Fear, Love, and Revelations
Chapter 3
Phillip and Joe walked quickly down the hall, rounding the corner. Once they were out of Lee's sight, Phillip stopped his dad. "Is Lee really a spy, Dad?"
Joe just nodded, looking down the hall to see if anyone was coming.
"But, Mom works with him. Is she…?"
Joe looked down at his son quickly, cutting him off. "No! She's his secretary."
"Is that what you've been told, Mr. King?" asked a voice from across the hall.
Joe and Phillip looked up sharply at the man in the doorway of an empty classroom. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, but there was nothing casual about his eyes, or his gun, which was pointed right at them.
"Because I can assure you, she is not his secretary. She is his partner, has been for quite some time now. Seems our lone Scarecrow has married his partner. That's against the rules, you know." He advanced towards them slowly, his pistol never wavering.
Joe shook himself out of his shock, and stepped in front of Phillip, whose eyes had grown wide at the revelations this stranger offered. "Married?" Phillip muttered.
The man shifted his focus from Joe to Phillip. "Oh, that's right. You didn't know! How clumsy of me." He stopped just in front of them. "They decided to keep it all a secret. I suppose it was to avoid situations just like this one. Ah, ah!" he snapped at Joe, who was tensing to throw a punch. "You wouldn't want to get yourself killed, now would you, Mr. King?" He turned his attention to Phillip. "You wouldn't want that, either, would you Phillip?"
Phillip shook his head.
"Good. Then come with me."
Phillip started forward, but Joe held him back. "You're not taking my son."
"No?" the stranger queried, casually pulling the trigger.
Joe cried out as the shot pierced his arm.
"Now," the man said to Phillip. "You seem like a reasonable young man. Should I put the next one through his head?"
"No, I'll come with you," Phillip replied, shaking.
"Good man."
"No, Phillip!"
"Mr. King, don't tempt me," he instructed, grabbing Phillip by the arm and pulling him in the direction of the stairs.
Joe took two steps towards them, but stopped when he saw the gun leveled at his head.
"I warn you, Mr. King. I will shoot." Dragging Phillip behind him, he made his way to the stairs. Roughly, he set the boy in front of him, his arm around Phillip's neck. "Move," he commanded, gesturing with the gun. "And don't say a word."
Phillip did as he was told, frightened. A million thoughts rushed around his head. 'Is Dad okay? Is this guy gonna shoot me? What about Lee? Or Mom?' His reverie was broken as he stumbled. It was hard to walk up the stairs when you have somebody right behind you.
Cresting the stairs, the man steered Phillip to the left, as if he knew exactly where he was going. His grip on the boy seemed to tighten as they neared the corner, and Phillip realized that he could hear Lee's voice. The stranger also heard it, and stopped them, putting his gun to Phillip's head.
Phillip drew in a deep breath as he saw them come around the corner. 'Jamie!' his mind screamed looking at his younger brother, who hadn't seen them yet, as he was still looking up at Lee. Phillip's focus shifted as Lee grabbed Jamie's arm and pulled him behind him, shielding him with his body. Lee's eyes never left the pair standing before him, and for one brief second, Phillip saw the fear Lee had of losing the boys flash in his eyes.
To Be Continued….