The provided excerpts detail a complex political thriller involving a former presidential staffer named Wes who becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding the supposed assassination of former Deputy Chief of Staff Ron Boyle, which actually appears to have been an elaborate hoax to place Boyle in witness protection. The narrative follows Wes as he collaborates with an investigative journalist, Lisbeth, and his close friend, Rogo, to uncover the truth, which involves \*\*President Leland Manning's\*\* knowledge and the involvement of \*\*The Three\*\*, a clandestine group of rogue agents including \*\*O'Shea\*\*, \*\*Micah\*\*, and \*\*The Roman\*\*. This search leads Wes to confront \*\*Boyle\*\*, who is alive, and also features the escape of the \*\*President's attempted assassin, Nico Hadrian\*\*, a man suffering from paranoid delusions who is being manipulated by \*\*The Roman\*\*. The climax involves revelations about the First Lady, Lenore Manning, her part in protecting Boyle from \*\*The Three\*\*, and her subsequent murder by Nico, all while Wes grapples with the traumatic memory of the original shooting and his own misplaced guilt.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.