OM2: Not Quite Ordinary
by Paul Diaz
by Paul Diaz
Chapter 14: Execution
In the dark she lay still and her heart beating calmly. William’s words lingered on her mind, she knew that this would be her last day breathing. Instead of being afraid, Jennifer has accepted her fate for this was the only way for her to be reunited with Frank.
Minutes later the lights in her cell illuminated, the door opened and two soldiers entered. One soldier removed the chains on her legs while the other stood by the door signaling another soldier to come inside. “Don’t be scared, we are on your side. Erick sent us” the soldier said. Jennifer somehow felt relieved hearing those words as the other soldier brought in food.
“Are you here to break me out?” Jennifer asked. “Sorry, that is not part of the plan. We are here to make sure you are safely transferred to the maximum security facility. Please go ahead and eat, when you are done then we can go” the soldier clarified. Jennifer helped herself to the festive meal the soldiers brought, since she was detained she didn’t touch the prison food that they were serving her.
Twenty minutes later she was ready, Jennifer stood up and the soldiers stepped out of her cell and she followed them. Her heartbeat was racing, she didn’t know if these men could be trusted. They namedropped Erick and fed her food but still she thought that it could have been her last meal. Jennifer shook her head and noticed the patch on one of the soldier’s uniform. “Frank” she said as she pointed at the badge. The soldier smiled at her and nodded his head. “That is right, we are his troop mate” he said. Hearing that made her feel relaxed, her date with destiny was to be set to another date it seemed.
The four reached the main entrance of the facility, two men in dark suits blocked their way. “We shall be taking over” one said as he showed a piece of paper to the soldiers. Several more men entered and one handcuffed Jennifer’s hands. “What is happening” she asked and the soldier shook his head.
“You have to go with them, I am sorry” the soldier said as he bowed his head. Jennifer’s heart raced again, fear started sinking in and her date with destiny was about to push through. “Its okay guys, I already accepted my fate” the lady agent said. “You just hold on, he wont let anything bad happen to you” the soldier whispered.
Jennifer didn’t understand what the soldier said, the well dressed men escorted her outside while others blocked the entrance. The soldiers were not allowed to pass, they could not even see what was happening. A few seconds later the men dispersed and the soldiers saw five similar vehicles at the entrance. The men got in the cars but the soldiers didn’t know where Jennifer was.
One soldier quickly dialed his phone as they followed the five cars towards the camp entrance. “Hello major, we have a problem. They have Jennifer” he said. “As expected, follow them” Erick said. Once out of the gates the five vehicles took separate paths and the soldiers didn’t know which one to follow. “Hello sir, we have a bigger problem. Five vehicles, separate paths and we don’t know which one has Jennifer” the soldier said.
“Pick one and send me the paths of the other four” Erick told the soldier as he turned off his phone. Frank looked at Erick and knew there was a problem. “John, we need satellite coverage” Erick said on the radio. “I am on it, by the way why do you have to be far away from here? Why cant you be just here at the office?” John asked. Erick looked at Frank and the latter shook his head. “I have to be here, John get the sat coverage quickly!” Erick ordered.
“Even if you get the location of the five vehicles, how will we know which on has Jennifer?” Frank asked and Erick shrugged his shoulders. “We could at least send some men on the five locations” the major said. Frank sat on the couch and leaned back, he closed his eyes and thought of the woman she loved.
Inside one of the vehicles Jennifer was seated in between two armed men. One of the men in front was on the phone, she knew that she wasn’t being transferred. Jennifer leaned back and saw the sun roof. “Could we open that?” she asked. The man in front looked back and nodded his head. Jennifer sat back and looked at the sky for one last time, she then closed her eyes and thought of Frank.
Frank quickly stood up and looked at Erick. “I know where she is” he said and the major was surprised. “What do you mean?” Erick asked but Frank was already nowhere to be found.
At a nearby hotel suite Kevin was pacing the room the as William was calmly seated. “What is bothering you? A few minutes more and all our problems will be over” the elder man said. “Yeah I know but it feels wrong. Hey, I knew her and I even worked with her” Kevin said.
“Make up your mind! You told me she knew you were involved and you asked me to take care of her. Now you are telling me that you grew a conscience?” William told him. “I guess you are right, well what is going to happen anyway?” the agent asked. William stood up and walked towards the window, “We have front row seats to her public execution. Just like her boyfriend, the whole world will see Agent Appleby die” he said.
“What do you mean?” Kevin asked. “Well we are going to make it look like that the other gang is taking revenge on her. It’s as simple as that my friend so let me get the other cast members to our show” William explained as he took out his phone.
In front of the city hall Sarah Kelly was getting ready for a live news report when her phone rang. She saw that it was an unknown number calling, just like the one she received tipping her about the warehouse.
“Sarah Kelly?” the distorted voice on the other end said. “Yes, this is her” she replied. “You would like to do a live coverage in front of the Shelton hotel” the voice said. “Why would I like to do that?” she asked. “Trust me, you would like to be the only network to broadcast something memorable, it can help your career flourish further” the man said and the phone call ended.
Sarah was hesitant but she knew the same caller didn’t fail her the first time. “Pack everything we are headed to the Shelton hotel!” she said as her crew were surprised.
Thirty minutes later Sarah’s crew had their cameras set up, another news van from her network arrived and did the same. “Whats this all about Sarah?” the cameraman asked. “I don’t know but just set up the cameras and begin broadcast” she ordered. Sarah looked around and didn’t notice anything strange. She felt she has been tricked but deep inside she believed the mysterious caller.
Thirty minutes later Sarah noticed that the streets were empty, there was no cars passing by. “Now this is really strange” she said. “This only happens when someone important is going to arrive right? They block the roads for security, well your tipster is right again” the cameraman said. “Come on then lets start shooting” she ordered.
At the hotel suite window stood Kevin and William, down in front of the hotel stood Sarah Kelly speaking in front of the camera. A dark vehicle suddenly stopped at the middle of the street, it honked its horn three times so people on the streets looked at it.
The man selling hotdogs took off his apron, took out a long automatic rifle from his cart and headed to the street. The hotel doorman followed him and took out two pistols, the person manning the newspaper stand brought out his own rifle and several seconds later there were around thirty men fully armed in the middle of the street.
“Oh my God, there seems to be something happening. Around thirty or so armed men have suddenly filled the street and looking towards the lone vehicle in this area” she reported. “Wait, there seems to be someone stepping out of the car…oh my Lord its Jennifer Appleby…what the hell is happening here?” she continued.
Jennifer was pushed out of the car, she saw the armed men in front of her as the vehicle sped away. She knew she could not run away anymore, even though she has accepted her fate she suddenly felt very scared. Jennifer fell her on her knees, the men spread out and pointed their guns at her.
Jennifer looked up towards the sky and closed her eyes. She could hear other people already screaming, the loud voice of Sarah shouting, then she could hear her heart pounding. “Just a little more Frank…I am going to be with you” she whispered.
The first gunshot was heard, the people around screamed louder and all ran for cover as more shots were fired. It was just like a war zone, people could not even look, Sarah Kelly closed her eyes and started crying for help.
Jennifer had her eyes closed tightly, she knew what being shot felt like but what she was feeling was different. Her body felt warm, she didn’t understand why she was still breathing. She was trying to feel her body, she knew what the feeling of being shot was but she didn’t understand why she was feeling something different, something she knew very well and missed a lot.
The men ran out of bullets, there was silence as people all around were scared to take a peek. “Ah Sarah, I think you should see this” the cameraman said so Sarah slowly opened her eyes and looked at Jennifer.
At the center of the street there was Jennifer, but she was not alone. Kneeling in front of her was a hooded man, he was embracing her tightly. The man’s jacket was torn in pieces due to the bullets but there was something amazing, the two were still alive.
Jennifer opened her eyes slowly, she regained her senses and saw a man embracing her. She knew this feeling, the same feeling when Frank hugged her. She couldn’t see his face, she took a peek at the armed men and saw them standing in shock and seemingly frozen. Jennifer took off the man’s hood and she couldn’t stop her tears from flowing as her heart started to beat wildly. “I never broke my promise” Frank whispered so she hugged him back.
Frank wiped the tears from her eyes, “Did they hurt you?” he asked and like a child Jennifer shook her head but he saw the cuffs on her hands. Frank held on the chains and easily broke them, “Now just wait here, give me a few seconds okay?” he told her.
Frank stood up and faced the men, “Holy shit! Is that Frank?!” Sarah shouted. “Sarah we are live” the cameraman whispered but as he focused the camera, “Holy shit! Its really him!” he yelled.
The armed men were trembling, they didn’t comprehend what was happening. Up at the hotel suite William and Kevin could not believe it as they watched a single man beat up thirty.
People around were cheering him on as he beat up the men who tried to kill Jennifer. Hundreds of people suddenly came running towards the area, they wanted to see for themselves what they saw on their television.
Thirty armed men lay on the street, Frank stared at each one of them and saw they were in complete surrender. “You mess with my girlfriend, I mess your face” he said as he turned around and walked towards to the woman he loved.
Sarah ran towards them, her cameraman ran alongside of her. Hundreds of people gathered and gave space as Frank helped Jennifer stand. “Frank! Frank is that really you?” Sarah asked as she pushed her way through the crowd.
“I know you all are in disbelief but its really me. Focus the camera on me please” Frank said and they crowd let the cameraman through. “The warehouse incident, I was there. I protected the one I love most that is why she didn’t get hurt. I don’t want her getting hurt but I could not show myself for people wont understand why I am alive”
“I am alive, it was me who protected Jennifer at the warehouse. I am sorry for the others but I only have one body, I tried to protect the other six but I am ordinary, I am normal and my heart beats for this woman so I chose to save her first”
“Jennifer is not a terrorist, she is innocent. She was just doing her job. There are people trying to pin the blame on her. They are twisting the truth. If you still believe she is a criminal, then come get her…you have to get through me first!” Frank angrily said.
Frank raised one of his hand and bent his knees, Sarah started laughing for she saw that trick before. “Frank you never changed at all” Sarah told him. Frank looked at Jennifer, she walked towards him and hugged him. Frank smiled at her and everyone’s jaw dropped as the two started to float upwards.
Face to face the couple rose to the air as the people below were in amazement. A few seconds later they were at a level the same as William’s suite, the two men inside were frozen and speechless.
Frank and Jennifer were floating along the clouds, there they were motionless as their lips once again found each other.
People around the city went out and looked towards the Shelton building area, above the clouds they saw the couple. The same couple who they witnessed to be separated…this time they were together again.
“Jen…I never broke my promise”
