“Ah, what a lovely name,” Edwin said. “A lovely name for a lovely flower.”
“Let her go,” Paul demanded.
“In time,” Edwin said.
“No. She has nothing to do with any of this. It’s between you and me.”
Edwin slowly removed his hand from over Julie’s mouth.
“Paul,” she said. Her eyes widened with fear and worry. Paul held his hand in the air, pleading for Edwin to take it easy. At the moment, the panic, the sirens, fires, and explosions were nonexistent. The only thing that mattered was what was happening right in front of him. The rest of the world was going to have to wait.
“Please,” he said slowly. “I’m begging you to let her go. We can work out whatever we need to work out without involving a child.”
Paul’s plea failed to reach Edwin. Julie shook in his grip as he reached to his side and pulled his Beretta from its holster.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to hold on to her. You see, in my business, children make great collateral damage.”
Paul felt his desperation growing. He wondered if there would be any reasoning with Edwin. He was certain that he would have no choice but to charge Edwin at that point, like a mad dog. But then what? Edwin would shoot him, just as he did the man in the parking lot, then there would be no hope whatsoever for Julie.
“I’ll tell you whatever you need to know about Bill. I’ll take you to him. Anything you want.”
“This isn’t about Bill anymore. It’s personal now,” Edwin said with his pistol steadily aimed at Paul.
“How is this personal?” Paul asked.
“You offended me,” Edwin said. “And the damage has already been done. The only question is, will I be leaving one body or two? The decision is all yours.”
Paul tried reasoning once more, but with a more forceful tone.
“Do you not see what is going on right now? Do you even care? Power outages, mushroom clouds, radiation alerts. None of us may see tomorrow, do you understand that?”
“Well, we can be certain that you’ll be the first,” Edwin said, clicking the hammer of the pistol back with his thumb. Tears streamed from Julie’s eyes.
“No!” she shouted.
Paul flinched at the sight of the barrel. His life, it felt, flashed before his eyes in fragments that made little sense at the moment. He could see his own death while feeling an odd mixture of pain and relief. The inside lining of Edwin’s coat brushed against Julie’s shoulder. She felt something metallic, like a pocketknife. She reached inside his pocket, quick and stealth-like, and pulled the knife out without Edwin taking notice.
“I’ll give you an address,” Paul said.
“Your services are no longer needed in that area,” Edwin said.
“Just listen to me for one second. I can save you a lot of trouble, just promise that you will let my daughter go.”
Paul’s voice grew louder and cracked as he begged for mercy.
“Just give me that option. It’s all I ask,” he continued.
Edwin lowered his pistol while shaking his head. He studied Paul with a perplexed look and laughed to himself.
“You really are a marvel of sorts,” Edwin said. “Here you are, a man in no position to barter anything, and you’re still making demands. I have you at gunpoint. I have your daughter, and then you offer me a trade? Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to kill you, and then, if she’s nice, I won’t kill your daughter—”
Suddenly Edwin felt an instant jab of cold steel go straight into his stomach. At first, its origins felt unusual and deeply foreign. He glanced down at the source of the intense pain. A pocketknife protruded from his stomach. Julie’s small hand gripped its handle. She yanked it out with force and blood quickly flowed from the wound. For Edwin, the pain had still not fully settled in. What felt like a pinprick soon grew into agonizing shock. Edwin stumbled backwards with both hands clasped over his stomach. His pistol fell to the ground in a small pile of leaves near Julie’s feet. In the midst of his stagger, Edwin tripped over a dead branch and fell on his back. His hat and sunglasses landed nearby. He had been rendered unarmed, helpless, and in agonizing pain.
Julie backed away while holding the knife. She stared at Edwin, emotionless. He gritted his teeth and crouched into a fetal position. His eyes darted to the pistol on the ground only a few feet away.
“Julie!” Paul shouted, snapping her out of her daze. She turned to him and was met with an intense embrace.
“Are you okay?” he asked, throwing his arms around her.
She nodded and rubbed her hand across her face to remove her tears.
“Come here,” Paul said. He pulled her closer and hugged tightly. “I’m so sorry,” he said.
Edwin crawled towards them like a wounded animal. He held one outstretched arm in the air and grabbed at the nearby pistol. Paul and Julie took quick notice of Edwin’s approach. Paul pulled Julie away and placed himself between them. Edwin moved closer, grunting along the way. Paul looked at the ground to see what Edwin was lurking towards. The pistol lay there like a prize.
Paul lunged forward just as Edwin pushed himself over to the pistol. He nearly stumbled as Julie ran in front of him. She rushed to the ground and landed on her knees beside Edwin. He lay on his stomach, concealing the pistol in a protective manner. Julie raised the knife into the air and brought it down into Edwin’s back. The stab brought screams of pain from Edwin. Blood gurgled from his throat and out of his mouth into the sullied ground below.
Paul ran behind Julie, grabbed her arm, and held it tightly.
“Julie, stop that!” he shouted. He yanked the knife from her hand and pulled her away. She cried into his chest with all the pain they had encountered so far. Paul looked past her to see Edwin writhing on the ground. His bloodied hand managed to grasp the pistol, though he could barely hold it up.
“I’ll-kill-both-of-you,” he muttered between gasps.
Paul let go of Julie and gently nudged her away. Edwin tried to aim the pistol but couldn’t control the shakiness of his hand. Paul knelt down on Edwin’s side and yanked the pistol from his hand. Edwin gave little fight. His arm collapsed on the ground as Paul stood over him. Paul had never shot anyone before. Even though he despised Edwin and knew the man to be a monster, he was hesitant about taking his life. If he didn’t pull the trigger, Edwin would possibly die as a result of his multiple stab wounds. He would die at the hands of Julie. Paul looked at her remorseless and blank expression. Perhaps she was as scared as he had been just moments ago. But as he tried to influence Edwin with words, she had lashed out with violence. The ease with which she stabbed Edwin was troubling in itself. Who was the girl who stood before him?
Edwin’s breathing was erratic and frenzied. His body jerked in spastic rhythms. His skin was pale and his eyes were stricken with a hopeless gaze. Paul believed that Edwin was dying, though he was unsure how long it would take.
“Julie, I want you to turn away,” Paul said.
She sniffled, unresponsive.
“Julie,” Paul repeated. “Look away now.”
Julie looked up at Paul.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I have to do this. Just do as I say.”
“Let him suffer,” she said.
Paul could feel the steel of the folded knife in the pocket of his jeans. A small blotch of red had formed over his pocket. It was a reminder of where the knife had been.
“Turn around now,” Paul demanded.
Their eyes locked, but Julie eventually backed down, reluctantly complied, and turned her head to the side.
“You should probably cover your ears too,” Paul said.
She slowly held her palms to both ears. Paul aimed directly at the back of Edwin’s slumped head. As he caressed the trigger with his index finger, Paul realized that he hadn’t even checked to see if the gun was loaded. He thought about the man Edwin killed in the parking lot as if he was nothing more than a pesky insect.
Paul too
k a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The pistol jumped in his hand. The shot left his ears ringing. Edwin’s head jerked to the side as it split open at the top. The erratic movements of his body ceased. His arms lay motionless at his side. Blood rushed from his gaping head wound and formed a thick puddle on the dirt below. Julie removed her hands from her ears and observed Edwin’s lifeless body.
“Who was he?” she asked.
Paul lowered the pistol in a daze and walked over.
“Don’t look at him,” he said. “Let’s go.”
“But you knew him,” she said.
“I did. He was a criminal, a murderer. He was after my boss, Bill. But it doesn’t matter. We need to get out of here. Come on.”
Paul took Julie’s hand. He stuck the pistol in his pocket as if it belonged to him.
“I’m sorry, Julie. I really am. I’m sorry you had to go through that, but you’re safe now. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”
“I saved your life,” Julie said, sounding proud.
Paul thought to himself for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He looked for some signs of innocence in her eyes.
“That’s right,” he said. “I guess you did. Thank you.”
Julie followed him back into the woods. She had little fight left in her and allowed him to lead the way. Paul turned to her.
“You’ve got to make a promise to me. From now on, you need to listen to me. No more running away. You stay with me until we get home.”
“Okay,” she responded in monotone.
She took a glance backwards to get one more look at Edwin. His body was still there among the leaves on the ground.
“What about the police? What are we going to say?” she asked.
“We’re going to tell them the truth. But we need to get home first.”
Paul pulled the map from his pocket and unraveled it. They didn’t speak for some time after. The wailing of the emergency sirens reentered their consciousness as if the sound had been temporarily muted. There were no easy answers in front of them or any clear direction, just the forest as far as they could see.
Chapter Nine
A New Discovery
The hills ahead were tiring and monotonous. Often, when they reached the top of one, they expected to see a town waiting below. They yearned for any strikingly familiar sight in their path, but there were only more trees and dense forest. It was getting darker out as the sun sunk further below the horizon. Paul stopped at a creek and cautiously advised that they drink from its waters. Both Paul and Julie were too dehydrated to resist. The farther they walked, the more distant the emergency sirens became. Though it was nice to find some tranquility, it also meant that they were moving deeper into nothing. They were tired, dirty, and hungry. They hadn’t said much to each other since Edwin. Their exchanges consisted of the occasional “how much longer?” from Julie. Paul led the way, map in hand. “Not much,” he would say. “We’re almost there, I can feel it.”
Julie wanted nothing more than to get out of her sweaty soccer uniform and into bed. She had lost her phone and Paul’s had half a bar left. The devices that they had relied on so heavily throughout a normal day had become paperweights in their pockets, although Paul had found a helpful use for his, courtesy of a compass app. As they walked, he cursed the map under his breath and out of hearing distance from Julie.
Having known Paul over the years, Julie wasn’t sure what a promise meant from him. Their relationship, outside of Samantha, consisted of him picking her up from soccer practice. She had never wanted to move from Philadelphia to Beech Creek, but had done so because of her mother’s marriage to Paul. After losing his IT job after a round of layoffs, her family struggled financially. The temporary answer to their problems became Paul’s parents’ house in Beech Creek. Small town life soon followed. Because of Paul, she had to move away from her friends and to a new town. Because of Paul, they had run out of gas. Because of Paul, she met Edwin. And now, because of Paul, they were in the woods with no end in sight.
At the bottom of the hill, Paul stopped to reassess their direction. He held up the map, studying it. His fingers moved across the surface in the spot on the map he believed they were. Julie walked past him without taking notice.
“Hold on, Julie,” he said.
She stopped and turned around.
“What now?” she asked.
Paul’s eyes followed the wooded area on the map. He moved his finger to a nearby symbol.
“According to the map, there’s an Army reserve base close by. We could stop there and get some help.”
“How far?” Julie asked.
“It should be right over this next hill,” he said.
Julie sighed.
“Guess we don’t have much of a choice then,” she said.
“This is good,” Paul said with a smile. “We’re going to be alright.”
Feeling hopeful, Paul led the way with Julie in tow. Perhaps he was right. Everything might turn out better after all. However, another hour of walking and Julie felt like she would collapse. They avoided conversation about Edwin and continued ahead. What would they tell Samantha? What would they tell anyone? And would they tell anyone?
“Keep up, Julie,” Paul said, turning back to her.
The prospect of military assistance energized Paul. He would ask them to explain what had happened. Why was there a mushroom cloud over Beech Creek? Were the radiation concerns legitimate? They would know everything. It was perfect. His hunger for knowledge rivaled the growing pains in his stomach.
Up ahead, they saw a road. Its welcoming sight brought great relief. Paul’s pace quickened as Julie struggled to keep up.
“We found it,” he said with surprise, though the area was deserted. They approached the side of the narrow and worn two-lane road. Paul hurried to a sign implanted on the right side of the road that read: “Army Reserve Center: 1 Mile.”
“This is it, I knew we were close,” Paul said. His excitement showed, and Julie suddenly felt hopeful as well.
“Maybe they’re using it as a shelter,” Julie said.
“Even better,” Paul said. “They can tell us exactly what is going on.”
After making it to the gate, they could see a two-story building. The entire area was surrounded by large chain-link fence. The front gate was open, but oddly enough, no vehicles were around. Paul grew suspicious. It seemed that it would have been an ideal place to seek shelter.
“We made it,” Paul said while doing his best to sound encouraging.
Julie trailed behind his brisk steps.
“There’s no one here,” Julie said.
As they entered through the gate, Paul was surprised to find the parking lot ahead of them empty. He looked around for signs of life. A security guard, a soldier, a stray cat--anything. Each window in the building was dark. It didn’t look like there was a light on in the entire premises. Letters on the top front of the building read: “William P. Ganz Army Reserve Center.” A large flagpole stood in the center of the parking lot with an American flag waving fiercely in the wind.
“There has to be someone here,” Paul said.
They walked along the sidewalk to the front entrance of the building where four large glass doors awaited them. Paul pushed against one and found it locked. He pulled at the door and got the same results. Julie stood nearby, observing the parking lot while Paul tried to open each door. He shook and rattled the last one in frustration, but it remained closed. He hit the glass door several times with the bottom of his fist. Julie walked up and peered through the glass. She saw an unoccupied front desk. Past the desk were darkened halls as far as she could see. Several chairs were knocked over and scattered throughout the front entrance room, as if the place had been abandoned in haste. Boxes, paper, what looked like common trash also littered the floor. Paul stuck his face to the window as well.
“Do you see anyone?” he asked.
“Not yet,” Julie said.
Paul backed away from the
door and looked back out into the parking lot.
“You see that?” he asked, pointing to the flagpole.
“They’re supposed to lower the flag at the end of each day. It’s still up there.”
Paul stopped to gather his thoughts. He didn’t know exactly what it meant, but continued.
“It means that someone has to be here.”
He walked away from the entrance to explore more of the center. Julie followed.
“There might be another entrance somewhere,” he added as they walked around the building along the freshly cut grass. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”
As they made their way to the other side of the building, they noticed a one-lane road leading to a maintenance area. A sign near the road read: “Motor Pool,” enticing them further.
There was no entrance on the other side of the building, so Paul chose the road to the motor pool.
“I think I see some vehicles,” he said. He then turned around to wait for Julie. “Do you want to stop to rest?”
“No, I’m okay,” she answered.
Paul nodded, and they continued along the cracked asphalt. They noticed a military hangar close by. The wheeled chain-linked gate to the hangar was open as well, allowing them to enter the area without issue.
The hanger looked deserted. The rolling warehouse door was open, and all Paul could see was darkness inside. The entire facility had to be the most unsecured military installation Paul could have ever imagined. They passed an outside bench and some trash cans and approached the inside of the hanger with caution. Paul could see several large military trucks parked inside. Some had their hoods open, others were missing tires. Several tools were strewn across the concrete oil-stained floor. The place looked like it had been abandoned in haste.
“Listen,” Paul said, halting Julie.
They heard a faint sound of cluttered movement from the back. Paul walked carefully ahead, keeping Julie at a safe distance behind. He saw a person waving a flashlight in the air. It was a man, professional looking, not in uniform, wearing civilian casual business attire. He was busy packing a Humvee with boxes. He took no notice of their presence and was heavily invested in his work. Paul stopped and held his arm out.
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