VENGEANCE IN RED
The first part of a new fiction tale by Nate Machado
(PROLOGUE)
The morning air was crisp and clean, and the suns' gentle rays danced softly
on the shores of Lake Arrowhead. It was early in the morning and the creatures
of the lake and surrounding forest of the San Bernardino mountains had not
yet awakened.
Save but one.
Stepping out onto the deck of his lake shore cabin, dressed only in a burgundy
robe and slippers, was a man. But not just any man. This man was Senator
Franklin Howard Thomas of Maryland. Currently on vacation, the Senator decided
to make use of his rustic lake side cabin, which he had constructed here
several years ago. A veteran of numerous hard fought political campaigns,
Senator Thomas was a powerful man in Washington who chaired the Senate Intelligence
Committee. Often, during the course of his career, he had to make difficult
life and death decisions.
But not today.
Today he was relaxing; soaking in all the robust mountain air Mother Nature
could provide. Slowly, his powerfully built 6'4" 54 year old frame
inhaled and exhaled, savoring every intoxicating breath. Peering over the
distant mountain range, Senator Thomas gazed at the rising sun, looking
like a giant red fireball scorching the morning sky. A gentle breeze blew
across the lake and carried with it the haunting scent of fresh morning
dew. For a brief moment, Senator Thomas stood there out on the deck frozen
in time. Refusing to move for fear the wondrous spectacle before him might
disappear forever; lost for all eternity to the whims of time and nature.
Just then, a dull soft moan erupted from the cabin and shocked the Senator
back to the here and now. Peering back into the cabin, through the clear
sliding door, Senator Thomas saw his traveling companion begin to awaken.
The woman was a young blonde bombshell the Senator had met come four years
ago and, whenever the Senator took time away from his busy Washington post,
she was obliged to accompany him. Normally, she was the first to spring
out of bed in the morning, but apparently the clear mountain air had added
some new spring to the Senator's aging step last night which completely
caught her and, for that matter, him, off guard requiring her to sleep in
a little later than usual.
Turning around completely and leaning against the deck railing, the Senator
watched as she tossed and turned in the king size water bed; her gentle
tossing and turning revealing ever more unclothed portions of her shapely
hour glass body. With every passing second, Senator Thomas became more and
more aroused. Taking a large gulp of mountain air, he prepared to reenter
the cabin and continue where they left off last night.
But, just as he did, a soft glint of light coming from the mountains, caught
his aging eyes. Turning back to face the mountains, he carefully stared
out into the surrounding territory, trying to locate the precise position
from where the ray of light originated. Leaning over the railing, he squinted
his eyes in an ever tightening search pattern for the elusive glimmer. But,
after several minutes, he realized it was futile. Pulling back, he once
again took in the beauty of the lake and the surrounding countryside. Realizing
he was standing, most assuredly, in God's country. With that final pure
thought, a searing flash of red light burst forth from the tranquil forest
and impacted with the Senator's head.
The powerful blast cleaved his cranium in two, splattering his brains onto
the birch fir cabin walls. His blood stained body hung briefly in the air,
twitching ever so slightly, then sank to the ground with a tremendous thud.
A pool of blood formed underneath the now cooling body and ran off the deck,
dripping into the lake below; staining it scarlet red. Daintily stepping
out onto the deck now was the Senator's traveling companion. Wearing nothing,
the cool morning breeze sent goose bumps up and down her lily white skin.
All the while she attempted to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Carefully
she stepped across the deck, stopping as she felt the stickiness between
her toes. Taking a second to inhale the morning air she smelt the lingering
scent of charred flesh. Removing her hands from her eyes, she looked down
at the bloody pulp which was, until a second ago, Senator Thomas. Screaming
at the top of her lungs, she ran back into the cabin and flung herself under
the bed sheets. As she hid under the covers through the course of the morning,
cowering in fear, the mountains and forest remained uncharacteristically
quiet.
While all the while, the red sun smiled its approval over all.
copyright 1996 Nate Machado
Please respect all registered trademarks and copyrights.
"Copyright Joseph M. McDonald 1995, 1996. All rights reserved."