Free Echoes of the Well of Souls by Jack L. Chalker

perhaps wipe out this whole sordid place, but she knew that there would be no such luck. Her father's caution years ago, when she'd first gone out on her own, floated back to her. "Always remember that God reigns in heaven," he'd told her, "but Satan rules the Earth."
    Perhaps, she thought sourly, she'd seen so much of the latter's evil, she just took it for granted.
    John Maklovitch came over to her. "We've got one quick standup in five minutes, then we'd better get to the plane," he told her. "It's coming in." He was suddenly aware that she was hardly listening. "Something wrong?"
    "The pig of a son just made a move on me and threatened me," she told him.
    The newsman nodded. "I figured as much. Think you can handle him?"
    "Alone? Sure. I've got a black belt, remember? But against him and some cronies with their big guns—well, I'm not so sure. Besides, what would the old man do if I broke his son's neck? We've got to get out of here, you know."
    He thought a moment. "Maybe, but I'll report it in to the studio so they'll know to check up if something happens after the story. Nobody is dumb enough to do anything until we're breaking down. Tell you what . . . You remember the massacre in Chad? Why don't we just try the same gimmick? I'll have sound rig a trigger switch on the remote mike for me. Stick close to me, and if he pulls anything, at least he'll be broadcasting it back to the studio. You can imagine what the old man would be like if he heard that on his satellite TV!"
    She gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, John. Let's get this show on the road!"
    He hesitated a moment. "What about the doc? Think she'll get the same treatment?"
    "I dunno. Maybe. She's kinda old and frumpy for Juan,
    but some of these other guys—you haven't seen many
    women around here." She sighed. "We'll all stick close."
    The second spot went smoothly, and then everybody
    started to move fast. Gus and an assistant from the Brazilian network gathered their material and headed for the front of the big house; the sound man, also Brazilian, stuck with the newsman and the two women, his portable pack energized. Neither Maklovitch nor Terry said anything about Juan to Lori; no sense in alarming her unnecessarily and then possibly having to spill the backup plans where other ears could hear.
    "We'll be on almost continuously from about five or ten minutes before anything shows up right through the strike and aftermath," the newsman warned the scientist. "Just comment on what you see and don't worry about what's going out. Just remember to watch your language."
    "I'll try," she assured him. "I'm getting used to it now. I think once I'm away from this place, well, it'll be more relaxing."
    "I know what you mean. We have to return and drop off the backup tape and the like for uplink, but we'll have to play it by ear from that point. If the main body hits anywhere within 150 or so miles of here, as it's supposed to, we'll probably have to use Don Francisco's helicopter to get in close. I, for one, want to see it close up after it hits if conditions permit and before the military and scientific teams get in and start blocking everything off. Still, if the thing looks like a nuclear blast, it might be too dangerous."
    "It still depends on how much burns away and whether it fragments," Lori told him. "But if it's a good size, it's going to be a very nasty sight."
    They took the station wagon back to the plane with guards and the technical crew riding in a truck behind. The pilot and copilot were there, looking a little uncomfortable and anxious to be off, but they helped the crew stow its gear.
    "Wait a minute and let me and Hector here check the remote exterior cameras," Gus asked them. He and his Brazilian associate climbed aboard, and in a couple of minutes Gus stuck his head back out and said, "Come on in! Gonna be kinda crowded, though."
    Terry walked up to the plane and went inside and saw immediately what Gus meant.
    Sitting in the last row were Juan