Chemical Plant Explosion

McKenzie was on her cell phone in the news van as the driver and her camera man Billy raced down the highway.

"Tell me again what we know about this place," McKenzie said on the phone.

Danielle Taggart, her news director was on the other end of the call. "Myst Chemicals," he said, "Very secretive place. Supposed to do a lot of work for the military and CIA. No one's really sure. Apparently all employees are under strict vows of silence on the matter, and anyone who has spoken, well, bad things have happened to them. Place is small, on the surface, but it's supposed to have acres of underground tunnels, storage, and facilities. I got nothing much more but a bunch of internet scuttlebutt."

"OK, what's going on now?" asked McKenzie.

"People on the highway reported a series of explosions coming from the direction of the plant this morning, and there's been plumes of smoke ever since. As far as I know, no press is on site yet."

"We'll be there!" said McKenzie. She hung up. She checked her perfectly done makeup and perfectly coiffed hair the mirror on the back of the of the visor. She smiled at how good she looked. She put the visor back up and looked down at her outfit. She wore a black, knee length skirt with matching blazer over a white blouse.

The news van pulled off of the highway and down a side road. McKenzie and Billy could see the plumes of smoke still rising from behind some low hills.

Before they could get to the hills, there was a police cruiser with its lights on blocking the road. As the van pulled to a stop, a police officer got out of the cruise and flagged the car over. The officer had a hazmat suit on but it was not zipped up all of the way, and the hood was off. A gas mask hung around his neck. He walked over to the driver's side of the van. "No further, folks."

"McKenzie leaned over. "Come on, the people have a right to know! This could be dangerous!"

"Sorry, ma'am," said the officer. "Things still blowin' up."

As if on cue, a small explosion was heard.

The officer looked over his shoulder as a fresh plume of greenish gray smoke rose.

"Who knows what's going on back there," said the officer. "I've heard reports of globs of goo falling from the sky, weird green and red clouds of vapor rising from the ground. Not fit for man nor beast. You can stay here and wait," he continued, "I think a PR guy will be out here soon."

The officer went back to his car. He talked into the microphone on his shoulder, but McKenzie and Billy could not hear what he was saying.

"We have got to get closer!" said McKenzie. "This is my big break, and it's not going to happen out here, especially after every other news crew from hear to Timbuktu shows up!"

"Well, what do you have in mind?" asked Billy.

McKenzie shook her head. "Don't know yet, but I'll think of something."