Juxtaposition

Jim sat staring at the screen of his work computer in total disbelief. The message was both clear and cryptic at the same time.

If you want to see your family tonight, you must arrive at – dill. general. stateroom at precisely 7p.m. Any attempt to contact anyone about this will meet with disastrous results. We’re watching you!

How could his family be in danger? He worked at a low-level government job that didn’t require a security clearance of any kind. He had no debts, never gambled or drank except for the occasional beer, just to be sociable. His life was the epitome of boring.

Not only was the why a mystery, but the where was also an enigma. Dill. General. Stateroom. Where in the world was this place? Was it a pickle factory run by a general from a stateroom? He needed to get away and think this through.

Jim never went out for lunch, usually opting for a sandwich in a brown paper bag so he could save money, but today was an exception. Perhaps the solitude of his car would allow him to work this out. He donned his coat, grabbed his sack, and strode purposefully to his car. He had to figure this out for his family’s sake.

Approaching his 2015 Buick La Crosse, Jim saw a piece of paper stuck under his windshield wiper. Like a startled cat, he whipped around, looking for the person who placed it there. The parking lot was devoid of people, except for Jim. He reached for the paper with a trembling hand, not knowing what to expect.

Jim unfolded the paper and read the words that looked like a 7-year-old had printed them.

You’ve done well so far. Remember the three words because they’re MY Three Words. See you at 7. Don’t disappoint us.

It was obviously a clue, just not a clear one. Jim sat in his car, munching on his bologna and cheese sandwich, trying to decipher the note. My Three Words. The phrase sounded vaguely familiar but from where? 60 Minutes! That’s where he had heard that phrase before. The show had done a segment on a new locator app that used three random words to locate places anywhere on the planet.

Jim bolted from the Buick, half-eaten sandwich in one hand, the note in the other, and raced to his cubicle. It didn’t take long for his Google search to come up with the app, along with instructions on how to use it. Jim plugged in the three words and a map took shape. It wasn’t just any map. It was a map of his neighborhood, with his house highlighted dead center.

These fiends, whoever they are, have broken into his house and taken his family hostage. He had to do something, but what? Jim’s first reaction was to bolt from the office, head home, and confront the intruders. Fear held him frozen to his office chair. Thoughts of what could happen if he ignored his instructions forced Jim to come up with a “Plan B.”

Instead of bursting into his home like a Marvel superhero, he would follow his instructions to the letter. What the kidnappers didn’t know was that he was coming armed. True, his weapons were only kitchen knives confiscated from the company lunchroom, but he had the element of surprise on his side. For now, all Jim could do was watch the clock hands unmercifully creep slowly around the dial.

Following the note’s instructions, he left work with enough time to reach home exactly at 7 p.m. The moment had arrived. Jim shut his computer down, grabbed his coat with the butter knives securely tucked away in its pockets, and headed for home.

The dark January sky only increased Jim’s anxiety over the impending encounter. He was on a mission to save his family, and his house was just ahead.

As he pulled into the driveway, Jim was not expecting his house to be in complete darkness. This had to be a bad omen. His wife always kept the place lit up like a beacon in the night whenever he wasn’t home. He checked his watch: 7 P.M. on the nose. Time to give these intruders a surprise they would never forget.

Jim stepped from the car and strode purposefully to the front door. He pushed open the door and froze in mid-stride as the house lights blazed to life. There were balloons and banners in every room, along with his family and co-workers hollering, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM!!!”

In the blink of an eye, Jim had gone from an avenging superhero to the guest of honor at his birthday party. He had forgotten it was his birthday.