Medora Wars Read Free

took their seats, Elise looked out past the rows of reporters, to the entrance of the mall. A large crowd of people had completely enveloped the outside entrance of the building. They swarmed around the glass doors, blocking the sunlight that would normally fill the foyer.
    “See all the crowds?” Gamez asked, leaning over to Elise.
    “Yes, are they shoppers?”
    “Yes. As soon as we cut the ribbon, the shopping center will officially be open for business, and we will open the doors for everyone to come in and start shopping.”
    “Oh, wow. It looks like they really want to get in.”
    “Ha, ha. Yes, we have been advertising the opening for the last month on TV and radio. There are many discounts today in all the shops.”
    “Well, we better get this ceremony done soon, or they’re going to break those doors down.” Elise forced a laugh.
    Gamez gave her a confused look, failing to understand the humor. “Oh no, they will wait for us to be done. No one will be breaking in here.”
    “No, no of course not. I was just joking.” Now Elise sincerely laughed.
    “Oh, of course.” Gamez looked forward as the crowd of reporters took their seats. “Okay, I think we can get started. You will be giving your speech in Spanish, correct?”
    “Oh, yes.”
    “Where did you learn to speak?”
    “Mostly in college. I went on several service trips to Chile, Argentina, and Costa Rica in my twenties.”
    “How nice!” Gamez replied loudly over the noise of muttering reporters.
    The ceremony began with a small balding man making various introductions in Spanish, with the crowd applauding at predictable intervals during the speech. Every so often a camera flash came from the crowd, creating trailing streaks in Elise’s vision before fading away. After the man sat down, Gamez got up and spoke for several minutes about the long-standing relationship Mexico has had with the United States. She then motioned over to where Elise sat.
    “Y ahora, me da mucho placer introducir la Embajador de los Estados Unidos, Elise Whitten.” Gamez backed up from the podium and motioned for Elise to approach as the crowd applauded.
    Elise smiled and looked out over the crowd as she gave a small wave, then made her way to the podium. Breathing deeply, she opened up a manila folder containing her speech and cleared her throat. “Queridos amigos de los Estados Unidos, me alegra mucho estar aquí con ustedes.” She felt her nerves cool as she finally realized that she had given hundreds of speeches in her career, and that this one would be no different. “Me gustaría…” she slowly trailed off as a small stir in the crowd outside the building moved quickly in a frenzy. “Es…” she attempted again when several people from the outside crowd pounded on the glass.
    Turning to Gamez, she looked for some reassurance, and was about to speak up when a thunderous explosion of glass broke out at the entrance to the mall. Instinctively ducking, Elise looked over and saw that a white delivery van had crashed through the entrance doors of the building, knocking over metal door frames, and spewing people from the crowd forward into the building. The van had slowed in speed from the impact and sped out slightly on the wreckage of bodies and broken glass, but then gained traction, and moved forward through the low clearance of the mall entrance into the opening foyer.
    “Bájense!” Sheffield yelled as he rushed up the steps of the stage. Another voice shot out in Spanish from a group of policemen, who drew their guns, and moved to the back of the crowd where the van approached.
    Elise shuffled on her hands and knees toward the end of the stage, while Sheffield ran over to her and escorted her off the back to the floor below. Looking back, she saw the van approaching the crowd of reporters, with a second van coming into the same destroyed entrance.
    “What’s going on?” She looked up at Sheffield, who now had his gun drawn and pointed at the