“Geez, Trevin, what took you so long? We’ve been worried sick over here,” Stacy scolded.
“Keep your voice down, they’ll hear you,” Trevin whispered. “I’m sorry it took so long. There were obstacles.”
“What kind of obstacles?”
Trevin could hear the alarm in her voice.
“I’ll tell you later,” he said, turning his attention to the computer. It was set to the home screen which was a piece of luck. At least he wouldn’t have to try to get through the corporate password. Sometimes in inclement weather, everything went off-line: the computer, the music, the sign, the phones. Only the techies at the corporate office could reset the system. Luckily, things were still working, but it was anyone’s guess how long that would last. As if to prove the point, the lights flickered twice and the Christmas music fell silent for a heart stopping moment. No one spoke until the music roared back to life.
“Is the computer still up?” Stacy whispered through the phone.
“Yeah, we’re solid,” Trevin answered, taking hold of the mouse. “Let’s get this done. Where do I start?”
“You need to find the computer settings first.”
“Hey, wait,” Trevin interrupted, scrolling through the icons on the screen. “I see where I can message the tech guys. We can bypass all this hacker shit.”
“Trevin, it’s after midnight at the corporate office. No one will be there to help us.”
“But it’s worth a try, right?”
Stacy heaved a heavy sigh. “You can try, but we aren’t staking our lives on them responding. Send the message, then we hack.”
Trevin opened the message box and typed: HEY, ANYBODY OUT THERE? THIS IS STORE #N-I595. WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY. TRAPPED IN THE OFFICE. DANGEROUS SITUATION. NEED HELP.
He waited to the count of ten for any sign of a reply. When none came, he turned his attention back to Stacy.
“Okay, Stace,” he whispered. “Tell me what to do.”
The process proved neither as arduous nor as complicated as he thought it would be. The most difficult part was understanding what Stacy was trying to tell him. Patiently she explained anything he didn’t understand as simply as possible. Despite that, twenty minutes later, Trevin had hacked through to the electronic sign and established a message. He was just about to confirm when voices coming from the front of the store caught his attention. As of yet, he hadn’t heard the clowns communicate in actual words. If it wasn’t them, then who was it?
“Hold on, Stacy. Something’s happening.”
Trevin made his way to the window. Two policemen had entered the store, guns raised, eyes scanning the scene as if taking in every speck and cataloging it. The rise and fall of their voices carried into the office, but Trevin couldn’t discern the words they spoke. One talked into the walkie-talkie clipped to his shoulder as they advanced.
At first, the gaggle of clowns seemed oblivious to their arrival, continuing with the act of hacking each other in two to create more copies of themselves. But, as the policemen advanced, calling out orders, every jester in room gave their undivided attention.
“Trevin?” Stacy said, panic reverberating in her tone. “What’s going on?”
“Shush,” Trevin whispered, “Don’t say a word until I get back to you.”
As Trevin watched, the clowns advanced toward the officers, their knives held high. The policemen were shouting at the grinning throng. Though, their words couldn’t be heard over the loud music, Trevin had seen enough movies to figure out what they were saying.
“Drop your weapons and get down on the floor,” one seemed to be saying.
“Stop where you are or I’ll shoot,” he imagined the other was yelling.
Instead of stopping, the clowns ran forward. Shots rang out felling several of their attackers, but the policemen were vastly outnumbered. Those that had crumbled under the bullets, rose from the floor to rejoin the attack.