on the park swings and climbed on bars, while their mother's basked in the rare summer sun.
Max changed the intercom music from Jazz to Soft, making Collin smile and think of Beth. “...There is someone standing behind you, turn around, look at me. There is someone to love and guide you, turn around, look at me." Collin started to go down stairs to see her, and then he thought better of it. The time was 4:08, Saturday afternoon.
*
The morning hours passed quickly for Seely and Jenna on the forty-third floor of the Winningham Blue. Seely bought lunch and promised an excited Jenna they'd finish before five. The love of Jenna’s life was finally on his way home and only a few hours remained until Kevin's plane was due to touch down at SeaTac Airport. But by 4:10, Seely was thirsty and needed a breath of fresh air. She took the express elevator down to the lobby, and then entered a small shop on the upper sub-floor, where she smiled at the clerk and paid for her orange juice. She walked to a long, narrow bar against the wall and grabbed a napkin. Wearing blue jeans and a white shirt with her long hair in a bun, she leisurely strolled out on the terrace. The fresh warm air was just what she needed.
When she reached the four-foot high brick wall, she set her juice down and took a deep breath. On the street level below, Magnolia trees offered large white blossoms and shoppers sat on benches in the flower garden.
On weekdays, Second Avenue was bumper to bumper with traffic, including a multitude of city buses opening their doors, letting people off, and then allowing others to board. But on Saturday, buses ran less frequently and today, there were only two in sight. The first came and went without incident. But in the second, a blind man seemed unable to get his guide dog to budge. Finally, he spoke stern words and the dog relented. The canine led his master down the steps and away from the bus, but as soon as the master urged him south, the dog abruptly sat down. Perplexed, the blind man issued more commands. Still the dog disobeyed, whining and barking instead. At a loss, the man leaned down, spoke softly and rubbed the dog's ears. Even so, the dog refused to move.
In front of the Federal Building across the street, seagulls watched an elderly lady toss pieces of bread from a bag. The gulls circled and landed. But instead of retrieving their easily obtained meal, they quickly took flight again.
Slowly, Seely searched the cloudless sky. She could feel no wind and other birds were doing the same -- landing, but not staying. "I don't like the looks of this. I don't like it at all."
Forgetting her drink, she hurried back inside. She raced across the Bank foyer, rushed around a delivery man with a huge bouquet of flowers, jetted into the hallway, and jammed her finger on the express elevator button. Urgently, she pushed the button again, and again, "Come on."
At last, a door opened. She stepped in and quickly pushed the button marked 43. Endless seconds passed before the door closed and the elevator began to climb. Alone, with her heart racing, she nervously toyed with her necklace and backed into the corner of the small room. Finally, the express elevator increased its speed, whirling past the first thirty-six floors. Even so, Seely remained on edge. Her eyes were glued to numbered lights above the door and her thoughts poured out of her mouth, "Thirty-six floors of solid wall. What were they thinking of?"
CHAPTER 5
At 4:14 p.m., Max threw the power switches in the basement of KMPR. Just as he hoped, the backup generators kicked on. He hurried up two flights of stairs, raced across the studio and dashed into the sound proof booth. All the appropriate lights were lit on his console, the equipment along each wall buzzed and Max was pleased, "Perfect."
Collin snuffed out his third cigarette and grabbed his T-shirt. "Guess that means I have to go back to work." He sighed, put his shirt on and waited while Max
Max changed the intercom music from Jazz to Soft, making Collin smile and think of Beth. “...There is someone standing behind you, turn around, look at me. There is someone to love and guide you, turn around, look at me." Collin started to go down stairs to see her, and then he thought better of it. The time was 4:08, Saturday afternoon.
*
The morning hours passed quickly for Seely and Jenna on the forty-third floor of the Winningham Blue. Seely bought lunch and promised an excited Jenna they'd finish before five. The love of Jenna’s life was finally on his way home and only a few hours remained until Kevin's plane was due to touch down at SeaTac Airport. But by 4:10, Seely was thirsty and needed a breath of fresh air. She took the express elevator down to the lobby, and then entered a small shop on the upper sub-floor, where she smiled at the clerk and paid for her orange juice. She walked to a long, narrow bar against the wall and grabbed a napkin. Wearing blue jeans and a white shirt with her long hair in a bun, she leisurely strolled out on the terrace. The fresh warm air was just what she needed.
When she reached the four-foot high brick wall, she set her juice down and took a deep breath. On the street level below, Magnolia trees offered large white blossoms and shoppers sat on benches in the flower garden.
On weekdays, Second Avenue was bumper to bumper with traffic, including a multitude of city buses opening their doors, letting people off, and then allowing others to board. But on Saturday, buses ran less frequently and today, there were only two in sight. The first came and went without incident. But in the second, a blind man seemed unable to get his guide dog to budge. Finally, he spoke stern words and the dog relented. The canine led his master down the steps and away from the bus, but as soon as the master urged him south, the dog abruptly sat down. Perplexed, the blind man issued more commands. Still the dog disobeyed, whining and barking instead. At a loss, the man leaned down, spoke softly and rubbed the dog's ears. Even so, the dog refused to move.
In front of the Federal Building across the street, seagulls watched an elderly lady toss pieces of bread from a bag. The gulls circled and landed. But instead of retrieving their easily obtained meal, they quickly took flight again.
Slowly, Seely searched the cloudless sky. She could feel no wind and other birds were doing the same -- landing, but not staying. "I don't like the looks of this. I don't like it at all."
Forgetting her drink, she hurried back inside. She raced across the Bank foyer, rushed around a delivery man with a huge bouquet of flowers, jetted into the hallway, and jammed her finger on the express elevator button. Urgently, she pushed the button again, and again, "Come on."
At last, a door opened. She stepped in and quickly pushed the button marked 43. Endless seconds passed before the door closed and the elevator began to climb. Alone, with her heart racing, she nervously toyed with her necklace and backed into the corner of the small room. Finally, the express elevator increased its speed, whirling past the first thirty-six floors. Even so, Seely remained on edge. Her eyes were glued to numbered lights above the door and her thoughts poured out of her mouth, "Thirty-six floors of solid wall. What were they thinking of?"
CHAPTER 5
At 4:14 p.m., Max threw the power switches in the basement of KMPR. Just as he hoped, the backup generators kicked on. He hurried up two flights of stairs, raced across the studio and dashed into the sound proof booth. All the appropriate lights were lit on his console, the equipment along each wall buzzed and Max was pleased, "Perfect."
Collin snuffed out his third cigarette and grabbed his T-shirt. "Guess that means I have to go back to work." He sighed, put his shirt on and waited while Max
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