Chapter 91

91
ATLANTA

"This is Clarissa Meeks, Channel Six Action News Atlanta. We're live here at the Save Mart parking lot at Frontier Boulevard where there's lots of activity. All these people you can see behind me are preparing for a Christians for Christ Rally and March. The march is scheduled to begin later this afternoon at about six, but you can see that the crowd is warming up for it already! I've been told that there will be speakers from the Christians for Christ Youth Crusade continuously until time for the parade. Jim, what is the crowd estimate right now, two hours before the big parade?"

"Clarissa, the local police have estimated about twenty-five thousand. They have been keeping tabs on events here from those choppers you can hear overhead in the distance. The crowd has filled this rather huge parking lot and now extends as far as 73rd Street with more people joining every minute." said the voice from off camera.

"My goodness! But I think the most spectacular thing about this crowd is that most of the participants are young people! I understand that it was scheduled for this hour to allow the youngsters a chance to get here after school." Clarissa was an expert at filling air time.

"That's right, Clarissa. Just remember that this is a Youth Crusade. This rally was organized by the Christians for Christ Youth Crusade, so you would expect a lot of young people." Jim seemed to know much more about the event than Clarissa. But she was beautiful. Camera candy Jim called her. He couldn't stand her.

Clarissa wheeled into the edge of crowd. She was in interview vulture mode. "Let's try to talk to some of the participants here. Jim, if you will follow me with the camera, I'm going to try to have a few words with this young lady right here. Excuse me. Excuse me, I'm Clarissa Meeks from Action News Atlanta. Do you have a minute to talk to me?"

The girl was clearly in company with three friends. She was pretty and nicely dressed. "I've seen you on the news!" Her friends began to crowd into camera view. All were excited and giggling about the prospects of being interviewed. "Sure you can interview us."

Clarissa was good at man in the street where her looks could elicit a comment even from someone determined not to talk. Here, she put on the older sister, 'us-girls' approach with equally good results. "So why don't each of you tell me your name, your age and the name of your school."

"Diana Wright, 14, Victory Middle School. Victoria Denner, 15, Victory Middle School. Oh no! I mean, God..." the girls began. The third in line simply froze when her turn came.

"That's alright. I tell you what. Just relax and I'll come back to you. Okay? There's nothing to be afraid of, It happens all the time." Clarissa coaxed the moment. "How about you?"

"CeeCee Johnson, 14, Victory Middle School." The third girl had composed herself and answered, "Terry Dale, 14, Victory Middle School." She sighed in relief.

Clarissa had been talent searching. She knew who was going to be her story. "CeeCee why have you and your friends come out for this Crusade."

"Because it will help Jesus, you know, the new Jesus. It will help Him spread the light of truth and happiness all across the world!" She hesitated then continued. "He wants us to march in the Crusade, you know."

Diana Wright jumped into camera from where she had been standing behind CeeCee. "Our youth pastor, Pastor Field, told us we should come if we could. He said that the more people marched today, the better Jesus would like it. Us four, you know, we can feel Jesus right here with us. He'll protect us during this march today."

Clarissa smelled public interest. "Protect you from what Diana? Certainly Jesus is here with us in spirit, but why would you need to be protected?"

Victoria and CeeCee tried to answer at once. Clarissa turned the mike again, this time toward Victoria. "How do you feel about today's march, Victoria?"

"Pastor Field said this would be a peaceful march, mostly because it was just the Youth Crusade. I'm like CeeCee. Jesus needs us to be in the march to proclaim the joyful news of the Second Coming!" The other girls joined in with 'yeahs' and more giggles. Victoria continued, "My mom said there wouldn't be any trouble with so many of us. She said they wouldn't do anything because they would afraid of going against Jesus' people."

Clarissa continued like a terrier after a house mouse. "I know there has been some violence in the past, but who, exactly, are you worried about, Victoria?"

"Violence my foot! The Christians for Christ have kicked ass every time Stratton's Fundies have showed up! Pastor Field tells us not to talk about this, but how can anyone not know about the powerful victories that the Christians for Christ believers have taken over those sinners."

"Yeah," broke in CeeCee, "they'll get another dose if they try to cross this march. Can't you see how many people there are here? Hey, we gotta go -- they're startin'!"

"Thank's a lot, girls and have a good time!" Clarissa motioned a half-hearted good-bye to the girls as they disappeared into the crowd. "That is the scene at the Save Mart parking lot as the Christians for Christ Youth Crusade begins a tremendous rally and march tonight. This is Clarissa Meeks for Channel Six Action News Atlanta returning you to our studios for the latest traffic news."



The Frontiersman Bar and Grill was hardly a testimony to some sturdy pioneer type, struggling and suffering to cross the plains in a covered wagon. The place took its name from the eight lane arterial that bustled east and west out in front of its shabby building. It was a great place to get drunk and waste an afternoon, or even a day, for that matter. True to its image, a dozen regulars were spread out through the bar and the tables. Some were arguing with each other; some were simply arguing with the smoke filled air, no doubt, practicing for a later time. Some were sitting silently, alone with their thoughts.

Jim and Clarissa sat across from each other on the torn seats of a booth in the back of the place. It was almost ten o'clock. Four hours and half a dozen drinks -- or more -- had passed since she had suggested a quick one before returning to the studio. She was draining double gin and tonics as if they were water.

The true mystery to Jim was why this anchor woman was sitting here, getting drunk and flirting with him. Clarissa had historically treated every camera man like dirt since the earth was created. In fact, she generally treated him with even more arrogance and disdain than the others. But here she was, beaming bedroom eyes through her smeared mascara. She had even attempted conversation, at least for the first couple of hours. Television anchor women were not generally hired for intellectual capacity, so even though her small talk had shown a quality of fleeting equality, it was still very small, reduced even more by a few too many drinks.

"So what were you going to do tonight before I kidnapped you?" Clarissa slurred. The gin had finally given her the courage to reach for the real question.

"I was going to do some studying. I'm working on a bachelor's in media arts at Hemley." He looked at her. Absent her personality and her attitude Clarissa was a fine looking woman. A fox.

"I thought maybe we could move this little get together over to my place. It smells a lot better than here, and its damned sure more private." Clarissa stared into Jim's eyes with a hunger. It was a well defined hunger and a well defined stare which left very little to the imagination.

"I think I've had about enough to drink, Clarissa. I'm really thinking that its time for me to get home to my apartment." It was tempting, but Jim didn't trust this beauty pageant bimbo any further than he could throw her.

"Come on, Jim. You haven't had too much." She spoke with a thickening tongue, "I know about that stuff. I was an addict until the station sent me to rehab. Believe me, I know when it's too much. Anyways, I got some killer weed at home."  

The conversation was interrupted by the beep of Clarissa's cell phone. She started scrambling through her over sized purse to find the device. Clarissa fumbled twice while she struggled to get it open and activated.

"Hello."

"Yeah. That's because we went for a drink after the interviews at six."

"Of course I'm alright. Jim is with me."

"Yeah. We're at a place called the Frontiersman. About 60th and Frontier."

"Oh, Jesus! Yeah. We're on our way. We'll set uplink as soon as we park."

"Don't worry. We'll get it. Dan! Don't worry dammit!"

Snapping the phone closed, Clarissa immediately retrieved her overly large compact and went to work on her makeup. Giddily, she held up two tubes of lip stick. "Which one of these is gonna look better in the dark, Jim?"

"Clarissa, calm down. Tell me what Dan said. What are we doing?" Jim asked the drunken whirlwind across the booth. "Do you want me to get you a cup of coffee? I'm having one."

"No coffee. It'll make me have to pee while I'm on camera. Dan's got word that the march we filmed earlier got bushwhacked by Fundamentalists about fifteen blocks west of here. He said it was hard to tell where the actual clash is because they're fighting all up and down Frontier. He wants us there on the double before things die down!" Clarissa seemed to be coming back a little, but she was far from sober.

"I'm having a cup to sharpen up a little, but I can drink it on the way. Are you sure that you're camera ready, Clarissa?" Jim was ready to walk out and go. Clarissa was still fighting her make up.

"Just get me to the church on time." She sang in parody of the popular song. "Point me at the camera, turn on the light, get something good happening behind me and we'll knock 'em dead!"

It wasn't hard to find the riot. The violence was a wide open conflict with sporadic gunfire spread along a line about eight blocks long. Jim had to park the truck further from the action than he liked because the streets were packed with people, surging forward, trying to get to the fighting.

It was residential area with middle class houses and lawns. Janet Reno Memorial Park was up four blocks to the left. From the sounds of gunfire, it seemed to be a good place for live coverage. The mob was filling the entire street and the yards of the homes on either side. The power was clearly disrupted. There were no lights shining through the windows of the houses.

He erected the uplink tower on the van and set it for full automatic feed to the station. They would have to edit everything down there. He was too drunk and there were too many people brushing into him to get any kind of sustained stationary camera shots.

"Clarissa! Stay close to me and we'll let the crowd carry us up to the action!" Jim grabbed her arm, gripping it firmly. She did not protest. This scene was getting scary. "We are clearly on the Fundies' side of the fight here, so be extra careful what you say."

"I know. I know. Just the facts ma'am." She laughed.

There were an unsettling number of weapons visible in the crowd. These were mostly pistols of every size and shape, but occasionally an automatic rifle could be seen, thinly disguised under a folded jacket or, in one case, a loosely rolled newspaper.

Many of these rioters had Bibles in stiff leather cases hung around their necks and over their shoulders.

A man was handing out torches to those who wanted them. He offered one to Jim, but he refused. They were some kind of creosote soaked sponge which flickered into life then blazed brightly, giving off a sickening black sooty smoke. It was now becoming mixed with the distinctive smell of burning houses in the distance.

The news team stopped once in an eddy of calm between the surges. Jim could hear the news desk at the station through his ear piece but it was too loud to talk to them through his mouth set. He positioned Clarissa with the rioters coming up behind her and turned on the broad light.

"This is Clarissa Meeks, Channel Six Action News Atlanta bringing you a live report from --er -- somewhere near west Frontier Boulevard. It is clearly the scene of more civil conflict between Fundamentalists and Neo-Apostolics tonight in the wake of a large Christians for Christ Youth Rally and march which began earlier. The people you can see behind me are Fundamentalists who are moving toward the combat zone which is somewhere over in that direction." She pointed off camera. "We can hear gunfire in the distance and the smoke of burning houses is filling this largely residential neighborhood. We are not seeing any injuries resulting from this confrontation, but that will very likely change as our news team moves closer toward eightieth street and Janet Reno Memorial Park. We will continue to cover the story here with updates, so stay tuned to Channel Six. Remember, Channel Six Action News Atlanta is going to be where the Action News is, Atlanta! Until our next update, this is Clarissa Meeks, Channel Six Action News."

"Not bad, Clarissa. Now let's try to get in closer to the action. Remember, we may not have much set up time, so when the light goes on, you start talking!" Once more Jim grabbed the teetering news anchor woman and began following the crowd forward.

The further they went, the more unruly the crowd became. Reaching in his pocket, Jim withdrew his secret disguise, two small magnetic signs, which he attached to his light case and the side of his camera. Each said only 'Buck Stratton Ministries News Services'. They worked wonders. The same people who had either ignored them or openly glared at them earlier were now actively assisting them in their struggle forward. Two large men actually began to run 'interference' for them, just like two line backers.

Jim yelled at Clarissa, leaning close to her ear. "The station says there are between seventy and a hundred thousand people here -- both sides. Dan is warning us that it is pretty violent up ahead. Stay close to me!"

When the pair arrived at seventy-eighth street, Jim panned the scene again for news footage, then positioned Clarissa behind a large juniper for another update. She showed the signs of too much to drink along with the ordeal of moving through the crowd for forty-five minutes.

"This is Clarissa Meeks, Channel Six Action News Atlanta reporting to you from what appears to be the main conflict area of tonight's confrontation between the Fundamentalists and the Neo-Apostolics."

Jim panned the camera again across the street and as far south as he could see.

"What is often physical violence between these two great factions, tonight has become a gun battle waged across seventy-eighth street. You can see behind me that Neo-Apostolics have taken cover between the houses there on the left and certainly in numerous other places on further down the street. On this side the Fundamentalists have their own positions and are returning fire. Assault teams from either side of the conflict have made daring assaults against the other, only to be cut down in the street. Jim, can you get a shot of the street? Perhaps thirty people, men and women and a frightening number of young people lay wounded in the middle of this residential street. Many of them are still alive, but of course, no one can reach them with the gun fire."

"We are told that demonstrators with more conventional weapons such as signs and baseball bats are engaged in large numbers just north of here. As usual, there are no police or fire units on the scene in keeping with Mayor Howard's pledge that he would not endanger them in these disturbances." Clarissa moved toward the house to her left, pointing up the street.

"Several houses are burning right up here. You can see the flames along the darkened. . ." Clarissa's last words ceased as her face took on first a look of surprise, then stupor. The upper part of her beautiful forehead splattered on the camera lens. A high caliber rifle shell had passed through the dense brush behind her. She had been targeted as she was illuminated by the broad light from the camera, truly living and dying in the spot light of fame.

Jim killed the light. "Dan? Did you get that? They killed Clarissa and I got it on live feed!"

"Yes, Jim! It's great! You were live when they got her, so everyone in town saw what you filmed. Now that's TV!"

"What about Clarissa?" Jim asked his boss.

"Is she dead? I can't see any reason to even check after that shot! The Coroner crews will get her in the morning. You get yourself out of there and I'll see you tomorrow. Do I need to tell you that we got ratings?" Dan ate only ratings for the sustenance of his life, neither food nor air, just ratings.

 92

Channel Six Action News Atlanta

EPILOGUE

"Tonight we have something special on our Channel Six Action News Atlanta. In a heartfelt memorial, not only for our own Clarissa Meeks who was killed while on air at last week's disturbance, but also for the families of four young girls whose lives also ended while on the Christians for Christ Youth Crusade Rally march, Channel Six has prepared a special memorial video tape of the interview of the girls done by Ms. Meeks earlier that day. Our station manager, Dan Tethers and cameraman Jim Pepper will present the video to each of the families in a special ceremony after tonight's newscast."


"I think it meant a lot to them. Ratings were good on the memorial aspect." Dan Tethers, Station Manager, Channel Six.