noise they produced was inhuman.
Next I leaned in, grabbed Chunky’s left wrist, and twisted. It wasn’t a natural movement, given the tight quarters. But when it came to hand-to-hand combat, years of training made my movements fluid and instinctual. With my free hand, a quick blow to her solar plexus was payback for her actions.
She couldn’t scream, though I knew the pain and shock must be stunning.
“Could’ve done much worse, but I think you get the point,” I whispered.
She was sobbing now, great heaving gulps, snot running from her nose.
I stood. My stop was nearby.
The small girl in the pink shirt had been watching me with cautious eyes, not sure what to think.
I stared at her. “Backing down is never an option. ’Cause somebody like that? If they’re hurting you, then they’re hurting somebody else, too.”
She nodded, uncertainly. She had no real idea what I’d done.
She had less idea why.
The bus screeched as it slowed by the curb. The middle exit doors rattled, then hissed when I shoved them open.
That’s how I live my life. I take matters into my own hands.
The fat girl was a little brat, but I took no pleasure in hurting her. It wasn’t about that.
There are no good options in a bad situation.
But inaction is still a form of action. Indecision is still a decision.
And justice is in short supply these days.
PART TWO
----
HOUR 5
12:18 p.m.
This just in, from the AP newswire…
The incident in Midtown Manhattan that we’ve been following closely is now confirmed to be a hostage situation. We repeat: We have confirmation of a hostage situation inside Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
We have no numbers—no idea of how many individuals may be held inside the Cathedral. And no details on the identity of the person or group responsible.
In this day and age, the first questions that come to mind are: How is this possible? Who are the hostages inside? And could this be a terrorist act?
We are told the mayor will be holding a news briefing shortly…
ANALYSIS
SAINT PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
Location: Full city block between Fifth & Madison Avenues, Fiftieth and Fifty-first Streets. Neighboring buildings are Saks Fifth Avenue to the south and the Olympic Tower to the north. Situated directly across the street from Rockefeller Center (facing the statue of Atlas).
Capacity: This massive structure can accommodate 2,200 people.
Hours: Daily from 6:30 a.m. until 8:45 p.m.
(*Special hours may be announced on holidays as well as on the day of the annual Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting.)
Cathedral Layout:
• Built of brick and clad in Tuckahoe marble.
• Structure is the shape of a cross.
* The long stem is the nave (332 feet long).
* Shorter cross-arms are the Transept (174 feet wide).
• Two spires rise 330 feet from street level.
• The Lady Chapel sits at the top of the cross. (Note: The Lady Chapel was not part of James Renwick’s original plan.)
• The grand choir loft and organ are located at the bottom of the cross (second floor).
• Two additional structures abut the Cathedral:
* Cathedral Parish House, also known as the Rectory, adjacent to the upper left corner.
* Cardinal’s Residence, adjacent to the upper right corner.
Cathedral’s History:
• The land was purchased in 1810.
• The cornerstone was laid in 1858, signaling the beginning of construction.
• Work was halted by the Civil War and resumed in 1865.
• The Cathedral was completed in 1878.
• The spires were added in 1888.
• The addition to the Cathedral, including the Lady Chapel, began in 1900 and finished in 1906.
• The last major renovation was in 1931 (the organ was added and the sanctuary was enlarged).
• The Cathedral was declared a National Landmark in 1976.
• The Cathedral contains numerous stained-glass windows, sculptures, and other works of art that are considered priceless and irreplaceable.
Blueprints:
• No complete set of plans is available.
• The disjointed
Next I leaned in, grabbed Chunky’s left wrist, and twisted. It wasn’t a natural movement, given the tight quarters. But when it came to hand-to-hand combat, years of training made my movements fluid and instinctual. With my free hand, a quick blow to her solar plexus was payback for her actions.
She couldn’t scream, though I knew the pain and shock must be stunning.
“Could’ve done much worse, but I think you get the point,” I whispered.
She was sobbing now, great heaving gulps, snot running from her nose.
I stood. My stop was nearby.
The small girl in the pink shirt had been watching me with cautious eyes, not sure what to think.
I stared at her. “Backing down is never an option. ’Cause somebody like that? If they’re hurting you, then they’re hurting somebody else, too.”
She nodded, uncertainly. She had no real idea what I’d done.
She had less idea why.
The bus screeched as it slowed by the curb. The middle exit doors rattled, then hissed when I shoved them open.
That’s how I live my life. I take matters into my own hands.
The fat girl was a little brat, but I took no pleasure in hurting her. It wasn’t about that.
There are no good options in a bad situation.
But inaction is still a form of action. Indecision is still a decision.
And justice is in short supply these days.
PART TWO
----
HOUR 5
12:18 p.m.
This just in, from the AP newswire…
The incident in Midtown Manhattan that we’ve been following closely is now confirmed to be a hostage situation. We repeat: We have confirmation of a hostage situation inside Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
We have no numbers—no idea of how many individuals may be held inside the Cathedral. And no details on the identity of the person or group responsible.
In this day and age, the first questions that come to mind are: How is this possible? Who are the hostages inside? And could this be a terrorist act?
We are told the mayor will be holding a news briefing shortly…
ANALYSIS
SAINT PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
Location: Full city block between Fifth & Madison Avenues, Fiftieth and Fifty-first Streets. Neighboring buildings are Saks Fifth Avenue to the south and the Olympic Tower to the north. Situated directly across the street from Rockefeller Center (facing the statue of Atlas).
Capacity: This massive structure can accommodate 2,200 people.
Hours: Daily from 6:30 a.m. until 8:45 p.m.
(*Special hours may be announced on holidays as well as on the day of the annual Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting.)
Cathedral Layout:
• Built of brick and clad in Tuckahoe marble.
• Structure is the shape of a cross.
* The long stem is the nave (332 feet long).
* Shorter cross-arms are the Transept (174 feet wide).
• Two spires rise 330 feet from street level.
• The Lady Chapel sits at the top of the cross. (Note: The Lady Chapel was not part of James Renwick’s original plan.)
• The grand choir loft and organ are located at the bottom of the cross (second floor).
• Two additional structures abut the Cathedral:
* Cathedral Parish House, also known as the Rectory, adjacent to the upper left corner.
* Cardinal’s Residence, adjacent to the upper right corner.
Cathedral’s History:
• The land was purchased in 1810.
• The cornerstone was laid in 1858, signaling the beginning of construction.
• Work was halted by the Civil War and resumed in 1865.
• The Cathedral was completed in 1878.
• The spires were added in 1888.
• The addition to the Cathedral, including the Lady Chapel, began in 1900 and finished in 1906.
• The last major renovation was in 1931 (the organ was added and the sanctuary was enlarged).
• The Cathedral was declared a National Landmark in 1976.
• The Cathedral contains numerous stained-glass windows, sculptures, and other works of art that are considered priceless and irreplaceable.
Blueprints:
• No complete set of plans is available.
• The disjointed
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