Under the Dome

From nearby—but oh so far—one of the soldiers finally spoke up. Barely out of his teens, he looked terrified and sorry. 'We tried to stop him. Boy didn't listen. There wasn't nothing we could do.'

Pete Freeman, his Nikon dangling by his knee on its strap, favored this young warrior with a smile of singular bitterness. 'I think we know that. If we didn't before, we sure do now.'

4

Before Barbie could melt into the crowd, Mel Searles grabbed him by the arm.

'Take your hand off me,' Barbie said mildly.

Searles showed his teeth in his version of a grin. 'In your dreams, Fucko.' Then he raised his voice. 'Chief. Hey, Chief!'

Peter Randolph turned toward him impatiently, frowning.

'This guy interfered with me while I was trying to secure the scene. Can I arrest him?'

Randolph opened his mouth, possibly to say Don't waste my time. Then he looked around. Jim Re

Mel saw it. His grin widened. 'Jackie? Officer Wettmgton, I mean? Can I borrow a pair of your cuffs?'

Junior and the rest of his crew were also gri

Jackie looked dubious. 'Pete—Chief, I mean—I think the guy was only trying to h—'

'Cuff him up,' Randolph said. 'We'll sort out what he was or wasn't trying to do later. In the meantime, I want this mess shut down.' He raised his voice. 'It's over, folks! You've had your fun, and see what it's come to! Now go home!'

Jackie was removing a set of plasticuffs from her belt (she had no intention of handing them to Mel Searles, would put them on herself) when Julia Shumway spoke up. She was standing just behind Randolph and Big Jim (in fact, Big Jim had elbowed her aside on his way to where the action was).

'I wouldn't do that, Chief Randolph, unless you want the PD embarrassed on the front page of the Democrat.' She was smiling her Mona Lisa smile. 'With you so new to the job and all.'

'What are you talking about?' Randolph asked. His frown was deeper now, turning his face into a series of unlovely crevices.

Julia held up her camera—a slightly older version of Pete Freeman's. 'I have quite a few pictures of Mr Barbara assisting Rusty Everett with that wounded child, a couple of Officer Searles hauling Mr Barbara off for no discernible reason… and one of Officer Searles punching Mr Barbara in the mouth. Also for no discernible reason. I'm not much of a photographer, but that one is really quite good. Would you like to see it, Chief Randolph? You can; the camera's digital.'

Barbie's admiration for her deepened, because he thought she was ru

'It's a lie, Chief,' Mel said. 'He tried to take a swing at me. Ask Junior.'

'I think my pictures will show that young Mr Re

Randolph was glowering at her. 'I could take your camera away,' he said. 'Evidence.'

'You certainly could,' she agreed cheerily, 'and Pete Freeman would take a picture of you doing it. Then you could take Pete's camera… but everyone here would see you do it.'

'Whose side are you on here, Julia?' Big Jim asked. He was smiling his fierce smile—the smile of a shark about to take a bite out of some plump swimmer's ass.

Julia turned her own smile on him, the eyes above it as i

Big Jim considered her, his lips now bending the other way, a smile in reverse. Then he flapped one disgusted hand at Randolph.

T guess we'll let it slide, Mr Barbara,' Randolph said. 'Heat of the moment.'

'Thanks,' Barbie said.

Jackie took her glowering young partner's arm.'Come or, Officer Searles. This part's over. Let's move these people back.'

Searles went with her, but not before turning to Barbie and making the gesture: finger pointing, head cocked slightly. We ain't done yet, Sunshine.

Rommie's assistant Toby Ma

5

Those with cars got into them. Then they all tried to drive away at the same time.

Predictable, Joe McClatchey thought. Totally predictable.

Most of the cops worked to unclog the resulting traffic jam, although even a bunch of kids (Joe was standing with Be

Be

'Word,' Norrie said. She was a tough kid, a smalltown riot grrrl with a modified Te

'There goes the guy who almost got arrested,'Be

'Nancy Newspaper wasn't taking pictures at all, y'know,' Scarecrow Joe said. 'I was standing right behind her. Pretty foxy.'

'Yeah,' Be

That was true, Joe reflected. And the new cops weren't particularly nice guys. Junior Re