Tuesday Afternoon
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MATTHEW PUT his phone back in his pocket. He came back to the President’s office to inform him that he’d sent his best man to Hargreaves hospital, only to be cut short by reports of another murder. Two murders. That psychopath killed two people just under 24 hours after he blew up the front of a hospital. How deranged did someone need to be able to kill someone in a church, and not just anyone, a priest. At least he’d now informed Powell, so he’d have to quicken his investigation. As if his stunt yesterday didn’t draw the attention of the whole city, the deaths were becoming too pronounced. They had to do something quickly before things fell too far out of hand.
“Has your man gotten anything?” The President asked.
“Well, he’s at the hospital. I’ve informed him of the murders.” Matthew replied.
The President stroked his forehead. Beads of sweat followed his hand off his head. Matthew had a lot of sweat all over his body too.
“I need to come out and talk.” The President said.
“What?”
“I’m going to address the nation at the public piazza.”
“Mr. President with all due respect, that is too risky. There’s a killer on the loose, anything could happen,”
“Nothing is going to happen. I’ll be well protected.”
“Sir. We don’t…”
“Matt,” The President cut him off. “I have to say something. This is a small town. News spreads fast and so does rumours,”
“Mr. President…”
“If I don’t say anything, the journalists looking to ruin my name would love that. They’d run some sort of story maligning me and that could prove disastrous in the next elections.” The President stood up.
“Mr. President if we could just think about this a little more…”
“I’ve thought about it. I’m not gonna take your advice this time Matthew.”
“But Public Piazza is at the heart of the city. It would be easier for the murderer to get you. He could hide comfortably there, wouldn’t be better to do it here, in the presidential house?”
“Matthew, I have to show the people that their President is confident. Addressing the country in the comfort of the presidential house, what message does that send across. In this situation, I don’t just need to be confident, I also have to contaminate the town with my confidence.”
Matthew exhaled heavily.
“That’s my decision and it’s final.”
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In 2 hours the stage was set. Public Piazza was the centre and heart of Mellville. It was the town square of Mellville. It was the venue for the ballots, announcements which required that the official be present in person, such as what the President was about to do, and traditional events. Things usually went wrong during the ballots and the traditional events but more the latter. The town was dangerously diverse in such a way that even the slightest indication of indulgence of any race could cause untold havoc. Things, however, had never gone wrong during announcements. But there was a first time for everything and Matthew hoped to the skies this wouldn’t be it. Matthew stood beside the President on the podium. They were surrounded by soldiers. Below the podium, the people were pushed as far back as 30 yards from them and taped off. There wasn’t really any cover for someone looking to shoot the President. In the crowd, some soldiers were disguised to blend in. At far range, they had a bunch of snipers scanning the area for even the slightest of threats. The President should be more than safe, but Matthew still worried. The President began his speech.
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Tuesday evening
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AMIDST AN unusually noisy crowd he stood. Unusual, because the people are normally quiet, too busy dealing with their depressions to be making unnecessary noise. He stood there, however, because there was somebody that had to die for the greater good. The noise of the crowd got to him though. Some were cheers, others obscenities, most were conversations between groups, political conversations. If there was one thing that would catch the attention of the people in this town, it was politics. Almost everyone in the town was half qualified to be a politician. Everyone knew the ins and outs of politics. They knew when things weren’t being done correctly, when the leaders misused funds, laundered money, made wrong choices and most of all, they knew who the wrong people to vote into power were. But the wrong people kept getting elected to power. Not because, the well-grounded people decided to vote the wrong people into power, but because they refused to vote at all. It’s one thing to have knowledge and another to apply it. These wrong leaders head to the most remote, impoverished, and populated areas of the town, bribe people who aren’t politically aware of matters in the town, and then they get those votes while the people well aware of the situation refuse to act. They complain in their houses, at their workplaces, on the internet, but when it came to actually acting on the issues, they displayed picturesque political apathy. The only result of such actions is ending up with wrong leaders that turn the town’s affairs for the worse. A wise man once said;
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'Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them' - Paul Valley
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Majority of the people that stood here suffered from the effects of their indifference. They were desperately waiting to hear what the President was about to say. As if his words would make things better. As if his words would keep them safe. As a matter of fact he could kill a decent number of people if he wanted to. But he was here for something more important than killing ludicrous simpletons. The President began his speech.
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“Good Evening patriotic citizens of Mellville,” The crowd went swiftly from noisy to pin-drop silence.
“I’m sure many of you are aware of the events that have occured from yesterday up till today,” The crowd’s screams suggested agreement.
“I assure you that everything is being…” He decided he’d rather owe attention than pay it to such a corrupt and unvirtuous man. He made his way forward, sifting through the crowd. His action would have to be quick, swift and devoid of mistake so he needed to get closer for that.
“…we are close, we are on his tail and I can assure you that he will soon be caught…” That was a funny statement to him but kind of true. In terms of proximity, he wasn’t lying. They were quite uncomfortably close, uncomfortable for him anyway. He stopped close to the front of the tapes. He needed a few bodies to cover him so it wouldn’t be too easy for the snipers to get him once he’d completed his action.
“…I urge you all to stand by us in this time of crisis…”
He dipped his hands in his trenchcoat and brought it back out with his signature golden desert eagle. He’d practiced 30-yard shots with pistols so much, he ate them for lunch. But this was the real deal. A real person in a real situation. He couldn’t make any mistakes. He took a glance around him. He’d clearly caught the attention of some people. Two men brought out guns and were quickly approaching. As expected, it wouldn’t be easy. He leveled his pistol on the president.
“Stop!” one of the men muttered.
He swiftly took out his smoke grenade from his trenchcoat and threw it on the floor. The area was covered in smoke.
“…and with your…what?” The presidents speech was cut short, by the sight of the smoke he assumed. It was time to take the shot
Peace be unto the world as your troubled soul leaves it. Of this darkness you are free. Be gone!
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Tuesday Evening
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THE gunshot rippled the air around the public piazza. The sharp sound of the gunshot was immediately followed by screams and wails. The whole crowd took their heels, struggling to leave the piazza as soon as they could. Matthew was crouched, ears covered with his hands, eyes closed. If there was a God now would be the best time for him to act and keep them safe. Aside from the loud bang of the gunshot, he heard the bullet buzz past him and a howl followed suite. He didn’t even bother to look, he just went straight into the safest position he knew. He decided to open his eyes and take a look now, the President lay on the floor, blood Leaking. Matthew’s mouth was already open for a scream. A soldier lay on top of the President, writhing agressively and holding his chest.
“Matthew,” the President said. He’d never been so happy to hear his own name. And as if someone hit the play button, the other soldiers bursted into action. They ran swiftly to the president, took the dying soldier away from the President’s body and stood him up. Matthew rose to his feet as well. Two gunshots rang out in the air again. They all ducked. In that moment, Matthew had a glance at the murderer. He ran, gun in hand. The two shots they’d just heard was him gunning down a soldier in his path. All the soldiers available ran after him.
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What about the snipers?
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Why hadn’t they taken a shot, and why didn’t they spot the murderer before he acted. He felt a firm hand grip his shoulders.
“Sir, we need to get you to safety right away” The soldier said.
“The President…”
“We’ve got the President covered.”
Another gunshot rippled across the air, this time from far away. Must be the snipers.
“Come on sir!”
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