The bullet flew into the oppistite wall, hitting it with a loud crack.
"Rory." She screamed from her seat on the sofa as she struggled to stand. She heard more struggling and then a grunt. Rory stood up, the gun in his hand.
"Hey." Eric yelled as he started to get up. Rory pointed the gun straight at
Eric's head.
"Give me a reason. Just one and I'll end your miserable excuse for a life
right here and now." Rory said, his voice even but filled with hate.
"You won't shoot me." Eric taunted him.
"Want to try me? You did after all kidnap the woman I love, beat her, try to
strangle her to death and goodness knows what else. Then you pointed a
gun at her head and threatened to kill her should she not give in to your demands. Now ask yourself do you really believe that I won't shoot you in a heartbeat and never think twice about it?" Rory asked. A smile spread across his face at the look of panic on Eric's face. "If you're done you can have a seat." Rory said,
motioning with the gun. Eric stood up and dropped down into the chair. He
glared at Rory who sat on the edge of the desk and kept the gun pointed on
him. Again, the phone rang. "Hello?" Rory answered it.
"Who am I speaking with?" Bob asked.
"Bob? This is Rory. I managed to get Eric's gun away from him. You can send
your people in now to get us."
"Good job. Rory. We'll be right up." Bob hung up. He explained the
situation to his captain who gave the order for his men to go in. Phyllis
and Roxy waited anxiously behind the police barricade. When they saw the
officers moving in they tensely waited to see if everyone came out alright.
Both silently prayed they would. Ten minutes, then fifteen went by. After about twenty minutes several policemen came out with Eric in handcuffs. The entire parking lot erupted into cheers. While they were exiting the EMT's entered the building. They came down about ten minutes later with Jerrica on a
stretcher. They lifted her into the ambulance. Rory climbed in after them
and the ambulance took off. Phyllis and Roxy hugged and cheered. They
figured she would be taken to the county hospital a few blocks away so they
jumped in Phyllis's car and took off after the ambulance. They arrived at the county hospital only minutes after the ambulance. Rushing inside they came across Rory standing helplessly outside the triage area.
"Rory.Glad to see you're okay." Phyllis called as they ran up to him.
"How's Jerrica?" Roxy asked.
"I don't know. She was awake and talking atleast. Eric really did a number
on her." he said as he waited for the doctor to appear with news.
"How about you? Did he hurt you?" Phyllis asked.
"Not physically; but seeing how he hurt her was enough to almost kill me." he said. As they
talked, Phyllis's cell phone rang. She stepped away to answer it. When she returned Rory was still waiting for the doctor.
"That was Kimber. Her flight will land in a couple of hours. I'm going to pick her up."
"That's good. Jerrica will need her sister's support." Rory said as the
doctor emerged. "How is she?" he asked.
"She'll be alright. We're keeping her overnight for observation. She has a
cracked rib as well as some bruising and a concussion. We gave her
something to help her sleep." the doctor said.
"Can I see her?" Rory asked.
"For a minute. Then we're going to transfer her upstairs. You can come back
in the morning when visiting hours start." the doctor said as he walked
away.
"We're gonna go. Will you be alright?" Phyllis asked.
"I'll be fine. You can bring Kimber by Jerrica's later. I'll be staying
there tonight." he said.
"Will do. See you later." Phyllis said. Before leaving she put her arms
around him and gave him a hug. "You saved her life." she said.
"She saved mine first." he said returning the hug. Roxy patted him on the
back as she followed Phyllis outside. Rory entered Jerrica's room. An IV was attached to her arm and she was sleeping peacefully. He walked over to her bedside and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Pulling back he had tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked up at the ceiling and blinked back his tears. "Thank you." he whispered. He stayed a few minutes longer before a nurse and an orderly arrived to take her upstairs. They gave him her room number and he watched as they wheeled her out. When she was safely in the elevator
he walked toward the door. When he realized he didn't have a ride home he searched in his pocket for change to call a cab when two plain clothes
detectives approached him.
"Mr. Llewelyn." a tall man with sandy hair asked.
"That's me." he said.
"I'm Detective Collins and this is Detective West. We were hoping to ask
you a few questions about today while it's still fresh in your mind." he
asked as he displayed his badge.
"I was getting ready to head out. Can we do this at Jerrica's house?" Rory
asked.
"That will be fine. We'll even give you a ride." the man said as the three
headed for the parking lot. After arriving at Jerrica's, Rory gave them
his version of the afternoon's events. The two detectives thanked him and
left. Not feeling tired, Rory went into the living room. He sat down on
the sofa and turned on the tv, flipping through the channels. After a few
minutes of finding nothing of interest he walked to the bookcase and looked for something to read. Instead he pulled out a photo album. Sitting back down he opened to the front page. There staring back at him was a picture of Jerrica as a baby, her newborn footprints right below. Rory smiled. He continued to browse the pages, viewing her life from infancy to her early twenties. He laughed at the silly faces she and her sister made at the camera. Pictures of her with her sister, Rio, Aja, and Shana. Many pictures of her with her parents. He marveled at how much she resembled her mother. He was surprised to see pictures of her mother singing and decided to ask her about it sometime. The next album he took out was filled with pictures of the Starlight Girls and pictures of Jem and The Holograms as well as newspaper and magazine clippings of their accomplishments. He smiled proudly, knowing
that behind the Jem facade was the love of his life. Thinking back to their time together, he remembered several times he caught her singing when she thought no one was listening. In the shower, while doing dishes, and while typing on her laptop. His reminiscing was interupted by the doorbell. He went to the door
and opened it to find Kimber standing outside. She dropped her bag and the two
embraced.
"She's alright." he said.
"I know. Phyllis told me. How are you doing?" she asked.
"Better now that I know she's safe. Please, come in." he said, stepping
out to pick up her bag. After following her inside he closed and locked the
door. "There's coffee in the kitchen." he offered.
"Thanks. I could use some." Kimber said, stepping into the kitchen. She
went to the cupboard and pulled out two mugs. After pouring them each a
cup of coffee she placed the mugs on the table and sat down. Rory took a
seat next to her.
"How was your flight?" he asked.
"Good. Listen, Phyllis wouldn't tell me much. What happened up there,
Rory?" she asked.
Looking down at his cup, Rory tried to keep his emotions in check. "It was
pretty bad Kimber. I don't know if you want to know." he said.
Kimber placed her hand over his. It was trembling.
"Please. I want to know. I have to know." she said.
"Rory." She screamed from her seat on the sofa as she struggled to stand. She heard more struggling and then a grunt. Rory stood up, the gun in his hand.
"Hey." Eric yelled as he started to get up. Rory pointed the gun straight at
Eric's head.
"Give me a reason. Just one and I'll end your miserable excuse for a life
right here and now." Rory said, his voice even but filled with hate.
"You won't shoot me." Eric taunted him.
"Want to try me? You did after all kidnap the woman I love, beat her, try to
strangle her to death and goodness knows what else. Then you pointed a
gun at her head and threatened to kill her should she not give in to your demands. Now ask yourself do you really believe that I won't shoot you in a heartbeat and never think twice about it?" Rory asked. A smile spread across his face at the look of panic on Eric's face. "If you're done you can have a seat." Rory said,
motioning with the gun. Eric stood up and dropped down into the chair. He
glared at Rory who sat on the edge of the desk and kept the gun pointed on
him. Again, the phone rang. "Hello?" Rory answered it.
"Who am I speaking with?" Bob asked.
"Bob? This is Rory. I managed to get Eric's gun away from him. You can send
your people in now to get us."
"Good job. Rory. We'll be right up." Bob hung up. He explained the
situation to his captain who gave the order for his men to go in. Phyllis
and Roxy waited anxiously behind the police barricade. When they saw the
officers moving in they tensely waited to see if everyone came out alright.
Both silently prayed they would. Ten minutes, then fifteen went by. After about twenty minutes several policemen came out with Eric in handcuffs. The entire parking lot erupted into cheers. While they were exiting the EMT's entered the building. They came down about ten minutes later with Jerrica on a
stretcher. They lifted her into the ambulance. Rory climbed in after them
and the ambulance took off. Phyllis and Roxy hugged and cheered. They
figured she would be taken to the county hospital a few blocks away so they
jumped in Phyllis's car and took off after the ambulance. They arrived at the county hospital only minutes after the ambulance. Rushing inside they came across Rory standing helplessly outside the triage area.
"Rory.Glad to see you're okay." Phyllis called as they ran up to him.
"How's Jerrica?" Roxy asked.
"I don't know. She was awake and talking atleast. Eric really did a number
on her." he said as he waited for the doctor to appear with news.
"How about you? Did he hurt you?" Phyllis asked.
"Not physically; but seeing how he hurt her was enough to almost kill me." he said. As they
talked, Phyllis's cell phone rang. She stepped away to answer it. When she returned Rory was still waiting for the doctor.
"That was Kimber. Her flight will land in a couple of hours. I'm going to pick her up."
"That's good. Jerrica will need her sister's support." Rory said as the
doctor emerged. "How is she?" he asked.
"She'll be alright. We're keeping her overnight for observation. She has a
cracked rib as well as some bruising and a concussion. We gave her
something to help her sleep." the doctor said.
"Can I see her?" Rory asked.
"For a minute. Then we're going to transfer her upstairs. You can come back
in the morning when visiting hours start." the doctor said as he walked
away.
"We're gonna go. Will you be alright?" Phyllis asked.
"I'll be fine. You can bring Kimber by Jerrica's later. I'll be staying
there tonight." he said.
"Will do. See you later." Phyllis said. Before leaving she put her arms
around him and gave him a hug. "You saved her life." she said.
"She saved mine first." he said returning the hug. Roxy patted him on the
back as she followed Phyllis outside. Rory entered Jerrica's room. An IV was attached to her arm and she was sleeping peacefully. He walked over to her bedside and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Pulling back he had tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked up at the ceiling and blinked back his tears. "Thank you." he whispered. He stayed a few minutes longer before a nurse and an orderly arrived to take her upstairs. They gave him her room number and he watched as they wheeled her out. When she was safely in the elevator
he walked toward the door. When he realized he didn't have a ride home he searched in his pocket for change to call a cab when two plain clothes
detectives approached him.
"Mr. Llewelyn." a tall man with sandy hair asked.
"That's me." he said.
"I'm Detective Collins and this is Detective West. We were hoping to ask
you a few questions about today while it's still fresh in your mind." he
asked as he displayed his badge.
"I was getting ready to head out. Can we do this at Jerrica's house?" Rory
asked.
"That will be fine. We'll even give you a ride." the man said as the three
headed for the parking lot. After arriving at Jerrica's, Rory gave them
his version of the afternoon's events. The two detectives thanked him and
left. Not feeling tired, Rory went into the living room. He sat down on
the sofa and turned on the tv, flipping through the channels. After a few
minutes of finding nothing of interest he walked to the bookcase and looked for something to read. Instead he pulled out a photo album. Sitting back down he opened to the front page. There staring back at him was a picture of Jerrica as a baby, her newborn footprints right below. Rory smiled. He continued to browse the pages, viewing her life from infancy to her early twenties. He laughed at the silly faces she and her sister made at the camera. Pictures of her with her sister, Rio, Aja, and Shana. Many pictures of her with her parents. He marveled at how much she resembled her mother. He was surprised to see pictures of her mother singing and decided to ask her about it sometime. The next album he took out was filled with pictures of the Starlight Girls and pictures of Jem and The Holograms as well as newspaper and magazine clippings of their accomplishments. He smiled proudly, knowing
that behind the Jem facade was the love of his life. Thinking back to their time together, he remembered several times he caught her singing when she thought no one was listening. In the shower, while doing dishes, and while typing on her laptop. His reminiscing was interupted by the doorbell. He went to the door
and opened it to find Kimber standing outside. She dropped her bag and the two
embraced.
"She's alright." he said.
"I know. Phyllis told me. How are you doing?" she asked.
"Better now that I know she's safe. Please, come in." he said, stepping
out to pick up her bag. After following her inside he closed and locked the
door. "There's coffee in the kitchen." he offered.
"Thanks. I could use some." Kimber said, stepping into the kitchen. She
went to the cupboard and pulled out two mugs. After pouring them each a
cup of coffee she placed the mugs on the table and sat down. Rory took a
seat next to her.
"How was your flight?" he asked.
"Good. Listen, Phyllis wouldn't tell me much. What happened up there,
Rory?" she asked.
Looking down at his cup, Rory tried to keep his emotions in check. "It was
pretty bad Kimber. I don't know if you want to know." he said.
Kimber placed her hand over his. It was trembling.
"Please. I want to know. I have to know." she said.