EMERGENCY
Part One
By Sean Lennon
TUESDAY 8:14A.M.
Jason Hobbs sat back in his chair as his co-workers instructed callers through their headsets. It had been a calm morning in the Manhattan 911 Emergency office for a Tuesday. Yet, Jason had worked a double shift to cover for his relief, Harry. Harry had come down with a case of the flu that was going around. So, being the savior that he was, Jason told him to stay home and he would take his place.
Now, he couldn’t wait for the hour to be over so he could go home, have a couple of beers and relax in front of the tube. Tommy, the operator who sat beside him, talked to him about that week’s episode of “Angel”. Jason had recorded the show but had not had the time to watch it yet.
“Dude, it’s Tuesday. How could you not have time to watch an hour show?” Tommy asked in amazement.
“Unlike some people, I have a life,” Jason replied, “Besides, I’m working a double shift thanks to Harry.”
“Again? What’s his excuse this time?”
Jason had taken Harry’s shift several times before for several reasons. Both he and Tommy knew the real reasons were that Harry never wanted to come to work. He was the type of person that every company had. Harry was the company slacker. Yet Jason never complained because it helped him to put money on the side for his new apartment. The relationship between himself and his girlfriend, Laurie, had come to that point where he was comfortable moving in with her.
“Court. Again.”
“See, now THAT I believe,” Tommy laughed.
Just then the phone rang on Tommy’s line. Tommy wrapped the headset around his head and hit the answer button on his console.
“911, what is your emergency?” Tommy said in a professional voice. Jason leaned over and awaited the situation that Tommy was given. Soon, he realized that he was lucky not to have been given the call.
“Mrs. Snyder, we have noted your complaint previously but you can’t call 911 Emergency every time your neighbor takes out the trash. The police have checked him out and believe that he is not dumping bodies in garbage bags.”
Jason could not help but giggle at his co-worker’s misfortune. Like clockwork, every Tuesday, one woman by the name of Mrs. Gwen Snyder called to inform 911 Emergency that her next-door neighbor was murdering people in his house and then disposing of the bodies by leaving them out with the rest of the trash. The first time she had called, Tommy had taken it and had sent out the local precinct to investigate. All that was found was your typical bachelor’s garbage. Since then, Mrs. Snyder called to protest the findings and stick to her conspiracy guns.
“Next time, you get her,” Tommy scowled as he tore the headset off of him. Jason nodded in agreement and continued to laugh. Sometimes, the job was not always grim and horrifying as TV and the movies portrayed it. But it did have it’s dramatic moments, as Jason would soon find out.
TUESDAY 8:32A.M.
“911, what is your emergency?” Jason asked. The other line was silent until a young voice interrupted with a response.
“Um, hello? Can you help me?”
“Yes, I can. Can you give me your name please?” Jason could hear the fear in the young boy’s voice. From what he could tell off the bat, the caller was a teenage boy calling from a cell phone. Cell phones were disappointing to the operators at the Emergency Center, due to the fact that it took longer to track a cell phone as opposed to a land line.
“Juan,” the teenager said.
“OK, Juan, what can I help you with?” The main goal of the beginning of an Emergency call was to obtain as much information about the caller, his location and the emergency as possible. It was easy for Jason to get information out of people because he had that voice that people found trusting and comforting.
“Um, one of the kids in my school is going to take it down with a gun that he found.”
“Ok, Juan what is the name of this kid?” Jason asked, typing all that he could into the computer in front of him. The computer was linked to the server in the next room and the server was accessed by all the precincts in Manhattan. Once enough information was entered, the nearest precinct to the location of the emergency would head out to the location and resume the problem.
“You can’t tell him it was me that squealed,” Juan stated, “I can’t be know as a squealer.”
“Do not worry, Juan, your name will be kept confidential,” Jason informed him.
“What?”
“I will not tell anyone that you were the one who called if you do not want me too.”
“You promise?”
“It’s against the law if I do.” Jason knew that would make Juan feel better. “Now tell me the kid’s name so we can make sure no one gets hurt.”
“His name’s Nelson. And my school’s P.S. 5. He’s going to shoot a lot of people. He told me.”
“Ok, Juan. Don’t worry. What is Nelson’s last name?”
“Nelson Agiular. I don’t know what apartment he lives in but I know he lives in the building on the corner of the school.”
“That’s good, Juan. Can you tell me what grade he’s in?”
“Eighth. He’s a real jerk too. Nobody likes him.”
“I’ll let the police know that, Juan. And do not worry, the police will be there right away to talk to the principal and the teachers before Nelson gets to school. Thanks to you, no one is going to get shot.”
“Cool, yo. Thanks.”
“No, thank you, Juan.” Jason smiled, knowing that he and Juan had just made a difference this morning. After disconnecting from the call and sending the information to the server for relay, he leaned back in his chair and threw his hands behind his head. It was the whole reason why he had taken the job two years ago. He wanted to make a difference in the grittiness that was his favorite city. Jason believed that, even though Mayor Guiliani has helped to clean up Manhattan in the last few years, he could still use some help in keeping it clean and safe for the residents and the millions of tourists that visited the city all year round.
Jason got up and walked over to the soda machine that helped to keep him and other double shifters awake and alert for the job. As he put his change in, his cell phone rang. He looked down at the screen and saw that it was his girlfriend, Laurie.
“Good morning love,” Jason said in a British accent, “And how is the prettiest girl on the planet this morning?”
“Missing you incredibly. I thought I should call you as I’m on the way to work and let you know that I love you.”
“As do I, darling. So they have you downtown today?”
“Yes, I have a 9a.m. meeting at the Millennium Hotel with the people from Lexus. I hope we can get the account.”
“Well, if you’re on the case, I don’t see how you couldn’t.”
“Thanks, sweetie. My stop is coming up. Wish me luck.”
“Luck, darling. I’ll be by at 7, ok?”
“Sounds good, I’ll make you dinner. Your favorite.”
“Falafels?”
“No, silly, Lasagna. Now let me go, love you.”
“Love you too,” Jason said just before hanging up and returning his cell phone to his belt.
“Love you toooooo,” Tommy mocked as he walked up to the soda machine for a beverage of his own.
“Hey, at least I have a girlfriend, Mr. My-Palm-Is-My-Best-Friend.”
“Oh, that was a low blow. But then again, getting a blow is tough for a man like you, seeing how it’s too small to really get one.”
“Hardy har har. This coming from the king of the porn rentals.”
“Ok, ok. You win,” Tommy told him.
The two operators returned to their posts and drank from their soda cans. Jason looked at the time and rubbed his eyes. There was only 6 more hours remaining to his second shift and then he would be able to go home and sleep before going over to Laurie’s for dinner. But all that changed two minutes later. Their supervisor, Ken Lee, burst into the area.
“Everyone into Alert Status!” All the operators turned their heads towards Ken and wondered what could have happened to have Alert Status put into effect.
“What’s going on?” Tommy asked.
“A plane just crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center!” Ken replied.
Not even a second had passed when the board lit up with calls.
TO BE CONTINUED……
Part Two
By Sean Lennon
TUESDAY 8:46A.M.
Jason Hobbs and his co-worker, Tommy Curtson, rushed to their posts with the other 911 operators. Every light on the switchboard was lit up and blinking like the most decorated house at Christmas. The news of what had just occurred hit the operators like a sledgehammer. A plane had just collided with one of the
“Good luck,” Jason mouthed to Tommy and then placed the headset on his head and hit the answer button.
* * *
911 CALL #7742139
TIME: 8:46A.M.
ORIGIN:
OPERATOR
CALLER: Oh God, please help me!
OPERATOR
CALLER: There was an explosion! Some one bombed the
OPERATOR
CALLER: Yes, yes, I’m in the
OPERATOR
CALLER: No, I’m fine. But it sounded like it was right below me. What am I going to do?
OPERATOR
CALLER: My name’s Matt Duffy. I’m in a bathroom on the 86th floor. There’s a gentleman in here with me.
OPERATOR
(MR. DUFFY IS HEARD OPENING DOOR. NUMEROUS SCREAMS CAN BE HEARD FROM CALLER’S END)
DUFFY: Everyone’s panicking. The floor’s shaking and smoke is coming from the hallways. What the hell just happened?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Dear God, it’s so dark. Where the hell’s the sun?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I can’t see a damn thing. What the hell happened?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I told you, I can’t see a damn thing. All I can hear is screams.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Yes, I do, why?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Yes, hold on.
(MR. DUFFY IS HEARD ENTERING THE BATHROOM. WATER IS THEN HEARD RUNNING. THREE MINUTES HAS PASSED.)
DUFFY: Ok, now what.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: The bathrooms are in the main hallways. I’d have to go down the hall and then around the corner to my desk.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I’ve worked here for twenty-seven years. I can walk around with my eyes closed.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I’ve got you. I’m going now.
* * *
TUESDAY 8:51A.M.
Laurie Jameson stared upward at the horrifying sight. She could not believe her eyes. Charcoal black smoke billowed from the upper floors of the
“What the hell just happened?” a man in a dark gray suit asked anyone around him.
“A plane just flew into the building!” replied a younger man holding a video camera up towards the building. Besides him was another man of the same age, who looked like the cameraman. A brother, Laurie guessed.
“Oh God, look at the pieces falling,” stated a woman holding her four year old son. The little boy had tears streaming down his face, terrified by the noise of the crash and what was going on all over the neighborhood.
Laurie knew that the full impact of what she saw had yet to hit her. Something like this, she could only imagine happened in movies. To see it in real life, broke down the human mind and blanketed the entire area in fear.
She automatically grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911, hoping to get Jason and let him know that she was all right. Laurie punched the buttons with her finger and brought the phone to her ear. She waited for a connection.
“We’re sorry but all lines are busy. Please hold for the next available operator,” spoke the monotone electronic voice at the other end. She disconnected and tried the number again. The message repeated, causing her to become concerned. If everyone in the area were calling 911, it would be impossible to reach Jason and reassure him that she was alive and well.
She dialed his cell phone number and found herself listening to the busy signal. It was useless. The phone lines, both land and cellular, were being bombarded with use. There was no way to reach Jason or anyone else she knew via telephone.
Her train of thought was disrupted by someone grabbing her phone from her hand. She looked over and saw the frightened face of a middle-aged woman attempting to pry the phone from Laurie’s hand.
“I need your phone, I have to call my husband and see if he’s alive,” she pleaded.
“The lines are down. You can’t reach anyone.”
“Please, I need to know that he’s ok. I have to call his office.”
“But it’s useless, I can’t get a connection. Everything is busy.”
“God, have a heart! I have to call my husband!” The woman dug her nails into Laurie’s hand, overcome with panic and worry. Laurie found it useless to argue and opened her hand for the woman to swipe the cell phone away. She watched the woman dial a number, hunched over the phone, waiting for an answer and receiving nothing but more worry. Laurie found a lump in her throat, realizing that more people were as frantic as the woman who had walked off with her phone. So many lives had just been snuffed out. But what Laurie didn’t know was that the body count was far from over.
* * *
911 CALL #7742139 (CONTINUED)
TIME 8:59A.M.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I’ve found my co-workers. They’re ok too.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: They all seem fine. Just scared (censored).
OPERATOR
DUFFY: We’re right by one. They broke a few open to get some air. The smoke is getting thicker in the offices. Where are the firefighters?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Ok. So what was it? A bomb? A gas leak?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Thank you, Mr….Operator. Hell, I don’t even know what to call you.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Pleased to meet you, Jason. I don’t mean to put any pressure on you, but my girl’s birthday is this weekend. I don’t want to miss it.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: As long as it gets me out of this place alive. Does the building look like it’s going to fall over?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: What? Wait, hang on. (to co-worker) Are you ok? What? Are you kidding me?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Jason, is it true that a plane hit the building?
DUFFY: Jason?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Jesus Christ! When were you going to tell me!
(SCREAMS CAN BE HEARD IN BACKGROUND.)
OPERATOR
DUFFY: How are they going to reach us? The floors below us are obliterated! We’re going to die up here and you’re beating around the bush!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Beth here just said that she saw the plane fly right into us. I’ve been on the phone with you and not once did you tell me how bad things are. I want some honesty, dammit.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: ….ok. How do we get out?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: That’s right.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I guess.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: There are three leading down to the 77th floor. Then, from there, there are three leading down to the 44th floor and another three going to the concourse.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: We’ve got….four, five…..seven people, including myself.
OPERATOR
(A LOUD BOOM IS HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND)
DUFFY: Oh my God!!!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Something terrible! Oh, God, get us out of here!
TO BE CONTINUED……
Part Three
By Sean Lennon
Jason Hobbs heard the second explosion through his head set. He jumped back in his seat and looked around. All the operators were focused on something behind him. Jason turned around, still talking to the man on the other end of the phone. But he stopped for a moment as the man that he knew as Matt Duffy described to him the same thing that his eyes stared at on the small television screen that had been set up. A second plane flew into the South Tower.
911 CALL #7742139 (CONTINUED)
TIME: 9:03A.M.
DUFFY: Oh my God! I can’t believe it!
OPERATOR HOBBS: Dear Lord.
DUFFY: Do you know what I just saw? Oh God, Jason, help us please.
OPERATOR HOBBS: I know Matt, I saw it on TV here. I’m going to get you out of there. But again you have to keep calm.
DUFFY: After watching a plane fly into a building? I’m scared out of my mind! What if more are coming? What if the building falls? I don’t want to die, Jason.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Ok, ok. We can do this. Trust me. I want everyone to form a human chain by holding hands. Make sure that no one is left behind, got it?
DUFFY: Yes, I understand.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Good, ok, first, do you have a headset for your cell phone?
DUFFY: Yes, I do.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Okay then, I need you to plug it into your cell phone so that you can have both hands free. Next, are there any curtains or tablecloths available near you? Cotton ones if you have it.
DUFFY: My office has curtains on the windows.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Great, I need you to tear pieces off for each person there and soak it in water. You’re going to use that to cover your mouth and prevent smoke inhalation.
DUFFY: Ok, give me a few minutes.
* * *
Laurie made her way uptown. She couldn’t bear to stand there and continue watching the horror that occurred twice before her eyes. Yet she could not forget what she had seen. A Boeing 767 flew in low from the south and right into the South Tower. Everyone around her at the time screamed in terror. A man in his late twenties, standing next to her, began to cry. No one should ever have to see something as terrible and frightening, she thought to herself. Then, a minute later, the biggest explosion she had ever seen happened above her. The gas tank of the 767 catching fire and causing more damage to several more floors around the ones that were hit with the plane. The fireball extending outward a half block in every direction, sending debris and fire down on the onlookers.
Then when the debris began hitting the ground below, everyone ran for their lives. She turned around and ran east down Fulton St. towards the South Street Seaport. Church Street became a fiery mess. Pieces of the building structure rained down, endangering those below the collision. A man was killed when a smoldering office chair landed on his head. Chaos ruled the area of the Twin Towers.
“I can’t believe we’re being attacked like this,” an elderly man said to another walking beside Laurie. “When we fought in the war, it was straight on, none of this sneaky civilian-attacking stuff. Only cowards fight this way.” She knew that the man had a good point in a way. Who were these people, using civilian planes to kill more innocent civilians? What was their point? Why now? She was her most scared right then because she knew no one had any answers.
Laurie turned back and looked down the block towards the Twin Towers. Black smoke poured out of the large gaping hole on the north side of the North Tower. The entire city had stopped what they were doing and watched, waiting to see the outcome of the attacks. But only one thing ran through her mind. And she was sure it was the same thing running through everyone else’s mind. She had to contact Jason and her family. It was painfully obvious as she passed an electronic store that the attacks were on every channel as heart-stopping news. Her mother knew that she was going to be down near the World Trade Center and would start hyperventilating the second she saw what had happened.
Finding a pay phone on the next corner, Laurie picked up the receiver and dialed her mother’s home number in Englewood, New Jersey. Yet, even without being asked for a coin deposit, the phone reported that all lines were busy. She couldn’t believe that while everything was going on, she had been cut off from the rest of the world. Was anyone able to get through and contact someone?
* * *
911 CALL #7742139 (CONTINUED)
TIME: 9:09A.M.
OPERATOR HOBBS: So you have the headset for the cell phone?
DUFFY: Yes I do. And everyone had a wet piece of my curtains covering their mouths.
OPERATOR HOBBS: That’s perfect, Matt. Okay, then we’re ready to head downstairs?
DUFFY: Ready as we’ll ever be.
OPERATOR HOBBS: All right then, now for the stairways. Where are they located on the floor?
DUFFY: We’ve got one on the south side of the building and one on the west and east sides.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Okay, I’m looking at the building right now. It seems like your best bet is to use the west staircase.
DUFFY: If you say so, I’m trusting your judgment.
OPERATOR HOBBS: I’m not going to let you down, Matt. You’re going to your daughter’s birthday.
DUFFY: Thank you, Jason.
(DUFFY CAN BE HEARD TALKING TO HIS CO-WORKERS AROUND HIM)
DUFFY: We’re at the door to the west staircase. Now what?
OPERATOR HOBBS: Touch the door with your palm. Does it feel hot?
DUFFY: No, kinda warm but not too hot.
OPERATOR HOBBS: That’s good. Slowly open the door and tell me what you see.
(DOOR IS HEARD OPENING IN BACKGROUND)
DUFFY: It’s all smoke, Jason. I can’t see a thing in there. Are we even going to be able to reach the floors below the ones that the plane crashed into?
OPERATOR HOBBS: I’m not going to give up on you, so don’t give up on me. I’m going to see you through this. Now I know it will seem crazy, but this is the best way out. The building was hit more on the east side of the building. The west staircase should be the one with the least amount of damage.
DUFFY: God, I hope you’re right. I’m so scared. (To co-workers) Okay, people, here we go.
(LINE RECEIVES STATIC NOISE)
OPERATOR HOBBS: Matt? I need you to keep talking to me so that I know you’re all right.
DUFFY: I’m here, Jason. We’re in the stairwell and it’s hard to breathe and talk to you with all this smoke.
OPERATOR HOBBS: That’s understandable. Let’s see, can you hum a song?
DUFFY: Um, okay. Which one?
OPERATOR HOBBS: Whatever you can think of.
(DUFFY IS HEARD HUMMING)
OPERATOR HOBBS: Hmm, sounds familiar.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Wait, I know that. Kenny Rogers right?
DUFFY: Yes. (coughs)
OPERATOR HOBBS: That’s fine, Matt. If you can keep humming, go for it.
(ONLY HUMMING IS HEARD FOR THE NEXT SEVEN MINUTES)
DUFFY: Jason? I think we’re at the 77th floor. The stairs end here. We have to walk over to the stairs that go down to the 44th floor.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Okay, is everyone else still with you?
DUFFY: (to co-workers) Everybody still here?
(VOICES ARE HEARD IN BACKGROUND)
DUFFY: I still have everybody following me. How bad does it look from outside?
OPERATOR HOBBS: Not as bad as the other Tower. You’re going to be fine, Matt. I won’t let you down. Okay, we’re a third of the way down. The next part is going to be tough. I want you to open the door and tell me if you see anything or if it feels too hot to leave the stairwell.
(DUFFY IS HEARD OPENING DOOR. THERE ARE SEVERAL SHOUTS IN THE BACKGROUND.)
DUFFY: It feels pretty warm.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Is the temperature warm enough to make you sweat?
DUFFY: No, I’m sweating because I’m scared.
OPERATOR HOBBS: That’s okay, Matt. You’re going to be fine. Can you look out onto the floor?
DUFFY: I can try. Hang on.
(ONE MINUTE PASSES WITH UNIDENTIFIED NOISES IN THE BACKGROUND)
DUFFY: What I can see looks okay to keep going. But like I said, it’s pretty hard to see. Getting hard to breathe too.
OPERATOR HOBBS: I know. But once you pass the floors that were hit, the smoke should thin out.
DUFFY: So, should we go to the next staircase?
OPERATOR HOBBS: Yes, take it slowly. Make sure you watch where you step.
DUFFY: (to co-workers) Okay, everybody, stay together in single file.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE IN BACKGROUND: Are you insane? I’m not going out there!
DUFFY: (to co-workers) Would you rather stay here and die? We have to try to get out of here. I don’t want to die. I want to see Gloria and Gillian again, dammit.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Okay, Matt, calm down. I need you to relax before you continue.
DUFFY: I’m fine. Let’s go.
OPERATOR HOBBS: Remember, nice and slow. You don’t know what that floor looks like now.
DUFFY: All right. Nice and slow. (coughs)
OPERATOR HOBBS: You can keep humming if that helps.
DUFFY: No, that tickles my throat. I’m ok. (coughs)
OPERATOR HOBBS: Keep that wet cloth on your mouth and breathe through that.
(SCREAMS ARE HEARD IN BACKGROUND)
DUFFY: Oh God, oh God, oh God!
OPERATOR HOBBS: What is it, Matt? What’s happening?
DUFFY: We’re going to die! Oh Lord, we’re going to die!
OPERATOR HOBBS: Talk to me, Matt. What do you see?
DUFFY: Nothing!
OPERATOR HOBBS: I don’t understand. What’s going on over there?
DUFFY: We’re going to die! We’re going to die here!
OPERATOR HOBBS: Matt! Tell me what’s happening.
DUFFY: Jason! Get us out of here!
OPERATOR HOBBS: I’m trying but you have to help me too. What happened?
DUFFY: It’s the 77th floor!
OPERATOR HOBBS: What about it?
DUFFY: It’s no longer there! The 77th floor is gone!
TO BE CONTINUED……
Part Four
By Sean Lennon
911 CALL #7742139 (CONTINUED)
TIME: 9:21A.M.
DUFFY: It’s no longer there! The 77th floor is gone!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: There’s a giant (censored) hole where the 77th floor should be!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Jason! Get us out of here!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Oh Jesus, I can see the plane! It’s on fire! God, the heat is so bad.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I can’t help it! We’re going to die. You promised. You promised.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I’m looking into a fiery hole. Tell me again to calm down!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Oh God, no one can help us, can they?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I don’t know. I can’t see too well here.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Well, at least someone isn’t. (Incoherent)
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I’m here. Thought I lost you.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Then get your butt up here.
* * *
TUESDAY 9:24A.M.
Laurie stood in front of an electronic store among other strangers, watching the continuing coverage of the horror that she gazed upon firsthand. Everyone around her had their eyes fixated on the scenes blinking on the ten televisions. The owner of the store hooked his stereo systems into the channel so all passing could hear what their eyes saw.
“In my 30 years as a journalist, I’ve never seen a story like this. I have never covered a story like this,” spoke the CNN anchor Judy Woodruff. Behind her was a live feed of the scene that Laurie had left less than twenty minutes ago. She shivered at the returning sight.
“What if more are coming?” asked a woman to her right.
“What if it falls?” said a young man, book bag in hand.
“No way it’ll fall. They built that puppy strong. Took them like five years to put it up,” replied a construction worker in the back of the small crowd.
“It didn’t fall the first time it was bombed,” said another female looking on.
Laurie didn’t know what to think. She, like everyone else, was stunned. The shock of it all had still not subsided. Nor would it subside for weeks, maybe even months.
She experienced just how what had happened impacted the entire city. Hoping to get uptown faster, she tried catching the 1 and 9 train to the station near the 911 Emergency Center.
“Sorry, ma’am,” said the station manager, “but due to the crash, the trains have been cut off from
Laurie was stuck having to walk her way up to Jason. She noticed that all vehicle activity had halted as well. People were just walking around, most in dazes while others panicked.
“We’re trapped!” said a man running down the street that she was on. “They’re locking down all of
The crowd she was in began mumbling. They soon dispersed and continued making their way to their separate locations. Laurie was puzzled by the citywide lockdown. If the terror had come from the skies, what was the purpose of preventing anyone from coming in to or running out to their loved ones?
Laurie walked the two blocks to
She had to reach Jason soon. Laurie kept running uptown to the man she loved.
* * *
911 CALL #7742139 (CONTINUED)
TIME: 9:26A.M.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (COUGHS) All right. We should be fine. The ledge is wide enough to walk.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: No argument there.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (COUGHS) Drinks are on me.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: God, I’m scared, Jason.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: It’s been years since I went to church. Will God abandon me?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I think we’re close. (COUGHS) I can’t tell through all the-
(STATIC ON LINE)
OPERATOR
DUFFY: God I hope we don’t get (STATIC) I need you to walk me through.
OPERATOR
(SCREAMS ARE HEARD)
DUFFY: Oh God, NO! NO!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: He fell! (into background) SETH! Oh, God, Seth!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: It’s Seth! He fell off the ledge! Oh Dear Lord, he’s gone! I can’t see him anymore!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I don’t want to die! Please!
OPERATOR
(TWO MINUTES PASS)
TIME: 9:30A.M.
DUFFY: I’ve found it! I found the stairwell!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: A little. Hold on. It’s just smoke. I don’t see any flames.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (to co-workers) Let’s go, everyone!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Okay. It’s pretty hot now.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (COUGHS) But I can barely see.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I’ll try.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: What should I say?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Okay. I love my family. I met Gloria in college. She’s still as beautiful as ever. (INCOHERENT DUE TO STATIC) and green eyes. And she’s got this great smile. And my daughter, Gillian, has such a personality. All cute and spunky. And she’s always honest about everything.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I do. They are my life.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Thank you, Jason. It’s getting hot.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (COUGHS) No, I can’t see the walls. We just want to get out of here.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Please say a prayer for us, Jason.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (COUGHS) It’s really bad now. I feel like I’m in hell.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (to co-workers) Stay away from the walls!
OPERATOR
DUFFY: I can barely breathe. It’s so hot.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: If I don’t make it. Please tell my family that I love them.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Please, Jason.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Thank you.
OPERATOR
(TWO MINUTES PASS)
TIME: 9:34A.M.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: We’re doing good. We can see again. The smoke is not so bad here.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Yes, we’ve reached the 53rd floor. We’re almost to the 44th floor. Does the building look okay from the outside?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: (LAUGHS) I guess we did it huh?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Yes, yes. I know you did. But you’re not in here with me.
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Like what?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Are you hiding something? Does the building look like it’s going to fall?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: God, it is that bad? What kind of plane was it that hit?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Oh, God. Were there any people on board?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Oh Lord. Do they know who did this?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Was there any other places attacked?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: That’s a good thing. I’d hate to know that this was only one of many to come under attack.
(STATIC)
OPERATOR
DUFFY: You bet. So what about you, Jason? Do you have any loved ones?
OPERATOR
DUFFY: Well she must be one lucky-
(CONNECTION TERMINATED)
OPERATOR
END OF 911 CALL #7742139
TIME 9:36A.M.
TO BE CONTINUED……
Part Five
By Sean Lennon
TUESDAY 9:36A.M
“Hello? Matt? Are you there?” Jason felt his stomach clench up and fear gripped his mind. There was nothing on the other end of the line but dead air. The one thing that he feared from the beginning of the call happened. Matt Duffy’s cell phone lost it’s connection. And Jason’s biggest worry was that they were not out of the North Tower yet, even though they had gotten past the worst of it and climbed to the floors below the ones hit by the plane. But there were still forty floors to descend before the group of six reached the Concourse.
“Son of a bitch!” he muttered, tearing off his headset and throwing it onto his desk. This caused several of the other operators, including Tommy, to look over at what was happening. Jason then realized the room that he was in. He had become so involved in the rescue of Matt and his co-workers that he didn’t notice that there were thirty-something other operators, all on calls, around him.
Ken rushed over quickly after seeing Jason’s angry act. He pushed his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose and looked down at Jason.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, squinting at his face. Jason ran his hand through his uncut and now messy hair and sighed at his supervisor.
“I lost connection with the caller. He and his co-workers were calling from the North Tower and I was working on guiding them down to the street. Then his cell phone dropped out.”
“Were you on the call long enough to get the cell phone number?”
“Yeah, but look at how many calls are coming in by the second. I doubt I’ll be able to connect with him again.”
“Well, try calling the number. If after a minute, you can’t, I want you to take another call.”
“So, I’m supposed to give up on this guy?” Jason asked in surprise.
“We’ve got two hundred calls coming in per minute. We have to help as many people as possible. I don’t like the fact that we have to give up on some of them but our job is to help those that need help. The more we help the better. Now stop wasting time and get back on the phones.” Ken brushed the irritating black strands of hair from his face and walked away to help out on the other side of the room. Jason sat, shocked by his supervisor’s words, even though he knew that he was right. But Jason could not give up on Matt and his friends.
He grabbed the headset and put it back on. He first tried Laurie’s cell phone, praying that she used her smarts as always and left the neighborhood surrounding the World Trade Centers. She had been in the back of his mind the entire time but he could not put Matt on hold in order to contact her and make sure she was all right. Knowing her though, she would have left the area immediately and made her way back home.
The phone rang and was quickly received by a machine, informing him that all lines were busy. It was as bad outside as it was in the room. He could imagine the thousands and thousands of calls being placed by worried relatives and loved ones, trying desperately to find solace in that those they knew in the building were safe and sound. Jason thanked God that Laurie was not in the Twin Towers that morning but was still concerned because her meeting was directly across the street from them. Hoping that she would be able to get through while he was on the phone to let him know that she was fine, Jason went back to contacting Matt Duffy.
Reading the number off of the orange glowing screen in front of him, he punched in the seven digits and prayed that Matt would answer. The phone rang and just like his call to Laurie, the robotic voice reported that all lines were busy and to please try again. Dammit, he thought to himself. He couldn’t give up on Matt and move on. Just as he had said, Jason and he were a team. Matt had trusted him and listened to everything that Jason told him to do.
Jason tried calling Matt’s cell phone several more times. All he received is the same voice telling him what he already knew. It was useless. There had to be something that he could do. Then it hit him. Jason fished a pen from his shirt pocket and scrawled the cell phone number on his arm. Then he turned to Tommy.
“I need you to do me a favor, if a man by the name of Matt Duffy calls asking for me or any other operator, take it. Make sure he gets out of the building.”
“What? Why? Where are you going?”
“I have to get down there and make sure Laurie’s ok.” Jason wasn’t lying, he did want to make sure his future fiancée and wife was unharmed, but he was also concerned with Matt and the others.
“What? She’s down there! Damn, man, if you leave, Lee will have a coronary. Dammit, forget him, get the hell down there! I’ll try and cover for you.” Jason patted his good friend on the back and quickly crept out of the large room.
9:42A.M.
Laurie reached the wide building that housed the 911 Emergency Center for downtown Manhattan. It had taken her long but thanks to the pair of sneakers she smuggled in her large purse because of the painful yet stylish shoes she wore to impress her clients, she was able to power walk her way uptown. In a matter of minutes, she would be in the arms of her man and would once again feel safe through what she saw as the most terrifying moment in the history of New York.
Laurie pulled back on the handle of the heavy door and slid into the lobby of the building. She quickly walked over to the security guard sitting in the center of the lobby, staring blankly at the small portable television that sat on his desk, two janitors standing over him watching the news as intensely as the guard. Laurie approached the three men and leaned forward, hoping to pry them away from the horror the newscaster ran over and over, embedding the scene of the shocking incident into every viewer’s mind.
“Excuse me, I need to get to the Emergency Center,” she said to the guard. The guard jumped back at the sound of Laurie’s voice as if he had not noticed her approach him.
“Oh, um, yeah, third floor,” the guard said, pointing to the alcove of elevators. His eyes never left the television, nor had the janitors acknowledged her presence.
Laurie rushed over to the elevators and pressed the up button. She paced back and forth, anxious to get upstairs to see Jason again. All she wanted was to be held. Every time he wrapped his arms around her, the feelings of content and warmth overcame her. That was what she craved right now. To be told that everything was going to be ok and that the bad would go away.
One of the elevators arrived and Laurie went over to the doors, waiting to enter and press the button for the third floor. But as the doors opened, she found herself overcome with relief. Inside the elevator was Jason. Upon seeing her, he leapt out of the elevator and held her tightly. She gripped his sides and felt the tears and emotion that she held back since the first plane hit come flooding out of her. Her body shivered with grief. And she also noticed that Jason’s body was doing the same. Two souls were once again combined to one. Everything around them stopped existing for that brief moment. Two minutes passed before Jason lifted his head and looked into her eyes.
“Thank God you’re okay,” he said smiling at her. She lifted her right hand and wiped the trail of tears off his face with her thumb. He laughed softly and did the same to hers.
“It was so horrible,” Laurie told him, “It was as if the world was ending and I would never be able to see you again.”
“I’d never let that happen,” he said to her.
“I tried to call you but some woman ran off with my phone.” He laughed at the humor in the imagining of it. It felt good to him to laugh and she enjoyed hearing it in the citywide midst of tears and heartache. Then the thoughts of Matt Duffy popped back into Jason’s head.
“Oh God, I forgot about Matt,” he said. Jason took Laurie’s hand and led her through the lobby and back outside. He turned the corner and looked downtown at the Twin Towers. He could see the thick black smoke billowing out of the gaping holes and envisioned Matt and his co-workers descending through it. Even after seeing it for the last hour on television, now looking upon it with his own eyes, Jason felt the reality of it all.
“Who’s Matt?” Laurie asked.
“He’s one of the people that called from the North Tower. I was guiding him through the building to get out alive. I promised him that I would get him out alive.”
“Did you?”
“No, the cell phone he was on cut out. He wasn’t out yet. I have to know that he’s okay.”
“The phone lines are all down. I’ve tried to call you since the first plane hit.”
“I have to go down there. I have to know.”
“But Jason, there’s debris falling all over the area. You can’t go near there.”
“I have to. I promised him.”
Laurie saw the determined look in his eyes. She had seen it before when he became involved in something dear to him. She was slightly surprised by the overwhelming concern for a total stranger, but then again, this was the whole reason why he had become an emergency operator, to help the helpless. It was the same thing that had the entire city’s police force and fire departments speeding downtown to help anyone and everyone in the area. She couldn’t say no to him now. There was a man in the North Tower that was depending on him. She had to let him go downtown. But she didn’t have to let him go alone.
“Let’s go,” she said to him, tightening her hold on his hand.
“Huh?”
“I’m not letting you risk your life alone. If you want to help this Matt guy, you’re doing so with me. Someone needs to keep an eye on you,” she told him with a little smile spreading across her face. Jason smiled back and leaned forward, kissing her softly.
“Let’s go then,” he said.
* * *
9:52A.M.
New York firefighter Paul Fusaro was mesmerized by the scene that stood before him. Never had he imagined seeing the Twin Towers attacked in such a fashion as having two commercial planes flown right into them. He and the rest of the firefighters in his stationhouse had come all the way from 38th street to help out in any way they could. But he never expected to see the carnage that two downed planes could bring. There was blood everywhere on the street alongside the Twin Towers due to employees in the upper floors of the Trade Centers that had lost all hope of escaping the towering inferno and leapt eighty or ninety floors to the tar-paved streets below. He would never forget the large chunk of debris that fell within fifty feet of him, crushing a police officer who had just helped carry a woman from the Concourse to an ambulance on the opposite side of the street.
The ringing of his phone shocked him so bad that he literally jumped up and tensed up. He soon realized that it was his phone and pulled it from his belt under the heavy flame-retardant coat.
“Hello?”
“Paul? It’s Jason Hobbs.”
“Jason? Where are you?”
“I’m about ten blocks away. I need your help.”
“Well, I’m kind of busy down at the Trade Center.”
“I know, I was just on shift and had a call from a guy in the North Tower. I was guiding him and five of his co-workers downstairs. But before they got to the Concourse, I lost them. Can you see if you can find a Matt Duffy if he makes it out?”
“I’ll see what I can do. But don’t come down here. It’s no good.”
“I know, we’ve been watching it on the TV in the Center. Be careful.”
“Thanks.” Paul hung up the phone and it was just in time. One of his friends from a local stationhouse shouted over the walkie-talkie that protruded from his coat pocket.
“I need help over here on the north side of World Trade One! We’ve got injuries!”
Paul took a deep breath and hurried over to the location given.
* * *
9:58A.M.
Jason and Laurie were now only nine blocks from the edge of the barricade. Even though Paul Fusaro had told him to stay away, Jason could not. But what neither of them knew was the terrible sight that would occur in the next few seconds.
Jason looked up just in time to see the one thing that he would never forget in his life. The South Tower, the second building to be attacked, crumbled to the ground. First, the top floors above the crash gave way to the floors below. The steel girders in the lower floors were unable to support the extra weight and also gave way. He watched as the building collapsed like a house of cards.
But the worst was yet to come. The debris created a giant cloud of dust and concrete that spread through the streets like a huge wave. And it headed towards Jason and Laurie at an incredibly fast speed.
“Oh God,” was all Laurie could spit out. The two of them, as well as a few others around them were rooted in place like deer in headlights. Jason, being trained for such situations in 911 Emergency classes, gathered his wits and took control. He grabbed Laurie’s hand and turned back uptown.
“Run,” he told her. She listened and ran from the approaching cloud. Everything slowed down to a crawl and Jason felt as if he were running over a stream of molasses. The faster he ran, the slower he seemed to go. They made it two blocks before Jason realized that it was useless. The cloud was gaining on them too quickly. He quickly looked over his surrounding location and noticed the entrance to a business building. They would be able to hide from the dust cloud there.
“Quick!” he yelled. The couple hurried over to the door and slid inside. The doorman waved them further into the building’s lobby. They did what he suggested and saw that three other people who were looking for cover as well followed them. The group of them huddled together in a corner of the small lobby near the two elevators. They shivered for several seconds before watching the world outside the glass doors turn a murky gray and then pitch black. The dust cloud swallowed everything in it’s path, yet, the six strangers found escape and solace in the small lobby.
But Jason knew at that moment that he had failed Matt. He turned to Laurie, tears welling in his eyes, and held her tight against him. The people beside him did the same.
* * *
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2nd
It was exactly three weeks after the terrorist attacks and the fall of the Twin Towers that Jason Hobbs walked into the 911 Emergency Center. He had been reprimanded the next day severely by his supervisor, Ken Lee. And he did not blame Ken. He knew he was in the wrong to have left his post, but was told it was slightly understood when Tommy informed Ken that Laurie had been in the neighborhood. Yet, still punished by Ken, Jason was docked four days pay. It was done to make sure that Jason knew that even though it was understood, it was still wrong. The phones were still ringing off the hook by people calling to find information about lost loved ones. They were all given the specified number to call that had covered the bottom of the screens on several major news channels.
Jason sat in his chair and became quiet when he saw that Tommy was on his phone talking to someone. Once Tommy was finished, he spun around in his chair to look at Jason.
“Good news,” he told his friend, “My aunt located her best friend. She got out of the South Tower in time.”
“That’s good to hear,” Jason replied. It was scary to know that almost everyone across the country knew someone who was in the Twin Towers that fateful day. Everywhere he went, he overheard people talking about those they knew or loved that they had lost. It was heartbreaking to listen to such things on a regular basis. But the world watched their televisions religiously as the U.S. military searched for the madman who had orchestrated the horror.
“Hobbs,” hollered Ken from across the room. Jason looked up and over to see his supervisor walking in his direction. He hoped to himself that he was not going to be punished again.
“This isn’t your house nor is it the post office. Have your mail delivered elsewhere,” Ken said to him. He tossed an envelope in Jason’s lap and walked off. Surprised, Jason stared down at the small letter addressed to him care of the 911 Emergency Center. Who could this be from? What was it about?
“You going to keep staring at it or are you going to open the damn thing?” Tommy asked. Jason looked up and smirked at him.
“Hey, it’s addressed to me, I can rub it across my chest for an hour if I want.”
“Just open it, will ya? I’m dying of curiosity.”
Jason decided to give in and tore the envelope open. Inside he found a greeting card that seemed stuffed with something. He pulled the card out and opened it. A photo and a folded piece of construction paper fell out and onto his lap. Tommy swiped the photo and examined it. Then he handed it over to Jason with a smile.
Jason saw that the photo was of six people huddled together with a sign that read: WE THANK YOU JASON HOBBS. He turned it over and read the message on the back.
“I’m the bald one in the back,” it said. And the initials M.D. followed. He turned the photo back over and smiled. Finally, after all the wondering and sleepless nights, he was able to put a face to the name Matt Duffy.
Jason looked at the piece of construction paper and found a drawing on it. It was of a little girl and a tall man on one side and another man holding an American flag. Names were scribbled next to the people to identify. The girl and tall man were named Gillian and Matt. And the man with the flag was named Jason. On the bottom of the paper it said, “Thank you for rescuing my daddy. I love you. Gillian Duffy.” You’re welcome Miss Gillian Duffy, Jason thought to himself. Then he read the card from Matt.
Dear Jason,
I write this on my daughter’s seventh birthday. Thanks to
you I can help her enjoy her special day. My family and I
owe so much to you for keeping me sane and safe in what
was the worst day for Americans everywhere. My friends
and I are forever in your debt. We can’t thank you enough
for guiding us out of the building. It is said that everyone
has a guardian angel watching over them everyday. You
are our guardian angel, Jason. Because of you, we were
able to keep it together and make it to the ground floor
where fire fighters were able to get us to safety just as the
other tower collapsed. Because of you, we are able to
hug our families again. Because of you, we are able to
wake up to another day. Because of you, we can appreciate
life even more. I owe you everything, Jason Hobbs. You
gave my daughter her father back. That’s worth more than
all the money in the world. Never give up and never stop
fighting the good fight. The world is a better place with
you in it.
All my thanks,
Matt Duffy
Jason felt a lump swell in his throat. He didn’t feel like he should be thanked for doing his job. That was why he was there. He was born to help people. And helping Matt Duffy and his co-workers was just part of his job on earth, as it was for all the fire fighters and police officers that were there that day. He placed the drawing and the photo back into the card and placed it on the side of his desk. Then he placed the headset on and pressed the answer button.
“911, what is your emergency?”