The Ultimatum

by Nancy Moser

  Jinko raised his gun and cocked it. His face lost all pretense of charm. Had his eyes gotten darker? “She most certainly is going. And you're going to be a good boy. Go back to the couch, take your daughter on your lap, comfort her like a good daddy,” he grinned wickedly, “and let your wife do your job.”

  Oh, dear. Jinko had made it a question of Cals manhood. That's not what it was at all. She had to let him know the reason. If obedience was sacrifice and she wasn't going to live to tell him later, she had to let him know now. She had to!

  The words burst out. “You need more time, Cal. You need more time to choose Him, really choose—”

  “Shut up!” The gun rested against her cheek while Jinko's other hand groped her backside. He whispered in her ear, the words slithering into her consciousness. “Not another word, my love. Not another word.”

  She shivered. Oh, Father, I can't do this. I can't.

  Cal stood by the couch. Every muscle in his body was tensed to lunge at Jinko. Avi clung to his legs. At least they have each other. They will always have each other. No matter what happens.

  Jinko yanked her toward the door. “It's showtime.”

  Twenty-one

  “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?

  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?

  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

  Father, glorify your name!”

  JOHN 12:27-28

  JINKO MOVED EVERYONE into the kitchen so they could make their move out the back door. The coin-guy, along with Cal and the little girl, sat at the kitchen table. Jinko had his arm wrapped across Annie's chest from behind.

  It was time.

  Don't go!

  The inner words were like a slap and made Jered step away from the kitchen door instead of toward it.

  “What are you doing?” Jinko yelled. “Tuck in behind me, and we'll go out together.”

  Annie turned her head toward him. “Don't come with us, Jered. Stay behind. Don't get involved any deep—”

  Jinko jerked her hard and put the barrel of the gun to her ear. “Shut up! Jereds a part of this, and he's coming with us.” Jinko flashed him a look. “Get up here. Now!”

  Jered moved in behind him.

  With a foot Jinko kicked the cans away from the door. “Now get my keys out of my pocket, kid, and when we go outside, run to the garage and back my car out.”

  “I'm driving?” Jered imagined them dodging police cars.

  “You'd rather hold the gun on her?”

  He shook his head. No guns. He didn't even want to touch the gun again.

  “Then do as I say.” Jinko opened the kitchen door. Nobody moved. It was getting dark. When did that happen? Time meant nothing.

  Jered saw Jinkos fingers regrip the gun. A stream of sweat slid down his forehead, and for the first time, Jered noticed that Jinko smelled ripe. Or maybe he was smelling his own fear.

  “Hold on just a minute,” Jinko said. “Go look out the front and tell me what they're doing.”

  Jered was happy to be anywhere but at the open door. He went into the living room and edged the curtains aside. “They're hunkered behind the cars, pointing their guns this way.”

  “Of course they are. What did you think they'd be doing? Playing canasta?”

  Jered didn't know what canasta was, but now was not the time to ask. He got the picture. And it wasn't good. He went back to the kitchen. “Now what?”

  Jinkos deep breath was not comforting. “We go. Now.”

  Cal's voice was sickening. “Annie…”

  “Mama!” The little girl was crying.

  She looked back at them and tried to smile. “I love you both. I'll be okay.”

  Cal's voice hardened. “She'd better be okay, you creep! If you hurt her in any way, I'll come after you, no matter how long, no matter—”

  Jinko seemed to ignore him, but Jered couldn't. Goose bumps crawled up his arms. He didn't want an angry husband coming after him. Cal wasn't kidding around. If anything happened to his wife… Nothing better happen. Nothing would happen. Jinko would simply use her as a shield to get away. Then he'd let her go.

  Right?

  Please. Please make it okay.

  Jinko slid his arm around Annies waist and pulled her toward him like he was hugging a pillow. She looked so little in his grip. So weak. Yet in many ways, Annie had proven herself to be stronger than the lot of them. She was one amazing—

  “Now!”

  They took a step toward the door. Jered wanted to throw up.

  Jinko stepped onto the stoop, his gun at Annie's head. The weight of it rested against her temple, and his grip around her waist using his left arm pulled her close under her ribs, making it hard to breathe.

  As they moved down the back steps, Annie looked toward the police. Lit by the streetlights she saw Ken Kendell, Ted Cody, and other officers she didn't recognize. Just as Jinko had asked, the police cruisers were parked perpendicular in the street in front of the neighbor's with Cal's truck pointing into them on the far side, and her van making the last point of the cross, closest to them.

  A cross. Jesus, help us.

  It was all the prayer she could manage as things moved fast. Jered slid out from behind their body screen and ran toward the garage. He tripped and sprawled. He was as nervous as she was. He got to his feet and went inside. She heard an engine start, then the ignition grind a second time.

  “Stupid kid,” Jinko said under his breath.

  He held her on the edge of the driveway. Jered zoomed in reverse, zigzagging precariously close to the house. The red of brake lights blinked as the car jerked to a stop.

  Jinko pulled her toward the backseat on the passenger side, but he couldn't open the door and keep hold of her and the gun. “Jered! Open the door for us.”

  Jered hopped out of the driver's side and came around the front of the car. With his wild eyes he looked like a scared little boy, and Annie found herself wanting to comfort him. The door was locked.

  “Go around!” Jinko yelled at him.

  Jered ran around to the open driver's door and fumbled for the unlock button. He was nearly in tears.

  “Come on!”

  He came around again and opened the door. But just as Jinko was shoving Annie in the back door, someone yelled, “Jered!”

  Annie looked out the back window and saw Jered sprinting toward the police cars, his hands raised.

  Jinko pushed her the rest of the way inside.

  She fell across the seat.

  He tried to close the door, but her legs blocked—

  The gun went off.

  Bang!

  Cal leapt from the kitchen chair. A gunshot?

  “Daddy?”

  Scott stood. “Cal? Was that—?”

  He set Avi down. “Stay here, Av! Don't move! Either of you.”

  Cal rushed out the open door in time to see Ken run toward Jinko's vehicle, his gun drawn. Other officers followed close behind, their eyes riveted on whatever was happening in the car.

  “Cal! Get back inside!”

  At Kens order, Cal took two steps back, feeling like a rope being tugged in two directions.

  Another office yelled, “Drop the gun, Daly! Get your hands up!”

  “Daddy?”

  He turned to see Avi standing by the table. He had to make her safe. Cal scooped her up and ran to the stairs, depositing her on the fourth step from the bottom. “Go up to your cubby and don't come out until I come get you.”

  “But Daddy—”

  “Go!”

  She ran up the stairs. It felt good to have her safe.

  But what about Annie?

  He heard all sorts of commotion at the side of the house. He sprinted for the kitchen door just in time to hear Ken call for an ambulance.

  Jinko was up against the car being cuffed.

  Annie! Where was Annie?

  The back doors of the car were wide open, and Ken and Ted leaned in on either side. Ken changed pos
ition, and Cal saw blood on his hands.

  His wife's blood?

  No, no, no, no! Cal staggered toward the car. The officer taking Jinko away alerted the others. “Husband. Get the husband.”

  Ted came around the car door and grabbed Cal by the arms, holding him back. Cal's eyes searched for Annie. He saw her limp hand leaning against the back of the seat. Her lifeless hand. That's when he screamed.

  At the sound of her father's scream, Avi sucked in a breath. Then, with a burst, she shoved open her cubby door and scrambled out. She stood in her parents' closet and did a 360, needing to see what was happening outside. But there was no window.

  She heard loud voices and running feet. Was that a siren? Her daddy had screamed. Was he hurt?

  No. The gunshot came before.

  Mama!

  She had to see! Forgetting her promise to stay put, she ran to her bedroom and looked out the front window. Everybody was running around the driveway to her right. She tried to see to the side by pressing her face to the glass but couldn't.

  The siren got loud and an ambulance pulled up front. Two men in white got a bed with wheels out of the back. They ran toward the place where she couldn't see. Didn't walk. Ran.

  “Mama, Mama, Mama. Please be all right, Mama.” Her lips kissed the glass with each word. “PleaseGodpleaseGodpleaseGod…”

  Suddenly, she saw the men bring the bed-thing back. They were still running. Her mama was strapped onto it. There was blood all over.

  Avi pressed her hands to the window.

  Then she screamed just like Daddy.

  Jered wanted to scream but feared if he did—within the confines of the police cruiser—his scream would whip around and swallow him whole. He wanted to close his eyes but couldn't. The sight of Annie McFay being wheeled to the ambulance, blood all over…

  “Hey, kid!”

  Jered jerked toward the voice. Jinko sat in the cruiser parked beside him. Neither car could move until they got the McFay cars out of the way. The windows were up, but Jinko didn't let that stop him. He yelled to make Jered hear.

  Jered looked away. It was all Jinko's fault.

  “Its all your fault, kid!”

  That last part caused him to look back. He shook his head.

  Jinko nodded toward the ambulance. “Your fault!” His smile was pure evil.

  The truck and van were moved, and a cop got in Jinko's cruiser and must have told him to shut up, because he didn't say any more. He just winked as he was driven away.

  “It's all your fault.”

  Was it?

  Another cop got in Jered's car and started the engine. “Time to go, boy.”

  “Where we going?”

  The cop scathed him with a look. “Jail.”

  “But I wasn't a part of this. Not really. I ran. Didn't you see me run? I escaped from Jinko, too.”

  “Save it. You can tell your story to Ken soon enough.”

  “But—”

  “You have the right to remain silent…”

  Jered recognized the Miranda rights from a zillion cop shows. He shook his head. “No, no…” He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want it said to him.

  The cop looked back at him. “No? You don't understand these rights?”

  “Well, yeah. Yes. I understand but—”

  The cop's voice was hard. “You don't realize the creek you're up, do you, boy?”

  “But I—”

  “You want a lawyer? We'll get you one.”

  He wanted his dad. But no way could he call him. No way.

  “I want a lawyer.”

  Cal burst through the kitchen door toward the front of the house. “Avi!”

  “Daddy!” His daughter appeared at the top of the stairs.

  “Come on! We need to get to the hospital.”

  She ran down and catapulted into his arms. He held her close and flew to the truck.

  She whispered in his ear, “I saw blood, Daddy. I saw blood.”

  “I know darlin'. I know.”

  I know!

  When the prayer group heard the siren, they looked up from their prayers. But they did not drop hands. In fact, they held each others hands even tighter.

  Merry's heart found her throat. The siren had to be related to the McFays. There weren't that many ambulance runs in Steadfast. A few scattered heart attacks, an occasional car accident, but not much more.

  This is much more.

  Merry stood, placing Bailey's hand in Susan's safekeeping. “I'm going to call the hospital.”

  “We'll keep going. Together, people,” Claire said. “‘Our Father, who art in heaven…'”

  Merry went into the narthex, flipped her cell phone open, and called the ER. Stella, her friend from the Bible study, answered. “What's with the siren, Stella? Fill me in.”

  “An ambulance was called to the McFays'. A gunshot wound.”

  Merry put a hand to her stomach. “Who is it?”

  Stella's voice broke. “Annie. Oh, Merry, it's Annie.”

  “Is she…?”

  “She's alive, but barely. Gunshot wound to the abdomen. ETA a couple minutes.”

  “I'm on my way.”

  Bailey stood, shell-shocked. Merry was gone. She'd stormed into the prayer group, said Annie had been shot, and was gone to the hospital in the span of seconds, taking the nurse, Susan, with her. He hadn't even had time to ask any questions.

  Claires hand touched his arm. “The hospital didn't mention Jered, Bailey, so I'm sure he's fine.”

  He took a step toward the door, then back, then toward the door again. “I don't know what to do.”

  Claire, Sim, Harold, that old couple from the library, and all the others who'd been praying gathered around him, offering comfort.

  But there was no comfort. Annie was shot; Jered was involved and might even be hurt. And he hadn't been there. He'd been here, praying.

  A lot of good it had done.

  He pulled away from the circle. “I have to go.”

  “Go where?” Harold asked. “We don't know if Jered is at the hospital or—”

  Bailey pushed open the door. “I have to go somewhere. I can't stay here doing nothing.”

  “It's not nothing, Bailey,” Claire said from the doorway.

  Whatever. “Who's driving me? Or do I have to walk?”

  “Cal!”

  He looked up when Merry and Susan burst into the ER entrance. He'd never been so glad to see anyone. Apparently, Avi felt the same because she jumped off Cal's lap and ran to Merry.

  Merry pulled Avis head against her rib cage. “Oh, baby. Shh, shh. It'll be all right.”

  Cal knew they were hollow words, but he grabbed on to them as truth. He'd take what he could get.

  Merry looked at Cal over Avis embrace. “Any word?”

  “Nothing.” He pointed to the back. “Somebody came out and said they were taking her to surgery.”

  “I'll go see what I can find out.” Susan tweaked the end of Avi's nose. “You stay here with your daddy and Merry, okay?”

  Cal sat and Avi found his lap. Merry remained standing. “Susans a nurse. Shell make it okay. I know it.”

  Cal wished he felt as confident.

  Avi found his hand. “Can we pray, Daddy?”

  Praying wouldn't do any good. It hadn't done any good for Treena. He remembered being huddled in a similar waiting room, praying prayers that were never answered.

  “Please?”

  He didn't need it, but Avi did. He took her other hand. Immediately she bowed her head and began, “God, please make Mama better…”

  In spite of himself, Cal found himself agreeing with everything his daughter said.

  Claire dropped Bailey off at the ER and went to park. He ran in and asked the lady at the ER desk about Jered.

  “Your son's not here, Bailey.”

  They both looked down the corridor as they heard a commotion going on in a nearby room. Was Annie in there?

  He turned back to the woman. “Then where is h
e?”

  “I don't know, but he's not here.”

  Worthless woman. Bailey turned to leave. She called after him. “You might try the police station.”

  Her words made his legs weak, but he didn't stop moving. And he didn't look back. He couldn't bear the humiliation. As he passed the waiting room, he spotted Merry, Cal, and a little girl. Cal was staring ahead like a zombie.

  Bailey looked at the exit. They hadn't seen him. Claire hadn't come in yet. He could slip out and not have to deal with them.

  Now. Not have to deal with them now. But you will have to deal with them.

  The little girl squirmed in her father's arms, breaking Cal's daze. He looked up and saw Bailey.

  Bailey had no choice but to acknowledge him. He'd come so close to getting out of the building…

  “Bailey,” Merry said. “What—?”

  “Bailey.” Cal's voice sounded like it had been torn in two. He held out a hand. “I'm so glad you came.”

  Awkwardly, Bailey took Cal's hand and gave it a pat. He sat across from the other three. The seats were the essence of uncomfortable. And tacky? Orange vinyl.

  Cal hugged his daughter closer, her head resting on his chest. He stroked her hair behind her ear over and over. And over. The repeated gesture would have driven Bailey crazy, but the girl didn't seem to mind.

  Bailey realized he should say something. “How's Annie doing?” He didn't ask who shot her.

  Cal glanced at Avi. “She's being taken care of.”

  “Where was she shot?”

  Merry looked alarmed. “Bailey…”

  Certainly the girl knew her mother had been shot?

  Cal put a hand to his daughter's ear. “In the stomach. The side.” He nodded and went back to the hair-behind-the-ear thing. “But she'll be fine. She'll be fine.”

  The girl nodded against his chest. Bailey noticed Cal had blood on his jeans. The implications made his stomach roll.

  Bailey shifted in his seat. He couldn't get comfortable. Besides, he had to go. He had to find…he had to know… “Have you seen Jered?”

  “The police have him.”

  “He's under arrest?”

  Cal's eyes cleared and narrowed. “He held us hostage, Bailey. Your son held us hostage.”

  Claire came in, breathless. “How's—?”

  Bailey stood, took her arm, and pulled her toward the door. “I have to go. I hope Annies okay, Cal. I really do.”