David Lynn Golemon - Event

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.

EVENT

Copyright 2006 by David Lynn Golemon.
Excerpt from Legend copyright 2007 by David Lynn Golemon.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martins Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006044417

ISBN: 0-312-37028-8
EAN: 978-0-312-37028-2

Printed in the United States of America

St. Martins Press hardcover edition / September 2006
St. Martins Paperbacks edition / April 2007

St. Martins Paperbacks are published by St. Martins Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

10 9 8 7 6 5

For Eunice and Valisa, Mom and Sis,
who are always in my thoughts.

My children,
Shaune, Brandon, and Katie, for just believing in me.

For Annemarie,
To put it frankly, the woman who saved my life.

And finally
for my father,
The only real hero Ive ever known.
This ones for you, Pop!

As any author will tell you, the process of listing all the kind and generous people who helped or assisted in some way to the actual foundation of any written story can be a daunting task. So its always best to start at the top.

Heartfelt thanks go first and foremost to Thomas Dunne Books for taking a chance on a strange story from the desert. To Pete Wolverton (the best editor in the business), for guiding a novice novelist through the minefield of the written word. Petes suggestions added heart to my soul and the end result was magical. To Katie, an assistant editor who patiently dealt with an out-of-control geek and answered every stupid question thrown her way (the publishing world will hear from Katie), and to every one of the editors at Thomas Dunne, who Im sure thought about a career change right in the middle of editing Event. Now, for my agent, Bob Mecoy, the first believer in this little monster tale, heres to a long E Ticket ride, Bob!

I would like to thank a special man out in San Diego, Dr. Kenneth Vecchio of San Diego State University, for doing something for our boys overseas that not a lot of people think about; the special Abalone shell body armor mentioned in this book is real and on the wish list of this author to get it to the troops soonest! Along those same lines, kudos to Helicos BioSciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who are doing amazing things with their magical DNA sequencing machine, cutting precious time off a long and difficult process of sequencing.

With the exception of the M-2786 radio and the Cray Corporations Europa XP series computer, all military hardware mentioned in this novel is real and either on the drawing board or in action. Also thanks go to the U.S. Department of Energy, who was very helpful in answering some very unnerving questions.

To the Mathies family of Babylon, New York, for treating a writer like a human being. It will never be forgotten.

For all those people in Roswell, New Mexico, who are tired of the notoriety. Someday it will all pay off, I promise.

And finally to all those people and friends I have failed (forgotten, lets be honest) to mention, thank you. Any mistakes or outright omissions are the authors responsibility.

During the current times, its easy for people to take for granted the men and women who are defending this country; right or wrong, opinion versus opinion, they are doing their jobs and doing things well in the most inhospitable conditions that can only be imagined by people who have been in war.

It is not the intention of this author or the publishers of this work to merely make the American military a mere prop in a fictional story. With the highest respect, we attempt to portray them in the highest regard possible. We would never disrespect their ability, their patriotism or their honor for the sake of realism.

But all those soldiers must admit, you would rather be fighting an enemy with a little more class than your current foeafter all, all monsters arent bad.

Seventy-six miles northwest of Roswell, New Mexico
July 10, 1947

T he blowing sand stung like small buckshot striking his face and exposed hands. The portly man held his hat tight to his head as he ran from truck to truck shouting at the drivers the best he could, repeating his commands when the wind snatched his words away. He was becoming hoarse with his repeated yelling over the sandstorm that had arisen in the last fifteen minutes. The last truck driver in the line of fifteen two-and-half-ton vehicles nodded, understanding that the convoy would wait on the side of rural Highway 4 until this sudden show of desert fury subsided.

Dr. Kenneth Early, a metallurgist by profession, had been placed in charge of arguably the most valuable pieces of cargo in the history of the world, at least thats what he kept telling himself. Garrison Lee had selected him personally to make sure the crates they were transporting arrived safely in Nevada. They would have flown to Las Vegas Army Airfield but the dangers of an aerial mishap dictated they travel by secure truck convoy, and Lee had provided ten of his best security people to guard this unusual cargo.

The doctor fought his way back to the lead truck and waved at the driver inside, then proceeded to the green government Chevrolet at the head of the column. He opened the rear door and was grateful for the shelter the car provided. He removed his hat and shook it out, creating a small dust cloud and making his security driver cough.