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

“Help me? I shot you.”

“You didn’t mean to, you were scared. Let me help.”

“Why would you want to help me?” David asked emotionally. “Huh? Why? I left you at that accident to die.”

“No, you didn’t. You pulled me out. You saved my life. You … carried me. Carried me up a hill.”

David shook his head. “I left. I left. I took your stuff and I left you there, and you’re acting like I’m some kind of hero.”

“You are.”

“I was running from the cops,” David lowered the gun.

“And you got in my car. Had you not, I would be dead. Dead. I wouldn’t have a second chance at life. I wouldn’t get to see I could live a better life. My parents would have lost a son. You saving me caused me to be saved, because I was bad. I was so bad. And you took nothing from me. You gave me life, hope, a chance at love and faith. Yeah, you did that.”

“And you expect me just to surrender? To walk out of here?”

“Yes, I do,” Jonas said. “With your head held high. And I will go to bat for you, Dude. I will do whatever it takes.”

“They’ll shoot me the moment I walk out there.”

“Not if I walk out with you,” Jonas said softly. “Give me the gun.” He held out his hand. “Do the right thing. Take the first step to righting a wrong and to set you on a new path.”

Confused, David shook his head. “What? What are you saying?”

“The words you said to me that night.” Again, Jonas held out his hand. “Let’s put down the gun and walk out of here together.”

“We’re coming out!” yelled the voice.

Russ’ head jolted upward. “Jonas. That was Jonas,” he said to John.

“John Doe?” The Fremont chief asked.

“Yes, that was his voice.”

“Please don’t shoot,” shouted Jonas. “He’s not armed. He’s surrendering. I’m walking out with him.”

“Hands in the air as you come out. Both of you!” yelled John.

“I can only raise one,” Jonas replied. “I’m injured. We’re coming out.”

Russ cautiously stepped forward. Scared for Jonas because so many officers were there, all of them with their weapons raised. His eyes were focused on the door. It opened.

Russ felt his heart pound in his chest as he saw the man he had been looking for. He stepped out; hands raised. Right beside him was Jonas and he was covered in blood, only one arm lifted.

“Someone call an ambulance!” Russ shouted, charging forward.

He didn’t care about the gunman; the other officers were quick to apprehend him. He ran to Jonas.

“You’ve been shot.”

“I’m fine, Chief.” Jonas peered up to him. “That was him.”

“I know. Is Marge okay? Is …” Russ didn’t get to finish his question, Marge barreled out of the door and grabbed on to Jonas.

Marge was always a tower of strength, never wavering, yet she held onto Jonas with everything she was and she sobbed.

She said a lot, never stopped speaking through her tears. Russ couldn’t understand a word she said, but he knew they had to be words of fear, gratitude and concern because Russ was feeling the same.

As far he could tell Jonas and Marge were alright.

At that moment, that was what mattered most.

TWENTY-EIGHT

They all raced to Fremont.

Once Joe received word, he went with Cate, Grant, Pastor Rick and Haley. They didn’t have much information, other than Jonas was fine. He was shot and Marge was inconsolable.

Cate was the first through the emergency doors of the hospital and she feared the worst when she saw Marge. Her clothing had blood all over it and she was crying.

“Jonas,” Cate whimpered.

“He’s fine,” Marge broke down. “He took a bullet for me. That man … he aimed at me and Jonas jumped in the way.”

Cate’s hand shot to her mouth.

“I’ll never get over what he did for me. Never.” Marge wept.

Grant and Cate stepped to her, but Joe grabbed a hold of her and held his wife.

Cate turned to Grant. “Our son did that. Oh, Grant, he did that.”

“I know.”

Haley’s call of, “Chief!” caught their attention.

Russ stepped into the waiting room, holding up his hands. “Jonas is fine. They removed the bullet. They are going to admit him for observation. I know the police here want to talk to him. That boy … that boy has some powerful connections, I’ll tell you.” He looked at Pastor Rick. “He should have been dead … again.”

Grant asked, “What? What do you mean?”

“I’ll let him tell you. They said you can go back. He’s in room seven …” barely finishing his sentence, everyone rushed by him.

Jonas adjusted himself to a more comfortable position. The wound actually hurt more since they took the bullet out. He had no more than some Tylenol. He didn’t want more than that.

They had his arm in a sling, strapped to his chest, and he moved the contraption because it rubbed wrong.

“Jonas!”

He glanced up to the call of his name by his mother, not expecting to see an entire mob race into the room.

He smiled.

Cate grabbed his hand. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Sore. But fine.”

“Son.” Grant put his hand on Jonas’ leg. “Marge told us what you did. We are so proud of you. So proud you did that.”

“It was nothing. Anyone would have done it.” He looked over at Haley. “I got all my answers, Haley, all of them.”

“The passenger,” she said.

Jonas nodded.

“Boy,” Joe spoke, looking at Russ. “You were relentless about this. That’s why you were in Fremont.”

“It all came together,” Russ explained. “David Jenkins was arrested for selling stolen goods. Troopers in Iowa were bringing him in and he faked sick. They uncuffed him because they thought he was choking, and he took off. Got in your car, Jonas. He did end up injured. Trucker picked him up and brought him to Fremont. He left the hospital before they could ID him. He found Kevin on social media and worked out the guitar thing with him. He laid low while he