“All right, Gerry,” she said in a calm voice. “I’ve stopped.”
Gerry looked back out at the parking lot.
The MPs shined their lights up at the roof, adding to the intensity of the spotlight. Then they started for the building.
“Gerry.” Megan forced herself to sound calm. She didn’t feel that way, but she could sound that way—with effort. Years spent counseling troubled youths had honed that skill within her. “You’ve got to come away from the edge of the building, Gerry. If you don’t, the MPs are going to come up.”
Gerry shook his head, peered over the edge, and looked like he was going to throw up. But when he faced her, he still looked resolute. “If they do, I’ll jump.”
The calm way he stated his planned action scared Megan. Gerry sounded broken in spirit, filled with a quiet desperation that ran bone deep. “You’re breaking the law, Gerry. They can’t just walk away.”
“I’m planning on jumping anyway.” Gerry’s voice remained calm and matter-of-fact. “When they get too close, then I’ll jump.”
“Let me try to stop them,” Megan offered. She lifted her cell phone and punched in the number to the security office.
The dispatch officer came on in a crisp, efficient tone.
“This is Megan Gander,” Megan said, watching the MPs jog across the parking lot. “You’ve got men monitoring a situation near the base hospital. A boy on an apartment building roof.”
“Who are you, Mrs. Gander?” the dispatcher asked. Other voices sounded in the background, other dispatchers working other calls.
“I’m the boy’s counselor,” Megan said. “You can verify that through Helen Cordell at the base hospital. She called me in. Dr. Carson is the attending physician in the ER tonight. He’s aware of the situation as well.”
The MPs had jogged to the base of the building.
“I’ll do that now, Mrs. Gander,” the dispatcher replied. “Until then, the MPs—”
“Back them off,” Megan said, watching as one of the MPs started up the fire escape. “If they try to come up after him, he’s threatened to jump.”
“Ma’am, I haven’t confirmed who you are or what the situation—”
“Do you want to confirm all that after he’s jumped?” Megan interrupted with desperate anger.
The brief pause that came after her challenge seemed elastic, like it would stretch on forever. Then he said, “All right, Mrs. Gander. You’ve got a point.”
Listening closely, her eyes on Gerry, Megan heard the dispatcher order the MPs stand down. The transmission through the MPs radios came from below, lagging a half second behind the cell phone connection.
“Gerry,” she said, turning back to the boy. “They’ve stopped. See? You’re in control here. We’re going to do what you want to do.” God, please give me the time and the skill to convince him that he wants to live. I’ve asked You for a lot in the past, but I really need Your help here. She stepped toward the edge where the MPs could see her.
Their flashlights played over her. Light seared into her eyes and she turned away. The MPs pointed their lights to the side. Looking down again, she experienced immediate vertigo. How far up was four stories? She didn’t know. But she was certain that the height was more than enough to kill an eleven-year-old boy.
“Step back away from the building,” Megan called down to the MPs.
The young soldier leaning out the window of his apartment remained in that position below. The rap music continued to blare. Unbelievably, the soldier held a small camcorder in his hands. The intense light sprayed through the dark night, mixing with the blinding glare of the spotlight.
“Mrs. Gander,” one of the young MPs said. The tone indicated that he wanted verbal confirmation.
“Yes,” she answered in a firm voice. “I need you to step back. Please.”
“Yes, ma’am. If you need any help, just let us know.” The MP stepped back from the building. He cupped the walkie-talkie microphone clipped to his right shoulder and spoke briefly.
“I will. But I think Gerry and I are quite capable of getting our- selves out of this situation.” Megan looked at the boy. Tears still cascaded down his face. “We can handle this, can’t we, Gerry?”
Gerry didn’t answer.
Megan waited, then talked more softly, as if she didn’t want the MPs to hear. Actually, she intended the effort to bring Gerry and her together, to let the boy know he was helping someone else. Sometimes by helping someone else, a person better learned to help himself.
“They need to hear you, Gerry,” Megan said. “They need to know that you’re in control of the situation. They have to tell the dispatch officer that they’re confident that you know what you’re doing.”
Gerry didn’t move, didn’t speak.
“Gerry, I need your help. They need your help. I’ve got to try to do my job, and they’ve got to try to do theirs.”
The boy swallowed hard. “It’s okay. Me and Mrs. Gander are gonna talk.”
Thank You, God, Megan thought. But she knew the quick response on her part was just lip service. She didn’t believe God had anything to do with the present situation. She didn’t see how. If God were paying attention, He would never have allowed Gerry Fletcher up on the roof.
“That’s fine,” one of the MPs called up. “You guys talk all you want to. But if you could move away from the roof’s edge, it would help.”
Megan looked at Gerry, putting the response back onto the boy.
“No,” Gerry said. “I’m not leaving, Mrs. Gander.” He wiped his face with a shaking hand. “I’m going to jump. I really am.”
15
United States of America
Columbus, Georgia
Local Time 1:12 A.M.
“So, you and your mom.”
Joey braked to a halt at a stoplight that had turned red right before he reached it. He turned to look at Jenny McGrath in the passenger seat. Since they’d left the club, they hadn’t talked much. During his
