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The president sat in the Oval Office with the current director of the C.I.A, Joe Byrne. She blinked at him and repeated his last sentence.
“You’re retiring?”
The man before her nodded, “Yes, by the end of the year.”
“And you want your replacement to be a… twenty-five-year-old naturalized English-born kid, fresh out of university?”
Byrne nodded again, “Can’t think of anyone better, honest.”
“He’s twenty-five, he can’t possibly have the experience needed.” As soon the words were out of her mouth, the president watched the director shift uncomfortably. “ Byrne , what is it?”
“He actually has over a decade of experience.” The man muttered. Muttered. Like he was ashamed.
The president didn’t need to do quick math, because she was smart. She didn’t sigh because she was more refined than that. She did, however, close her eyes briefly in exasperation before she spoke.
“You realize the directorship of the C.I.A is a public position, confirmed by the Senate?” Dear lord, she had thought the man had more political smarts than this.
Joe Byrne shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time the director had a stand-in for the public.”
“Yes, I’m aware, Byrne. Their actual identities still got leaked- and how do you think the public will react if they find out a twenty-five-year-old foreign-born kid is running our international security agency?” She was the first female president of the United States of America, and if this scandal got out during her term she would also be the last female president. She wasn’t about to fuck it up for whoever dared to come after her.
“He’s the most qualified and-”
“Is he really?”
The man uncrossed and re-crossed his legs, and when he spoke he had the gall to sound frustrated. “Yes.”
“I don’t believe you. Find me someone else.” The president stood and made to usher the C.I.A director out of her office.
“But, Madam President!”
“ No.” She repeated as the door closed firmly behind Byrne.
Joe Byrne was back again the next day, holding the standard intelligence briefing that one of his underlings usually delivered. Next to him on the uncomfortable couch that was designed to throw senators and foreign dignitaries off was a young blond-haired man.
The President looked up once and eyed both men before returning to the brief in front of her. She was determined to wait them out. A minute or two passed, the only sound being the ruffling of papers and the slight ruffle of fabric.
Byrne clearing his throat broke the silence, “Madam President, allow me to introduce Alexander-”
“No.” She didn’t look up.
“But-” The man started sputtering.
“No. Not happening. If you want to retire so badly, we’ll just make your second in command an interim director.”
The men before her shuffled awkwardly and the president got the sudden clarity that the twenty-five year old Alexander was actually, unbelievably the second in command of the C.I.A. This time the president did in fact let her forehead rest against her desk.
“Just- just wait until after the election, alright gentlemen? I’m not re-running for office and this whole mess can fall onto the next fool who sits here.” She thought that was a pretty good compromise really.
“Ah-”
“ No. Get out of my office.” She watched warily as they left. She was going to get through her term scandal-free even if it inconvenienced others.
-One Year Later-
The former president of the United States of America sat in front of her extremely large flat-screen television. It was tuned to C-SPAN and she was watching the latest Senate confirmation hearings for the new President’s cabinet. So far, it had been an unholy mess, and she sipped her whiskey with delight. Relishing in the fact that she wasn’t responsible and the political fallout that the current circus that was unfolding wasn’t under her presidency, or her political party. Yes, she had made the right decision. One did not fuck up being the first female president for such things, and especially not for a twenty-something kid, no matter who they were.