The Hands Of The Opposition
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The ovation was truly deafening: deep and throaty, with whistles and screams riding its crests.
“Too much noise, Maryanne?” Faith hollered.
“Could be.” Maryanne pushed the snap-release on her tripod and lifted the camera onto her shoulder. “Let’s do it anyway.”
They climbed down from the platform and struggled toward to the stage till they found a spot to record Axel’s standup with the podium in the background.
“Those guys with the yellow scarves are in the shot,” Maryanne yelled.
“Can you see Soltero?” Faith asked.
“Yeah.”
“Then we’ll live with it. Let’s get this, before the cheering stops. Ready, Axel?”
“Ready.”
Maryanne took a final focus, then said, “Rolling.”
As Axel drew breath to speak, he heard a sharp, popping sound, followed by another. His first thought was that a tripod or a light stand had been knocked over.
He second thought was: gunshots.
He whirled toward the stage.
All hell broke loose.
Secret Service agents jumped on Soltero, doubled him over and rushed him out of sight. The four Cholos plunged into the panicking crowd, bumping past Axel and spinning him back around. He saw Donna Naranjo charge ahead of them. From behind him a single, despairing shriek rose out of the chaos. He turned to the stage again and saw Ellie and Phylis Coosa, kneeling, both of them in tears. Between them, his young body lying face down and twisted, was Danny Soltero. A large blossom of blood was soaking through one of his pant legs.
“My God!” Faith said in a piercing squeal.
“Axel!” Maryanne yelped.
Catching the urgency in her voice he spun around again, in time to grab Faith as she collapsed.
“She’s hit!” Maryanne said.
Faith’s blood was flowing from her upper chest, near the right armpit. It had already soaked her blouse to the belt line of her slacks. Axel couldn’t find a place to lay her down. Too many trampling feet, too close. “I need help!” he shouted.
Before he said the last word, Hank Litwack was there. “Move it!” Hank barked at those nearby, “Move your asses back!” Chase Lawrence joined him, and they opened a space on the grass. Gently, Axel laid Faith on her back.
“How is she?” Litwack asked, his voice a howl of pain.
“I don’t know,” Axel said. “She’s unconscious.”
Hosea appeared. “Medic is on the way,” he said.
“Come on baby,” Litwack moaned, kneeling beside her, “hang in there.” The blood was still spreading. Litwack shrugged off his coat, balled it, and applied pressure to the wound.
“Make way!” came a commanding, female shout. It was Donna, shoving a man through the crowd. She had one of his arms pinned behind him, and her other hand gripped the front of his shirt. The guy was fighting to get away.
The four yellow-scarved Cholos seemed to have disappeared.
“Murderer!” somebody shouted. Slaps and punches came out of the mob, hammering the man on his head and shoulders. He struggled harder.
“Leave him alone,” Donna ordered. “He’s under arrest!”
“Axel,” said Chase. “You hold back the crowd from Faith, and I’ll help
Before Axel could get to his feet, he heard the thunk of a heavier blow. He saw the handle of a baseball bat. Donna went down.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The Presidential campaign was a disorganized disaster. Sound systems failed, planes ran late, arrangements fell through. Most of the time, candidate Daniel Soltero’s handlers couldn’t “handle” anything. And their biggest problem was Soltero himself: a hot-headed taker of risks, seemingly determined to destroy not only his campaign schedule but any chance of winning the presidential primaries… all on live TV!
Veteran network correspondent Axel Tyson has his own troubles. Late one night, his daughter is raped. Rushing her to the hospital, he wrecks the car, adding to her injuries. Since his own feelings of guilt and depression are making it harder for her to recover, he agrees to join the Soltero campaign press corps. It’s a distraction, to get him out of
Within 48 hours he has killed another rapist, with his bare hands.
About the Author
Steve Taylor is a former correspondent for ABC News who also has worked for CBS and Mutual Radio, Public Television’s NewsHour, National Journal, Congress Daily and Satellite News Channel. He hosted Technogenesis on Comcast television. Taylor was a White House correspondent for ten years. He also has covered Congress, the Supreme Court and federal agencies as well as every presidential campaign since 1976. He lives in northern Virginia.