Alone In The Queue

It was mid March and the weather in Wisconsin was still cold. A light snow had fallen since Taylor had arrived at work. He flew down the stairs and out the back door of the office building. The office was located off the highway on a frontage road. There was nothing else near it. There were only two cars in the parking lot. Taylor’s compact and Jasmin’s SUV. They were parked about 20 feet apart.

Taylor took one step outside and hesitated. He caught the door before it could close. Jasmin had vanished. What if someone was watching him right now? Crap!

There were footprints in the snow that led right to his car. He pushed the button on his remote to unlock his car. The car lights flashed on. A shadow scurried behind his car. Taylor ran back inside.

Taylor ran up the stairs and back toward the familiarity of his cube. This is crazy. It’s 2020. How can I not have a way to contact anyone?

He tried to go to Google on his computer and got an error message. “Try again later” it demanded. The internet was down. Suddenly, the lights blinked off. The security lighting came on, but it only illuminated the main paths toward the exits. He heard a door slam.

“Who’s there?” he shouted. “Jasmin?”

Taylor took a small replica baseball bat from the cubicle next to his. It was a foot long and felt reasonably sturdy. “I don’t want to hurt anyone!” he yelled.

Footsteps quietly echoed across the call floor. Taylor backed away from his cubicle until his back was to the windows that faced the parking lot. He looked down and could see his car.

There was a dark shape laying behind it in the fresh snow.

Taylor began creeping along the wall, trying to stay silent. He made his way past a row of offices and was halfway to the exit door.

THWACK! Taylor felt something whiz past his face and embed itself into the wall next to him. In the moonlight, he could see an arrow buried into the plaster. He scrambled forward and felt his knee give out. The same knee that cost him a career in soccer.

He cried out and dropped to the ground and crawled toward the maze of cubicles to give himself some cover. He stifled his cries and attempted to hide. He found himself in Will’s cube with Star Wars memorabilia filling the area. He traded his miniature baseball bat for a high end dueling lightsaber replica. He kept it turned off to avoid giving away his position.

Come on! I’m ready for you now!

He caught a shadow from the corner of his eye and swung the lightsaber. The blade caught the man in the arm. He cried out in surprise, the crossbow he held launching through the air and across the room.

“AAAHHH!” screamed Taylor, coming to his feet, striking at the man over and over. He instinctively pushed the power switch and the toy came to life, glowing green with an electric hum filling the air. The enemy cowered and covered his head.

“Taylor, knock it off!” yelled John. “I’m too old for this crap!”

“John!” cried Taylor, dropping the lightsaber. “Why were you shooting at me?”

“I pulled the trigger by accident! I saw someone drag Jasmin out to her car and stuff her in the trunk. I followed him back inside. He was very close to where you were hiding and I panicked and pulled the trigger. I’m so glad I didn’t shoot you!”

“Why do you have a crossbow?” questioned Taylor.

“I compete in medieval tournaments on the weekends. I’m Sir John of the Harbor,” answered John, in a tone that made it clear he was not to be questioned. “I’m normally an excellent shot.”