THERE WERE ONLY FORTY PEOPLE, seated in the huge auditorium in the police HQ. Aunt Flo and Dr Rickman were among them in the front row. When Roberta peeked down from her seat on the stage, she felt despondent at the poor turnout. She had expected a bigger attendance for a national hero — and now, she felt like old news.

A large portrait of the late Corporal Mandy Thompson was on stage with a wreath beneath. A young, Black civilian woman received an award on behalf of the deceased, from the Police Chief Commissioner, who commended...

"Your grand-aunt was a brave woman," and shook her hand. Everyone present in the almost empty edifice clapped.

The master of ceremonies in her police force uniform made the next announcement.

"SERGEANT ROBERTA JENSEN, PLEASE STEP UP."

Roberta approached, supporting herself with her forearm crutch towards the Police Commissioner — she cursed herself within, in every step of the way that she took, where she had to depend on a support in front of everyone, who she thought was looking at her like a disabled veteran.

Everyone then clapped in the almost empty hall, when she gaited — before an unexpected announcement was then made, which astonished everyone who was present there...

"WE ARE PRIVILEGED FOR A BIG AND UNEXPECTED SURPRISE THIS EVENING. WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT — THE NEXT AWARD WILL BE GIVEN BY A DISTINGUISHED GUEST OF HONOR — WHO HAS JUST ARRIVED HERE, ON SUCH A SHORT NOTICE FOR THIS AWARD CEREMONY."

The remittent audience looked around wondering who it was. Even Roberta seemed confused at that moment — until the side doors of the auditorium were opened — and hundreds of members of the public and TV crew reporters rushed in. Roberta was awed to witness that so many people were now attending her award ceremony. In less than a few minutes, the entire auditorium was packed to the maximum.

Through the front main entrance came a blaring marching band next, that was followed by Senator Madeline Cory with her campaign officials, walking in. Hundreds of cameras flashed, and the crowd was roaring with cheers and with presidency election campaigners' chants...

"WE WELCOME SENATOR MADELINE CORY NOW TO THE STAGE, TO PRESENT THE AWARD TO SERGEANT ROBERTA JENSEN."

The crowd roared even louder while they clapped along to the tune of the band. Roberta grinned proudly to see her admired senator, stepping onto the stage, waving at the crowd while was escorted by the Chief Police Commissioner. The orator announced in gaiety...

"FOR SUCCESSFULLY AND INTELLIGENTLY PERFORMING YOUR ACT OF EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM, WHILE ENGAGING IN A PERSONAL COMBAT WITH ARMED ADVERSARIES, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF IMMINENT, PERSONAL HAZARD TO YOUR LIFE — SERGEANT ROBERTA JENSEN — WE HEREBY, AWARD YOU THE MEDAL OF THE POLICE COMBAT CROSS."

The crowd of two thousand people salvo out clamorously, along with hundreds of cameras flashing — and the TV crew cameras were capturing Senator Cory pinning the medal on Roberta Jensen's uniform. In the front row was Dr Rickman recording the occasion, on a small HD handy-cam, while the joyful Florence Jensen applauded proudly. Wanda Callahan placed her fingers in her mouth and blew a high pitched whistle.

Lilya Devon was smiling soberly at the observance gathering but was not as mirth as the rest of the celebrating crowd. Since being a wolf in sheep's clothing — she was still a strong Rosewood supporter. The albino realized how the cynosure Cory was manipulating Roberta's bravery award fete ceremony, for her own political popularity platform.

Lilya too had a reminiscence of the protest rally in the past, where she attended with her buddies when she was ten in Jackson, Mississippi. It was during one of Cory's previous election campaigns — when Cory had lost before to President Ann Rosewood. The rally in Jackson that year, ended up with a riot caused by her ex-butch boyfriend, who was a member of the Aryan Sisterhood hate group.

Roberta saluted to both Cory and the Chief Commissioner — who then escorted the Senator to the podium to deliver her speech. Everybody simmered down from their excitement and they sat. Madeline Cory looked at the crowd gathered before her, and she began addressing in a low tone...

"This — this is really hard for me to say — when on the night of this gang-related shooting incident — I was here in this very city of Columbus at the Civic Center, delivering my campaign speech. Later that night, my PR secretary informed me that a police officer was gunned down dead — and with another police officer was admitted at the St. Andrews Hospital with gunshot injuries, resulted from that same shootout..."

Roberta looked down at her own feet — disappointed — why could Cory not open the speech of how she had bravely gunned down those Niggers? She did not want any pity from those hundreds, who were present there, at her moment of triumph.

Cory continued to foment. "I am not going to pull out any statistics here, to prove you all that street violence and gang-related crimes, have tripled in urban areas and cities ever since the virus attack. Yes, we had the lowest rate at one time during the 'slow-disappearance' of the male population — and also, after a couple of years of healing for our losses in the community. But since then, poverty had filled in the gap — and people who have no means of incomes, soon, have slowly revived the drug-economy again. Thus, the baton has been passed back to the ghetto dwellers, and crime is once again rearing its ugly head — and it has been increased to a scary and alarming, record speed ever since then."

Lilya Devon looked annoyed in the heeding crowd because she had heard this filibuster speech before — and she knew whom Cory was going to blame next...

"Today, 60% of all of our dying cities are transforming into ghettos — with a high concentration of poverty, racial heterogeneity and segregation which are the causes of many cases of murders, sexual abuses, robberies, burglaries and aggravated assaults, which are happening rampantly today...

"Despite the increase of arrest counts by the police task-force departments, all over the country — but, it is still not safe for our citizens to live in any cities. Many have even opted to move out because of safety reasons, and away from the poorly run societal structure, under the current ruling government of the Rosewood administration."

The influenced crowd jeered in loath when they heard the current President's name being mentioned, and they debased.

"This unreliable Rosewood's administration has also bankrupted this very country, with little or lack of economic opportunity structures for prosperity — something which, we once long ago were privileged to be known for, as a land of opportunity — but, we will soon take back, what was rightfully ours!"

Cory had the crowd chanting her name now...

"Calm down please, I am not finished with the 'wheel-chaired' crippled American society of ours." Everyone laughed to her mockery reference to Ann Rosewood — even Roberta on the forearm crutch was chuckling away.

"This current, ignorant administration has further crippled many of our families in the cities, to live their lives below the poverty threshold, with the spread of the high concentration of poverty rate — this has also increased the involvement of citizens' participation in the activities that are associated with crime and violence, for the sake of their survival-hood.

"But now, the current social ecology of these women participating in violent street crime — has got a new accompanying 'players' aiding them — the Intersexuals or the 'New-breeds' — or however, you want to call them..."

Someone in the crowd yelled in derisiveness...

"Shemales!"

The crowd laughed out aloud and even Cory smiled before she further censured...

"yes, those kinds — they have now filled in the gaps, that was once held by the deceased and extinct male-specie population. In years to come, (and I mean, it has already begun) — with these new 'players,' who are now only 12 years-old today — (but, don't ever let their preteen age fool you), because with the current state of the economic structure — these so-called 'children' will soon be the fore-runners, who will very soon dominate and lead the illegal, street drug economy — and also, many other felonious, underground economies which will follow— so to earn their ill-begotten profits, from vices like prostitution, extortion and firearms smuggling into the black market...

"Yes, the patterns will re-emerge once again — and they all will start recreating racial territories — and next, every street of every city, will become crime war-zones once again, infested by the Intersexual gangdom — similar to how, the now, the deceased male population had done before in cities — yes, that same similar destructive pattern of 12 years ago — will happen again soon!

"But, we are going to fight them hard — and we will get back our cities from them!"

Every affronted, neo-woman ideologists in the crowd, the ones who called themselves the Dominatrix Power Party, stood up to give a standing ovation — but Cory gestured them all to be seated, because her speech was not over yet, even though she had the crowd eating right from her hand...

"If this present irresponsible Rosewood's administration continues to remain in office, they will prolong and lengthen the periodic recession of this country further — and with the lack of economic opportunities of growth in the job network, skill development and proper education — we will all be doomed very soon!"

"One of the societal goals in my campaign, in the New Order of America, is focused on the security sector of the general public — where you and I, can safely live in peace as a civilized society, and at the same time, we will also get to enjoy the fruits of a new economy — where jobs will be abundant with the society among the highly educated — and where, everyone will be highly trained in trade skills — and in a nutshell, it is a promise that all individuals in this country will benefit from good health and wealth creation opportunities, which should be rightfully theirs — as the proud American citizen that we were once before.

"Yes — I can assure you all that because I am confident enough that I am going to defeat our handicapped President Rosewood in this coming election — but, I truly need your support to do that!"

The crowd cheered again and chanted her name for a whole minute before Cory closed her speech...

"Do make a difference in yourselves for wanting positive changes, by backing me in my future war against street violence in the urban and city areas — where I promise you all, a restructure and the changes of the composition of the inner cities in my pipeline, which will happen in time to come.

"I will personally severe the root-cause of the illegal drug market, that is brewing red-hot currently — and also, with the right funding to our Police enforcing organizations, we can all eradicate the street gang-related drug activities, which are the major causes for notorious crimes, resulting with the raising death-toll of decent citizens, and the police personnel alike — like this upright civil servant, the now-deceased Officer Mandy Thompson — who died recently — while defending and protecting your very city of Columbus, Ohio during her line of duty...

"We will soon being law and order and justice back in every city — thank you very much!"

Cory had targeted the support of the police organization in every state that she campaigned in, during her speeches — and she had promised them bigger budgets and opportunities if they backed her strongly in winning the upcoming elections.

The crowd kept on cheering, while Cory stepped down the stage — she was escorted by the Police Chief Commissioner. They followed the marching band performing in the aisle, heading to the main entrance. Cory shook some hands while her bodyguard, Wolfe stopped some well-wishers from rushing towards the Senator.

*

Lilya Devon lurched among the horde of well-wishers, swelling towards the aisle. She saw Senator Cory, who was fifteen feet away and was approaching slowly towards her. Lilya's hand then slipped into the black leather jacket that she wore, looking intensely at Cory's distance.

Lilya pulled out a 9mm pistol...

She raised it at Cory and shot twice closely at the Senator's chest...

The old woman slumped to the floor. Lilya then pointed the gun at Wolfe and shot, when the bodyguard responded by pulling out her service weapon. Wolfe trashed backwards.

The Police Commissioner looked horrified beyond words at the shooter. Lilya shot her next in the head, at close range. Among the background of screams and movements of the panicking crowd, Lilya saw the Senator on the floor, breathing her last breath.

The girl's head then turned, to a figure approaching fast from her side — rushing over with her service revolver in her hand was Roberta — pointing the gun at her — and Lilya dropped her 9mm to the floor, an impendent surrender. Lilya uttered softly back at her hero...

"I love you."

Shots were fired at adjacent ambit — the bullets hit the albino girl straight in her heart.

*

The distressed screams of people in Lilya's head, were drowned by the sounds of the marching band, and the cheering crowd — it snapped her out of her reverie — and Lilya encountered Madeline Cory in person, standing and facing her in front...

The senator shook the dreamy-eyed girl's hand in the auditorium, among the other supporting well-wishers, before she exited the main entrance.

Lilya retreated backwards slowly, and she turned to look dazed at the main-stage where Roberta was standing below the platform and was conversing with the blond Wanda Callahan over the bravery medal — they were both sharing a joke and were laughing.

Lilya realized that Cory and the loud marching band had already left the building. She turned back at the stage again to notice Roberta was hugging Wanda. Lilya Devon was distending with anger and jealousy — she kicked a seat. She clenched both her fists tightly, and she followed the rest of the energetic, chanting crowd that left the auditorium.