– "-"-"JACK WATCHED AS the man picked his mother up and carried her toward the shattered window. The hole that the chair had made looked like a raw wound in the glass. He saw his mom kick and punch and even try to bite, but the man didn't seem to feel any of it. Jack heard her screaming, begging him to help her. He was two feet from the window, he could feel the air being sucked in and out, could hear the horns honking down below and the people yelling as they looked up. It was hard to breathe, his stomach hurt so much now; all he wanted to do was run but he knew he couldn't. His mother was screaming, he couldn't leave her, he had to do something and he had to do it now because they were closer, the man was almost to the window, Jack could reach out and touch him…

Help me, Jack! You've got to help me.

He didn't know what would happen, it was the first time he'd ever tried this, but it was all he could think of, so Jack hurled himself in the air, low, shoulders down and tucked in, just like he'd seen Hornung do on TV when blocking for Taylor, and he hit the man right at the knees, exactly as he wanted to do…

Jack, help me!

The man was looking down at him, surprised that he was there, as if he hadn't even felt Jack's attempt to bring him down and cut his legs out from under him. Jack tried again, grunted when he hit the man's bony shins, but it didn't do a thing. He was too light and too young and too weak and…

The man was raising his arms now. Jack could see his mother's eyes go wide, he could see inside her, right down into her soul and feel her total, absolute terror.

He wanted to hit the man again, to run at him and topple him, but now he was paralyzed because he knew it was helpless. He was helpless.

She was writhing in the man's grip, hitting him, scratching him wildly with her nails, but the man didn't so much as change expression. He just reached the window, and Jack wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't do that either, he could only watch as the man held his mother in front of the large, jagged hole. She turned to stare at Jack, pleading, her mouth open, saliva dripping in long, messy gobs down to the floor, and she wasn't screaming anymore, she was silent now. Silent and staring and pleading with him to save her.