Midnight Sun (131 page)

In
the
center
of
the
park
strip
,
a
pillar
of
flame
fifty
feet
high
shrank
back
into
the
gaping
hole
from
which
it
had
erupted
as
the
pressure
released
via
the
open
door.
Warner
’s shocked system
realized
with a sudden new panic that
he
was
on
fire.
He
joined
Tomer
already
rolling
on
the
ground
to
put
out
his own
flames.
Screaming
people
fled
in
every
direction.
In
the
distance
,
a
very
loud
“
boom-pfff
”
thumped
the
air,
Warner
had
heard
the
sound
before
, in Afghanistan
—
malfunctioning
mortar
shells
bursting
in
their
tubes.

Chapter
30

Delaney Park Strip

Friday,
June
24th

10:04
a.m

Muffled
pops
sounded
far
in
the
rear
of
the
park
crowd,
followed
by
a
loud
crack
and
a
rumble
beneath
the
grassy
field.
The
fat
family
jerked
toward
the
commotion
as
fast
as
their
bulk
would
let
them,
their
corpulent
necks
undulating
with
the
movement.
Suki
clutched
Jim's
arm,
stiff
with
shock.
They
turned
to
see
people
running.
Jim's
eyes
snapped
over
to
Farrah
. T
he
man
stared
straight
ahead
,
locking
his
eyes
on
the
p
resident
,
whose
view
of
the
distant
chaos
was
unhindered.
Farrah's
mouth
twitched
with
a
psychotic
smile.
The
Nordic
-
looking
couple
both
let
out
a
yelp,
terror
registering
on
their
faces.
Jim
followed
their
gaze
and
saw
a
pillar
of
fire
reaching
skyward,
screams
echo
ing
through
the
crowd.
Panic
swell
e
d
,
starting
at
the
back
of the crowd
,
then
moving
closer
live the wave of  a tsunami, driving unavoidable horror nearer and nearer, allowing no place to run
.

Secret
Service
and
the
foreign
bodyguards
rushed
to
protect
their
charges,
forming
a
wall
of
armed
flesh,
guns
drawn
,
waiting
for
a
target
to
materialize.
 
They
organized
into
an
impassable
cordon
around
the
stage,
shoulder
to
shoulder.
Their
faces
were
hard
like
flint,
no
fear,
ready
to
absorb
what
ever
danger
m
ight
be
coming.
The dignitaries instantly vanished behind their bodyguards. Vehicles revved and the powerful men on the stage were whisked to safety behind bullet proof glass and armored plates.

Far
in
the
distance,
several
blocks
away,
came
two
loud
explosions
carried
on
the
air
with
another
sound
that
made
Jim
think
of
metal
being
ripped.
He
looked
back
at
Farrah,
now
certain
he
was
part
of
what
was
happening.
Instead
of
being
frightened
like
everyone
else
,
the
man
looked
furious,
his
plans
apparently
gone
wrong.
He
turned
back
toward
the
stage,
his
body
tense,
about
to
bolt.
Jim
reached
out
and
grabbed
him
by
the
shoulder
of
his
jacket,
yanking
hard.

“
Oh
no
you
don
’
t
,
you
bastard,
”
he
blurted
out.

Farrah
spun
around
in
a
move
that
took
Jim
by
surprise.
His
arm
came
down
so
fast
,
Jim
had
no
time
to
avoid
the
impact
of
the
blow.
With
a
loud
pop
,
his
elbow
dislocated,
eliciting
a
scream,
but
he
did
not
let
go
of
the
man.
Jim's
wife
stared
wide
-
eyed
. W
ith
a
sudden
flash
of
movement
,
she
took
Farrah
unprepared,
glanced at Jim’s damaged arm, back at Farrah, then lashed out with a
slap
to
his
face
that was
so
hard
a
storm
of
white
stars
erupted
across
his
vision.
He
staggered
briefly,
recovered
,
then
unleashed
a
jab
into
the
woman
’
s
face
. B
lood
spurt
from
her
nose.
She
stumbled
backwards,
crying
loudly
as
she
fell
into
the
fat
family.
The
father
tried
to
catch
her,
but
tripped
over
the
child,
who
fell
onto
the
mother
,
who
lost
her
footing
and
toppled
over.
The
family
thumped
to
the
ground,
a
thousand
pounds
of
flesh
collapsing
with
a
resounding
thud
almost
equal
to
the
explosion.
The
Nordic
couple
screamed
in
terror
at
the
scene
around
them,
any
sense
of
superiority
shattered
by
their
panicked
reaction.
They
backed
away
in
horror,
grasping
each
other
as
if
it
were
their
last
day
on
earth.
Jim
grabbed
Farrah
with
his
good
arm.
Before
he
could
release
the
grip
of
his injured arm
,
Farrah
wrapped
his
own
around
it
,
yanked
hard
,
then
kneed
him
in
the
stomach.
The
multiple
points
of
intense
pain
overwhelmed him
.
Jim
crumpled
to
the
ground
, and
Farrah
escaped
into
the
crowd.