Standing By

Ultimate

(Tim)

"Where's Jessica?" one-track Avi yelled, rotating his head back and forth quickly.

    "Javorsky's got her.  Come on," Sandy directed, waving us over the the gravel driveway.

    Avi ran over to her, waving his arms around frantically.  Good God, I wished we'd find that woman fast; he was driving me crazy.  Scott, Kirstie, and Mitch ran off after him, Kevin at a slower pace and looking uncertain.

    "Avi—Avi, hold up, OK?" he was saying.

    The five of us were behind Kevin at an even slower pace.

    "Where we going?" Rob asked, looking at the rest of us.

    "Damned if I know."  Austin shrugged.

    "Nowhere."  Adam pulled to a dead halt, grabbing onto me and Chance to keep us from going any further.  "I'm not going any further."

    "Me either," Chance decided, grabbing Austin and Rob and falling after Rob took two more steps forward.

    "Where Pentatonix think they're going?" I mumbled, really starting to feel uneasy.  We were standing out behind Brookings, being encouraged towards about eight to ten woodland trees, a gravel driveway, and now I could see a truck marked 'John's johns', complete with a picture of a smiling toilet.  Every instinct in me was telling me to run right back into the building with the bomb in it; alleged bombs actually seemed less threatening than the outdoors right now.

    "I don't feel right about this," Adam whispered, grasping me harder.  Chance leaned over and helped Rob up, holding onto Rob's and Austin's arms.

    "Pentatonix is just running after Avi," Austin surmised.

    "And Avi is in a blind panic over Jessica."  Rob dusted dirt and a bug off his hands.

    "Home Free!  Come on!" Sandy yelled, gesturing to us with one hand while her other arm laid across Mitch's shoulders as if to move him along.  "Mitch!  Come on!  Kevin!  Move!  Somebody push a slow-motion button here?"

    "Where are we going?" Kevin asked suspiciously.  "And for the love of everything good, Avi, come back here."

    "Jessica!" he cried.  "I gotta—Jessica!"

    "Out of here," Harris told us.  "Before the building blows up."

    Now Scott stepped backwards, giving him an odd look.  "But—"

    "Turn around," Adam whispered.  "We can't go anywhere.  Turn around and—"

    "Ahhh!" Austin shrieked as Sandy grabbed ahold of him.  He yanked away and Sandy went flying backwards as though he'd pushed her hard without even making contact with her.

    "Don't you grab him!" Rob snapped at her as she got up, Kevin and Scott now falling back with us.  As soon as Scott moved towards us, Mitch and Kirstie followed, then Avi looked at Kevin.

    "Jessica!" he called out tearfully to all of us, starting to cry again.

    "Please don't go any further, Avi, and get back here," Kevin pleaded.  "Please!"

    He paused, looking torn, unsure if he should follow Sandy and Harris towards Jessica's promised whereabouts or stick with the nine of us.

    "All of you!" Harris yelled.  "There is a bomb in the building!  We have got to get out of its fallout zone!  Or else you'll be exploded with the bomb!  Avi's the only one with with the right idea!"