Walking out of the Park View Arena, Emily felt tears prick the back of her eyes and a lump forming in her throat, no longer able to contain the heartache she'd felt for the last few days. Her mother was dead. The man she'd considered a father had now sunk to new lows she never believed he was capable of reaching. She'd always admired his honesty, his values, his integrity. But watching him speak so cheerfully, the fakest of smiles plastered on his face as he wove some bullshit tale of peace, justice and the 'American dream', she decided she couldn't take it anymore. Her gut had turned at his mention of her name. Once upon a time, she would have stood proudly beside him, but no longer. She refused to support him anymore. She'd lost all respect for him.

And with the grief over her mother's death truly starting to eat her alive, Emily knew the best thing she could do right now was go home. Go anywhere. So long as she was far, far away from the White House.

The casual greetings offered by the Secret Service agents went by unacknowledged as she walked back to her car. Her mind was swimming with thoughts. She wondered whether she should have said something sooner to open Tom's eyes and make him realise what he was doing.

Those thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an earth-shattering bang. She fell onto her knees, hands scraping along the gravel to stop herself from falling on her face. Her ears were ringing so loudly she couldn't even hear the deafening noise of the crowd like she had been able to before. The ringing faded a little, and she could feel the urgent rate of her heart. Her palms felt sticky with what she realised must have been blood from the rough surface of the ground. Light grey dust and small rocks stuck to her coat and beneath her fingernails. She stood with some difficulty, finding her body shaking. Emily also felt a breeze on her legs, noticing two holes in her tights, both at the knees, where two grazes had arisen. Everything still seemed to echo, voices sounding distant, like she was underwater. Something also felt incredibly warm.

Turning around, she gasped at the sight of the arena, or what was left of it, cast in a blazing inferno. Emily could still make out the dark smoke rising from the building, even against the night sky, obscuring all the stars even the city lights hadn't been able to hide. She coughed helplessly, the smell so pungent, she would think she was at the epicentre of it all. Her mind flashed back to the night the Capitol Building exploded. The same ominous sea of oranges and yellow flames, so stark against the darkness of night. The same feeling of queasiness in every part of her body. Shadows suddenly obstructed her view. Before she could even open her mouth, a hand was grabbing her arm, dragging her further away from the arena.

"Ms. Rhodes, we need to leave immediately." The voice said sternly. Looking up, she watched the Secret Service agent speak into his comm device.

"What?-"

The agent pulled her away from her car and towards one of the Cadillacs used in the president's motorcade. Specifically, the one she had sat in with the president and Aaron on numerous occasions. Except neither of them were anywhere to be seen, making the back seat feel awfully spacious. Two agents sat in the front, constantly looking back at her and then between themselves, muttering things into their comms. Again, she tried to speak, but they hushed her.

"What's going on?" She cleared her throat, trying to harden her voice. "Where are you taking me?"

"Back to the White House, Ms. Rhodes."

The car was speeding so fast it was making her head spin. She could hear sirens around her and see flashes of blue and red whiz past the window, some heading in the opposite direction, some alongside her. Before she knew it, they were back at the White House. Neither agent went to move as the engine died down, one of them still listening to their comm, the other watching him intently.

"Copy that." He affirmed.

Turning to her, there was a grave look in his eyes.

"What is going on?" Emily repeated.

"Phoenix is down. Coast is down."

She gulped. Did she hear that right? Tom and Aaron were dead?

"Most of Kirkman's cabinet is likely dead or otherwise incapacitated. Which means being Chief of Staff, you are the only eligible person right now to lead this country."

Her eyes widened. "B-But I resigned! I can't be the president, this is insane-"

He shook his head. "Ms. Rhodes, you need to be sworn in. Now."