One Week To Live

by Joan Beth Erickson

  “So it could be a few days since someone checked the area?”

  “The security people sweep the place after the implosion team finishes. They’d notice anything suspicious.” The construction worker pressed the button on his watch. “Ten minutes to detonations. We better get out of here.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until I find Angie and Polly.” He’d die before he’d give up trying to find them. Wasn’t it said that if someone is willing to die for someone it must be true love? He’d loved before, but never like this. He didn’t want to live without Angie. This painful realization hit him squarely in the heart.

  ****

  Holding Polly, Angie stumbled through the darkness, her head throbbing from the bump she’d received when she’d fallen. She still wondered where she was. She’d been tripping and stumbling around the cavernous space for some time, but hadn’t found a way out. She hated being so disoriented.

  She didn’t understand why Tucker left them tied up in the dark. Since his plan included revenge, why hadn’t he already killed them? It must mean he’d eventually return to finish the job. He wanted her to suffer more before he did.

  A loud horn echoed in the darkness. She listened, but it stopped before she could figure out where it came from. If she’d gotten a fix on the sound, she might be able to follow it to an exit. Unfortunately, she hadn’t. She clung tighter to Polly.

  “You’re hurting me,” the kid yelled, trying to wiggle out of her arms before bursting into more sobs.

  She needed to save her precious grandchild if it was the last thing she did. She thought of Brian again. Would she ever see his wonderful green eyes again, feel his gentle lips on hers, touch his freckled face? What had he said once? A face without freckles was a night without stars. She longed for that crazy, wonderful humor right now.

  Thirst and hunger gnawed at her along with growing fear. She couldn’t die here. She stumbled on through the dark, one faltering step after another. She shifted Polly to her right hip and extended her left hand in front of her, not wanting to slam into something she couldn’t see.

  She peered through darkness searching for anything that might lead her out of this place. Then she saw it, a faint sliver of light. Were her eyes playing tricks on her?

  The light bobbled and died. She continued toward where she’d seen it. As she did, it reappeared. Her hand touched something solid, a door. It stood slightly ajar allowing only a minimal amount of light to slip through. She shoved on the door. It wouldn’t budge. Her momentary relief vanished.

  She put her left shoulder into it and shoved hard hoping to move whatever blocked the way. It still wouldn’t budge. She needed both hands. She gently slipped Polly from her arms. “Don’t wander off, honey.” Using both hands, she continued to shove. To her surprise, tiny Polly tried to help her by pushing on the door, too.

  Thinking she heard voices, she stopped for a minute and listened. Yes, she definitely heard voices. She yelled out and continued to push against the door. She prayed this time the people were close enough to hear her. She wanted to escape before Tucker returned.

  ****

  Brian heard it first, the faint sound of someone calling out. He scanned his flashlight beam around the remains of the ballroom reception area. He again heard the distant cry along with a banging noise. He stepped over the rubble and followed the sound. The flashlight beam caught a door cracked slightly open. Was someone trying to push on it from the other side? A pile of broken concrete pieces blocked it. Mindless of tripping hazards, he rushed across the floor toward the door.

  “Angie,” he called out.

  “Help,” someone pleaded.

  “Angie, is that you?”

  “Brian,” she sobbed.

  “Thank God.” Relief and happiness filled him. He pulled at the door but couldn’t move it because of the debris in front of it. He had to remove the rubble nearest the door before she could escape. Thinking of how little time remained, he fought panic. He could hear Polly’s cries. He looked over at the construction worker.

  “Time’s running out, man,” the guy said. “Less than ten minutes to go.”

  “We have to save them.”

  “With the proper equipment, we could easily get rid of that stuff, but all the equipment is gone.”

  “We have these,” Brian said, waving his hands in front of the worker’s face. “I’m not going to let them die.”

  “Brian,” she sobbed. “Get us out of here.”

  “I will. Don’t panic.”

  Putting down his flashlight, he grabbed pieces of concrete and heaved them aside. Joe joined him. Together they worked feverishly mindful of the ticking clock. The construction guy disappeared. When he returned, several other workers came with him. They, too, began to hurl concrete and twisted rebar out of the way.

  “Thanks,” Brian said, continuing to work.

  “Murphy?” Dunning called out.

  “Over here,” Brian shouted, continuing to remove debris without stopping.

  “You know the building is about to be imploded,” Dunning said, arriving at his side.

  “Angie and Polly are trapped behind that door.” Brian mopped sweat from his brow with the edge of his T-shirt.

  Without another word, the special agent stooped and began pitching broken concrete pieces.

  When they finally got the door opened far enough for them to escape, only five minutes remained. Angie handed Polly out to Dunning and then squeezed out herself. She fell into Brian’s arms sobbing. He held her close, drinking in her wonderful softness as she pressed against him. He fought the tears of relief flooding his eyes. Maybe men weren’t supposed to cry, but he couldn’t help himself.

  “Come on, you two lovebirds,” Dunning said. “There’s less than five minutes before this building blows.”

  “Blows?” Angie looked at Brian. “What does he mean?”

  Brian grabbed her hand. “I’ll explain later. The man’s right. It’s time to make tracks.”

  Exiting the building, they needed to get away from the blast zone quickly. However, climbing back over the fence wasn’t an option. He looked over at one of the construction workers.

  “This way,” the man shouted. “Follow me. There’s a gate in the fence.”

  ****

  As they reached the police barricade, the fireworks erupted with a load boom. A cheer rang out from the gathered crowd. Angie and Brian ducked under the barricade tape and squeezed into the throng standing behind it.

  “Hey, mister,” a guy yelled as he elbowed Brian out of the way. “We were here first. Move it.”

  “We’re staying right where we are,” Brian muttered, glaring at the man.

  “You want to make something of it,” the guy replied, handing his beer to his girlfriend.

  “I might,” he said, balling his fists up.

  “Brian, no,” Angie cautioned. His adrenaline ran as high as hers. However, they didn’t need a fistfight.

  Seeing trouble brewing, Dunning cut between Brian and the troublemaker. “Step back,” he said to the beer-toting guy. “And you, Brian, cool it.”

  “Who are you?” the guy demanded.

  “The Feds,” Dunning said, pulling his badge out of his pants pocket and flashing it. “You don’t want to mess with me.”

  Saying nothing, the guy backed away.

  “Let’s stand over there by the police vehicles,” Dunning said.

  They complied with his order. She could tell Brian’s anger still simmered just below the surface. He wanted a fight, a way to get rid of pent-up emotions. Her emotions were mixed. She wanted to laugh with relief and at the same time cry. She took a shaky breath finding it difficult to believe that she’d been rescued from the prison she’d been trapped in. Thanks to Brian, she’d escaped certain death. He was her hero and much more.

  Dunning held Polly in his arms, stroking her back to soothe her sobs. It amazed her that a man who normally appeared so rigid and inflexible could transform into a caring, loving person
with Polly.

  “Do you have children, Special Agent Dunning?” she asked.

  He nodded. “A boy of nine and a girl about Polly’s age. They’re in Washington with their mother. We’re divorced.”

  The crowd cheered as the fireworks moved into high gear. They spilled off the rooftop in a brilliant red waterfall that cascaded down the building’s face. Then countless multihued showers shot skyward lighting the night in sparkling bursts of color.

  She glanced over at Polly. Her sobs ceased. Her eyes no longer held tears. Instead they reflected wonder as she gazed at the pyrotechnic display illuminating the sky. Many youngsters hid from the loud noise accompanying the fireworks, but she didn’t. She was a trouper, a person any grandmother could be proud of.

  “I’ve called for an ambulance,” Dunning shouted. “Polly needs to be looked at. Her mother’s going to meet her at the hospital.”

  Angie nodded. “I’ll ride with Polly if that’s okay. She shouldn’t be alone with strangers.”

  Brian studied her for a minute, brushing her hair back from her face. “You’ve got a hell of a bump on your forehead.”

  She winced at his touch, and gingerly surveyed the spot.

  “While you’re at the hospital have that looked at,” he said. “Joe can give me a ride. I’ll meet you there.”

  She nodded. She wasn’t looking forward to confronting Susan a second time and wanted Brian by her side. She attempted to focus on the fireworks, but she couldn’t ignore the nerves now knotting her stomach. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.

  “It will be okay,” he said, kissing her cheek.

  He must sense her uneasiness, but his encouraging words fell short. A loud explosion drew their attention back to the building. Huge fireballs burst from the building’s interior in a show of scourging heat and fiery orange flames. The implosion followed in a choreographed set of explosions. Dust and debris puffed from the structure increasing in intensity as they set off each charge. The building then crumbled in on itself in slow motion leaving a heap of rubble and a cloud of dust.

  The building’s rubble sat in a huge pile that filled their former basement prison. If he hadn’t rescued them, they would be buried beneath that pile without anyone knowing they were there. She shuddered.

  Looking at him, she saw her own terror mirrored in his eyes. The comfort of his embrace melted away some of the fear she still harbored.

  “I almost lost you,” he whispered, tears choking his words. “Dear God, if I hadn’t arrived in time.”

  She gently stroked his freckled face, once more thinking of the silly comparison between those freckles and stars. “But you did,” she said, wishing to reassure him as much as she wanted to be reassured. Clinging to him, tears of relief filled her eyes. “Thanks to you, I’m alive and so is Polly.”

  Mopping his own tears away with the back of his hand, he bent and gently kissed her lips. Most men would be embarrassed to show their emotions, but he wasn’t. This tugged at her heart. She returned his kiss, savoring the lips she’d feared she’d never taste again.

  Before more could be said, the ambulance arrived and whisked Angie and Polly off to the hospital. Amazingly they didn’t wait long to see an ER doctor. Susan hadn’t arrived yet so Angie sat on a stool next to Polly while the doctor examined her.

  “Except for some scratches, she appears to be okay,” the doctor said, listening to her lungs with a stethoscope.

  Angie feared asking the next question. “Was she…?

  “Physically abused,” the doctor filled in. “I don’t think so, but I’d like to run some tests.”

  Polly stared up at the doctor, fear filling her brown eyes. “She’s definitely been traumatized,” he said, studying his chart. “I’ll need your name and your relationship to the child.”

  “I’m her grandmother,” she said.

  The white curtain shielding the examining area flew open. “No, she’s not,” Susan announced, marching in and rushing to Polly.

  Angie gritted her teeth.

  “Is she all right?” Susan asked, reaching out to pick up her daughter.

  “For the most part, yes,” the doctor said. “Who are you?”

  “I’m the child’s mother.” Polly wrapped her little arms around Susan’s neck. She held her daughter close, covering the side of her scratched, dirty face with kisses.

  “Did he hurt her?” she asked further studying Polly’s tear-stained face.

  “I don’t think so,” the doctor replied, “but I want to check her over further.”

  Polly started to cry again. “We’ll go home soon, honey,” Susan said.

  “I’m sleepy, Mommy.”

  “There’s a possibility she was drugged,” the doctor said. “I’d like to do a blood test to verify it. Find out what he used.”

  “My poor baby,” Susan mumbled, hugging Polly closer. She glared at Angie. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was trapped with your daughter in the building that just imploded,” she said. She hated to admit it to her daughter, but she had to. “The kidnapper wanted revenge against me. That’s why he abducted both of us.”

  “My Polly was with you.”

  The way she said “you” irritated Angie. “Yes, the kidnapper dragged both of us into that building, tied us up, and left us for dead.”

  “It’s all your fault,” Susan said, continuing to glare at Angie. “Because of you my little girl nearly died.”

  “Both of us almost died,” she threw back. “And she’s my Polly, too. I’m her grandmother.” She didn’t need Susan’s accusations. She already felt guilty enough. Why couldn’t the woman just be happy her daughter was safe?

  “She’ll never be your Polly,” Susan said. “And don’t call me your daughter because I’m not. You gave birth to me, but that doesn’t make you my mother. You’re a stranger that I want nothing to do with.”

  Her heart broke with these words and she blinked back tears. She was glad to see Brian enter the examining area.

  Susan turned her glare to him. “I hope you don’t want any more stories.”

  “No,” he said. “The child is safe.”

  “No thanks to her,” Susan spat back. “Can we go now, doctor?”

  “You should be thanking Angie,” Brian said. “Her premonition led me to the building site. Her psychic ability helped save your daughter’s life.”

  “I’ll never be thankful to her for putting my little girl in danger.”

  Her daughter’s attitude infuriated her. “I’m your mother, Susan. I’m trying to forgive the harsh words you’ve thrown at me. I care about Polly just as much as you do. I protected her from harm during our captivity. I would have given my life for her to keep her safe.”

  Susan, her lips pursed, said nothing.

  “Family is important, Susan. I admire your strength in going it alone, but you don’t need to. I’m here for you.”

  Susan continued to stare at Angie, but her expression softened a little.

  “Yes, I abandoned you once, but I never will again, I promise.”

  “I can’t trust that promise,” Susan said. The doctor motioned for her to follow him.

  As she did, Polly looked over her mother’s shoulder and waved at Angie. “Bye-bye, grandma.”

  The grandchild’s simple words tore at Angie’s heart. Waving back, she said “Bye-bye, Polly.”

  ****

  They didn’t leave the hospital for another hour. The rain stopped, but humidity filled the warm night air. Even at 3 A.M., there was considerable street traffic in front of the hospital. An ambulance entered the hospital driveway, its siren wailing.

  “The city that never sleeps,” she muttered, touching the bandage on her forehead. The doctor wanted her to stay overnight so they could observe her for a possible concussion, but she refused. She just wanted to go home.

  “You need to get a new car,” she said quickly growing tired of waiting for the taxi.

  “I know,” he replie
d then hesitated. “You should know Tucker’s dead.”

  She couldn’t stop the relief flooding through her. Maybe it wasn’t right to wish someone dead who she’d respected at one time, but she couldn’t help herself. She’d never forgive him for what he’d put Polly through. Never mind what he’d done to her.

  He filled her in on how Tucker died. Perhaps she should feel some kind of compassion for the man, but she didn’t. He’d wanted her dead. The hatred that forced him to plan such a revenge was a powerful poison, a poison that led him to an act of lunacy that nearly cost them their lives.

  “I’m not proud of what I did, but I’d do it again if it meant finding you,” he said.

  She looked at him. “What did you do?”

  He grimaced. “I grabbed the dying man by his shirt front and shook him because he refused to tell me where he’d left you. He was determined to die without revealing your whereabouts, and I was determined to drag the information out of him before he did. If a cop hadn’t pulled me off of him, I’d have beaten the man into submission.”

  Reaching up, she gently stroked his face. “My hero.”

  “I can’t take the credit. You’re the one who led me to where the two of you were trapped. I followed the facts in your premonition.”

  “My dreams mean nothing, Brian.”

  “You have so little faith in yourself. How can I make you see that you possess a special gift? A gift that saved your life.”

  “You’re crazy,” she said, turning away from the love shining in his eyes. It left her both breathless and frightened. No one ever displayed such trust in her before. People had made fun of her all her life because of her visions. Why should he be any different?

  “No, I am not crazy. I love you, Angie Martin. I want you to believe in yourself like I do. Your visions of an explosion led me to you and Polly.”

  “I can’t accept that.” She’d heard his words of love spoken with such honesty. An honesty that shook her to the core. No one had ever said those words and meant them.

  “You need to. We found the house from your dreams exactly like you described it. It’s where Tucker hid Polly all week.”

  “But my dreams never told me where the house was. How did you find it?”