The Death of Jacob Track (Book One of the 33X Series)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

February 1, 2015

Wanda and Marvin Duntz, residents of 823 Main Street, were awake watching the morning news. Wanda worked day shift, 8-5, at Sunnyvale Hospital. Marvin was retired, but liked to get up and spend the morning with his wife. They'd sip on coffee while talking about the world going to hell in a hand basket. It was a bonding moment for them. Relationships weren't always about sharing the things you loved, but also the things that pissed you off as well.

"Marvin, dear, will you let the dog out? I'll make us some eggs." Wanda asked, as she headed toward the kitchen.

"Sure. Come here, Pepper, you menace." Marvin growled at the small terrier mixed dog lying on the sofa. Pepper came running towards the front door, ready for the fresh air. Marvin and Pepper walked out to the front porch.

"Is someone barbecuing this early, Marvin? I smell smoke or something." Wanda shouted toward the front door.

There was no reply. Marvin could be a bit hard of hearing at times. She strolled lazily to the front door. The smell of acrid smoke filled her nostrils.

Marvin stood on the lawn, staring across the street at the local jail. Black smoke was pouring out of the second floor.

"Shall we call 911?" Wanda gasped, her hand on her chest, as she ran to his side.

"It's the damn jail! Wouldn't they know already?" Marvin asked, unable to peel his eyes from the smoking jail.

"They might not! I'm calling!" Wanda turned to head back into the house. She made it about three steps when she was thrown across the lawn. Her face crashed painfully into the cement steps of her own front porch. Blood immediately poured from her nose and mouth. She felt the pain before she heard the extremely loud BOOM. She tried to crawl up the stairs, but was blinded by the white lights in her eyes. Her body was unable to move, something pinned her to ground. She stretched her arm out, the nerves jerked it unnaturally. She was dead.

Marvin was thrown in another direction. He landed with a horrible crunch into the middle of the street. His spine snapped paralyzing him instantly. The moment he hit the pavement, a car came rolling towards him. Unable to stop in time, the car hit Marvin, his body bounced over the tires. He was dead.

"Oh God!" The driver from the car screamed, as Marvin's lifeless body rolled under his car. He slammed on the brakes. He jumped out of the car unsure of what to do. The entire scene was overwhelming. A man flew in front of his car. He killed a man! The jail on the adjacent street now had a gaping hole on the first floor, black smoke pouring out. Orange and red flames licked the brick building. The ambulances were parked next to the jail, originally, he knew, but one lay across the street, upside down in a front lawn. He thought he saw an arm underneath a piece of jangled metal from one of the ambulance doors.

He suddenly remembered that the town's fire trucks were also parked with the ambulances. All of the first response vehicles were there. If they were damaged, which looked extremely likely if ambulances were flying across the street from the impact of the explosion, no one could stop the fire. Another town would have to come to the rescue. It would take too long.

The shock of the situation took over his mind. The screamed frantically, running madly through the street. "HELP! HELP!" He screamed into the open morning air.

People began to scatter from their houses to see what had caused the loud boom and shockwaves. The scene was utter chaos. People ran wildly through the street, trying to get closer to the jail, but too afraid. Some simply ran in large circles, wanting to help but unsure of what to do.