ellen realizes that she is already facing her next crisis.