“Don’t move,” he ordered. Nanci instinctively put her hands up, and started sweating. "If you scream," he threatened, "I'm going to put a bullet in your head."
"How’d you get in here? What do you want?” she demanded.
“I picked the lock, and you know what I want.” Nanci didn’t reply. “Stone Mountain? The legend? You did a report on it? Any of that ring a bell?”
“It doesn’t exist, it’s…it’s just a legend.”
“I want the location of Stone Mountain."
"How can I tell you where it is, if I don’t know, and it doesn’t exist?"
“Liar!” Fable shrieked, but then quickly got a hold of himself.
Mr. Fable came closer, close enough that she could smell his breath, and he circled around behind her, pressing the end of his gun against the side of her head. He whispered in her ear.
"If you don't tell me where Stone Mountain is, when your parents come home, they'll find you lying on this floor, dead, with a tiny piece of metal imbedded in your skull."
"I'm sorry." Nanci started crying. "I don't know where Stone Mountain is. All I did was attend a lecture by some professor. He was talking about the legend and I was interested and thought I'd do a report on it. That's all. Please, you have to believe me. Stone Mountain doesn't even exist."
"Oh it exists all right. Maybe you don't know where it is, but I'd be willing to bet that professor of yours does." Nanci gulped and after closing her eyes, she said a quick prayer. "Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna get into my car parked out there, by the side of the road. You're going to drive me to the university, and take me to this professor."
"But…even though I’m sixteen, I don't have a license yet," Nanci protested weakly. Mr. Fable laughed harshly waving his gun around.
"You really think that such a little thing like that is going to stop me?”
“No,” she admitted.
“Exactly. Now get!" He waved his gun towards the front of the house. "No funny business," he warned.
Nanci opened the front door and stepped outside. Although shedebated for a moment whether or not to make a run for it, she was too terrified to try anything. Mr. Fable could no doubt catch her quickly or even shoot her. All Nanci could do was pray, and hope that she would escape this situation unscathed.
Nanci had no choice but to get into the drivers' side and start the car. Mr. Fable entered on the passenger side and sat down, keeping his gun low enough so that only Nanci could see it. She understood this to mean that if she didn't do as he said, John Fable would not hesitate to make good on his threat.
Nanci got on the main road and headed towards the university. She had taken driver's training, and had logged enough hours with her parents to drive okay, but she was extremely worried and nervous. There was nothing she could do; only pray and trust God, that He would work things out for the best.
Mr. Fable never took his eyes off from her, intent only on reaching his goal. Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the university parking lot. "Park here," Mr. Fable ordered, pointing towards a spot near the front.
John replaced the gun into its holster, letting his jacket cover it. "If you try to call for help, I can pull this out and shoot you in a second before you can even finish your sentence. Take me to the professor." Nanci and John entered the literature building, and after taking an elevator, she led him to the professor's office. Nanci kept praying over and over, hoping that nobody would get shot or killed. She opened the door and walked in. Mr. Fable, of course, was not far behind.
"Ah! Nanci, I'm glad to see--" the professor's sentence was cut off when he saw Mr. Fable. John pulled out his gun and aimed it at him.
"Professor Peter Marvin. I should have guessed. We've been watching you for a while. Where is Stone Mountain?"
"You're part of the Brotherhood." Marvin accused calmly.
Mr. Fable cracked a smile. "Guilty."
"I certainly am not going to tell you where Stone Mountain is, and even if I did, you would never be able to find it."
"Wait a minute," Nanci interrupted. "There really is a Stone Mountain?"
"Yeah, Prof., is there really a Stone Mountain?" Fable mocked. "She has no clue, does she?"
"I cannot deny the truth."
"Of course you couldn't Mr. Goody-two-shoes-self-sacrificing moron. Knowledge is power, my friend. Now, the location of Stone Mountain."
"I'll take you there myself."
"Nice try. I'm not a fool," Fable spat.
"I cannot simply tell you where it is, I've have to take you there or else you'll never find it; but just leave Nanci alone. She has nothing to do with this."
"No, I don't think so. You honestly think I'm stupid enough to let go of my hostage? Nanci will come with us. Keep in mind I won't hesitate to kill her if you don't lead me straight there, and right now, or the girl dies!" Mr. Fable grabbed Nanci's arm and shoved the gun against her head. She winced.
Professor Marvin sighed. Mr. Fable had won for now; he couldn't let Nanci die. He wouldn't let her die.
"Very well," he agreed. "I'll take you to Stone Mountain."
After the three of them exited the building, Fable indicated that Nanci was to drive again. He sat in the passenger's seat while the professor sat in the back. "We need to go to my house," Professor Marvin said. "There is a plane hidden there; Stone Mountain is on an island."
"You have a plane, here in the city?" Mr. Fable asked in disbelief.
"It's underground. Leads to a cave over on the other side of those mountains. We can take off there."
"Fine. We'll go to your house. I presume you’re going to tell Nanci how to get there."
"Nanci knows the way," the professor answered. "She's been to my house before."
"Really," Fable asked, intrigued by this piece of knowledge. "Tell me, why in the world would you allow someone, that supposedly has nothing to do with the legend, into your home? After all, you’re supposed to the be the Guardian of Stone Mountain."
"I wanted more information about the legend, for my report," Nanci answered timidly.
"Was I talking to you?" John retorted, but then paused for a moment. He wondered if Nanci knew more than she let on, but then decided that wasn't important. Nanci was going to have to die either way. "Drive."
They left the university and within the hour they arrived at Professor Marvin's house. Nanci pulled up into his driveway, and the three of them got out. "Take me to the plane, and don't you dare try to call for help, or get away," Fable warned.
Peter Marvin took out his keys and unlocked the front door. Fable was right behind him to ensure that he wouldn't grab a weapon on the way in, and held Nanci in a visor-like grip. Marvin led the other two down the main hall, opening a door to reveal a flight of stairs.
He descended down them, and Nanci followed with Fable at the rear. He kept his gun out, ready to shoot if his hostages misbehaved. The stairs led into Marvin's basement; he opened the door straight ahead, revealing a tunnel leading to a cave, and inside the cave were two planes.
"Good," Fable said approvingly; he inspected them and then pointed to one. "Get in." They climbed aboard, and Fable gestured to the pilot’s seat. "I'm assuming you know how to fly the plane?"
"Yes," the professor replied. He sat in the seat indicated and after completing the necessary preparations, he started the engines. They flew out of the caves, and were soon flying over open water: the Gulf Sea.
Fable sat in the copilot's seat, still holding his gun. Nanci sat in the seat behind him, and while the gun was pointed at her, John’s eyes were on the professor. Nanci still had no idea what to do. She was afraid that once Fable reached the island, Stone Mountain or no, he would no longer need them anymore and dispose of them.
The only thing that Nanci could think of to do was to pray. And pray she did. Little did she know that her prayers at that very moment were being answered.
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