The Blonde

… 36 seconds

There was screaming in Jack Eisley’s head, and he’d never felt it before, but now he could … the blood in his veins. On fire. And the throbbing in his head growing stronger with every heartbeat, and the screaming whine in his brain growing louder.

Jack shook his head, pounded his fists on the carpet.

Listen to me. I am infected with an experimental tracking device. If I am alone for more than ten seconds, I will die.

Christ, she wasn’t kidding.

This is real.

This is real.

This is real.

… 37 seconds

Guy with the ice bucket for his Diet Coke. Up on five.

She jabbed forward with her index finger.

Collapsed to her knees.

Found the button for five.

Screamed.

Pounded the floor of the ascending elevator car.

Button five was lighted; the digital readout above the doors ticked upward in concert with the seconds.

She screamed louder, as if it would give the Mary Kates pause.

It didn’t.

… 38 seconds

Jack Eisley pounded furiously at the carpet with the wild idea that he could pound right through the floor and fall into the next floor, and the weight of his body and the chunk of floor would cause that floor to collapse, and then another and another and another, until he was in the lobby, surrounded by people, and the Mary Kates would know that and stop the screaming and throbbing in his head….

It was his only chance.

Jack pounded and pounded and pounded….

… 39 seconds

On the fifth floor, the elevator doors opened, and Kelly White was screaming, she knew she was, but she couldn’t hear sound anymore, and all she could do was fall forward, and she collided with skin and plastic and she saw the ice tumble and scatter across the carpet and heard “Jesus!”

And she smiled, because she was worried about his Diet Coke, and here was a man to save her, finally, but it was too late, and …

And then it was over for Kelly White.

Which wasn’t even the name she had been born with.

… 40 seconds

And on an upswing, Jack Eisleys hand slapped flesh. The guard’s hand. The guard named Vincent.

“Buddy, buddy, what the hell…”

Jack reached out and clamped on Vincent’s forearm…. Vincent, be it his first or last name, it didn’t matter, but he clung to the man like he was never going to let go.

… 41 seconds

Brian Burke forgot the ice bucket, forgot the Diet Coke, held the woman in his hands, looked at her beautiful face … beautiful, except for the blood trickling from her nose and ears.

… 42 seconds