Chapter 7
Durbbie:
The lights faded
behind me and I escaped under the cover of darkness to the exit of the little
coffee shop. I got outside and took a breath of the crisp air and looked around.
My jaw dropped.
"There ARE laws against stalking. You know that, right?" I quipped.
"I thought you said you weren't coming," he answered.
"So I changed my mind. Sue me." He had no response, so I walked away.
Before long I heard footsteps behind me. "Look, AJ," I said heatedly.
"I'm really tired of you following me around! I didn't want it to come
to this, but just leave me alone!"
"Why are you like this? Why do you always push me away?"
"What do you think?"
Melissa:
There
was a knock on the door. I got up from my seat on the couch and looked out the
peephole. I swore under my breath.
"It's no use, Melissa. Open up. It's just me." I remained silent and
prayed to anything that would listen that he would just go away. No such luck.
"I just want to say hi. There's no harm in that." The doorknob I was
holding onto jiggled. Oh my G-d! He's trying to get in. I made a dash to the
phone and dialed the police.
"Hello?"
"Yes, hi. My name is Melissa and someone's trying to get into my apartment."
"Do you know this person?"
I ran my hand through my hair and curled up on the floor of the kitchen. "Yes.
His name is…"
Brian:
"Just
great," I said as the cops came running down the hallway. Instinctively,
I put my hands up and moved to the nearest wall and prepared for the usual round
of search and seizure. The cops went right by me. The whole police force was
there. I caught one of the officers and asked what was going on.
"Listen, sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We've got a situation
on our hands…"
"I've got a friend down there. At least tell me what apartment…"
"Sir please…"
Then the walkie-talkie went off. "Just in… We have a 26-year-old male
with a 20-year-old female hostage. Male named Scott, female is Melissa. Over…"
Durbbie:
"AJ leave
me alone!" I said as I kept walking towards my apartment. There were sirens
whirling around me, adding to my confusion. I stopped when I saw that my apartment
was barricaded.
"Durbbie…"
"Later," I said as I showed the nearest officer my driver's license
and some other identification and was escorted into the building.
"What' about me?" AJ asked over all the chaos.
"Self-riotous little bastard," I muttered. "Bring him."
AJ:
Durbbie
and I were escorted into the building and told the situation.
"What are you doing here?" Durbbie asked.
"Me? You're the one who…" I started.
"I wasn't talking to you," Durbbie snapped. "I was talking to…Brian."
My ears perked up. "Brian?"
All eyes turned to him.
"Didn't I tell you to leave?" Durbbie said coldly.
"I just came to…"
"See if your game of cat and mouse would end. While the cat's away, the
mice will play, and unfortunately for you, Littrell," Durbbie spat, "you
lose."
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Stay out of this AJ," Brian said. "It doesn't concern you."
"If that's the way you want it…"
"I don't need this right now," Durbbie said sinking against a wall
and putting her head in her hands.
I rushed to her side. "We didn't mean it." Without looking up, Durbbie
gave me the finger.
Melissa:
"One
more word out of you and you can kiss your life goodbye," Scott growled
as his hold around my neck got firmer. I obediently fell silent.
"We know you're in there Scott. Open the door," an officer called.
I heard some scuffling outside and soon a new voice was heard.
"Scott? Baby, it's me," Durbbie said.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his face soften for a moment. Maybe he's
got a human side after all…
"Listen, um, how about you let me talk to you. Let Melissa go and I'll
be right in," she bargained.
"Not good enough," Scott yelled.
"What else?"
"Remember that one night at the cabin?"
I could picture Durbbie's face at this request. There was complete silence on
both ends.
"Give me five minutes," Durbbie responded.
All I could do was wait.
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