jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第17部分

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military　man　barreled　into　the　kid；　knocking　him　backward；　his　hands　outstretched　and　reaching　for　the　gun　as　the　kid　fell　onto　his　back。
　Terry　hesitated；　but　when　he　realized　no　one　else　was　doing　anything　he　jumped　to　his　feet　and　sprinted　toward　the　struggling　men。　He　could　see　the　gun　was　still　in　the　kid's　hand　and　the　military　man　was　trying　to　hold　the　gun　arm　down。　At　the　same　time　the　kid　was　kicking　and　shoving　and　punching　with　his　other　hand。　Terry　dove　onto　the　struggling　pair；　reaching　for　the　gun。　His　landing　partially　knocked　the　military　man　sideways；　and　he　lost　his　grip　on　the　gun　arm；　which　Terry　grabbed…then　realized　that　the　kid　might　be　too　strong　for　him　to　control。　There　was　a　manic　look　in　the　kid's　eyes　and　his　strength　seemed　out　of　proportion　to　his　body。
　The　military　man　was　swinging　around　to　get　a　better　grip　when　another　person　hit　the　pile　so　hard　he　knocked　Terry　over　the　kid's　arm　and　the　military　man　off　of　the　kid　entirely。　The　new　person　wore　a　helmet　and　climbing　clothes；　and　slid　so　far　forward　that　he　was　nearly　sitting　on　the　kid's　face。
　Terry　realized　that　he　was　now　lying　in　front　of　the　gun　and　the　gun　was　pointed　at　his　leg。　He　let　go　and　jumped　up　as　a　young　woman　in　climbing　clothes　held　him　back　and　then　did　a　knee　drop　on　the　kid's　solar　plexus；　ending　the　fight。
　They　were　soon　surrounded　by　police　officers　and　rangers；　and　the　kid；　now　handcuffed；　had　gone　from　mania　to　severe　depression　in　seconds。　He　was　crying　and　begging　them　to　leave　him　in　the　cave。　〃It　may　not　have　happened　yet；〃　he　said　over　and　over　again。　〃Please；　let　me　stay　here。　Jill！　Jill！　Please　don't　let　them　take　me　out。　It's　too　soon。　Please；　Jill！〃
　Jill　began　forting　him；　repeating　〃it　will　be　okay；〃　but　Terry　doubted　the　kid　could　hear　his　sister。　The　kid　was　in　a　different　reality。
　Finally；　Terry　heard　someone　call　over　the　radio　for　a　stretcher；　and　the　police　escorted　the　hostages　from　the　cave。　The　kid　was　still　sobbing　and　begging　when　the　hostages　left。
　When　they　reached　the　surface；　the　police　needed　to　interview　all　the　hostages　and　have　them　fill　out　reports。　It　took　hours。
　It　was　nearly　dawn　when　Terry　and　Ellen　were　finally　released。　As　they　walked　toward　the　parking　lot　Terry　saw　the　military　man。　When　his　eyes　met　Terry's；　he　and　his　wife　began　walking　toward　them。　The　couples　met　with　hands　extended。
　〃My　name's　Conrad；　Bill　Conrad。　Good　job　in　there；〃　he　said　to　Terry。
　〃I　only　followed　your　lead。　I'm　Terry　and　this　is　my　wife　Ellen。〃
　〃This　is　my　wife　Angie。　Man；　wasn't　that　strange？〃　Bill　said　shaking　his　head　from　side　to　side　in　slow　movements。　〃I　wonder　what　he　thought　was　going　to　happen？〃
　In　the　parking　lot　they　found　a　knot　of　excited　people　clustered　around　a　motor　home。　Terry　could　hear　voices　from　a　CB　radio。
　〃What's　going　on？〃　Angie　asked。
　A　couple　broke　off　from　the　group；　anxious　to　share　the　excitement　with　newers。
　〃You're　not　going　to　believe　this；　but　something　has　happened　to　the　interstate。　It's　gone！〃
　〃What？　An　avalanche？〃　Terry　asked。
　〃Maybe；〃　the　woman　responded；　〃but　that's　not　the　way　it　sounds。　You　drive　up　1…5　and　it　just　ends。　Where　there　was　a　four…lane　highway；　now　there's　grass；　trees；　and　a　mountain。　Can　you　believe　that？　A　mountain。〃
　
　12。　　　ROAD　GAMES
　
　。　。　。　the　day　of　the　Lord　will　e　like　a　thief　in　the　night。　When　people　say；　〃there　is　peace　and　security；〃　then　sudden　destruction　will　e　upon　them。　。　。
　…I　Thessalonians　5：2
　
　Newberg；　Oregon
　TIME　QUILT：　SATURDAY；　11：20　P。M。　PST
　
　　Ripman　was　keeping　time　from　the　driver's　seat　of　Cubby's　van　while　Cubby　stared　at　the　Taco　Bell　sign。　John　was　spread　out　on　the　bench　behind　them。　All　three　of　them　had　Big　Gulps　wedged　in　their　crotches。　Ripman　kept　calling　out　the　time　and　revving　the　engine。
　〃Two　minutes；　big　guy。　You　got　two　minutes！　No　way　you're　gonna　win。　I　can　taste　that　pie　already。〃
　〃Cram　it；　Ripman；〃　Cubby　growled。
　All　three　of　them　slurped　periodically　on　their　Big　Gulps。　It　was　the　last　turn　of　the　last　round；　and　the　loser　was　buying　Hostess　pies。　Ripman　was　way　ahead；　so　the　contest　was　between　Cubby　and　John。
　They　were　twenty　miles　out　of　Portland　in　Newberg；　one　of　the　too…small　towns　that　had　nearly　faded　into　obscurity　when　the　interstate　had　bypassed　it　thirty　years　ago。　The　motels；　drive…ins；　and　restaurants　that　had　eked　out　a　modest　living　off　the　highway　traffic　were　mostly　gone　now；　and　the　town　was　at　the　mercy　of　the　big　paper　mill。　Given　another　two　decades　of　urban　growth；　Newberg　would　be　absorbed　into　the　urban　sprawl　of　Portland。　For　now；　however；　fifteen　miles　of　forests　and　farms　separated　Newberg　from　the　city。
　John；　Cubby；　and　Ripman　normally　played　road　anagrams　on　82nd　Avenue　or　122nd　in　Portland；　but　they'd　gotten　bored　and　craved　new　territory。　So　they　found　Newberg。　There　was　a　little　college　there；　and　they　drove　around　for　a　while　yelling　out　the　van　windows　at　the　coeds。　When　they　tired　of　that　they　found　lots　of　opportunity　for　their　game　along　the　highway。
　They　started　on　the　west　side　of　town　at　the　Dairy　Queen；　one　of　the　old…fashioned　kind　with　no　eating　space　inside。　A　reader　board　outside　advertised　specials　on　blizzards　and　banana　splits。
　
　BUZZARDS　1。99
　BANANA　SPLITS　1。99
　SUNDAES　1。49
　
　Ripman　studied　the　sign　for　a　minute；　waited　until　there　was　a　lull　in　the　traffic；　then　reshuffled　the　letters　so　the　sign　read
　
　LIZZARD　LIP　SUNDAES　99。99
　
　He　left　the　rest　of　the　letters　in　a　pile　on　the　ground。　Cubby　loved　it；　and　John　had　to　admit　it　was　a　high　scorer。
　John　went　next；　picking　the　AM/PM　sign。　The　sign　read
　
　PARTY　TIME？　WE　HAVE　BEER　AND　ICE
　
　when　they　pulled　in。　John　switched　the　letters　around　so　the　sign　read
　
　PARTY？
　WE　HAVE　RICE　AND　BEET
　
　Ripman　called　it　a　〃piss　poor　effort；〃　and　Cubby　just　snorted　agreement。
　When　John　challenged　Cubby　to　do　better；　Cubby　picked　the　D　&。　D　video　sign：
　
　JOIN　OUR　VIDEO　GOLD　CLUB　MEMBER　DISCOUNTS
　
　Cubby　hopped　out　and　came　back　a　minute　later。　As　they　pulled　out　they　read
　
　RODEO　MOLD　ONE　DIME
　
　Ripman　cackled　his　approval；　pulled　into　the　7…Eleven　and　made　John　buy　Big　Gulps。
　When　Cubby　finished　this　round；　one　way　or　another　he　was　going　to　have　to　tell　them　he　had　to　get　home。　It　was　nearly　eleven…thirty；　and　under　no　circumstances　could　he　take　the　chance　of　staying　out　past　midnight。　His　parents　would　be　home　from　their　trip　by　now；　and　he　didn't　want　them　to　think　he'd　been　out　past　curfew　every　night。
　The　worst　part　would　be　telling　his　friends　he　had　to　get　home；　〃Jeez；〃　Ripman　would　say；　〃they've　really　got　you　whipped。　What　a　wuss。〃　Cubby　wouldn't　say　much　in　words；　but　his　crooked　smile　and　raised　eyebrows　would　say　as　much　as　Ripman　did　in　words。
　John　was　always　the　first　to　have　to　get　home。　His　father　was　a　psychologist　and　occasionally　taught　parenting　classes。　His　credibility　depended　on　how　he　raised　his　own　kids；　so　he　was　meticulous　in　that　area。　〃The　keys　to　good　parenting；〃　his　father　always　said；　〃are　consistency　and　discipline。〃　While　John　had　a　clear　set　of　rules　that　were　virtually　inviolable；　Ripman's　father　didn't　care　what　he　did；　as　long　as　he　did　it　somewhere　else。　And　Ripman　was　usually　somewhere　else。
　Cubby's　father　was　the　worst　though。　He　was　the　most　popular　minister　in　the　state　and　even　had　a　regional　following　on　cable　TV。　He　〃trusted〃　his　son。　He　〃trusted〃　him　enough　to　buy　him　the　van；　and　〃trusted〃　him　enough　not　to　put　restrictions　on　him；　except　one。　He　had　to　be　in　church　every　Sunday　morning　and　every　Wednesday　evening。　Otherwise；　until　he　violated　his　father's　trust；　what　Cubby　did　was　〃between　his　son　and　the　Holy　Spirit。〃　As　far　as　John　knew；　Cubby　had　never　done　anything　to　violate　that　trust。　At　least　not　anything　his　father　knew　about。　There　was　no　way　to　know　what　the　〃Holy　Spirit〃　knew。
　〃All　right；　Ripman；〃　Cubby　said　with　confidence　in　his　voice；　〃get　me　under　that　sign。　This　is　for　Hostess　pies；　right？〃
　Ripman　put　the　van　in　gear　and　pulled　up。　Before　it　stopped　rolling　Cubby　had　his　head　poked　up　through　the　sunroof　and　was　holding　the　long…handled　sign　changer；　which　Ripman　had　〃foun