The Price of Fame - KJ1 Read Free

that he had gotten the footage of the second blast, as well as her going down, and was getting the images behind her of the new horror.
    Kate rose to her feet and turned to face the spot where the entrance to the capitol used to be. She watched in mute terror as members of the legislature, staff, tourists, and children ran screaming into the street.
    There was blood and glass everywhere. Through the now-open space where the covered and columned entryway had been, she could see that the first-floor ceiling was starting to give way. She looked up briefly at 16

    The Price of Fame

    the window that marked the governor’s office; catching Gene’s attention, she began talking again.
    “As you can see, a second explosion has just rocked the capitol.”
    Gene gave her a thumbs-up at her slightly raised eyebrow, which he correctly interpreted to be her questioning whether or not her microphone was still working. He focused in on Kate. “That window there,” she pointed to the corner spot on the second floor, “is the governor’s office.”
    “Kate,” Phil said in her ear from the newsroom even as she continued talking to the viewers, “you’re the only game in town; the scene got cordoned off before any of the other stations could get their people down there. CNN and all three major networks are carrying you live. No pressure here, girl, this is great stuff.”
    She could hear the excitement in his voice.
    Gene followed her hand and zoomed in on the dramatic picture of the tattered curtains in the governor’s office blowing out the hole where the window once had been. “As we have been informed by the senate majority leader, who had been meeting with the governor at the time in that room right there,” she gestured again to the hole at the corner of the building, “the governor had already been taken to safety just after the first explosion.”
    Gene marveled at how calm and professional the anchorwoman appeared. It was as if she hadn’t just survived being thrown into the air by a fireball like a rag doll. He allowed himself a few seconds to moon over the statuesque beauty as he had done from the very first moment that she had come to work at WCAP five years earlier, straight out of college. But then, there wasn’t a guy at the station, or heck, some of the women, too, for that matter, who wasn’t in love with her. It didn’t matter that she was unerringly friendly to all of them, but dated none of them, no matter how persistent they were.
    Kate turned sideways to take in the scene behind her. What she saw touched her deeply as a human being; there were too many people still in harm’s way. She knew her first responsibility as a journalist was to get the story, but as a person, and one who had extensive first aid training, she felt she had a more important obligation to help. Maybe, just maybe, she could accomplish both objectives.
    She continued talking as she began running toward the building. “As you can see, there are a number of people hurt or trapped awaiting assistance. Rescue personnel are swarming over the scene, but the number of emergency workers is simply inadequate to deal with the number of casualties.”
    In her ear, Phil was screaming at her. “Katherine Ann Kyle, don’t you dare put yourself in danger.” He could tell that she heard him but was ignoring him. “Kate, please,” he pleaded. “Don’t.” The last was 17

    Lynn Ames

    whispered quietly, as he knew he’d already lost the battle. “Stay safe,” he murmured.
    Gene moved to follow Kate, all the while training the camera on her as she dodged debris on her way to aid the injured. She motioned below camera level that he could get the general pictures of the scene and still pick up her audio without putting himself in jeopardy. He appreciated her gesture of concern, but was determined to stay with her as long as he could without losing transmission.
    As she moved into the first-floor lobby, she kept up a running monologue for the