Danger Close by James Sumner (classic novels for teens txt) 📕

at three p.m. and a security briefing at five. I purposely kept your schedule light today, so you could prepare for tomorrow, sir.”

“I’m sorry,” said Jericho. “What’s tomorrow?”

“President Herrera is attending a peace rally in the center of Maville,” said Montez.

Jericho set the glass down and looked at the president. “Sir, that doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

Montez scoffed. “I can assure you—”

“I can speak for myself, Raul,” said Herrera, holding up a hand to signal silence. He turned to Jericho. “It’s an important event, Mr. Stone. This country needs a firm statement from its leader. It needs reassurance that the path we are on now is the right one. My military will be on hand to keep the crowds calm and to quash any riots and protests.”

Jericho went to speak but caught himself. Instead, he simply nodded.

“If you have something to add, Mr. Stone, I will hear it,” said Herrera. “You are here to protect me, but I value your opinion.”

Jericho took a deep breath. “Well, sir, there’s the obvious concern for your safety, being so exposed in such a public place.”

“Of course, but every effort has been taken to ensure not only my safety but that of the people who will be there to hear me speak.”

“I’m sure it has. But if your concerns about your own military are well founded, then I would treat those efforts with skepticism. You’re leaving yourself vulnerable, sir.”

“I understand GlobaTech’s concern here, Mr. Stone, I do. But I cannot speak about peace and change from behind these walls. What message would that send? The people need to see that the leader they chose is strong. They need to see I’m not afraid to make tough decisions.”

“I agree, Mr. President. But my final concern is about just that: the message you would be sending.”

Montez scoffed again and pointed at Jericho. “I’m sorry, sir, but is he your political advisor now? You didn’t pay these people to—”

“Begging your pardon, but he is standing right here,” said Jericho, his voice raised and firm. “If you have something to say to me, say it to me.” He turned to Herrera. “Mr. President, I apologize. I didn’t mean to overstep my authority.”

“You didn’t,” replied Herrera, amused at how quickly his chief of staff had fallen silent. “Please, continue.”

“My concern,” continued Jericho, “is with the message you would be sending by going out there surrounded by your military and telling your people things are different. You say your soldiers will stop people from rioting. Yes, sir, they should absolutely work to keep the peace, but they shouldn’t suppress your people’s right to have their voices heard. Everyone in this room knows exactly why you’re handling this the way you are. But the people out there won’t. They will see you on your podium, using the military to keep them controlled and silent while you tell them how you want things to be, and they will stand in their crowds and say, ‘Meet the new boss… same as the old boss.’ This is a bad idea because no matter how you play it, Mr. President, you’re going to piss people off, and that will rile them up even more than they already are. That’s going to put you in greater danger, which is what you’re paying me to prevent.”

Herrera stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Okay. What do you suggest?”

Jericho considered this for a moment. “How many people do you expect to show up to this rally?”

Herrera turned to Montez, flicking his eyebrows as a signal to speak.

Montez cleared his throat. “Up to ten thousand people.”

Jericho nodded. “Okay. Ten thousand people in your city center. Whatever space you have planned for this, double it. Give the people room to move. Let them wave their picket signs and talk over you if they want. Due respect, sir, but it’s your job to convince them to listen, not force them to. Show them the change you want to bring in by giving them the voice they never had. Have your military form a wide perimeter around the area but keep them distanced from the people. Let GlobaTech stand with you on your podium and in the immediate vicinity. We’ll set up checkpoints in the crowd to control the movement but nothing more. We’ll step in if things turn violent, but we won’t stop them from protesting. People will trust that image a lot more. They know GlobaTech are neutral, and they will see you, their president, standing alone. The risk to your safety is about as minimized as this situation will ever allow, and the chances of escalation are reduced greatly by our presence.”

Herrera considered Jericho’s words, then turned to Montez. “Raul?”

Montez sighed heavily, scratching his forehead. “From a PR standpoint, Mr. President… he’s not wrong.”

His agreement caught Jericho by surprise, but he didn’t show it.

“At the end of the day, sir, your army has a bad rep,” he said. “Having them front and center won’t help. Use the men you trust to operate checkpoints and roadblocks and patrol the palace. Use GlobaTech for the personal stuff like this.”

Herrera nodded. “I agree with your assessment, Mr. Stone. Thank you. And what about the men General Guerrero has on standby, populating our military bases?”

Jericho shrugged. “He hasn’t given them any orders yet. Our arrival here is unlikely to be a secret. Whatever he’s waiting for, if anything at all, it would be a tactical error to do it tomorrow.”

Herrera took a deep breath. “Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Stone, for your honesty and your advice. You are an asset to GlobaTech. When this is over, if you want a change of scenery, I will grant you citizenship, and you can run my military for me, eh?”

He laughed. Jericho smiled politely. “A gracious offer, Mr. President. Thank you. Bit too hot for me out here, though.”

Herrera nodded. “Our climate does take some getting used to. This is true.” He looked at Montez. “Raul, show Mr. Stone to his vehicle. I’m sure he has much to prepare.”

Montez