by KJ Griffin
***
James McPherson was the first to react to the blast. Even before the second colossal crash he was on his feet, nimbly jumping across the benches and hurling himself off the government front bench right on top of the prostrate Amy Weatherington.
The girl was clearly little more than semi-conscious, but McPherson was not taking any chances. With a single movement he turned her over on her back and found the spot across the windpipe, shoving down hard with his thumbs and using his body weight to keep her from struggling.
At the pressure of his thumbs, the pupils opened and the girl began a half-hearted struggle. There were tears in her eyes and he could quite literally smell her fear, for he realized that she must have pissed her pants. He did not have long to wait in the stench, however. He felt her body go limp just as the Arab in the Press Gallery began his shouting.
He released the body and grabbed hold of her AK47, crouching down behind the Table so that he was covered from the Press Gallery and could shoot up into the Public Gallery as and when the woman up there showed herself.