Lieutenant O'Reilly followed the mysterious white car in his police
cruiser, leading a trio of police cars in a chase that had gone on for
several miles so far.
"Jim, what's your situation?" the radio crackled.
"He's still not stopping, and it looks like he's picked up a new passenger. He is now traveling at five-zero miles per hour, and braking erratically. Permission to disable the vehicle?"
"Do what you have to, Jim," the radio answered.
Jim O'Reilly was about to call to his support units and tell them to cut off the fleeing vehicle. But he noticed something strange about the car's braking. It almost seemed like a pattern. He watched the blinking taillights for a moment and realized- it was Morse code! He squinted as he decyphered the mesage "He-has-a-gun. Will-kill-us-if-we-stop."
The lieutenant picked up the radio and called on the general frequency "We have a hostage situation here. All units stay well back. . . "
***
"What the heck are you doing, man?" Mick asked incredulously as Simon kept tapping his brake pedal.
"I'm new at this, okay? I just got my learner's permit today!" Simon grumbled. "So what's your plan? You're just going to make me drive all over town until more cameras show up, then kill us all?"
"Something like that. Your father, the great Reverend Camden, will beg people to stop the cruelty on behalf of his deceased loved ones. And people will listen! No one cares about me, but they all care about the Camdens. Things are definitely going to change!"
Up until now Ruthie had listened with fear and disbelief as this stranger forced his way into the car and made threats against all of their lives. He was angry about being teased, obviously. But what could she do to make him less angry? How could she change his mind about killing all of them? She thought for a moment, then nervously spoke up.
"Mick, you know it hurts me too when I get teased. A few months ago someone found out about my 'Snookie' nickname and told everyone. All day I was hearing, 'Hey Snookie-ookie, steal me a cookie!' and 'Is that guy Robbie your boy-friend?' It was so annoying! In fact-"she took a deep breath, "I wanted to kill them all. Seriously, if we had a gun in the house I would have blown them away." Simon turned and looked at Ruthie with surprise. She quickly whispered in Simon's ear, "Play along!"
A trace of a smile crossed Mick's lips. "No shit?"
"Oh yes! I was that mad! But then I remembered that famous saying ' I will never let a man drag me down so low as to make me hit him' -or hurt him or something. I realized that if I acted out with violence I would be no better than those jerks- worse, even! So what do you say?" Ruthie nervously reached over and touched Mick's arm. "Why don't you put the gun away and let us go? We care about you, Mick, and we don't want you to ruin your life."
Hesitantly Simon joined in. "Uh, yeah man, you're cool with us. The whole fam!"
Mick's mouth worked silently for a moment, thinking. "No," he said finally. Then in a rising crescendo, "No, no, NO!" as he shook off Ruthie's hand and pounded the seat.
"I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind." Mick gestured with the pistol to a sign for an exit ramp. "There's an unfinished overpass right after that next exit. When I tell you to, punch the gas and don't stop until we go over the edge. It's 80 feet down. The gas tank will blow, and- that'll be it for us."
Despite the firearm pointed in his direction Simon became very angry. "Like hell I'm going to do that! I'm not going to kill my grandfather, sister and 3 year old brothers just for your stupid 'message'! What did they ever do to you? Look at them, man!" And with that yanked Mick's hair to turn his head toward the twin boys sitting next to him. They were staring out the rear window with their mouths open, admiring the flashing blue lights. "You're really going to kill them? And Ruthie, and Grandpa?" Ruthie was now hugging her knees to her stomach, fighting the nausea caused by her intense fear. Grandpa lolled against the front passenger window, still dozing peacefully. "And me? I stood up for you! Look at the people you say you're going to kill. We're people, not just some abstract idea! Think about what you're doing!"
Mick glanced at each of the car's occupants blankly, then turned back to Simon with icy resolve. "Punch it!" he said.
To be continued . . .
"Jim, what's your situation?" the radio crackled.
"He's still not stopping, and it looks like he's picked up a new passenger. He is now traveling at five-zero miles per hour, and braking erratically. Permission to disable the vehicle?"
"Do what you have to, Jim," the radio answered.
Jim O'Reilly was about to call to his support units and tell them to cut off the fleeing vehicle. But he noticed something strange about the car's braking. It almost seemed like a pattern. He watched the blinking taillights for a moment and realized- it was Morse code! He squinted as he decyphered the mesage "He-has-a-gun. Will-kill-us-if-we-stop."
The lieutenant picked up the radio and called on the general frequency "We have a hostage situation here. All units stay well back. . . "
***
"What the heck are you doing, man?" Mick asked incredulously as Simon kept tapping his brake pedal.
"I'm new at this, okay? I just got my learner's permit today!" Simon grumbled. "So what's your plan? You're just going to make me drive all over town until more cameras show up, then kill us all?"
"Something like that. Your father, the great Reverend Camden, will beg people to stop the cruelty on behalf of his deceased loved ones. And people will listen! No one cares about me, but they all care about the Camdens. Things are definitely going to change!"
Up until now Ruthie had listened with fear and disbelief as this stranger forced his way into the car and made threats against all of their lives. He was angry about being teased, obviously. But what could she do to make him less angry? How could she change his mind about killing all of them? She thought for a moment, then nervously spoke up.
"Mick, you know it hurts me too when I get teased. A few months ago someone found out about my 'Snookie' nickname and told everyone. All day I was hearing, 'Hey Snookie-ookie, steal me a cookie!' and 'Is that guy Robbie your boy-friend?' It was so annoying! In fact-"she took a deep breath, "I wanted to kill them all. Seriously, if we had a gun in the house I would have blown them away." Simon turned and looked at Ruthie with surprise. She quickly whispered in Simon's ear, "Play along!"
A trace of a smile crossed Mick's lips. "No shit?"
"Oh yes! I was that mad! But then I remembered that famous saying ' I will never let a man drag me down so low as to make me hit him' -or hurt him or something. I realized that if I acted out with violence I would be no better than those jerks- worse, even! So what do you say?" Ruthie nervously reached over and touched Mick's arm. "Why don't you put the gun away and let us go? We care about you, Mick, and we don't want you to ruin your life."
Hesitantly Simon joined in. "Uh, yeah man, you're cool with us. The whole fam!"
Mick's mouth worked silently for a moment, thinking. "No," he said finally. Then in a rising crescendo, "No, no, NO!" as he shook off Ruthie's hand and pounded the seat.
"I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind." Mick gestured with the pistol to a sign for an exit ramp. "There's an unfinished overpass right after that next exit. When I tell you to, punch the gas and don't stop until we go over the edge. It's 80 feet down. The gas tank will blow, and- that'll be it for us."
Despite the firearm pointed in his direction Simon became very angry. "Like hell I'm going to do that! I'm not going to kill my grandfather, sister and 3 year old brothers just for your stupid 'message'! What did they ever do to you? Look at them, man!" And with that yanked Mick's hair to turn his head toward the twin boys sitting next to him. They were staring out the rear window with their mouths open, admiring the flashing blue lights. "You're really going to kill them? And Ruthie, and Grandpa?" Ruthie was now hugging her knees to her stomach, fighting the nausea caused by her intense fear. Grandpa lolled against the front passenger window, still dozing peacefully. "And me? I stood up for you! Look at the people you say you're going to kill. We're people, not just some abstract idea! Think about what you're doing!"
Mick glanced at each of the car's occupants blankly, then turned back to Simon with icy resolve. "Punch it!" he said.
To be continued . . .