James tries to get close enough to lean in through the broken window
to see if his cell phone was still in there, but it was gone, melted.
He curses as he backs away from the truck.
"What's wrong?"
"Somebody's broken into the truck."
"I know that, genius. What else is wrong?"
"Stay here with the truck. I need to go inside to find a phone."
"Here." She hands him her cell phone, which she had in her evening bag. When he arches an amused eyebrow, she grins back at him. "It's amazing what you can fit into one of these things, ain't it?"
He shrugs, takes it and calls the police and fire departments, letting them know what had happened. They tell him to stay put, that they'll send somebody out to assess the situation. Someone who was in the parking lot came running up with a fire extinguisher and began to fight the fire that had engulfed the truck. A few more people did the same, and soon they had the fire out.
James looks over at Cadie, who's been extremely quiet all this time, and discovers her shivering. He draws her close to him and tucks her under his shoulder, against his side. He then takes his coat off and wraps it around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, James."
"Sorry? What for?"
"You should have been told before this. I don't go looking for trouble, but it just sort of finds me no matter what I'm doing or where I am. I guess I'm just a trouble magnet."
"Honey," he says, tenderly, "This has nothing to do with you." He hugs her close to him as the fire department finally arrives, after they manage to douse the flames.
"James, that's not what this note says. I found it lying not far from where we're standing. It has my birth name printed on it in big bold letters. I know that it's my fault that this happened."
He takes the note from her and reads it. It suddenly dawns on him that the reason she was shivering was not from the cold, but from the fear she felt. She was afraid that he'd turn away from her, and that she'd be left defenseless. She was scared that he would reject her, and she'd be forced to deal with the pain alone, as she always had.
He knew that he would never throw her away, as had so many people in her past. The problem was that she didn't know it. He would do anything to keep her next to him at all times. Neither of them had any idea just how much he really loved her.
There was another, deeper meaning to the chain that he had given her earlier that he hadn't told her. It also meant to the rest of the base and those that knew its significance that he would severely injure, if not outright kill, any other person who dared to lay hands on her or to cause her pain in any way, military or civilian. It was the Pit's equivalent of a romantic get out of jail free card. Unfortunately, it only worked on the base. Off base was a whole other critter.
He uses her phone again, this time to call Tollbooth, who lived no more than six blocks from where they were. Apologizing for waking them up, James tells him what has happened. Tollbooth tells him again to stay put, that he'd be there in a few minutes. He added that they could stay at his place if they needed to.
The police arrive and start questioning the couple, who decide to keep the note to themselves for the time being. Tollbooth rushes up a couple of moments later.
"Are you two okay," he asks.
"We're fine, Chuck," James says, the use of his given name telling him that they should keep quiet about their Joe status because of all the civilians milling around. "Take Cadie and get her out of here. It's not safe for her here. She'll explain later."
"Excuse me, sir, but we need to talk to the young lady," a fresh-faced officer tells Tollbooth as they try to leave. Cadie submits to their questioning and tells them exactly what she knows. No, she doesn't know who it could have been, and no, she didn't know if James had any enemies who would do such a thing. And definitely no, she didn't know the reason it was done.
When they finally let them leave, Tollbooth takes Cadie to his house and puts her in a guest room. James had told them that he would meet them later, after he had arranged to do something with the truck.
Tollbooth's wife, Shelby, loaned Cadie a nightshirt and a pair of sweatpants. She goes into the bathroom to change clothes and when she returns, she finds Chuck sitting on the side of the bed. He motions her to sit beside him.
"What wasn't James telling me?"
Cadie hands him the note and lets him read it. "I found this lying on the ground near the truck just after we found it."
"So whoever did this was after you," Tollbooth stated.
"Yes," Cadie whispered, bowing her head in shame.
"It's okay, Cadie, it's not your fault. We don't blame any of this on you," he says as he puts his arm around her shoulders and tries to comfort her.
"If I hadn't been with him, they wouldn't have attacked him. I don't know how they found me, but somehow they did."
"This chain," he says, reaching up and taking hold of the charm, "He's claimed you as his girlfriend, right? I feel sorry for those people who mess with you that don't know the meaning of it. Or just ignore it, for that fact."
"Yes," she nods in answer to his question.
They hear the doorbell ring; Chuck answers it and finds a large, balding man standing on his porch. He has a large caliber handgun pointed at Tollbooth.
"Give me the girl, and nobody gets hurt," he tells him. Tollbooth laughs.
"That's the oldest line in the book. No way would I give you my wife. She's the only 'girl' here." Tollbooth hears a slight noise behind him. He chances a glimpse over his shoulder and sees Cadie heading off his wife before she can come downstairs. When he turns around to look at the man again, he catches a furtive movement in the shadows. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees James sneaking up on the man. He makes sure that he keeps the man's attention securely on him.
James sneaks up behind the man and attacks. Before the man knew what was going on, he was knocked out and tied up.
"What's wrong?"
"Somebody's broken into the truck."
"I know that, genius. What else is wrong?"
"Stay here with the truck. I need to go inside to find a phone."
"Here." She hands him her cell phone, which she had in her evening bag. When he arches an amused eyebrow, she grins back at him. "It's amazing what you can fit into one of these things, ain't it?"
He shrugs, takes it and calls the police and fire departments, letting them know what had happened. They tell him to stay put, that they'll send somebody out to assess the situation. Someone who was in the parking lot came running up with a fire extinguisher and began to fight the fire that had engulfed the truck. A few more people did the same, and soon they had the fire out.
James looks over at Cadie, who's been extremely quiet all this time, and discovers her shivering. He draws her close to him and tucks her under his shoulder, against his side. He then takes his coat off and wraps it around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, James."
"Sorry? What for?"
"You should have been told before this. I don't go looking for trouble, but it just sort of finds me no matter what I'm doing or where I am. I guess I'm just a trouble magnet."
"Honey," he says, tenderly, "This has nothing to do with you." He hugs her close to him as the fire department finally arrives, after they manage to douse the flames.
"James, that's not what this note says. I found it lying not far from where we're standing. It has my birth name printed on it in big bold letters. I know that it's my fault that this happened."
He takes the note from her and reads it. It suddenly dawns on him that the reason she was shivering was not from the cold, but from the fear she felt. She was afraid that he'd turn away from her, and that she'd be left defenseless. She was scared that he would reject her, and she'd be forced to deal with the pain alone, as she always had.
He knew that he would never throw her away, as had so many people in her past. The problem was that she didn't know it. He would do anything to keep her next to him at all times. Neither of them had any idea just how much he really loved her.
There was another, deeper meaning to the chain that he had given her earlier that he hadn't told her. It also meant to the rest of the base and those that knew its significance that he would severely injure, if not outright kill, any other person who dared to lay hands on her or to cause her pain in any way, military or civilian. It was the Pit's equivalent of a romantic get out of jail free card. Unfortunately, it only worked on the base. Off base was a whole other critter.
He uses her phone again, this time to call Tollbooth, who lived no more than six blocks from where they were. Apologizing for waking them up, James tells him what has happened. Tollbooth tells him again to stay put, that he'd be there in a few minutes. He added that they could stay at his place if they needed to.
The police arrive and start questioning the couple, who decide to keep the note to themselves for the time being. Tollbooth rushes up a couple of moments later.
"Are you two okay," he asks.
"We're fine, Chuck," James says, the use of his given name telling him that they should keep quiet about their Joe status because of all the civilians milling around. "Take Cadie and get her out of here. It's not safe for her here. She'll explain later."
"Excuse me, sir, but we need to talk to the young lady," a fresh-faced officer tells Tollbooth as they try to leave. Cadie submits to their questioning and tells them exactly what she knows. No, she doesn't know who it could have been, and no, she didn't know if James had any enemies who would do such a thing. And definitely no, she didn't know the reason it was done.
When they finally let them leave, Tollbooth takes Cadie to his house and puts her in a guest room. James had told them that he would meet them later, after he had arranged to do something with the truck.
Tollbooth's wife, Shelby, loaned Cadie a nightshirt and a pair of sweatpants. She goes into the bathroom to change clothes and when she returns, she finds Chuck sitting on the side of the bed. He motions her to sit beside him.
"What wasn't James telling me?"
Cadie hands him the note and lets him read it. "I found this lying on the ground near the truck just after we found it."
"So whoever did this was after you," Tollbooth stated.
"Yes," Cadie whispered, bowing her head in shame.
"It's okay, Cadie, it's not your fault. We don't blame any of this on you," he says as he puts his arm around her shoulders and tries to comfort her.
"If I hadn't been with him, they wouldn't have attacked him. I don't know how they found me, but somehow they did."
"This chain," he says, reaching up and taking hold of the charm, "He's claimed you as his girlfriend, right? I feel sorry for those people who mess with you that don't know the meaning of it. Or just ignore it, for that fact."
"Yes," she nods in answer to his question.
They hear the doorbell ring; Chuck answers it and finds a large, balding man standing on his porch. He has a large caliber handgun pointed at Tollbooth.
"Give me the girl, and nobody gets hurt," he tells him. Tollbooth laughs.
"That's the oldest line in the book. No way would I give you my wife. She's the only 'girl' here." Tollbooth hears a slight noise behind him. He chances a glimpse over his shoulder and sees Cadie heading off his wife before she can come downstairs. When he turns around to look at the man again, he catches a furtive movement in the shadows. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees James sneaking up on the man. He makes sure that he keeps the man's attention securely on him.
James sneaks up behind the man and attacks. Before the man knew what was going on, he was knocked out and tied up.