The Sky Is Falling

I'm safe, Kemal thought. They haven't dismissed classes yet. A minute later he reached the front gate. He stopped in front of it and stared at it, unbelievingly. It was locked. Suddenly, from behind, Kemal felt an iron grip on his shoulder.

"It's Saturday, stupid."

"Stop here," Dana said. The taxi was two blocks from her apartment. Dana watched the cab drive away. She walked slowly, her body tense, every sense alert, scanning the streets, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She was sure that Kemal was safe. Jack Stone would be protecting him.

When Dana reached the apartment-house corner, she avoided the front entrance and stepped into the alley that led to the back of the building. It was deserted. Dana went inside the service door and quietly walked up the stairs. She reached the second floor and started down the hall and suddenly stopped. The door to her apartment was wide open. Dana was instantly flooded with fear. She ran toward the door and raced inside. "Kemal!"

No one was there. Dana dashed through the apartment, frantic, wondering what could have happened. Where was Jack Stone? Where was Kemal? In the kitchen, a cabinet drawer had fallen to the floor and its contents had spilled out. There were dozens of small packets, some full, some empty. Curious, Dana picked one up and looked at it. The label said, BuSpar 15 mg tablets marked NDC D087 D822-32.

What were they? Was Mrs. Daley on drugs, or had she been giving these to Kemal? Could it have anything to do with the change in his behavior? Dana put one of the packets in her coat pocket.

Filled with dread, Dana slipped out of the apartment. She went out the back way, into the alley, and headed for the street. As Dana turned the corner, a man hidden behind a tree spoke into a walkie-talkie to his confederate standing on the opposite corner.

Ahead of Dana was the Washington Pharmacy. Dana went inside.

The pharmacist said, "Ah, Miss Evans. Can I help you?"

"Yes, Coquina. I'm curious about this." She took out the small packet. The pharmacist glanced at it. "BuSpar. It's an anti-anxiety agent. White crystal, water soluble."

"What does it do?" Dana asked.

"It's a relaxant. It has a calming effect. Of course, if you overdose, it can cause drowsiness and fatigue."

He's asleep. Shall I wake him up?

When he came home from school, he felt tired, so I thought a nap would be good for him...

So that explained what had been going on. And it had been Pamela Hudson who had sent Mrs. Daley.

And I put Kemal in that bitch's hands, Dana thought. She felt sick to her stomach.

She looked at the pharmacist. "Thank you, Coquina."

"My pleasure, Miss Evans."

Dana went out the door back into the street. The two men were approaching her. "Miss Evans, could we talk to you for a min - " Dana turned and ran. The men were at her heels. Dana reached the corner. A policeman in the middle of the intersection was directing the heavy traffic.

Dana ran out into the street toward him.

"Hey! Go back, miss."

Dana kept coming.

"You're moving against the light! Did you hear me? Get back!"

The two men were waiting at the corner, watching.

"Are you deaf?" the policeman yelled.

"Shut up!" She slapped the policeman hard across the face. The furious officer grabbed Dana's arm.

"You're under arrest, ma'am."

He pulled Dana back to the sidewalk and held on to her while he talked into his radio. "I need a black-and-white."

The two men stood there looking at each other, uncertain what to do.

Dana looked across at them and smiled. There was the sound of an approaching siren and a few seconds later a police car came to a stop in front of them.

The two men watched helplessly as Dana was put into the backseat of the patrol car and driven away.

At the police station, Dana said, "I'm entitled to one phone call, right?"

The sergeant said, "Right."

He handed Dana a phone. She made her call.

A dozen blocks away the man holding Kemal by his shirt collar was pulling him toward a limousine waiting at the curb, its motor running.

"Please! Please let me go," Kemal pleaded.

"Shut up, kid."

Four uniformed marines were passing by.

"I don't want to go in the alley with you," Kemal yelled.

The man looked at Kemal puzzled. "What?"

"Please don't make me go in the alley." Kemal turned to the marines. "He wants to pay me five dollars to go in the alley with him. I don't want to."

The marines stopped, staring at the man. "Why, you dirty pervert..."

The man backed away. "No, no. Wait a minute. You don't understand..."

One of the marines said grimly, "Yes, we do, buddy. Get your hands off the kid." They surrounded the man. He put his hands up to defend himself, and Kemal quickly slipped away.

A delivery boy with a package was getting off a bicycle and starting toward a house. Kemal jumped onto the bicycle and pedaled furiously away. The man watched, frustrated, as Kemal rounded the corner and disappeared. The marines were closing in on him.

At the police station, Dana's cell door clanged open.

"You're free to go, Miss Evans. You're out on bail."

Matt! The phone call worked, Dana thought happily. He didn't lose any time.

As Dana started toward the exit, she stopped in shock. One of the men was standing there, waiting for her.

He smiled at Dana and said, "You're free, sis. Let's go." He gripped Dana's arm tightly and started herding her out to the street. As they stepped outside, the man stopped in astonishment. A full television crew from WTN was waiting in front.