Paul had just tossed the flashlights down to the men in the hole when he turned to Becky and said.
“I think I’m going over and check on Otis. I love him like a father and I’m really worried about him.”
“I’ll go with you Paul. You know I feel the same way about Otis.”
He grabbed Becky’s hand and they trotted over to where Otis was laying by himself on the edge of the hole where the marina once stood.
“Oh my gosh Paul. He looks terrible. Why has he been left alone?”
“I don’t know Becky. We need to get him some help.”
Ted Brumfield came running up with two men carrying a stretcher and another man with an emergency kit. The two men laid the stretcher along side Otis and the third man began checking for vital signs.
“Where’s Marcia?” Ted blurted. “She was here when I left.”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Paul questioned. “Otis was all alone when we arrived.”
The men lifted Otis gently up on the stretcher and began to carry him to the helicopter when a very weak voice stopped them.
“Wait. Don’t go yet.”
“Otis.” Paul said. “You’re alive.”
“Yeah. I was in la la land for a while but I’m okay now.” Otis opened his eyes and stared into Paul worrisome face. “I had just woken up when I heard a strange voice and looked up just in time to see that weirdo from the bar in town, that Brown fellow, pushing that nice reporter lady toward the mountain. I must have passed out again but that’s the direction I saw them going.”
“Thanks Otis.” Paul hugged him. We’ll go save her, don’t worry.”
“I know you can handle it boy. I know you can.” Otis closed his eyes again and the helicopter attendants started back toward the helicopter.
“Come on let’s go.” Paul took off running for the manmade mountain with Becky and Ted right behind him.
“Where do you think they went?” Questioned Ted Brumfield as the trio arrived at the base of the mountain. “I don’t see any sign of them.”
“You know.” Becky answered in a quiet voice. “I remember leaving the door open when I left earlier but, now it’s shut. I bet they went inside.”
“Your probably right Becky but, let’s be really quiet when we go in. Maybe we can sneak up on them.”
Paul pushed the button and the door slid silently back into the wall. The three went quietly in and stopped just inside the doorway. Paul pointed down the hallway and motioned Ted to check the office doors that were closed. He and Becky started to slowly ascend the stairway with Paul holding his finger to his lips to signal silence. They were almost to the top of the stairs when they heard a man’s voice.
“Come on honey. Just relax. I am going to make you feel really good.”
Paul stuck his head up past the bottom of the top step and looked over toward the porthole. He saw Stanley Brown with his pants off approaching Marcia Meadows cowering in the corner in just black lace panties.
“Stop you asshole.” Paul yelled at the half-naked man. “Let her alone.”
Stanley Brown turned toward the stairway and Paul could see a large hunting knife gripped tightly in his right hand.
“Don’t come any closer you punk or I’ll cut her throat.”
Stanley T. Brown grabbed Marcia’s hair with his left hand and pressed the knife against her neck.
“You’ve got to do something Paul. You’ve got to save her.” Becky cried.
Paul climbed the last few steps and began circling toward Stanley.
“I said stay where you are.” Stanley threatened and pressed the knife harder against Marcia’s neck.
Ted Brumfield arrived at the top of the stairs and pushed Becky gently back.
“Let her alone.” Ted ordered and stared at the crazed man.
Paul reached in his back pocket and felt for the round lump he knew was always there. He slowly dug the well-worn baseball out of his pocket and kept his right hand behind his back. As soon as Stanley’s attention was drawn toward the other man, Paul pulled his arm back and threw the baseball just like he had thousands of times in practice. He prayed for the perfect pitch just as the ball sailed through the air and caught Stanley at the base of his left temple. Stanley looked up with a puzzled look on his face, dropped the knife and slumped over backwards. Ted rushed over to the freighted reporter, pulled his shirt off, covered her nakedness, and pressed her sobbing body to his chest. Becky ran over to Paul and grabbed him in a big bear hug
tears of joy trickling down her face and said.
“You said you were going to be big and important one day, Paul. Well, that day has come early. I love you.”
Marvin Schumaker was at the grand opening in a pale linen suit and shiny black shoes and trying to hit on any unattached female. As usual, the women all saw completely through him and he was strutting around like a rooster without a hen house to protect. When the roof caved in, Marvin was the first to start whining and trying to climb over everyone to get to the surface. He might have made it if he acted like a normal person but, he started telling everyone he encountered, he was a special agent and it was imperative he was one of the first ones out of the hole. Unfortunately for Marvin, he told Bubba Relinska, the Russian champion weight lifter, a special guest of Huruto Tankinato, that he was super important. Bubba took one look at Marvin, realized what a fake he was, and backhanded him into a crumbled heap of the floor of the lobby. Marvin woke up about twenty minutes later, his lips a bloody mess and started crying softly to himself. Marvin, sniffling through a very swollen nose, decided maybe it was time for him to actually become himself and began crawling toward the light coming from the broken roof and decided when and if he reached the surface, he would actually be a changed man. He would not tell any of the women he met he was anything but, what he actually was but, he decided it wouldn’t hurt if he told them he was in charge of the actual running of all the special effects at the resort. What the heck, he decided. They all needed a hero.
Steve Sidel climbed down the ramp and shined his light around the carnage that met his eyes. He could not believe the shambles the lobby was in. He saw motionless figures scattered around the jumbled floor. Many others were moving around in the darkness, stumbling over fallen debris with no destination in mind. His light picked up a round object near his feet and he peered intently at it. It was a decapitated head still wearing wire rim spectacles. The metal vent that had been where the crevice in the roof started must have fallen down on the man when he was trying to get away when the roof caved in. He recognized the lifeless eyes staring through the glasses as the hotel manager, Dilford Bailey. He noticed he died with the same dour expression he had worn since the grand opening. He averted his eyes away from the horrible sight and began shining the flashlight around the collapsed building. He saw two women about twenty feet away and one was helping the other to get up and walk toward the ramp. Kevin Backlin came up behind him and when he saw the people in the beam of Steve’s flashlight he let out a yell.
“Hey Bill. It’s our wives and they’re all right, come quick.”
Bill Forham had just reached the bottom of the ramp when he heard Kevin holler. He ran up behind his best friend and placed a comforting arm on his shoulder.
“Oh that’s great Kevin. Let’s get them out of this hole and see whom else we can help after we have them safe.”
The two friends hurried over to their wives and Steve Sidel knelt down beside the closest person to him and helped a stunned man to his feet. He led him in the direction of the ramp where the twins were now waiting and went back to see whom else he could help. Just as he bent down to help the next closest person to him, a young lady ran up to him out of the darkness and said.