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Episode
012
“Do unto others,
Eli sat in the university bell tower, the long black bag by his
side. He leaned against the concrete edge of the chiming room, glancing
casually at his watch. The bells would toll in a few minutes. He still had
time.
He put his head back,
sighing deeply. He closed his eyes, casting up a silent prayer. His arms
on his knees as he squatted against the wall, he waited in the warm spring
afternoon for the inevitable chimes to come.
“This is just really freaky.” Roland said, as he and Ledger
walked along the university sidewalk, surrounded by shops and quick
restaurants. “After standing outside the mall, now I’m just really
paranoid about everything.”
“Don’t let it get to
you, man.” Ledger said. He stopped by a rusted old truck and saw a
Confederate flag bumper sticker. He looked back up at Roland. “Can I
shoot it? Please?”
“Leave the poor bastard
to wallow in his retardation.” Roland said, walking on. “Come on.
We’re going to be late.”
“We missed you at the meeting.” Kim said, as she walked along,
attached to Alan’s arm. The taller, gangly man looked down at her,
smiling. He took his arm from her grasp and wrapped it around her
shoulders.
“I’m sorry, kiddo.”
He said, holding her close. “I had to go. We need to practice. This
Morgan guy’s got some songs for us and everything. We’re really close
to making it big.”
“I know.” The shorter
girl said, lunging up, kissing Alan beneath his chin. The half growth of
hair tickled her nose, but she kissed harder anyway.
Four minutes.
Eli stood up slowly,
reaching into the unzipped black bag. He pulled out a pair of ear
protectors, placing the bulky things over his head. He sat on his haunches
for a moment, his eyes closed, as silence became his world.
Slowly his opened his eyes
as the noisy world was muted, only the vibrant light filling his senses.
He stared at the bright blue sky beyond the edge of the bell tower,
sighing deeply. In the sky-tilted distance, the white clouds moved
innocently past.
“Being a knights more than just being a vigilante, Armand.”
Everett argued as the two walked down the street. Books in hands, they
slowly made their way to their next classes. “We can’t just find the
guy we suspect, beat him up, and then call the police.”
“But we’re not doing
any good right now.” Armand said. “That guy’s out there somewhere
and pretty soon he’s going to make another move. We need to stop him
before he does.”
“Armand, think.”
Everett said. “We have very little to go on. And even if we did, the
knights, technically, have no enforcement powers. We haven’t for
hundreds of years.”
“Still.” The younger
knight said rhetorically, his voice carrying a bitter hint of anger.
“You’re missing the point of the whole book, Malcolm.” Edgar
said, as he walked with his brightest pupil down the street. “The point
is about the crime, the sin if you want, of killing the man.”
“But I just think Tolstoy
just does a bad job.” Malcolm continued to argue, his book bag slung
over his back as he walked with the professor. “It would be a much
better story if he actually dealt clearly with the murderer’s views on
the whole thing.”
“He does.” Edgar
exclaimed. “Time and time again. Clearly.”
“I didn’t think so.”
Malcolm defended as the two stopped at the outdoor coffee house.
One minute.
Eli stood up, the black
rifle in his hands. He leaned out over the opening of the clock tower,
leveling the long barrel out over the grassy field that surrounded the
clock tower. He took a deep breath.
30 seconds.
He breathed slowly,
checking through his scope, scanning over the crowded street. “Two.”
He said to himself. “That’s what Jericho said.” He whispered.
“Two.”
15 seconds.
“Two.” He breathed.
Through the scope, the people walked by. None had any idea of what was
about to happen. None would ever guess what had happened. But before the
next hour was over, everyone’s lives would change. Again.
5 seconds.
Eli took a deep breath. He
held it. His hand closed around the trigger, ready.
The bell chimed it’s hourly chimes, the deep reverberations
filling the air around the university. Everywhere, everyone noted the
time. Anyone within earshot was now aware of the hour.
The bell chimed for the
first hour.
The bell chimed for the
second hour.
Two o’clock.
2 o’clock.
2:00
2 dead.
Alan held Kim close to his chest as he pressed himself against the
brick wall of the coffee house. He held her close as the people screamed
and ran. The sidewalks had turned into a stampede as the populous rushed
away from the incidents.
Alan risked raising his
head up, to see past the crowd, to see the two fallen bodies.
“Oh my god.” Roland breathed as he stared at the body that had
fallen. He turned his head in detached wonderment, the rushing sounds and
painful sight of the fleeing people lost on him.
Ledger looked down at the
fallen woman, at the wound in her head. He noted the way she had fallen,
the position she had landed in, the collateral damage behind her. He
followed the path of the gunshot up to clock tower.
“Stay here.” Ledger
said. He threw open his bulky black jacket, throwing it off his arms.
Before the jacket hit the ground, though, Ledger reached into it’s
single pocket he had put there, ripping out the giant-pistol sized sawed
off shot gun. Breaking into a run, Ledger shot off over the street,
rushing towards the clock tower.
“Professor.” Malcolm said, looking at the middle-aged man.
“Are you alright?”
“Of course I am.” Edgar
said quickly, pushing Malcolm off him. “I appreciate the concern, but
I’m bit a tougher to kill than that. Trust me.”
“I know it’s just . .
.” Malcolm started.
“Apologize later.”
Edgar said, looking around the sidewalk, at the two bodies on the
pavement. He looked out; checking to make certain no one else had fallen.
“You help her.” He said, pointing to the further victim.
Malcolm rushed past the
first victim, forcing himself not to look down. He stopped over the other
girl, ignoring the man that stood over her. “Hey!” He yelled to the
girl. “Are you . . .” As he tried to lift her up, though, the cavity
of her head became clear. He lowered the body back down to the ground,
suddenly feeling sick.
“You okay?” Asked the
man that stood over her, speaking to Malcolm.
It took a moment for
Malcolm to realize who he meant, all the time his eyes locked on the
emotionless gaze of the girl. “Fine.” He finally struggled to get out;
swallowing hard as he stared at her glazed eyes. “I’ll be fine.”
“It just went from bad to worst.” Edgar said into his cell
phone as he squatted over the first victim.
“Don’t you mean
worse?” Came Everett’s voice on the other end.
“No. We skipped that
part.” Edgar said. “Where are you?”
“About thirty feet from
you.” Everett said. Edgar turned and looked down the street, to see
Everett and Armand coming towards him. “Are they both gone?” Everett
said as the two rushed on towards the elder knight.
“Looks that way.” Edgar
said. “I hate to make this worse, but I saw Roland and Ledger just a
minute ago by the second victim. Now it’s just Roland.”
“Meaning?” Asked
Everett.
“Meaning,” Edgar said
chillingly. “I’m afraid Ledger may have gotten a bead on the sniper
and he’s going to try and handle it himself.” |