Tree of Life

Book I Chapter 11

TREE OF LIFE BOOK I

CHAPTER 11

The children began edging back. The professor was about thirty yards away.

Julian reached up and adjusted his glasses. “It was you, wasn’t it? My locker? My house?”

The professor sneered. He reached out his hand. “Give it to me.” He began walking toward them, limping on his cane.

“Then it was you!” Julian continued to step backward. Turning his head, he whispered to his friends. “Get ready you guys. On the count of three…”

The other two leaned in close. “What?”

“Stop where you are.” The professor reached into his pocket and brought out a gun, with a silencer on the tip.

The three stopped.

“I wouldn’t try anything heroic, if I were you.” The professor continued to approach. Twenty yards.

Nicole tugged Julian on the sleeve. “What now?!”

Julian kept his eyes on the professor. “Like I said. On the count of three…”

“But he’s got a gun!” said Brian.

“There are three of us. He can’t shoot us all…”

“But…”

The professor pointed his gun at them as he came closer. Ten yards. “I will not ask again. Give it to me.”

“Three!” Julian cried.

The three took off.

Down the alley, away from the professor.

A shot whizzed out. Classic sound from a silencer.

Nicole squealed.

Another shot.

Brian squealed too. A ricochet off the wall by Julian’s head.

They took the first turn between two buildings. Another zip from the silencer. Another ricochet.

They took another turn down the next alley. They kept running.

Julian was whipping his head around and checking behind him. “I can’t see him! Can you guys see him?”

“No, I don’t think he’s there!”

They kept running and didn’t slow down. They zigzagged between the buildings in the area, taking every turn that became available to them as they ran. Finally, after a dozen or more zigs, and just as many zags, they exited the system of alleyways as they dashed out of the buildings in that neighbourhood and tore out into the open street. Coming up on a street lamp, they stopped for a second to catch their breath.

“What…” Brian gasped for breath. “…what the hell was that?”

Julian was huffing and puffing too. “What?”

“You said…you said…‘on the count…of three’…”

“What? I said…I said ‘three’…”

Nicole slapped Julian over the head. “…but you just—said—‘three’!”

“…you know…what I meant!” He rubbed his head.

Nicole yanked on Julian’s arm. “So, what do we do now? We gotta…”

Julian checked over his shoulder.

Shadows from the alley.

“Oh, no!” Julian pointed at the shadows.

“Oh, God!” shouted Brian.