“Thomas?”
“That’s what you’re called in the Bible.”
Tom’s jaw clenched shut for a moment, grinding his teeth. “David, really. This isn’t funny.”
“Actually, I think you might be the only disciple in the Bible who actually had a nickname.”
Tom stared at David, his mind racing with thoughts.
“Do you know how your name translates into Greek?”
Tom didn’t reply. He knew David was going to tell him.
David smiled. “Didymus…remarkable coincidence. Now you see why it is so funny that they call you that. Not only did we look like twins, but your name translates to the Greek word for twin, Didymus.”
Tom sat down. “I’m in the Bible?”
David nodded happily. “And every Christian child has grown up hearing stories about you.”
What David was saying made no sense, but Tom knew he wouldn’t lie about something like this. “That doesn’t make them true,” Tom said.
“But it makes the Bible accurate.”
Tom closed his eyes in thought, “What else do you know about me? About what’s going to happen?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“It might affect the decisions you make.”
“You know what happens in the next week?”
“Yes.”
“A month from now?”
“Yes.”
“How I live? How I die?”
“Tom-”
“You know what happens to Mary?”
David is thrown by the question. “I…no, I don’t.”
Tom looked away, trying to hide any concerned look on his face that might give his feelings away. But it was too late. David noticed.
“Tom, do you?” David asked suspiciously.
Tom shook his head. “Don’t ask me how, but yes.”
David couldn’t help but smile. He put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “That’s great.”
“Is it really?” Tom turned around and looked at the stars, trying desperately not to make eye contact with David.
David stood next to Tom and gazed at the glowing night sky. “I promise you. There isn’t any other person alive today or tomorrow that Megan would be happier to see you with.”
Tom smiled and glanced at David. “What about you?”
“What do you mean?” David asked.
“The woman who inexplicably holds your heart is two thousand years in the future.”
David smiled, “A minute won’t pass for Sally. I’ve been gone for years, but to her it will only be a minute.”
“It’s hard to be away from someone you love for that long. I know.”
David nodded. “I miss her smile. Granted, I only saw it a few times in all the years we’ve known her, but when I did…there was nothing better,” David said.
“Well, maybe you’ll get to see her smile soon?”
“Not soon enough,” David said. “Not soon enough.”
Sally grimaced behind her black scarf. This was not going well.
“Raise your hands,” Sean demanded after Chuck had removed her backpack.
Sally did as she was told. She didn’t want to incite these guys into pulling a trigger. Jake was still struggling to catch his breath as Sean ran to Jake and helped him to his feet. Jake struggled to speak. “What is it, sir?” Sean asked.
Sally knew that if Jake regained the ability to talk he might give the order to shoot. She had to act fast. Sally moved her right hand subtly to her watch and began slowly pushing buttons.
“It’s…It’s…” Jake was beginning to get out a sentence.
Chuck emptied the backpack’s contents while keeping his gun raised at Sally’s head. Sally’s business suit, heels, nylons and I.D. badge fell out of the bag. She had planned to change into her normal clothes as soon as she made her getaway. She could have easily strolled comfortably back to her office. But that was no longer an option.
Jake pointed toward Sally and said, “That’s…”
“Director McField?” Chuck asked. He was holding her I.D. in his hand.
Jake relaxed. They finally understood.
“I think this guy broke into Director McField’s office too,” the guard said.
Jake’s eyes bulged. “NO!” he shouted. “SHE’S… SHE’S…”
Both guards stared at Jake. What was he trying to say? Jake’s eyes widened when he saw Sally lower her arms and reach for the gun. “SHOOT HER!” he screamed.
Sally grabbed Chuck’s gun and quickly kneed him in the groin. Sally’s ears rang with pain as a gunshot ripped through the air. She felt the breeze created by the bullet as it passed her face and shattered several beakers. Sean aimed for a second shot, but Sally had begun moving before the shards of glass from the beakers hit the floor. She ran out the door, through the office and burst into the hallway.
The elevator door directly across the hall opened up with a ding. A stunned guard struggled to draw his weapon as Sally skidded to a stop and ran down the hallway toward the stairwell. Two shots echoed through the hallway as Sean leapt from the office and took aim for a third.
As Sally slammed through the stairwell door, a third bullet punctured the metal door behind her, just missing its mark. She scrambled up the stairs, covering two steps at a time. She had a plan. She thought it was stupid, but it was a plan nonetheless. The three guards, two running and Chuck limping, followed quickly, weapons ready to kill.
Jake picked up the office phone and dialed three numbers. “Sir, it’s Jake… Better prep…all four. Spencer was right… Sally’s gone crazy… I think she’s going back… Yeah… She’s got a watch.”
Sally’s legs burned as she heaved up each flight of stairs. The men behind her were gaining, and if they caught her, would most likely kill her. She couldn’t let that happen. Sally slammed into a thick bulkhead and pushed. The doors were heavy, covered in sand and meant only for emergency use; only a select group of people knew they existed, and from the outside, they were invisible. An alarm sounded as soon as the first piece of daylight entered the stairwell.
Pang! A bullet ricocheted off the stair Sally was standing on. The vibration caused by the bullet shot a tingling sensation up her leg. That was close. A few more seconds and she’d be dead. Sally grunted as she pushed the bulkhead open and ran into the blazing sun. The searing heat of the desert and blinding light of sun on golden sand was disorientating.
Sally stumbled forward a few feet and covered her squinting eyes. She saw it just in time. She planted her feet firmly in the sand and leaned backward. Her toes protruded over a five hundred foot drop. Sally was teetering on the edge of oblivion.
“Don’t move! Don’t move a freakin’ inch, lady!” the elevator guard shouted.
“Turn around, nice and slow,” Sean said, as he inched toward her, keeping a watchful eye on the cliff.
Sally turned around slowly, but did not move away from the cliff’s edge. She had to time this perfectly and make sure she didn’t get shot in the process.
“Take off your mask,” demanded the elevator guard. “Take it off, now.”
Sally punched one last button on the watch as she raised her hand to her scarf and unwrapped it. The guards took a step back when they saw Sally’s face. They had been shooting at their boss!
