It took a while for me to get this done, but here it is for all my fans. A first and only early glimpse of McKenzie Files-2. Assasination Anxiety. As our Heroes, Colin, Diane and Kelly face off against The Enforcers. Publishing date to be announced. Remember, this is still a work in progress. But keeping within my writing zone and trying to keep my nose away from my X-Box 360, this work should be completed soon. But if you feel that you're not caught up into what's happening then perhaps you need to run out and buy a copy of the first McKenzie files book. Published by Leucrota Press and still on sale now. Enjoy.The location is the city of Kendridge, on the planet Tacoma Three. Secret Service agent, Mike Stevers scanned the multitude of faces in the crowd that gathered here to see the United Protectorate’s President Sandra Drennen. Stevers stood with a line of five other Secret Service agents in their ever conspicuous black suits and dark glasses, to guard the stage where Drennen was giving her campaign speech to the crowd for the ongoing Presidential election. The wooden stage where Drennen stood was adorned with a row of posters baring her smiling face and the face of her running mate. Vice President, Paul Zona. A smiling, youthful blond haired man wearing square glasses. Drennen, wearing a bright red dress, stood on stage behind the black wooden podium and addressed the crowd. Speaking into the twin, tubular microphones on top of the podium, her crisp voice boomed out from the black, rectangular speakers that stood six feet tall at the left and right of the stage.While standing on stage Drennen was given the extra protection of a kinetic repulse shield. Four flat cables on the stage floor were connected in a square formation around her. Generated by the cables, Drennen was surrounded by a cube of protective energy that resembled thick, blue glass. The shield would provide her with a large degree of protection against small arms fire and would have limited strength against explosives before it would weaken. In spite of this added security measure Stevers felt that this was a bad location to hold a campaign speech. At the edge of a park, across the street from a federal courthouse. Drennen was completely out in the open with only a few trees behind her and facing the courthouse and a row of other buildings that could provide a tempting perch for a potential sniper.Stevers and the other agents kept in touch with each other and received updates on the status of Drennen’s security through the headsets that they wore. Small earphones with thin, tubular microphones that extended down from the right side of the headset. The agents carried small remote keypads on their belts that enabled them to switch channels and communicate with different parties. Stevers watched the huge crowd, observing their cheers and applause to Drennen’s address. He was confident that no one here would present a threat to the President’s security. Everyone attending this rally was walked through a tight security checkpoint. Everyone underwent a full physical scan for any weapons. As well as chemical and biological agents. All purses were searched. Cameras were scanned to determine if they could be disguised weapons.Both sides of the street leading to this area were blocked off by the police. The airspace over the entire city was restricted during Drennen’s visit. And patrolled by police assault shuttles. Stevers watched as one of these shuttles made a slow pass several feet overhead. It’s long, black tubular body ending in a sharp point. It’s large cylindrical engines mounted on the sides of it’s body, with broad triangular wings attached to them. Mounted underneath each wing was a long barreled laser cannon and a large rectangular shaped missile launcher that carried six Hellstrike missiles. Protected by thick armor and a deflective energy shield this was one of five police shuttles that were patrolling the airspace while at the same time keeping a close watch on the ground with their sensitive scanners.Police and Secret Service agents strolled through the crowd to be on guard for anything that appeared to be suspicious. In Stevers opinion the President’s security was so tight that she would need a tracheotomy to breathe. Stevers asked himself earlier, what kind of fool would even think about challenging these security measures to try to threaten the President?A female voice addressed Stevers through his earphones. “Stevers. Sector Zero. What’s your status?”Sector Zero was Stevers’ assigned area where the President stood. Stevers pressed a button on his keypad and responded. “Stevers. Sector Zero all clear,” he spoke into his microphone. Through an open frequency in his earphones Stevers listened to a chorus of status reports dealing with the security here. Agents from different sectors so far repeating his statement, all clear.As Drennen spoke the crowd responded with roaring cheers to her words of defiance against the Brelac and victory in the war that they waged against Humanity. She spoke of her vision to bring greater prosperity to the United Protectorate as it would expand to colonize new worlds. Stevers caught few of Drennen’s words. His focus was on the diversity of faces within the crowd. Stevers would like to think that a majority of the people here were good and loyal citizens of the Protectorate. But the mandate of the Secret Service dictated that he and the other agents be aware of any potential threat to the President’s safety. Lurking among this boisterous crowd of supporters could be one or more Vendetta agents waiting for a chance to strike.Looking to the sky again Stevers watched the police assault shuttle make a slow pass high above the heads of the crowd. Then it banked to the left and flew over the roof of a grey, brick apartment building. Then to Stevers’ surprise the rear section of the shuttle exploded. Stevers’ body froze. Helpless as he watched the now flaming craft spinning out of control on it’s descent towards the street. Screaming people on the ground fled the area before the shuttle slammed into a silver car that was parked below. A flaming explosion was created that shattered the windows of a nearby building. For a moment the sound of the blast drowned out the crowd’s panicked screams that rang through Stevers’ ears.What the hell’s going on? Stevers asked himself. Wondering what could have taken down that shuttle with it’s armor and shields with such ease. The rally, that was peaceful had now become chaotic as mobs of screaming people scurried in different directions to escape the area. The state of disorder became even more clear to Stevers as he listened to the round of male and female voices through his earphones.“This is Johnson. Sector Three to Sector Two. Do you see anything?”“Mitchell. Sector Two reporting. We didn’t see any shooter. We’re still looking.”“Romans. Sector Five reporting. No shooter in sight. Repeat, no shooter in sight. Everybody stay sharp.”A stern male voice addressed Stevers over his earphones. “Command to Sector Zero. Prepare for the President’s evac. Repeat. Prepare for the President’s evac. Sector’s One and Two are falling back to your position to get the President to her limo.”Command is taking no chances, as Stevers expected. “Stevers. Sector Zero. Understood. we’re standing by.“ At the first sign of trouble the President was to be driven out of the area with a heavily armed escort. It was the job of Stevers’ and his fellow agents here in this security sector to keep everyone back until the agents in Sector’s One and Two arrived and formed an armed Human shield around the President while they escorted her to her limousine. Her black limousine was parked at the side of the street just a few yards at the left of the stage. Along with the five other agents, Stevers drew out his large, Tempest 9 laser pistol from the holster strapped to his right and focused his attention on the crowd. He listened to the excited voices over his earphones.“This is Donegan. Sector Seven. I’m moving through the crowd. I don’t see anything. There’s too many people here.”“Ortez. Sector Seven. I see a light.”A second later Stevers heard a man’s voice screaming in agony.“This is Donegan. What is that? Get those people out of here.”The Stevers heard Agent Donegan’s voice as he screamed. Joined by the voices of at least two other persons. Sector Seven was located at Stevers’ right. Further down the street past the courthouse. There was talk of a strange light. It’s got to be a weapon, he thought. Might be what took down the police shuttle. looking at his right, while shoving panicking people away from the stage area, Stevers saw dozens of people now running away from a bright red light. The light seemed to grow in size and intensity. He could see cars parked at the side of the street catch fire and explode within it's glow. Through the chaos of the panicking crowd he was horrified at the sight of people being caught within this light and their bodies bursting into flame. He witnessed five people catching fire and dying where they stood. There was nothing that he could do to help them, as his duty was clear. Remain at his position with his fellow agents at all costs and protect President Drennen with his life.Stevers received a message over his earphones. “Sector Zero. Get ready for the President’s evac. Repeat. Get ready for her evac.”Stevers was relieved to see a group of ten men and women in black suits rushing towards his position. The agents of Sector’s One and Two had arrived. Each agent carrying their laser pistol. Stevers looked back to the stage at Drennen. Still encased within the protective energy cube she was crouched down behind the podium as she watched the chaos. Stevers took a small remote keypad out of his suit pocket. He pointed it at Drennen and pressed a button. The energy cube surrounding her faded away just as the group of agents stormed over the stage.“Move! Go! Go!” Stevers shouted. Pointing at his left towards the waiting limousine.With great haste the agents surrounded Drennen and escorted her off the stage.Then the building in front of the police shuttle crash site exploded. Huge chunksof flying masonry, along with broken metal and wooden beams showered the area. Stevers and the five other agents ducked down, raising their arms to protect their heads as several bricks pelted the area where they stood. Stevers caught the sight of a large metallic sphere being hurled into the air by the blast. It was heading for the stage. Stevers dove down as the sphere hit the ground near the left side of the stage with the sound of a loud thud. Stevers jumped back to his feet. In the distance he could see the group of agents running with the President as they reached her limousine. Two red police cars with prominent white stripes along their sides were parked in front of the limousine. Their blue and red bar lights were flashing. In the air three of the police shuttles converged in the area and hovered over the cars in a triangular formation.Stevers turned his attention back to the thing that was hurled out from the explosion. “Stevers. Sector Zero. We’ve got something here,” he spoke into his microphone. He moved past the other agents to get a closer look at the object. It had embedded itself halfway into the ground as it landed. It appeared to be a large ball of metallic debris. Long, pointed shards of shiny metal covered the object. Stevers rough estimate was that the object was five feet in diameter. And it also appeared to be moving. Then Stevers jumped back when he saw a blue stream of energy burst from the object. Already in an excited state he felt his racing heart beat faster and heavier. Several more streams of energy shot out from the thing. They were like small electric arcs. The word, Bomb, flashed through his mind.“Get down!” Stevers shouted to the other agents. He ran for a few short steps, then dove to the ground. A second later a deafening blast went off near the stage. Sharp pain stabbed through the left side of Stevers’ body. He was unable to move his left leg. He turned to see that several of the metal shards that covered the object had embedded themselves in his left leg, his back, and his left arm. He yelled out in pain, now feeling his flowing blood soaking his clothes. He looked about to see that the other agents in the area were still on the ground. The body of a man laying at his far left was shredded and penetrated with the long metal shrapnel.A report came in through Stevers’ earphones. “We’ve got the President aboard. we’re heading out.”He heard more screams coming in through his earphones. A woman’s voice cried out, “It‘s coming! Look out! Shoot it! It’s coming!”Looking at his left Stevers could see the flashing blue and red lights of the two police cars as they lead the President’s motorcade down the street and away from the area. The two police cars followed by the limousine and three black cars carrying Secret Service agents. While the three police assault shuttles flew overhead to deal with any threats in the air as well as on the ground. That was the plan. Now the President was safe.Stevers looked back towards the stage. Or what was left of it. Half of the stage was ripped apart by the blast. There was a thick stream of black smoke rising into the air. From behind the shattered remains of the stage he could see something moving. It was long, dark. Squirming. Like a snake. Or a long tail. Stevers looked over at the exploded building. The area was littered with metal and stone debris. A cloud of dust and smoke obscured his view of the building. But through the cloud he saw something move. The shape of a large person. Very large. Standing close to eight feet tall by his estimate. This person appeared to be wearing some sort of long flowing cape or a robe. At this person’s sides were thick, muscular arms with hands balled into massive fists. This person also had a long tail, thrashing from left to right.A tail? That thought blared through Stevers’ mind. That same instant he recalled the other tail-like appendage that he spotted near the wreckage of the stage. He reached a swift conclusion. “Brelac!” he cried out. He repeated that word into his microphone. “Brelac! We’ve got Brelac in the area!”Stevers quick instinct was to open fire at this alien threat. But his hands were empty. He had dropped his gun. He looked around, seeing it laying on the ground a foot in front of him. He reached for it, then a loud commotion at his right caught his attention. An unfortunate man who’s entire body was set ablaze came running towards him while belting out a continuous loud scream. Stevers screamed himself as this Human torch came running towards him. Then the man collapsed to the ground just six feet away from Stevers’ head. This was still too close for Stevers’ comfort as the skin of his face felt the heat from the burning body. The smell of burning Human flesh, like a sickening sweet, greasy odor, clung to the insides of his nostrils.Stevers had no time to even think as he looked past the burning body and saw that strange red light. Another car near the light exploded into flames. In the sky above a police assault shuttle soared in and stopped to hover over the area. The twin laser cannons on it’s wings fired crimson bolts down on the vicinity of the light. But that did not stop the light as it was moving towards Stevers. Laying helpless on the ground Stevers could do nothing except scream out in pain under an intense heat as the sickening sweet odor was now coming from his own burning skin and flesh.
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