Phone Calls

Chapter 8: Reunited

Tony had stopped using words about an hour ago and now was cursing at Jack in short outbursts every few minutes as his wife tried desperately to calm him down.

"Tony," she said again, "I know you're upset, but maybe you should save the yelling after we help Chloe. And maybe when we're not driving so we don't head into incoming traffic."

Tony turned towards her, continuing to yell, "Do you think this is funny? It is not funny. Jack has been sending Chloe love letters for over three months now, which is a pretty amazing feat considering the fact THAT HE'S DEAD!"

Michelle winced as Tony's voice increased in volume again, but Jack said nothing in the back seat of the car. He hadn't said much since they'd picked him up a few hours ago. It was 10 am and Jack had been back in the US for almost two hours with no word from the people who were holding Chloe.

As Tony continued to yell Jack's cell phone began to ring. Quickly the car shut up as he answered, "Yeah."

"Jack, it's me Chloe."

"Chloe, what's going on?"

"I got away, but I think I might have been followed. I need help."

"Okay, Chloe stay calm and tell me where you are."

"Outside L.A. somewhere, it looks like some sort of oil plant."

"Tony, do you know of an oil plant outside of L.A?"

"Yeah, I think I know where that is. Hold on." Tony made a quick change of lanes and started in the direction of the plant.

"Chloe, listen to me, I want you to wait for me there. Find somewhere to hide and I'll come and get you."

"Okay." For a moment the line was silent.

"Hang up and hide Chloe, I'll be there soon."

Jack heard the dial tone and closed his phone. Then he began going through his bag, pulling out a gun.

Within the hour they were there and Tony stopped the car down the road from the plant and began to get out with Jack.

"No," Jack said, "I'm going to go in alone."

"Jack, you have no idea what you are dealing with…"

"I know, and I might need a quick get away. Take the car around the back and we'll meet you there."

Tony drove off and Jack snuck into the fences in oil plant. He spent ten minutes searching the grounds with no luck. He didn't want to call her cell phone in case she had been followed. Suddenly he heard a loud noise and raised the gun until he recognized her running toward him.

"Chloe," he called out, his legs did not seem to be registering his brain's order to run toward her.

But it didn't matter since she was in front of him in moments, "Are you okay?" he heard himself ask before she launched herself into his arms.

"What's happening?"

He wrapped his arms around her slight form, she seemed even smaller than the last time he had seen her.

"I don't know. Tell me what happened."

"I'm not sure. All I remember is waking up in a room, they told me to talk to you on the phone and then they locked me in. I knocked the guy out and ran away. I hid, but I heard something and that's when I saw you and came running."

"You heard something, is there someone…" Jack didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as he heard movement and then a shot rang out.

"Move," he yelled as he shot and hit the man running after them. He took off with Chloe close to his side as they made their way to where Tony was waiting. Jack could hear several men behind them and pulled Chloe behind a wall as he watched the men pass. As he watched at least five of them ran past him and he realized that he was going to have to find a different way to get them out of there when he heard the roar of an engine as Michelle drove the truck straight at them hitting several men along the way. Tony fired at the other men and Jack did the same until it was safe enough for them to make get to the car. Several more men ran into the clearing, but Michelle already had the car moving in the opposite direction.

Jack moved to the back of the truck looking for any sign that they'd been followed. As they moved back to the main road it seemed that they were safe, for the moment. It was then that he looked over at Chloe, who was trembling slightly, but was doing a remarkable job of keeping herself calm.

"Are you okay?" he asked again,"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm okay—I think—well except for the never being more afraid in my life, but other than that, I'm good."

Jack couldn't help but smile as he looked at her and he was relieved to see her smiling back.

"Sorry to interrupt back there," Tony said, "But what's our next move Jack?"

"We need to get somewhere safe. Somewhere we can figure out what is going on."

"Well, I'm sure our place is out, and obviously Chloe's is a no go. Got any other ideas?"

"Edgar. He'll be at work by now and he's got everything I've got at my place."

"Won't someone notice us breaking in?"

"We won't have to. I know where he hides the spare key and even if someone sees us, the neighbors all know me."

Jack felt himself tense at this new knowledge and realized for the first time that while he had been contacting Chloe there was no way for her to reciprocate. If she wanted to reciprocate. All this time he might have been making an idiot of himself sending her love letters and putting her life in danger while she was dating Edgar.

After Chloe had given Michelle Edgar's address she said to her, "Chloe, how did you manage to get away. Those guys back at the plant meant business."

"Well I guess they didn't expect much trouble from me. When I realized there was only one guy guarding me I hid behind the door and knocked him out. Then I rewired the code and locked him in the room. It must have taken a while for them to realize that he was in there and not me. By then I was long gone."

"How did you knock the guy out?"

"Well I didn't really knock him out. I stunned him and I think I may have taken his eye out, but it bought me some time."

"Took his eye out?"

"Yeah, with a…" Chloe paused and look sheepish as she turned towards Jack, "with a glass prism."

Jack felt himself smile, a real one this time and the smile that Chloe gave him back could have beat the sun in its radiance. He was quite certain that no matter how much worse the day got, and being who he was it was bound to get worse, her smile might make his resurrection worth every bit of it.