2nd Chance

Chapter Two

"Help!"

Jade woke up to the sounds of someone yelling. She grabbed a flashlight and her 24 calbri. pistol and ran outside.

"Please, open the door if you're in there!"

Who would have an European accent in Nebraska? It sounded almost...Danish?

Jade ran over to the diner. A man was banging on the door of the diner.

"Sir!" Jade called. She held her pistol firm in her right hand, ready to shoot. Her flashlight was pointed directly at the man. He didn't seem to be armed, but you never could tell.

"Ma'am, if you would please let me in?" He asked. There was an urgency in his voice that Jade couldn't seem to ignore.

"Here," Jade said, glad that she kept a spare key to the restaurant on her flashlight. She unlocked the door, then paused before ushering him in.

"You aren't armed in any way, are you?" She asked, trying her best to phrase the question delicately.

"Oh, heavens, no!" He said. Jade let him in, as she couldn't see any weapons on him, then closed the door behind her just as she heard a gunshot.

"Oh, my gosh!" She said, eyes wide. She heard another, then the window to her left shattered.

"Get down!" The man said, pulling her down to the floor. They waited in silence for a while, Jade thinking non-stop about whether Emmy was awake and if she had heard the gunshot. What if these men were headed towards her trailer right now?

"I have to get her!" Jade said as she stood up and ran to the back door. Just as she started out the door, she felt someone grab her and pull her back.

"Are you insane, or something?" The man asked, pulling her back into the diner. She struggled against him until she heard voices.

"He must have run into the woods," one heavily accented voice said.

"I agree. He certainly isn't anywhere around here, at least," said another. A mass of footsteps ran into the woods which were beside Jade's diner, then there was silence.

"Well," the man finally said. "Thank you for your hospitality. I had better go now," Jade turned and flipped on a light switch. She looked at the stranger. He was tall, with blond hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen.

"What time is it?" She asked him. He checked what looked like a very expensive watch. In fact, his whole outfit looked expensive with a blue, button-down shirt and dark brown slacks. His dress shoes were caked in mud as if he had been running a long distance.

"It's 5:45," He said. Jade let out a dry laugh. Maybe 5:45 was just her new wake-up time?

"What's your name?" She asked the stranger.

"Erik," He answered. She raised an eyebrow.

"Erik Hansen," He finished.

"And you are Danish?"

He looked surprised that she had known, but went on.

"Yes."

"And those men were?" Jade kept asking questions. She wanted to know what this guy was doing on her property.

"Just men that have been chasing me from town. They were drunk and thought I looked like I might carry a lot of money on me," Erik shrugged. Jade raised her eyebrow again.

"They certainly didn't sound drunk."

"Who didn't sound drunk, Mommy?" Jade turned to see Emmy, wearing her PJs, standing at the door.