24 \u2013 Two Days Later \u2013 Hour 9 <\/p>\n
The following takes place between 3 am and 4 am <\/p>\n
3:00 am \u2013 The armored car drives down the road at high speed with Jack barely hanging onto the roof. As it slides around a corner, the driver slams on the brakes to avoid hitting a country store. Jack is unable to hold on to the roof any longer. He falls off the roof, rolls through the front doors of the store, and slams against the counter inside. The shopkeeper, who has been on the phone while this happened, tells the person he\u2019s speaking with, \u201cHold on\u2026 It just happened again. I\u2019ll call you back later.\u201d A man with white hair who has been looking at items in the store rushes over to Jack. The shop keeper hangs up the phone and goes around the counter to examine Jack too.<\/p>\n
3:02 am \u2013 As they do this, another man walks into the store. He is wearing a brown coat and a tan hat. The man looks down at Jack and says, \u201cI didn\u2019t know Sam was setting up a hotel! Don\u2019t you think the Shady Rest will be a little upset by you asking people for money to sleep here?\u201d<\/p>\n
The white-haired man tells him, \u201cMr. Kimball, Sam isn\u2019t asking people for money. This man just came through the door!\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball replies, \u201cHi, Mr. Douglas. Sam isn\u2019t asking for money? That\u2019s a good idea. That\u2019ll probably put your competition out of business in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas says, \u201cHe\u2019s not trying to put anyone out of business. We\u2019re just trying to help this man.\u201d <\/p>\n
Jack starts to stir, and says, \u201cOh, my aching head!\u201d <\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas says, \u201cSam, help me get him up in that rocking chair.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball says, \u201cIf you\u2019re not trying to put anyone out of business, not charging money for people to stay here is a funny way of doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
3:04 am \u2013Mr. Douglas asks Jack if he\u2019s all right. Jack tells him that he thinks he\u2019s OK, but he could really use a telephone. Jack passes out again.<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas says, \u201cMaybe we better not move him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball tells Sam, \u201cHe sure does sleep a lot. Guess that\u2019s probably because check-out time isn\u2019t until 2 pm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commercial<\/p>\n
3:09 am – Jack starts to wake up again. Mr. Douglas and Mr. Kimball help him to a rocking chair. Mr. Douglas asks Jack, \u201cAre you O.K.? What\u2019s your name? How about a drink of water?\u201d Jack refuses the water, tells him his name is \u2018Jack\u2019 and says that he\u2019ll be fine. Mr. Douglas goes over to Sam to talk to him.<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball comes over to Jack and says, \u201cI know that sleeping here for free is a pretty good deal, but the Shady rest has some pretty cheap rates, real beds and everything! They\u2019re just up the road!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack says, \u201cWhat are you talking about\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n
Over at the counter, Mr. Douglas asks Sam if he can use his telephone. \u201cThe telephone at our house isn\u2019t working. I went up the telephone pole today to use it, and a bird built a nest in it!\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam says, \u201cYou\u2019re gonna have to watch that. A bird\u2019s nest like that will ruin it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas says, \u201cI was planning on moving the\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam continues, \u201cYep, especially right before migration season. They\u2019ll run up long distance bills making those reservations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack looks dumbfounded, \u201cBirds making reservations?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam says, \u201cOh sure, you don\u2019t think they\u2019d fly down south without reservations do you?\u201d<\/p>\n
3:12 am – Mr. Douglas looks at Jack and shrugs. He turns to Sam and says, \u201cI need to use your telephone. I have to call over to Pixley to rent a post-hole digger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball says, \u201cI have a posthole digger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas seems surprised, but pleased. \u201cWell, can I borrow it?<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball replies, \u201cYou can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas, \u201cYou mean I can\u2019t borrow it? Did someone else borrow it? Where is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball replies, \u201cI took it to college.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas says, \u201cYou took your posthole digger to\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Kimball tells him, \u201cWell sure! It was my nephew Tommy. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s majoring in posthole digging through. Never could get those postholes right. Always came out triangular\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
3:15 am – Jack says, \u201cI hate to interrupt, but I need to find some Chinese \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam interrupts, \u201cThat\u2019d be in Pixley too. They have a great restaurant there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas can\u2019t stand this anymore, \u201cOh, for heaven\u2019s sake\u2026 Can I just use the phone?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam replies, \u201cOh, no. That was Mabel, on the line. She said that they\u2019re fixing something on the telephone lines for the next couple of hours. She said it had to do with some birds making some reservations down south.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Douglas throws up his hands. \u201cWoo, boy! That\u2019s it. Come on Jack, let\u2019s get you out of here. You can come back to my house until you feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commercial<\/p>\n
3:20 am – Mr. Douglas drives Jack to a farm, with a large barn and a small wooden house. Mr. Douglas has been talking the whole way home, describing what life is like in the area. As they arrive, Mr. Douglas sees a man talking to a woman in front of his home. He rushes out of the car. \u201cStop! Lisa, don\u2019t buy whatever he\u2019s selling!\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa speaks with an accent, \u201cOliver! Mr. Haney has something I think you ought to see!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack gets out of the car and eyes the contraption that Mr. Haney is standing next to. It\u2019s covered with a tarp. Jack asks,\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa asks, \u201cOliver, aren\u2019t you going to introduce your friend?\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver says, \u201cOh, excuse me. Lisa, this is Jack. He had a bit of a tumble at Sam Drucker\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa asks Jack, \u201cOh, you\u2019re an acrodat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver corrects her. \u201cI think you mean, \u2018acrobat\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa asks, \u201cThat\u2019s what I said: acrodat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack says, \u201cNo, ma\u2019am. I\u2019m a federal agent\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver says, \u201cJack will be staying with us until we can get his bearings. I didn\u2019t want to have him wait down at Drucker\u2019s\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr. Haney looks a little nervous at hearing Jack say he\u2019s a federal agent. He asks, \u201cYou ain\u2019t with the Internal Revenue Service, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack looks amused by this, \u201cNo, sir.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mr. Haney looks greatly relieved. He says in a low voice, \u201cYou know, if you need bearings, I can get you some of those\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
3:23 am – Oliver asks, \u201cWhat is this contraption anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Haney sees that he\u2019s got Mr. Douglas\u2019 attention and says, \u201cIt\u2019s a gen-u-ine posthole digger!\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver looks suspicious. \u201cHow did you know I needed a posthole digger?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Haney says, \u201cYou do?? What a happy coincidence!\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver says, \u201cWell, let\u2019s take a look at it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Haney pulls off the tarp and tells everyone, \u201cHere it is!\u201d The device has curling pipes, glass tubes, and steam coming out of a large tank.<\/p>\n
Oliver looks at it. \u201cThat\u2019s supposed to be a posthole digger? It looks like a moonshine still!\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Haney looks affronted. \u201cWhy, it\u2019s the finest posthole digger in the country! It was used by George Washington at the Battle of Little Big Horn!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack looks a little more aware of his surroundings now and speaks up, \u201cGeorge Washington was never\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Haney continues, \u201cIt was used to dig postholes to make a fence that kept out the invading Mongolian Hordes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Olive says, \u201cMongolian Hordes? Oh, come on now\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa says, \u201cI think we should buy it! If it was a good enough post whatchamacallit for George Washington, it should be good enough for us!\u201d<\/p>\n
3:26 am – A lanky young man comes running out of the house. \u201cMrs. Douglas! Mrs. Douglas!\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa says, \u201cWhat is it, Eb?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb looks startled when he sees the contraption which Mr. Haney is trying to sell. \u201cHey! My uncle had one of those in his backyard! He used to try and make moonshine with it!\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver looks very self-satisfied, \u201cHa! You see? I told\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb continues, \u201cWe all thought it was crazy for trying to make moonshine using a posthole digger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver does a double take, \u201cThere\u2026.Wait\u2026.what\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n
3:27 am – Lisa asks, \u201cWhy did you come out here in such a hurry, Eb?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb looks at her blankly for a moment, and then realizes what he came outside for. \u201cThose acrodats you invited inside the house for breakfast don\u2019t look like they\u2019re feeling too good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver asks, \u201cAcrobats!\u201d He turns to Lisa, \u201cYou invited acrobats into our house for breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa replies, \u201cWell, you see, they came to the house looking for a tire. They all looked so hungry that I decided to serve them some of the hot cakes I was making.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver says, \u201cOh, Lisa\u2026 You didn\u2019t serve anyone those hot cakes did you? The last ones you served me this morning were like rubber!\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa looks offended, \u201cWell, that\u2019s not what his friends said!\u201d She points at Jack. \u201cThey said they were perfect!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack looks surprised, \u201cMy friends? You saw my friends??\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cSure! They\u2019re acrodats just like you!\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver corrects, \u201cAcrobats!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack says, \u201cI\u2019m not an acrobat! I don\u2019t have any friends that are acrobats!\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cWell, I thought for sure that acrodats like you would stick together.\u201d He looks closely at Jack, \u201cCome to think of it, you don\u2019t look very Chinese. Just what kind of acrodat are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack says, \u201cI\u2019m not an acrodat\u2026er, acrobat! \u2026.Wait, did you say, \u2018Chinese\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cSure! They\u2019re in the kitchen!\u201d<\/p>\n
3:29 am – Jack runs into the house, through the living room and into the kitchen. There\u2019s no one there. Everyone else comes running into the kitchen after him.<\/p>\n
Eb exclaims, \u201cThey\u2019re gone!\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa says, \u201cAnd they finished my hot cakes!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack goes out the back door of the kitchen, but doesn\u2019t see anyone. He returns, \u201cThey\u2019re gone. Which way did they head?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb points, \u201cThey said their truck broke down just up the road!\u201d<\/p>\n
3:32 am – Jack asks Oliver, \u201cCan we borrow your car? I\u2019ve been chasing after those people, looking for my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lisa says, \u201cThe acrodats?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack says, \u201cNo!\u201d He turns to Oliver, \u201cCan I have the keys to your car. This is very important!\u201d He sways, as if still a little dizzy.<\/p>\n
Oliver says, \u201cWith that spill you took when you rolled into Drucker\u2019s, I think Eb better drive.\u201d He tosses the keys to Eb.<\/p>\n
Lisa says, \u201cSpill? Roll? I though you said you weren\u2019t an acrodat!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack and Oliver say, \u201cACROBAT!\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb and Jack run to the Douglas\u2019 car, and they start driving up the road. <\/p>\n
Commercial <\/p>\n
3:38 am – There are cornfields on either side of the car. Eb turns left down a country road and heads for a farm. Jack asks, \u201cIs this the way to the car?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cOh, no, it\u2019s not. I just have to pick someone up that I promised I\u2019d take into Pixley later. They said their car is further on down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack protests, \u201cWe\u2019re going after the men that were at the Douglas house! We have to find my friends! Maybe you should let me drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb tells Jack, \u201cThis won\u2019t take but a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n
3:40 am – The car stops, and Eb puts his fingers in his mouth to whistle. He opens the car door, and out from the barn trots a small pig. The pig gets into the backseat and Eb closes the door. They start back out toward the main road.<\/p>\n
Jack looks at the pig, \u201cUh, Eb\u2026. There\u2019s a pig in the backseat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cWhat? Oh, that\u2019s Arnold.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack asks, \u201cWe stopped for a pig?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb replies, \u201cI told you, we\u2019re going to Pixley later.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arnold grunts.<\/p>\n
Eb translates, \u201cArnold says you look like you\u2019re a good acrodat.\u201d<\/p>\n
They turn back out onto the main road. Jack says, \u201cLook, these guys are dangerous. They have my friends in the back of the armored car.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arnold grunts and squeals.<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cYeah, you\u2019re right Arnold!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack asks, \u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cHe says that for someone that\u2019s in a hurry to save your friends, you\u2019re sure taking your time!\u201d<\/p>\n
3:44 am – They drive up within two hundred yards of the car, and Jack tells Eb to pull over. Arnold jumps out and disappears into the cornfield.<\/p>\n
Jack pulls out some binoculars from his Jack Pack. He looks at the armored car, but doesn\u2019t see any movement. He notices something strange about the tires, but can\u2019t make out what it is.<\/p>\n
3:46 am – He tells Eb, \u201cWait here, I\u2019m going to need to get closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack gets out of the car and goes a row or two into the cornfield before heading towards where the armored car is parked. <\/p>\n
Commercial <\/p>\n
3:52 am – After quite while, Jack makes it through the thick stalks of corn and comes out next to the armored car. The hood is up and there\u2019s a pounding noise coming from the back of the armored car. Jack can see that one of the back tires looks like it has Lisa\u2019s hot cakes on the outside of it. He looks into the passenger\u2019s side of the car, but doesn\u2019t see anyone. He moves to the back of the doors, and quickly opens them. Bill, Morris and Chloe nearly fall out of the back. They have gags in their mouths, and their hands tied behind their back. Chloe tries to tell Jack something, but it sounds like \u201cMOM! AIRS A MOM!\u201d Jack gets the idea. They run about 50 yards, and all dive to the ground.<\/p>\n
Nothing happens.<\/p>\n
Arnold goes trotting by, and grunts at them as he passes. There are wires in his mouth. They watch him get back into the car with Eb.<\/p>\n
3:55 am – They all get up, take another look at the armored car, and walk back to Eb and Arnold. Jack unties them as they head back. Chloe gives Jack a hug, and says, \u201cWe thought you were a goner when you fell out of that belfry!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack says, \u201cSo did I! Someone in a knit mask with a mesh screen where the mouth was pushed me over the edge while I was off balance. I think it was Darth Vader!\u201d <\/p>\n
Chloe smacks him in the back of the head. \u201cDarth Vader? Did you actually say \u2018Darth Vader\u2019? Darth Vader is a fictional character!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack says, \u201cBut it looked\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
3:58 am – They get back to Eb and Arnold. <\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cI see you found your friends!\u201d<\/p>\n
Arnold grunts.<\/p>\n
Morris asks, \u201cWhat\u2019s with the pig?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eb says, \u201cHe says that he disabled the bomb.\u201d<\/p>\n
3:59 am – There\u2019s a bright flash.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re standing on a road with cornfields on either side of them. Eb and Arnold are gone. So is the armored car. Everything else looks nearly the same.<\/p>\n
Bill asks, \u201cWhat just happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
4:00 am – Time\u2019s up!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"