Jacob turned into the parking lot of the hospital fast enough to cause the tires to screech. He spotted Mary’s car in staff parking and swung into a spot several
lanes down. Leaping from the car he slammed the door and took off for theentrance at a dead sprint.
The sliding glass doors barely opened in time for him to slide through. He raced to the nurses’ station almost tripping a little old lady with a walker. When he slid to a stop he was out of breath but he felt his heart climb down from his throat. Standing at the desk was Mary and Susie listening to a radio.
“Mary, why didn’t you call me back? I’ve been worried sick.”
The two of them turned to him both with wide eyed expressions. “Have you listened to the radio” Mary asked him.
“No. I was too focused on getting here to you.”
Susie turned the radio up. “Once again, we repeat, there has been an explosion at the police station. Reports are still coming in and we will keep you updated.”
“Jacob, what is going on?”
“I don’t know sweetie. First I got a call from someone named Leon threatening you and now the police station has been bombed.”
“What? What did he say?”
“He said that he was going to kill you. There were pictures left on my windshield of you. I panicked and came straight here when you didn’t answer your
phone.”
“I’m sorry. I was in a conference with a patient. What are we going to do? The police are out of commission.”
“I don’t know but we need to get moving. Come on. Susie, try to contact someone at the police station and let them know what’s going on.”
Mary reached over the counter and picked up her purse before Jacob grabbed her hand to pull her after him. They ran down the hall and into the parking lot just
in time to be rocked by and explosion. Fire leaped from a vehicle in the lot.
“Oh my god! I think was my car Jacob.”
He swiveled his head side to side trying to spot any other threats. “Come on, we have to go now.”
The two of them ran to Jacob’s car. When they were inside he stomped the gas leaving burnt rubber on the asphalt.
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. We’ve just got to move. I think we should go home and grab some supplies and then maybe make a run for it.”
“Is that smart? He bombed the police station. He bombed my car at my work. Surely he knows where we live.”
“I don’t know! I’m not sure what to do.”
For once he didn’t worry about the speed limit. One good thing he thought about the police being bombed. He slid to a stop in their driveway and the two of them
ran to the front door while he fumbled with the lock.
“You throw some clothes in bags and I’ll grab some food and water” Jacob said.
Mary nodded her head. Her eyes were wide and he could see her pulse pumping in the veins of her neck. He took her hand gently and said “Hey, we’re going to be ok. I promise.”
She took a deep breath and nodded again. This time she seemed a little more composed. “Ok, if you say so.”
Jacob began throwing cans of food and bottles of water into a milk crate from their pantry. Turning around he caught a glimpse of their phone while he worked.
Freezing he thought about it for a second and on a whim picked the receiver up to try 911. Placing it to his ear he couldn’t hear a dial tone. It took a second for that to register. Dropping it to hang by its chord he ran into the living room.
“Mary. We have to go!”
He stopped. There sitting on the couch was a man; a large man, maybe 6 foot tall and several hundred pounds, with a dark bushy beard.
“Mr. Scribner. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I was looking through this book of your poetry. I hope you don’t mind. You are quite talented. You should have
them published.”
“Who are you?”
“I told you. My name is Leon and I’m here to kill your wife.”
Jacob heard Mary enter the room and felt her behind him.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I am the spirit of justice and thy judgment is come.”
Jacob felt his face grow red. “Thy judgment come huh? Revelations18:10. The verse that inspired Alas Babylon. So you’ve been watching us for a while. At least long enough to know what my English class is reading.”
Leon nodded slightly at him. He had a small grin on his face. “Very good Mr. Scribner. I’ve arranged for us to be uninterrupted. Shall we get this over with?”
Jacob could feel his pulse racing. The adrenaline was making his legs shake but the heat in his body overrode everything else.
“I’ll see you in hell before I let you hurt my wife.”
He grabbed the wooden piano bench in front of him and charged Leon with it. Leon stepped back and his eyes went wide in surprise. In that split second Jacob
smashed him over the head with the bench driving him to his knees.
“Mary run!”
He ran after her only pausing to snatch his keys off of the counter. They jumped back in the car to make good their escape. Looking in the rearview mirror constantly Jacob sped away.
Jacob turned into the parking lot of the hospital fast enough to cause the tires to screech. He spotted Mary’s car in staff parking and swung into a spot several
lanes down. Leaping from the car he slammed the door and took off for theentrance at a dead sprint.
The sliding glass doors barely opened in time for him to slide through. He raced to the nurses’ station almost tripping a little old lady with a walker. When he slid to a stop he was out of breath but he felt his heart climb down from his throat. Standing at the desk was Mary and Susie listening to a radio.
“Mary, why didn’t you call me back? I’ve been worried sick.”
The two of them turned to him both with wide eyed expressions. “Have you listened to the radio” Mary asked him.
“No. I was too focused on getting here to you.”
Susie turned the radio up. “Once again, we repeat, there has been an explosion at the police station. Reports are still coming in and we will keep you updated.”
“Jacob, what is going on?”
“I don’t know sweetie. First I got a call from someone named Leon threatening you and now the police station has been bombed.”
“What? What did he say?”
“He said that he was going to kill you. There were pictures left on my windshield of you. I panicked and came straight here when you didn’t answer your
phone.”
“I’m sorry. I was in a conference with a patient. What are we going to do? The police are out of commission.”
“I don’t know but we need to get moving. Come on. Susie, try to contact someone at the police station and let them know what’s going on.”
Mary reached over the counter and picked up her purse before Jacob grabbed her hand to pull her after him. They ran down the hall and into the parking lot just
in time to be rocked by and explosion. Fire leaped from a vehicle in the lot.
“Oh my god! I think was my car Jacob.”
He swiveled his head side to side trying to spot any other threats. “Come on, we have to go now.”
The two of them ran to Jacob’s car. When they were inside he stomped the gas leaving burnt rubber on the asphalt.
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. We’ve just got to move. I think we should go home and grab some supplies and then maybe make a run for it.”
“Is that smart? He bombed the police station. He bombed my car at my work. Surely he knows where we live.”
“I don’t know! I’m not sure what to do.”
For once he didn’t worry about the speed limit. One good thing he thought about the police being bombed. He slid to a stop in their driveway and the two of them
ran to the front door while he fumbled with the lock.
“You throw some clothes in bags and I’ll grab some food and water” Jacob said.
Mary nodded her head. Her eyes were wide and he could see her pulse pumping in the veins of her neck. He took her hand gently and said “Hey, we’re going to be ok. I promise.”
She took a deep breath and nodded again. This time she seemed a little more composed. “Ok, if you say so.”
Jacob began throwing cans of food and bottles of water into a milk crate from their pantry. Turning around he caught a glimpse of their phone while he worked.
Freezing he thought about it for a second and on a whim picked the receiver up to try 911. Placing it to his ear he couldn’t hear a dial tone. It took a second for that to register. Dropping it to hang by its chord he ran into the living room.
“Mary. We have to go!”
He stopped. There sitting on the couch was a man; a large man, maybe 6 foot tall and several hundred pounds, with a dark bushy beard.
“Mr. Scribner. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I was looking through this book of your poetry. I hope you don’t mind. You are quite talented. You should have
them published.”
“Who are you?”
“I told you. My name is Leon and I’m here to kill your wife.”
Jacob heard Mary enter the room and felt her behind him.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I am the spirit of justice and thy judgment is come.”
Jacob felt his face grow red. “Thy judgment come huh? Revelations18:10. The verse that inspired Alas Babylon. So you’ve been watching us for a while. At least long enough to know what my English class is reading.”
Leon nodded slightly at him. He had a small grin on his face. “Very good Mr. Scribner. I’ve arranged for us to be uninterrupted. Shall we get this over with?”
Jacob could feel his pulse racing. The adrenaline was making his legs shake but the heat in his body overrode everything else.
“I’ll see you in hell before I let you hurt my wife.”
He grabbed the wooden piano bench in front of him and charged Leon with it. Leon stepped back and his eyes went wide in surprise. In that split second Jacob
smashed him over the head with the bench driving him to his knees.
“Mary run!”
He ran after her only pausing to snatch his keys off of the counter. They jumped back in the car to make good their escape. Looking in the rearview mirror constantly Jacob sped away.