Walker Whitfield walked slowly through the parking garage. He kneeled beside his younger brother, Ian and grinned.
"Is it all set?"
"Yup. We should be seeing fireworks before ya know it."
"Let’s hope we don’t see them until we’re out of here."
"Don’t worry, I have it on a timer, it won’t go off for 3 more hours. Wanted to make sure everyone was inside when it went off."
"Good thinking. In three hours these offices will be filled to the brim with people wishing they weren’t there. Let’s make their wish come true, shall we?"
Ian nodded his head as he flipped a switch on a box he was fiddling with on the ground. "All set."
"Great, let’s get out of here." Walker said as he slapped Ian on the back and walked towards his car.
"Jonathan Hart will rue the day he crossed Walker Whitfield." Walker grinned evilly.
"Ahem."
"Oh, I do apologize. Jonathan Hart will rue the day he crossed Walker Whitfield and his baby brother, Ian."
Walker and Ian laughed as they got into the car and sped off.
"Darling?" Jennifer whispered as she leaned across her husbands still sleeping form. When he didn’t answer she kissed him on the cheek. "Darling." She said again, louder. Jonathan stirred under her and mumbled something incoherently. Jennifer was about to say something to him when he opened his eyes wide and pulled Jennifer to him so that his lips touched hers. He kissed her firmly and said. "Yes, dear."
Jennifer giggled. "You are going to be late for work."
"That’s okay. They can’t fire me."
Jennifer scoffed at Jonathan’s attitude. "Jonathan!"
Jonathan laughed. "I love that look."
"What look."
"Any look." Jonathan kissed Jennifer again. "As long as it’s one of yours."
Jennifer smiled and kissed him back. It wasn’t long before their kisses turned more passionate.
An hour later Jonathan and Jennifer walked into the kitchen to find Jessica standing at the refrigerator.
"Jessie? Shouldn’t you be in school?" Jennifer asked as Jessica poured a glass of milk.
"I missed the bus and you guys weren’t up yet."
"Oh, umm. How did you know we weren’t up?" Jennifer asked cautiously.
"I guessed." Jessica said.
"Guessed?"
"Yeah, when I didn’t see you down here I guessed you weren’t up." Jessica sat down at the table.
"Oh!" Jennifer sighed with relief.
Jessica giggled, "How did you think I knew?"
"Junior!" Jennifer called noticing the dog at her feet. "Good morning, baby." She said as she bent down and started to pet him.
"I’ll take you to school on my way to the office." Jonathan said.
"Okay."
"I’ll get my stuff together and we’ll leave in ten minutes."
Jonathan left the kitchen and Jessica followed him to get her books. They met back up in the hallway before heading back to the kitchen.
"Oh, is it okay if I stay over Sarah’s house tonight?"
"It’s a school night."
"I know, but it’s her birthday. Everyone who is anyone is going to be there.
"Not everyone because you won’t be there."
"But, Jonathan!"
"I said no."
"You won’t even listen to my reasons."
"What possible reasons could there be other then you just wanting to visit with your friends?"
"What’s wrong with visiting with friends?"
"Nothing, when you don’t have school the next day."
"You don’t trust me."
"Yes, I do."
"Then why won’t you let me go?"
"Jessica." Jennifer called as she came out into the hallway. "You heard your father."
"He’s not my father. My father would have let me go to the party." Jessica said angrily as she stormed to the door.
Jonathan didn’t know what to say. He just stared at Jessica as she stood at the door waiting for him to head for the car.
"Ready?" Jessica asked.
"I think you need to apologize first." Jennifer said
"For what?"
Jonathan said "Then, let’s go." Jonathan kissed Jennifer before heading for the door. "I love you, darling."
"I love you, darling." Jennifer said as she kissed him back. "Love you too Jessie."
Jessica just glared at Jonathan as she walked out of the door.
Jonathan kissed Jennifer once more before following Jessica to the car.
Jonathan walked into his office glumly. He tried talking to Jessica about what had happened in the car but she wouldn’t say anything. His brain knew it was probably just her teenage hormones over-reacting, but his heart wasn’t so sure. She had been through a lot. Their relationship started because Jessica needed protection. Now that she didn’t need that protection perhaps she didn’t need the relationship either. Jonathan sighed; maybe he was just over-analyzing the situation. He decided to call Jennifer; she would know what to do. Jessica was always closer to Jennifer. He reached for the phone and dialed only two numbers when he was hit over the head. His eyes went dark and he fell to the ground.
Jennifer was walking along the street towards Hart Industries. She parked at the mall because she thought she would do some shopping later. It was only a few blocks to Hart Industries anyway. She wanted to talk to Jonathan. She knew that Jessica had hurt him this morning, and wanted to be sure he knew she didn’t mean it. Teenagers say things they don’t mean all the time when they’re angry. She looked at the building as she walked towards it. She bent over to tie her shoe when the ground shook underneath her. She looked up and gasped when she saw dust and debris where Hart Industries had once stood. "Jonathan!" She screamed as she started running towards the now demolished building.
Jennifer stood behind the police line in tears. It had been hours since the explosion and dozens of bodies had been brought out, no survivors from the east side of the building had been found. Jonathan’s office was on the east side. The rescue workers were beginning to lose hope of finding any survivors in that section of the building. The explosion had originated in the east-parking garage and hit that side of the building the hardest. The west side had been cleared out over an hour ago; all personnel dead or alive had been accounted for. Jennifer hadn’t been paying attention to the time until she saw the sun receding behind the clouds. Morning had slowly turned to evening and Jonathan was nowhere to be found. "Oh no, Jessica!" she cried as she realized that Jessica would have been home from school hours ago. She hoped that Jessica had not turned on the TV. This was something she wanted to tell her daughter in person. Her hope died quickly however when she saw a familiar teenager coming towards her.
"Jennifer!" Jessica called as she came and stood beside her.
"Hey."
"What’s wrong?" Jessica asked, frightened. She turned and looked at the building. It had taken her a minute and then she noticed it. She couldn’t see Jonathan’s office window. Air and dust filled up the space where it used to be. "Oh no." She wrapped her arms around Jennifer for support.
Jennifer embraced Jessica tightly and whispered. "He’s okay. He has to be."
It seemed like hours when a somber looking ambulance worker walked over to Jennifer and Jessica. "Mrs. Hart?" she asked.
Jennifer looked up sharply and wiped the tears from her face. "Have you found him?"
"Well, we’ve accounted for all the workers, but some, well," The paramedic paused. "They’re not recognizable."
"Oh God." Jennifer exclaimed as her knees gave out on her and she had to lean on Jessica to remain upright.
"How do you know he’s one of them?" Jessica asked quickly.
"We have counted, there are no bodies missing." The paramedic looked at Jennifer sadly.
"How, How will." Jennifer swallowed the lump in her throat. "How will you identify him?"
"We think we already have."
"What?"
"Your wedding rings, they were engraved weren’t they?"
Jennifer paused and looked at her own ring. "Yes, Jonathan, he had them engraved for our last anniversary."
"Did the engraving say "One Love, Two Harts."
"No, oh no. Oh no. Jonathan!!!!" Jennifer screamed as she collapsed into Jessica’s arms.
"Did it work?" Ian asked as he walked into the room where Walker was eating.
"Perfectly."
"That’s great! Then we’re done here? What d’ya say we celebrate?"
"Not so fast. It’s not over yet."
"What do you mean? Jonathan Hart’s dead, we’ve accomplished everything we set out to do."
"Not quite, little brother. I have a little surprise for you."
"A surprise?" Ian asked, confused.
"Yes, a slight change in plans. I decided merely killing Mr. Hart would not make me happy. Satisfied, yes, but happy? No."
"What did you do?"
"Come, see for yourself." Walker stood and led Ian to another room. He opened the door and showed him inside.
Ian laughed out loud when he saw the room’s contents. "You didn’t?"
"I did, what do you think?"
"Brilliant, sheer brilliancy." Ian patted Walker on the back happily as they left the room.
Jennifer was in a fog. She had to be sedated after the hospital confirmed that they had found Jonathan’s body. She was now sitting in a chair in the living room staring out the window. Deep inside she was expecting him to pull in the driveway any minute. Jessica watched her from the doorway. Jennifer hadn’t said one word to her since they’d been given the news. She knew Jennifer had to hate her for what she had said to Jonathan so close to his death. She hated herself for what she had said. It broke Jessica’s heart to watch Jennifer mourn.
"He’s not dead." Jennifer said without turning around. Jessica wasn’t sure she was talking to her.
Jessica walked over to Jennifer and wrapped her arms around Jennifer’s shoulders. "I wish that were true."
"How can I go on if he is?" Jennifer began to cry inconsolably and Jessica held on to her tightly and cried with her.
Ian and Walker stood in the doorway and stared at the man lying on the ground before them.
"What about food?" Ian asked.
"What about it?"
"We can’t just leave him there, he’ll need to eat."
"I know that. I wouldn’t have kept him alive just to starve him to death."
"Why did you keep him alive?"
"I want him to see what he did to our mother when he killed father."
"How are you going to do that?"
Walker reached into his pocket and pulled a remote from his pocket. Ian jumped slightly when a TV in the corner flicked on. Walker pressed another button on the remote and Ian’s mouth fell open when he saw two women appear on the screen, clearly distraught. "Who are they?" Ian asked.
"The newly widowed Jennifer Hart and her daughter Jessica."
Ian and Walker smiled at each other as they looked again at the man on the floor. "We’ll let him sleep a little while longer. He’ll need his strength." Walker turned the TV off and kicked Jonathan in the ribs before leaving the room.
Walker sat down at the kitchen table with Ian.
"What are we going to do with him?" Ian asked.
"We’ll keep him here a while. Let him watch his family grieve."
"Yeah, but for how long?"
"Until Mrs. Hart plays her part."
"What’s her part?"
"The same part that Mother had." Walker grinned evilly.
"But, Mother, she..."
Walker interrupted Ian. "Yes, I know what mother did, and it’s all his fault." He said angrily.
"You want Mrs. Hart to end up like mother?"
"Yes."
"What happens after that?"
"I haven’t decided yet." Walker got up from the table and walked to his room where he laid down to fall asleep.
The funeral had been a somber affair. Jennifer wanted to get it over with quickly so she had made the arrangements herself. Jessica tried to help, but every time she saw Jessica she would cry. It was hard to get things together when you couldn’t even hold yourself together. So, she’d asked Jessica to take Freeway Jr. for a walk, or to make some lunch or to go talk to her father. Steven adored Jessica; he had arrived as soon as he had gotten the news about Jonathan’s death. He had never met another person whose soul was so much like his own daughter. He only wished he had gotten to meet her under happier circumstances. Now, it had been two days since Jonathan died. The mourners were leaving the cemetery and heading for the Harts home for the wake. Jennifer and Jessica stayed behind. Steven had his arms around both of them as they cried into his shoulders.
"Could I have a minute?" Jennifer asked.
"Sure, come on Jessie." Steven said. He hugged Jennifer tightly and motioned for Jessica to follow him to the car. Jessica looked warily at Jennifer who pulled her into an embrace.
"It’s just the two of us now." Jennifer said through her tears.
Jessica nodded her head slowly. "I’m going to miss him so much."
"I know." Jennifer smiled slightly. "So will I."
Jessica hugged Jennifer tightly and she and Steven walked to the car.
Jonathan watched the screen in silence. He just wanted to reach out and pull Jennifer into his arms. He was tied to a chair and couldn’t move. If he could he would have killed Walker and Ian for what they were doing. He had never seen Jennifer so sad. Jessica looked much younger than her sixteen years clinging to first Jennifer and then to Steven. He was worried about how all of this would affect her. She had already been through so much. Jonathan watched as Steven and Jessica walked towards the car. His eyes were transfixed on Jennifer as she stood by "his" coffin.
"Oh, darling." Jennifer fingered the flowers sitting on the coffin. She wiped the tears from her face. "You are my soul-mate. My one and only love." Jennifer cried softly and she leaned over to take a rose from one of the bouquets. She took the rose in her hand. "I don’t know how I’m going to go on without you. I will, though. I will take care of our daughter and I will never, never forget you. I wish you were here." Jennifer kissed the rose and gently placed it on the coffin.
"My love." Jonathan said to the screen. "I am here, I always will be."
Walker came up behind him and turned the TV off. "That’s enough for today."
"Why are you doing this?" Jonathan asked angrily.
"Because, it’s fun!" Walker laughed and walked out of the room.
Jennifer, Jessica and Steven bid goodbye to their friends who had come for Jonathan’s funeral. After everyone had gone Jessica left Jennifer and Steven in the living room. She walked past Jonathan’s den on her way upstairs and decided to peek inside. Jessica sat at the desk and started looking at everything sitting on top. She then got up and started looking at the books on the shelves. She noticed Tom Clancy’s Clear and Present Danger amongst the classic literature and giggled. She reached and pulled the book down. She was surprised when a piece of paper fell out. She wasn’t sure if she should read it, but her curiosity got the better of her and she unfolded it quietly.
"3100 Willow Pond Drive. Saturday, noon." Jessica read the note curiously. "What’s this?" she asked herself. The note didn’t look too old and the book was only a couple years old. She couldn’t tell if the note was also a couple years old, though. Jessica was tempted to ask Jennifer if she knew where Willow Pond Drive was, but decided she didn’t want to bother her. Jessica put the note in her pocket and left the den. She went up to her bedroom and called her friend Sarah.
"Hey Jess, what’s up?" Sarah asked. "How are you doing?"
"I’m okay." Jessica said. "Sarah, do you know where Willow Pond Drive is?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Umm, do you think you could take me there?" Jessica asked tentatively. Sarah had only recently gotten her driver’s license and her parents weren’t sure they were ready for Sarah to be driving alone.
"Sure, when?"
"Now, if that’s okay?"
"Alright, I just gotta ask my folks. If they don’t think it’s okay I’ll call ya back, Kay?"
"Great, thanks, see ya soon!" Jessica hung up the phone and went downstairs to where Jennifer and Steven were still in the living room.
Jessica stood in the entranceway to the living room for a minute. She watched as Steven put his arm around Jennifer and pulled her close to him.
"Mom?" Jessica said as she came into the room. Jennifer and Steven both looked up at her.
"Hmm?" Jennifer said.
"Is it okay if I go for a ride with Sarah in a few minutes?"
"To where?" Jennifer asked.
"Just a ride." Jessica said. "I just need some air."
"Sure." Jennifer agreed. "Just take the cell phone with you, alright?"
"Ok, thanks." Jessica started to leave the room but she paused and kissed Jennifer on the cheek before leaving. "I love you." She said.
"I love you, too sweetie." Jennifer half-smiled.
After Jessica had left, Jennifer turned to Steven and said. "I feel so awful for her. She has a lot of guilt going on inside."
"Guilt? For what?" Steven asked, surprised.
"She had a fight with Jonathan right before," Jennifer paused. "That morning. Her last words to him were said in anger."
"Poor kid."
"Yeah. I don’t know what to say to her."
"Has she mentioned it?"
"No, in fact she hasn’t mentioned much at all. She’s been pretty quiet."
Steven nodded his head.
Jennifer’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the telephone. She was surprised to find a police officer at the other end.
"Mrs. Hart, we have new information about the explosion at Hart Industries."
"Oh? What?" Jennifer asked.
"There was a bomb."
"A bomb?" Jennifer was flabbergasted. "But, who, why?"
"We don’t know that yet, we’ll let you know what we find out."
"Thank you." Jennifer hung up the phone.
"Are you okay?" Steven asked when he saw Jennifer’s face turn a ghostly white.
Jennifer just shook her head.
