Feeling claustrophobic under the blanket, I wanted to sit and look around instead of lying on the hard, uncomfortable roof. Despite the heavy blanket under and over me, I shivered. I could feel Rick lying still next to me, shifting slightly away every time we accidentally touched each other.
Maybe a minute later, I heard the rumble of gravel. They had arrived. I pushed up against Rick, not caring if he shifted away. Much to my surprise, he didn’t. Jeremy pushed against me, too. I guess he didn’t want me to go too far.
Rick slid his warm hand under my blanket, down my arm and grabbed my hand. My heart thumped hard, and I really couldn’t breathe.
Noisy crunches of gravel sounded like bombs going off, one after the other, getting faster and faster and closer and closer. I wanted to curl up into a ball, but knew it would make a noise in the house. All we could do now was wait. I started breathing again, keeping it quiet and shallow and yet it sounded so loud.
I thought I heard the click of the front or back door. Every sound amplified when gripped with terror. An eerie silence fell over the house. Seconds later, loud, frantic screams, as well as gun shots, met my ears followed by more silence. The sounds weren’t coming through the roof, they were coming from the front of the house—perhaps through the open front door. A drop of cold sweat crept down my spine and my breathing involuntarily sped up.
This was my fault. People were dying because of me. I should go and let them take me, to save the others. I could end this. Letting go of Rick’s hand, I rolled over and bent my legs under me to stand. In a flash, Jeremy’s arm came down hard on my back.
“Christy!” he said in a voice that echoed under my blanket. “Don’t move.”
“I have to go,” I whispered. “People are dying because of me. I need to go to them and let them take me. Then it’d be over.”
I tried to pull myself up, but I couldn’t even wiggle. His arm, like a clamp, held me down. Jeremy was completely under my blanket with me now, both arms holding me tight. My knees ached from being pressed into the hard shingles. I was so uncomfortable that I wanted to scream, but that would give them all away. I couldn’t give them away.
“Calm down, take a deep breath,” Jeremy whispered. “This is not your fault. We cannot let them win. We will win and you will live. Remember, you are going to save the country.” His whisper was so low, I could barely hear it over our breathing. “You figured it out yesterday. Remember. We need you. You are the key to saving our country.”
My chest burned and somehow I knew, even though a bit dramatic, he spoke the truth. The terrorists really were trying to get control of all our natural resources, which meant they would eventually control this country.
“You must survive. You will stop countless deaths and misery. You alone.”
“What about Marybeth?”
There was silence.
“What about Marybeth?” Fear fluttered through me.
“Everything’s going to be okay. We got her.”
My heart thudded so hard, I was sure Jeremy could hear it. What was he keeping from me?
“Was she alive?” I asked in a choked whisper.
“Of course,” he said.
I sighed.
“Now be quiet,” he said.
My knees ached for relief, but I was too afraid to change my position. I kept my ears open for any sound. I could hear faint bumping noises below us and muffled voices from the front of the house.
Suddenly, directly below us, I heard, “There’s nothing sir,” the middle eastern accent was unmistakable. “No sign of tampering. These alarms haven’t been touched.”
“Check again!” Agent Durrant’s voice boomed with exasperation. “They didn’t just disappear into thin air. This house will be checked from the basement up. Every inch of it. We have to find those kids. Now, move!”
“That bastard,” Jeremy whispered. “Agent Durrant is the mole.”
“They’re going to find us anyway, Jeremy.”
“No they won’t. A team will be here soon to rescue us.”
“What?”
“I sounded the alarm with Nathan. I figure we’ve got around five more minutes before this place is crawling with the FBI agents.
“Ones like Agent Durrant?” I couldn’t help myself.
“No…like me. Just stay still.”
The pain in my knees was sharper than ever, and I wondered how much longer I could hold out.
A distant whir-whir sound filled the air. The distinct sound of chopper blades slicing the air gave me hope even though they didn’t seem to get close enough.
Minutes later, I heard the crunch, crunch of footsteps on the gravel as the FBI approached.
I fell from my knees onto my side and cried silently. Jeremy loosened his hold on me and patted my back, keeping me close. He breathed deeply, like he shared my relief.
Loud bursts of gun fire filled the air. I hoped the crystal clear screaming and yelling belonged to the terrorists and not the FBI. I waited motionless for endless minutes, holding back tears in anticipation.
More yelling and crashing noises pushed their way into our ears. The minutes dragged on and on until Nathan’s voice screamed out into the night.
“Jeremy, where are you man? Where’d you go? We’re secure. You can come out now.”
Jeremy let go of me and sat up, the blanket shifting away from us. I didn’t move and neither did the others. He stood up and looked around.
“Up here,” Jeremy yelled. “I’ll come down.” Then he spoke to us. “Stay up here, okay guys?”
We could hear people talking, but we were still frozen in place. After a few minutes, that seemed like hours, Jeremy yelled up to us.
“Okay guys, it’s safe. Go ahead and get down from there, but wait for me in the room.”
I turned onto my back and rubbed my knees.
“You okay?” Rick asked, helping an eager Summer reach the window.
“I think so,” I said, looking up at the starry sky and saying a silent thank-you-prayer. Rick sat down next to me.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in all my life,” he said.
“Me either,” I said. I looked sheepishly at him, amazed he had talked to me.
“Christy—”
“You guys coming?” Jeremy called out the window, interrupting him.
“On our way,” Rick said, standing up and offering me a hand. I climbed through the window, wishing Rick had the chance to finish what he wanted to say to me.
My knees throbbed with pain when I planted my feet on the carpet.
“Listen you guys,” he said. “There’s a lot of scary stuff down there that you don’t want to see. Don’t look. I’ll go first, you guys follow one at a time and only look at the person in front of you. Do you understand?”
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on him and we all nodded.
“Good. Just look straight ahead until we’re outside.”
Summer pushed her way behind Jeremy. Rick and I followed, down the hall and to the balcony that led to the stairs. Jeremy stopped and yelled down, “Hey guys, kids on their way.”
I stood there, staring at the ceiling fan above us, slowly pushing air that smelled like metal and smoke all around.
“Come on, Christy,” Rick said, reaching back and taking my hand. I tried to only look at the back of Rick’s head, but couldn’t. I had to see what happened while we were on the roof. I looked over the railing to see some federal agents staring up at us, with unbelieving gazes, while others milled purposefully about, turning over bodies that lay strewn in unnatural positions, checking for pulses as they went. The color red dominated. Acid burned my throat. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to forget the images. Why did I look? I breathed deeply through my mouth trying to overcome my growing nausea, but it kept building.
Focus on your breathing, I told myself. You are taking a walk in the mountains. It is a beautiful day, there is a light breeze…We made it to the bottom of the stairs.
Then I smelled it. T
he sweet, sticky smell of blood. It seemed to fill my lungs and make it impossible for me to breathe. I gasped, looking around, I was surrounded by dead bodies, one of which was staring right back at me, Sam. I pushed past Rick, then Summer, and finally bored past Jeremy into the cold night air. I fell to my knees, only to scream out in pain, trying to get air into my lungs. No air came, I threw up violently. Jeremy kneeled beside me and whispered, “It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay.”
Someone gently held my hair back until I fell to my side, unable to puke anymore. I could hear someone else wretch, too. I shook all over.
“Can we get some blankets over here, please.” Jeremy yelled. “I think she’s in shock.”
Bundling up in the blankets felt heavenly.
Soon, I was tucked away in a warm ambulance on a nice, comfy gurney. Rick held my hand and lay on the bench next to me. I couldn’t find words to tell him what I wanted to say.
I wanted to apologize for my behavior with Alex, for the gala—for everything, but it didn’t seem to be the right time. Maybe I just wanted to hear what he intended to say on the roof before Jeremy interrupted him, before I bore my soul again.
After a short while, I thought I could actually sleep. Marybeth was safe, we were safe, and the terrorists were gone. I dreamt about walking hand in hand with Rick toward a black sunset when the slide door of the ambulance slid open and Jeremy pushed past Rick to me saying, “We’ve got to go!” He grabbed my hand away from Rick’s and pulled me out from under the covers into the night air. I stumbled, feeling the pain and stiffness in my knees.
“I know your knees are killing you, but you’ve got to push through it if you want to live.”
Shock ran through me as he tugged me forward, dulling the pain. I looked back, the sounds of running and shouting filling my ears. Thanks to the lights from the safehouse, I could make out dark, shadowy figures running about in chaos until the sounds of shooting overtook them.
I saw Rick being led off into the woods in a different direction than we were headed. Then the trees fell in behind us, blocking my view. I kept my ears open for the sounds of pursuit. My pulse pounded in my head. Branches whipped at my face. I tried to hold my hand up for protection, but found I needed it to keep my balance being pulled by Jeremy.
“Faster, Christy, faster.”
Flames licked my throat for want of water and air. Then I heard them; footsteps, lots of them, closing in on us. Jeremy must have heard them too, because he propelled me in front of him, whipping his arm to the side to pull me ahead. I ran faster, hearing only the hard footsteps pursuing me and my own ragged breath. Shots rang through the air, making my body scream to keep running. Faster and faster still.
I could feel Jeremy only inches behind me. When suddenly, his body pushed into mine. He fell hard into me with a gasp and the small amount of breath left in me flew out as we slammed into the ground, leaving me to suffocate beneath him, his body heavy and limp. I struggled to free myself; to get the air I desperately needed.
But, I found I had no strength. I couldn’t budge him. I tried to shift my head to the side to find an opening to get some air. I could feel the raw cuts in my face burn as they scraped the forest floor until a coolness hit my lips. I pulled hard on the fresh air. My lungs ached as they filled, which interestingly enough, made it harder to get the air I needed. Someone pushed on Jeremy, and I instinctively froze.
Should I play dead or fight? I needed to wake Jeremy. I pinched him, trying to rouse him. I felt a wetness on my fingers and wiped it away. A sickening feeling overtook me. Duh! Jeremy didn’t move because he’d been shot. I wanted to cry, my stomach lurching into my throat. Into my heart came a pounding focus. I needed to live. Jeremy’s words boiled over in my mind.
“You are the key to saving the country.”
As Jeremy’s body began to rise, I struggled to make myself stay hidden under him. I got a glimpse of the man’s shoes and it somehow gave me more strength to push further under Jeremy.
After hearing several loud shots, the man turning Jeremy fell sideways with a thud. Jeremy’s body slumped back onto mine. Only seconds passed before I felt his body being lifted again. I shifted, trying to stay hidden, but it proved impossible. His body flipped quickly, revealing the only face I hoped to see—Nathan’s. He brought his hand up to his mouth and rubbed it tightly down his face and neck, revealing a panicked expression that slowly dissolved into a look of relief and sadness.
I gasped, pulling in all the air I could, watching Nathan’s attention turn to Jeremy. Everything started moving in slow motion.
I could hear Nathan, but it was like I was in a fog.
“Quick, get help. We need a paramedic,” he yelled.
Nathan touched his neck. “Come on, stay with us, Jeremy. Stay with us.”
My eyes fixed on Jeremy, my insides thrashed in agony. He ripped Jeremy’s coat open, sending buttons flying and exposed his vest, tugging at the Velcro straps on its sides to free it from him. He started breathing for Jeremy and other agents swarmed around.
This wasn’t happening. Live, Jeremy. Live. I prayed a more honest prayer than I had ever remembered praying. Please, let him live. Take my life, not his.
One of the other agents dropped to his knees to give compressions between Nathan’s breathing. Two other agents appeared and grabbed at my arms. I yanked myself away.
“No. No,” I cried. “I have to stay. Please, let me stay.”
“You don’t need to see this, dear,” a woman said.
The voice was oddly familiar, and I looked up to see the large woman from the pizzeria looking down at me.
“She’s bleeding. Get her to the ambulance.”
“No. No,” I said, shaking my head. The jacket she now wore didn’t say DEA, it said FBI.
“That agent in the Pizzeria—”
“He’s just fine, dear. He’s just fine. Just like this agent will be.”
“His name is Jeremy,” I yelled, as they tried to pull me away. “His name is Jeremy and he has to live, he just has to. He saved me. Save him, please, save him.”
I planted my feet hard, but was no match for the two agents pulling me away. They dragged me all the way back to the ambulance, and I screamed for Jeremy the whole way.
Behind the closed doors of the ambulance, I pressed my eyes shut and sobbed. I sobbed for all the people who would be notified today that their mom or dad would not be coming home. I cried for Rick, and Summer, who would have this memory of death forever. I cried for myself, wondering why I had to be a part of this and cursing my wish for change and adventure. I cried in relief that I was still alive. And I also cried for feeling relieved. And finally, I cried for Jeremy. As I did, I felt my heart break until a torrent of anger unleashed inside me, and I screamed until no more sound would come. My despair consumed me until a man in a paramedic’s uniform climbed into the ambulance with me. My eyes burned as I looked at him. He lifted my shirt and looked at my side, wiping it with a wet pad that stung me.
“Oww!” I said.
“Sorry about that,” the paramedic said. “You’ll be okay. It’s only a scratch.”
“Jeremy,” I said. “Jeremy.”
“He’ll be okay.”
“No. He won’t and it’s my fault. I have to go to him.”
I struggled to sit up, but they had already strapped me in. I pulled at the straps that held me there. The gurney moved and I felt a prick in my arm, a sedative. My worries disappeared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
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