The Passenger by Jacqueline Druga (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📗

Marge was right there. As soon as he stepped in he saw her near the door holding two bottles of cordial liquid. She wasn’t moving nor looking at the door. It was as if she was going to walk out and was busted, that was the look on her face.

Jonas started to laugh, ready to say, “Maw-Maw, what are you doing?” When he quickly noticed she was doing the same thing as the two cashiers and three other customers in line.

The manager’s booth was against the far left wall and they all faced it.

Was there something on the news? He stepped toward Marge, reaching out.

“I said hurry up!” a man’s voice yelled.

A quick look back to his left, Jonas saw it was a man, in a gray hoodie by the manager’s booth.

His eyes went back to Jonas and that was when she saw him. Her face tensed up in a panic and mouthed the words, “Go. Get out.”

She must have tried to run out like the others. So close to her escape, Jonas reached for her hand. He wasn’t leaving her.

“And I told you!” the man’s voice cracked as he shouted frantically and out of control. “No one move.”

The man spun around with the gun in his hand. His arm extended; the gun aimed outward to point at Marge.

Jonas, without hesitation, dove in front of her as two consecutive shots were fired.

Both hit Jonas.

The impact sent the left part of his body back with the force of the hits and he fell into Marge before dropping to the floor on his injured side.

Everyone in the store screamed.

“Shut up!”

“Chip. Chip,” Marge sobbed out.

Jonas felt one hand on his right arm, her other on his head.

“Get away from him!” the man yelled.

“No!” Marge blasted. “Chip, please.”

He was stunned. Jonas could feel the sharp, burning pain, most of which came from his shoulder, he blinked several times to snap out of the shock.

Warm blood poured down his arm, he knew he had been hit in the shoulder, but there was an ache in his chest, like someone had punched him.

He had been there on the floor only a few seconds, but it felt like longer. Time moved in slow motion.

He brought this hand to his chest to check to see if he was bleeding and his hand hit his new cell phone. The phone he had placed in that thick bulky case, tumbled from his pocket, exposing the embedded bullet.

“I’m okay,” he told Marge in a whisper. “I’m okay.”

“Yeah, he’s okay,” the man snapped. “Get up. You’re okay.”

Jonas rolled onto his back to sit up some. When he saw his assailant. His mouth dropped open, and he instantly was breathless as he muttered in shock. “You.”

Flash.

No longer was Jonas on the floor of that store, he was back in the car, after the accident.

“You’re okay, you’re okay. I have to undo your seatbelt,” the passenger said.

Jonas released from the seat and dropped to the roof of the overturned car.

“I got you.” He appeared at the window, reached down for Jonas’ extended arms and pulled him out.

Once Jonas was out, he rolled on to his back to see him standing above him. He then looked over, saw the car and the small dancing flames on the car.

“We need to get you closer to help. Don’t worry, I got you.”

Then he reached down and lifted Jonas.

“You,” Jonas repeated again from the floor then staggered to stand, never taking his eyes off the man with the gun.

The long hair was the same, beard a little longer, but there was no denying it.

The man robbing the store, the man with the gun … he was the passenger.

◆◆◆

They hadn’t even made it to Fremont when Russ called Marge. They were in Guitar World. He didn’t tell her anything, just that he was headed to Fremont on business and not to leave until they met up.

Russ didn’t expect the circumstances he faced when he arrived in the usually quiet town.

He had debated on taking his own car or the squad car. Opting for the squad car was a good thing, it gave him access when other cars were turned around at the blocked off street.

The younger officer leaned down to Russ’ window. “What brings you to down here, sir?”

“Official police business, I see the chief is engaged already.”

“Yes, sir. We have a hostage situation.”

Russ nodded. Then he saw Old Joe’s pickup truck. “Not the liquor store?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m pulling over.” Russ didn’t wait for permission, he moved the squad car to the side, put it in park, and made his way to Chief John Elliott. “What’s the situation?”

“Well, this was not how I expected to talk to you about this,” John said. “We have hostages. Shots were fired. We aren’t sure if anyone is hurt.”

“I think two of my townspeople are in there.”

“I don’t know right now how many or who are hostages. I do know one thing. That’s our guy.”

“You’re kidding me?”

John shook his head.

“I can tell you one thing I know. Our John Doe,” Russ said. “Is in there, too.”

◆◆◆

“David,” Jonas said softly.

He stood off to the side of the window, peeking out. “What?”

“You told me your name was David.”

The assailant, David looked turned with a growl. “They’re out there. Is there another way out?” he asked the manager.

Nervously, she pointed. “Out back.”

“You don’t think the back door is covered, too?” Jonas asked.

With another shouting, ‘shut up’ he pointed the gun at Jonas.

“There’s no way out of here.”

“Shut up!”

“You don’t want to do this,” Jonas said. “You don’t.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Your name is David. Look at me,” Jonas pleaded. “You know me. I could never forget your face. A month ago. The accident.”

David stumbled back some. “You lived?”

Jonas nodded. “I lived. Thank you. David, they’re out there. Just put down the gun …”

David growled loudly, almost a scream of fear and frustration. “I can’t go back to jail!” He put the gun to his head.

“No!” Jonas screamed. “No! Don’t! Don’t do it. Let me help