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When Giants Fall

“What’s up Doc?” I leaned over one of the seats, doing my best Bugs Bunny impression into the face of an elderly woman, who was currently whimpering quietly. She didn’t seem to appreciate my ability. Americans, they never do. Never know a good thing when they have it. Looney Toons, what an idea. I chuckled to myself as I got up. My brothers and I had long since gotten the plane under our control. Praise Allah it was easy. He smiles upon us this day. He favours us, anyone can see that.

“Faruq!” One of my brothers beckons to me, calling out my name. I love my name really, Faruq, guiltless, innocent, pure. I walk over to him, smiling still. He informs me that we will be arriving at our target soon, and I shout out in praise. Why not? So much has been going our way today. The good deeds we are about to do will forever be spoken of on the lips of all.

Brother Zayja stood up front, mike in hand. As he speaks, his voice fills the cabin. He always was such a moving speaker. He announces that they shall soon die in a ball of fire, and the passengers start weeping even louder. It is music to my ears to hear them as some shout for forgiveness. They should beg for forgiveness. For the death and pain and suffering they have cause. For my innocent family their weapons killed as they slept in their beds. I now forever hold the image of my two year old son, my 5 year old daughter’s and my wife’s faces. Most of all my 9 year old son, the one I had to hold in my arms as he died, his small body wracked with pain, skin shredded, his face warped and twisted. With him my name and my hope died. We are bringers of justice.

“Bda-bda-bdat’s all Folk’s!”

Everything was going well in the eyes of Derek. The woman he held at gunpoint though, was thinking in a different mind set.

“Shut the ******** up!” He growled at her as she continued to ramble on.

“Please, don’t kill or rape me. Please, oh god, oh god.”

Truth be told, and he always did, he had no plans of raping her. He really just wanted her cash. She had been an easy target, and he liked easy. Derek had pulled her far enough back into the alleyway so no one could see them.

In all honesty the only thing they could really see was the World Trade Center, looming over them. The apartment buildings they stood between were tall, but nothing compared to the twins. It was a sight every New Yorker knew, and it was a sight Derek hated. Only place he had ever been busted was inside tower number 2. That job had been royally ******** up from the beginning.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god.” The woman kept saying it over and over like some damn mantra and it had begun to seriously grate on his nerves. Derek began to have serious doubts about letting her walk. She was getting very close to being his first kill and he would be a very happy man once he’d dumped her body.

“Just shut up and hand me your purse. Then you can turn around and start walking.” Exactly, make her think she’s getting away, and then kill her. He thought to himself, laughing. Make it that much more fun, and technically he wasn’t lying to her. He hadn’t mentioned anything about her getting out of the alley way alive. If there was one thing Derek truly hated most, besides the WTC, it was a liar.

She finally seemed to snap back to reality and she nodded, dropping her purse onto the ground. Derek snatched it up quickly.

“Alright now, turn around and walk away, and remember, if you go to the police, I do now know where you live. So unless you want a visit from me, I would recommend not being stupid.” He said to her, as a plane flew low over head. Hmm he was cutting this one close, a little too close. He frowned. Ah well, it’s not like she was going to get a chance to visit the police, so he had slipped just a tad. It did aggravate him a bit, considering the effort he put into not lying. He was a crook, but an honest one

The girl nodded.

BAM

It felt like the earth had become very hung over, and was purging itself of everything. Sounds rung in his ears. The girl screamed and screamed. He was in such a state of shock that he stood there, stunned, not quite sure what was going on. After quite a bit of time and lots of screams from the girl, Derek recovered himself, pulling his wits in about him. He turned around, looked up and saw the first tower, engulfed in flames. Debris had started to rain down upon them. Then he saw the second plane hit, the explosion and almost an unearthly sound of screams.

BAM

“Well, what the ********?” Derek stepped back a few paces, the girl now in front of him, still standing there, screaming. He could hear others screaming and saw them running away. Sounds of things hitting the pavement followed, some of the sounds obviously were not inanimate objects hitting. He even glimpsed a person as they fell, then disappeared out of view. “Not like I liked the eye sores anyway.”

Bam

A large, twisted girder suddenly dropped, seemingly from nowhere, right smack down on top of the girl. She stopped screaming. Derek looked down, in surprise.

“Looks like I didn’t have to kill you after all.” He was happy, it meant he was still very much an honest man. He then jogged off to the opening of the alley, purse still in hand. He took a deep breath, and started running with the rest of them through the falling ash, dirt and debris.