Jack Ting

plopadop
plopadop
Aug 28, 2017 · 6 min read

“No!” she yelled. She got out of the car with the tape in her hand. As Sydney ran she knew that her time was up. Dust raised as her shoes ran across the dirty road. She reached town, still running, out of breath, as the clock sang 6 times.


Let’s start at the beginning. Our story starts in New York at the Fox 5 News Center. Sydney was a writer for the TV station. Today started out like any other day. She got up, had breakfast, and went to work. Just like every day. But at 11:00, that all changed.

“Miss Hera, can you come into my office?” called Tina, her boss.

She obediently followed. As she walked, she had a pit in her stomach. She hadn’t been doing a very good job at work lately and had faced probation. She sat down across from Tina.

“Sydney, as you may know, there are many protest groups about death row in Texas.”

“Yes ma’am, in fact my sister was in one.”

“Well, one of the groups is called TORN, which stands for Texas Death Row Nightmare.”

“Clever.”

“Yes, I know. Well, they are trying to save a person. They think that they have proof of innocence. Unfortunately, nobody in the legal system will listen, so they need someone in the media to tell them and guess who we picked?”

At that point a young man came through the door. “We’re ready,” he said.

“Okay. I’ll just go home and pack my bags and I’ll be ready.”

“No time,” stated Tina. “We only have four days until his execution. It takes one day to get there, check into a hotel, and talk to the guards about your sessions.”

“Sessions?” she asked.

“Yes, sessions with Jack Ting. He’s…”

“Jack? Sessions? I’m not sure you’re telling me everything!”

“Don’t worry. We packed some clothes for you. We have a letter. It will explain everything.”

“Excuse me, but we have to leave,” said the young man at the door. Sydney hadn’t noticed that he was still there.

Although she was still confused about the whole thing, she decided that she would read the paper and the whole thing would be clear. She got up from the chair.

“Okay, I’m ready to leave now.” Just as she got halfway out of the office, Tina called her.

“Oh, and Miss Hera, if this all goes well then you’ll be off probation.”

“Thank you ma’am.”

She walked out of the building and got into a taxi with the man. She saw two large suitcases beside her. She figured that they were hers. They drove to the airport and then she took off in a plane.

While she was on the plane (which was first class) she decided to look at the paper. After she read it she understood her mission to the fullest. After an hour and a half, she was in Texas. Well, it was still a half hour until she got to the town.

She rented a Ford Taurus the company had reserved for her. She was mad! Everybody at Fox 5 knows that she hates Fords! They probably did it as a joke.

She had only gone about halfway when the check engine light came on. “Stupid Ford!” she scolded the car. She got out and checked the engine. Nothing was wrong! She cursed under her breath.

Fifteen minutes later she was at the Holiday Inn, the place where she was staying. She got in bed, went to sleep, and waited for what tomorrow would have in store.


In the morning, she went to the local jail and was met by a man at the front desk.

“Hi! I’m here to go see Jack Ting,” she told the man.

“I’m sorry. None of you protest people or media allowed. And don’t say you’re his lawyer, because he’s in there with him.”

“Can this change your mind?” She reached into her jacket and pulled out a pass.

“Right this way,” he said.

He led her through many hallways. Along the way a couple of the prisoners hooted and whistled.

“Shut up!” the man yelled.

Finally they came to a room with glass in the middle. On one side a tall old man was sitting, on the other side sat the prisoner, Jack Ting. He had short blond hair, buck teeth, and stubby arms and feet. Not exactly Prince Charming! “Just because I’m a freak doesn’t mean I’m a robber……or a killer,” he said in a voice almost as low as a whisper.

The lawyer stood up. “He’s all yours.” He walked out of the room. She noticed that he walked with one leg pointing in. Most likely from arthritis.

“Hi,” she said. She felt uneasy being alone in this tiny room with a killer. That’s dumb, she thought. Mr Ting says he is innocent. But those words he said rang through her head as she sat down.

“So tell me Mr Ting, why are you in here?”

“Well, a bunch of cops blamed me for robbing five banks and killing four people during the hold up.”

“You do know that the group TORN has proof that may or may not prove your innocence.”

“Yes, and by government law I have to know why I am being executed.”

“Interesting.”

“Do you know why I called you down here?”

“Wait a second! You called me down here? But I thought…”

“Hey, I do get one phone call. Long distance doesn’t matter to them.”

“Why me though?”

“I myself live…” He paused. “Lived in New York. I was also a TV and computer nut. Fox 5 was my favorite news. I knew you wrote the stories. I knew you could prove my innocence.”

At that moment the same man that led Sydney to the room came through the door.

“Your time is up Miss Hera.”

“B-b-but!” she stammered.

“Don’t worry. Just ask TORN for the tape. They will give it to you,” Jack said.

“Where are they? Sydney asked.

“Look in the phone book. You know that I’m innocent. Just find a way to prove it.”

“Okay.”

She and the man went out the way they came in. Jack and the two guards went the other way. He waved goodbye.


Some time had passed. Sydney had driven around town trying to find TORN and had no luck. She decided to go back to the hotel and think the whole thing over. When she got back, she sat down on the bed. She heard a crunch of plastic and immediately stood up. Sydney carefully lifted the bed covers and saw a tape. It was labeled:

TORN PROOF TAPE

#1739 ~ Jack Ting

“Oh God,” is all she said.

She didn’t move for about five minutes. A door shutting in another room broke her out of her trance.

“I guess I have no choice,” she whispered to herself. She got up, put in the tape, and waited.

At first it was just black. But then a security camera taping came up with a man robbing. Four more tapings came up, each with a bank getting robbed. Five tapes. Then Jack’s testimony in the court came up. Then the jail questioning. Then it ended. Sydney watched it again. One thing was astounding. On the security tape the robber walked with one leg pointing in.

“Hey! That’s his lawyer!” she yelled out loud.

She looked at the clock, then she looked at it as if she was staring death in the face. There was only twenty minutes until his execution! Luckily she was on the first floor, so she just ran out into her car. After five minutes going faster than one hundred kilometers per hour, the check engine light came on. Like before, she figured it was a trick. But it wasn’t.

“No!” she yelled. She got out of the car with the tape in her hand. As Sydney ran she knew that her time was up. Dust raised as her shoes ran across the dirt road. She reached town out of breath, still running, as the clock sang six times. She continued to the jail. When she arrived, she ran up to a woman at the front desk.

“Jack Ting is innocent!” she cried. “I have proof!”

Without a word, the lady called some guards and they watched the tape as Sydney explained how Jack was innocent. When they had finished, one of the guards stood up and said, “Jack Ting is free to go.”

Sydney and the guard stood up and walked to Jack’s cell. He wasn’t there. They then ran to the execution room. Sydney ran so fast it felt as if she wasn’t on the ground. When they arrived, he was sitting in the electric chair getting his head sponged with water. He sat there staring into space.

“You are free to go,” said the guard.

Jack stood up. “Thanks Sydney. I knew you could do it.”


Jack and Sydney walked outside.

“Need a ride?” she asked.

“Of course,” smiled Jack.

“Too bad. My car is broken down.” They laughed.

They sat down on a bench and watched the sunset, which looked like a giant orange, fading on the horizon.

)

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