Power Play, The

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. The rain hammered against the windows of Senator Katherine Vale's office as she stared at the photograph in her trembling hands. Twenty-five years in politics had taught her to expect the unexpected, but nothing could have prepared her for this moment. The image showed her late husband, former Secretary of Defense James Vale, shaking hands with a man she recognized from classified briefings—Viktor Petrov, a known arms dealer with ties to hostile foreign governments. Katherine set the photograph down on her mahogany desk and reached for her secure phone. The revelation threatened to unravel not just her own political career, but potentially compromise national security in ways she was only beginning to understand. Her husband had been dead for three years, but apparently, his secrets were very much alive. The door to her office opened without a knock, and her chief of staff, David Chen, entered with his usual hurried stride. At thirty-five, David had already earned a reputation as one of the most effective political operatives in Washington. His loyalty to Katherine was absolute, forged through years of navigating the treacherous waters of Capitol Hill together. "Senator, we have a problem," David said, closing the door behind him and activating the white noise generator that would prevent electronic eavesdropping. "Someone leaked details about the Defense Appropriations Committee's classified session to the Washington Herald. They're running a story tomorrow morning that could implicate several committee members in corruption."