Crash Chapter 17

"You Might Die Trying"

Randy's POV

It's been eleven days now since Lauren and I had our argument. I never thought anything would break the two of us up. I mean, we even survived my "death", but now Saddam Hussein breaks us up.

And really it's not even about Saddam Hussein, it's just that I'm scared Lauren is going to go over there and get blown up by a car bomb or something. If she's in an explosion, then I want to be right there in the same explosion.

I wish I had someone to talk to about this. Wilson is out of town for a festival celebrating Johannes Gutenberg's life, and talking to dad would be too awkward. And mom, God knows mom has tried many times to get me to talk, but again, that would be too awkward.

I hear the phone ring, so I get up to answer it since I'm the only one that's downstairs right now.

'Hello' I answer.

'Hi Randy. Wow, this is kind of awkward. Anyways, is either your mom or dad home?' Lauren says.

'My mom is upstairs. Why do you ask?' I ask.

'My car won't start and I need a ride to the airport. I was going to see if one of them could take me' she explains. Hm. If I was going on this trip, her car not starting wouldn't be a real problem at the moment, would it?

'Okay, I'll let her know you're on the phone' I tell Lauren.

I press the button on the intercom to mom and dad's room. 'Hey mom, Lauren's on the phone and she needs to talk to you about something' I say.

'Okay, I'll get the phone' she says back. I wait until I hear mom come on the line before I hang up. Almost, that is. I know it's not proper but I can't help but listen in on their conversation. It's not like anyone is going to catch me in the act, since dad just left to start his shift at the hardware store today.

I listen to the entire conversation between mom and Lauren, but Lauren doesn't say anything to mom she didn't to me, much to my dismay. I don't know what I expected though, I mean that's Lauren for you. She never…she isn't one to…well, it's just her nature. After they're both done talking and mom has hung up the phone, I hang up the phone downstairs and go back over to the couch, which is where I spend the large majority of my time anymore since I can't take the stairs going either up or down.

A couple minutes later, mom comes down the stairs.

'Randy, I'm going to take Lauren to the airport now. I should be gone about an hour, hour and a half tops. Will you be alright by your self? Because I could take you with me, or drop you off by the hardware store or something' mom says.

'I'll be fine here' I assure her.

'Okay. You have all the numbers in your new cell phone, right?' she asks.

'Yes' I say. Believe me; I have those numbers in there. It took me long enough to get them all put in the new cell phone I got since my old one was destroyed in the crash.

Then she leaves, leaving me alone for the first time since I fell into the mirror. Needless to say, I'm not going to do anything that could under any circumstances cause my chest cavity to fill up with air or blood this time.

I lay down, and within a few minutes, I fall asleep if nothing else out of sheer boredom.

Jill's POV

I hope Randy will be alright by himself. He has sworn off mirrors, so I guess that's one less thing to have to worry about.

I think Lauren wanting me to take her to the airport has more to it than just the fact that she can't get her car to start. That's one reason why I agreed to do this. I would've done it anyways, so it's not necessarily the main reason, but one of them.

After several minutes of driving, I get to Lauren's apartment, and see her standing at the doors.

'I was hoping you could help me carry down my luggage too, if it's not too much trouble' she says when I get out of the car.

'Sure' I agree.

I follow her inside and up two flights of stairs to her apartment. Wow, Randy wasn't kidding when he said Lauren had a small apartment.

To my surprise, she doesn't say anything about Randy while we're taking her luggage downstairs or during the ride to the airport. I must've just read it all wrong.

When we get to the airport, I get out to help her with her luggage.

'How are you going to manage with all this stuff when you get over to Iraq?' I ask.

'I'll have the photographer to help me over there' Lauren answers.

'Alright. Do you need me to pick you up when you get back?' I ask.

'I almost forgot about that. Yes, I will, if it's alright with you. I'll be back around seven or so on Tuesday' Lauren says.

'Okay. Either Tim or I one will be here to pick you up' I tell her.

I stand there in the terminal and watch her head off to her flight. Once she disappears out of sight, I trek back to the car, which seems farther away than before.

It starts raining just as I get outside of the airport building. Before I can get to the Nomad, the rain starts coming down like bullets and stings at my neck like ice shards. I get in the Nomad just before it starts coming down in sheets.

I start up the engine and sit there a few minutes to let the car warm up. After a couple of minutes, I hear a series of loud booming sounds that sound similar to thunder. I look up at the skies for any trace of lightning, but see none. What I do see scares me. The airport building is literally going up in flames. I pause a few seconds to watch, then realize what's happening and put the pedal to metal and go flying out of the parking lot and towards home like a red bat out of hell.

I call Randy on my cell phone. It rings several times, and then goes to his voice mail.

'Hi Randy, it's mom. I was just wondering if you was watching TV and I was going to tell you if you weren't, then you should turn it on' I say.

Randy's POV

I was asleep on the couch when the sound of one of those emergency broadcast siren things on the TV wakes me up.

I force myself to open my eyes and look at the TV screen.

'We go now to our man on the scene, Chip Gutierez. Chip, can you tell us what's going on?' the news anchor says.

'Thank you Pam. There has been a bombing at the local airport. We're still unsure as to why the bombing has occurred, but we'll keep everyone updated as more information comes in. Right now I'm out here on the freeway to talk to motorists about what is happening and to get there reaction. Excuse me ma'am, what's your name?' the "man on the scene" explains.

'Jill Taylor' the woman says. My droopy eyes immediately snap open again, and I sit up with a start, which sends waves of pain throughout my abdomen.

'I was dropping my son's girlfriend off at the airport, and had just gotten outside when I heard the bombs going off. Randy, if you see this, call me! Or if anyone else I know sees this, tell Randy!' mom says.

'How do you feel right now, Ms. Taylor?' Chip asks.

'Distressed, distraught, panicked, worried, afraid. Take your pick' mom says.

'Alright. Thank you for your insight. Back to you for now Pam' Chip says.

Okay, I know mom is alright, but what about Lauren?

A/N: "Lightning may never strike the same place twice, but all it takes is one bolt to start a raging wildfire". Hmm.

After all Randy said about Lauren getting blown up in Iraq, she goes and gets blown up in Detroit, along with a bunch of other Michiganders.

Please R&R to find out what happens to Lauren.

Thanks for reading and in advance for reviewing.

-Yours truly, Randy Taylor