Away From Home, part 1

   Crissy stepped inside the house, her feet still wet from having hosed them off outside the door. If there were any drawbacks to the lagoon being only feet away, it was that she had to wash the mud off her feet before tracking across her nice clean floor. Crissy bent over to brush some lint off her foot, unaware that Roger had stepped into the room. Maybe it was a left-over from his days as a spy, but Roger moved rather silently for such a big guy. He smiled as he observed his wife standing there in her little bathing suit. Given the privacy the area afforded, he often wondered why she even bothered with the suit. 

   Roger reached down and skittered his fingertips along her bare back. Crissy let out a yelp as she jumped, but she quickly pieced together what was going on and had a smile on her face before she'd even turned to face him.

   "Very funny." She noticed he was in his brown suit. "Are we going out?"

   "I have to go over to Amsterville to meet with a buyer. I don't usually handle orders myself, but since this one is so close I thought I'd take care of it. It'll only be a quick trip, we have Ed and Misty coming over tonight, remember?"

   "Oh yes, I forgot that was tonight. When will we be back?"

   "Should be about six."

   "That'll be about the time the Carters arrive. One of us has to be here to meet them."

   "I know, but I didn't want to be the one to make the point. If it was your idea, you couldn't accuse me of trying to sneak off without you."

   "I don't think I have to worry about that," Crissy smiled again as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "not when I make sure you're happiest when you're home." Roger smiled and stroked his finger along her chin.

   "You spoil me, Cris. I'm not about to complain about it, though. I dislike these moments when I have to leave your side, even for a few hours like now."

   "Do you have to leave right away?"

   "Yeah. I would have told you sooner, but I only got the call about ten minutes ago. You were underwater at the time, so I figured I'd better not waste time and go ahead and get ready."

   Crissy turned her head to press her cheek against his chest as she squeezed him. You'd think he were shipping off to Europe. "Hurry back." Roger pulled free of her embrace and picked her up so they were eye to eye. She smiled. He smiled.

   "I wish I had a few more minutes. But I gotta go." Roger kissed his wife and then sat her down on the table before he shuffled out the door. Crissy watched him go, sighing to herself as she dangled her feet over the tabletop. A team of plastic surgeons couldn't remove the smile from her face.

   Roger toted his briefcase out of the elevator as he reached the third floor of the Eagle building in Amsterville's downtown section. He entered the hallway to feel a fresh breeze wafting in from one of the open windows. At first it felt pleasant enough. Then he heard a scream.

   Across from the stairwell, a man was pushing a young woman through the window. Without hesitation, Roger dropped his briefcase and rushed forward. The man saw him coming and spun around to point a gun at him. Roger paused, but kept his attention at the girl in the window. She hadn't fallen. From what Roger could make out, she'd grabbed onto the flag pole and was hanging on despite the man's best efforts to make her drop.

   "I don't know what's going on here," Roger held up his hands at the gunman's prompting, "but I can't think of a good reason why you'd be trying to drop that young lady out that window."

   "You mind your own business, Buster. Or I'll make you part of my business."

   "He's a killer!" The woman screamed. "He tried to rob our office and then shot my uncle when he fought back!" Roger eyed the gun as it was thrust forward to confirm the lady's point. The girl screamed as she started to slip. She was able to regain her hold, but the distraction was enough to turn the killer's attention away from Roger. Roger swept in and chopped the gun away. The killer took a swing. Roger ducked the first one, but the next connected. An uppercut pushed the killer back, letting Roger follow up with a right cross which forced the killer into the wall. He slid down the wall like a heap of wet laundry, allowing Roger to turn his attention back to the girl hanging onto the flagpole.

   "Are you alright?"

   "So far, yes." She had shown some good form, grabbing onto the pole as she had been pushed forward, and then wrapping her legs around the pole to keep herself steady. She was facing the window. Roger held out his hand, but she was too far out. 

   "Stay clam. I'll have to come out there." Roger removed his jacket and tossed it aside, then raised a leg to place his foot on the windowsill. His opponent hadn't been fully dealt with, however, and Roger found himself being pulled back into the hallway. Roger used a combination of rudimentary judo and wide swings to beat his enemy back, but the thug held his own pretty well. Going for a knockout blow, the man swung his arm over Roger. Roger was able to duck and grab the arm in such a way as to make use of his momentum. Roger meant only to flip his opponent onto the floor, but their fight had moved them close to the stairwell.

   The man came crashing down onto the banister which blocked passersby from the gaping space looking down the middle of the stairwell. This loosened the structure, but the man held on as he made another move toward Roger. Ultimately, the guy slipped and lost his footing. He grabbed at the railing to steady himself, but it gave way and he tumbled down the shaft. Roger rushed over and looked down. The guy was laid out on the lobby floor. 

    Roger climbed out onto the ledge as the girl continued to hang helplessly to the flagpole.

   "I can't hold on!" The girl slipped, her legs now dangling free. She'd managed to hang onto the pole, however. Her screams made it clear she wasn't going to be able to hold on for long. Roger crouched and prepared to grab onto the pole. He held out a hand to calm the girl. 

   "I'm gonna crawl out there and take your hand. Whatever you do, don't panic when I reach you or we'll both fall off. You just calmly grab onto my arm, and then you use me to climb back up here and into the window. Got it?"

   "Yeah! Calm!" She wasn't entirely convincing, but she stopped screaming so she was indeed trying to stay calm. Roger took a breath and wrapped his arms around the pole, then laid down on top of it and used his legs to push himself out toward the girl. When he got out as far as he could, he reached out a hand for the girl to take. She managed to hold her composure as she took his arm and began to pull herself up onto his back. Her clutches were so tight that they betrayed her fear, but she was getting better as she got closer to the ledge. She was finally standing on the windowsill, her hands gripping firmly the facade.

   "I made it. I'm safe."

   "Okay." Roger wasn't quite sure how to get back to the ledge. He'd pushed himself beyond a position where his legs could be used to pull him back. Maybe he could push himself back with his arms. 

   There was a sudden sound of creaking metal. The girl's eyes bugged. So did Roger's. The pole collapsed and Roger went sliding forward. The pole didn't pull loose from the building, but it was now drooping over the street. Roger had managed to grab the sphere at the pole's tip, but he was hanging on only by his hands. His feet dangled in the air. He kicked out toward the ledge, but from too far out to make his motions effective.

   "I'll, I'll get help!" The girl darted inside the building, though there was little hope that she'd return before Roger lost his grip. She gathered up the cords from the window shades in the hallway. She had a pretty good idea, but another burst of wrenching metal sounded before she could return to the window. Roger dropped.

   A truck driving along managed to be in just the right spot to prevent Roger from landing hard on the pavement. Instead, he crashed through a canvas tarp and into a collection of old appliances. Very hard appliances. Cast iron stoves and the like. The drivers heard the noise, but weren't sure what caused it. They turned the truck into the alley ahead so they could inspect their vehicle. They turned the corner just as the girl Roger had saved came running into the street. She never saw Roger again, but she knew she owed him her life. She had her uncle to worry about, too. He'd been shot, but might still be alive. She rushed off to find a policeman.

   Tom and Bill were surprised to see Roger spread out in the collection of appliances they were hauling. Fortunately, he was still alive. He was in pain, though. Roger grimaced as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

   "Are you okay, Mack?" Tom asked.

   "Anything broken?" Bill added.

   "I don't think so," Roger groaned, "no broken bones, just a doozy of a knot on the back of my head."

   "How'd you get here?" Bill asked. Roger paused.

   "I'm not sure. I don't think I remember."

   "What's your name?" Tom reached out and steadied Roger by the shoulder. Roger shook his head.

   "For the life of me I can't remember. I must have amnesia. Did I fall off a building or something?"

   "That's the only way we figure you could've gotten into our truck the way you did." Bill pointed to the hole in the roof.

   "I'll replace the canvas," Roger offered as he was helped onto the pavement, "but I'm pretty sure your stoves are fine."

   "We were about to replace it anyway," Tom offered, "don't worry about it. You've got bigger problems if you can't remember who you are. What about your wallet?"

   "Yeah!" Roger felt around and then dug into his pockets. "No wallet. A handkerchief, no monogram. Some cash. That'll be handy, I'm sure. I must've kept my wallet in my jacket. Wherever it is."

   "You have anything else on you?"

   "Uhhh, let's see. A comb in my back pocket. Up here in my shirt is a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. Kinda surprised those are still in place."

   "Maybe there's a monogram on the lighter?"

   "No. It's nice, but it's not engraved. Whoever I am, I must be well off. Silk shirt, alligator shoes, this lighter." Roger caught sight of his wedding ring. "I'm married. I gotta find out who I am. There's a girl out there who doesn't know what happened to me!"

   "Assuming she isn't the one who pushed you out the window." Bill quipped. Tom waved his hand, telling Bill to knock it off.

   "We know a doctor, pal. We'll take you to see him. If anyone can help, it'll be Doc Shallert." Roger nodded as he was walked around to the passenger door. He paused when he saw his reflection in the rear view. Tom and Bill looked on as Roger struggled to remember something. Anything.

   "I don't know my own face. I have no idea who I am. I'm a man. I'm an annie. I'm married." Roger looked at his ring again. "I wonder who she is. I wonder if she's okay...." 

   Back home, Crissy suddenly felt very strange. It felt like a prompting from the Holy Spirit, telling her to pray for Roger. She had no idea what the matter was, but she stopped sweeping the floor and looked to the clock. Roger should just now be at his meeting. Crissy started praying over her husband. She didn't know what for, but she spoke protection over him. Miles away, Roger felt a comforting fall over him. He still didn't know who he was, but he knew he was going to be okay.

   The girl he'd rescued was going to be okay, too. Her uncle had been wounded, but not mortally so. He'd be up and around in a few days. The girl had no clue who her rescuer was or where he'd gone. The police investigating the scene did find Roger's jacket and briefcase, however. They would be searching for this heroic and self-sacrificing individual. He had stepped into the situation and as result had saved two lives. 

   After which he seemed to've simply vanished from the face of the earth...

TO BE CONTINUED