There was a knock at the door. It was the last thing I was expecting, and the shock nearly ended me. My heart was still pounding a wounded protest when a second knock quickly followed. The stranger sitting on the couch didn't seem fazed. He smiled and sighed gently through his nose almost like he was expecting the interruption.  

"I should," I began, but paused when the stranger casually moved my recently sharpened, 8-inch Wusthof carving knife from his left hand to his right. As intimidating as the blade was, the stranger must have been 6'6" and built like Jack Reacher.

"You should," he responded. My poor heart showed no sign of easing up as the knife continued to swap hands.  "But you need to know two things: no matter what, nobody comes in; and if you give me away, I'll carve you up like a Sunday roast. You get rid of them with no drama, you get rid of me." He chuckled quietly. "Well, I guess that's three things." 

The knife pointed to the door. "Just relax, it's almost over."

I somehow found my feet on shaky legs and stumbled to the door. I was only half surprised to see the man at my front door dressed in all blue. His back was to me as he yelled instructions to his partner across the street. "Yes, that one. Go round back if no one's home."

He turned back to me and with a well-practised smile said, "Good morning, sir, very sorry to trouble you on a Sunday morning, but there's a dangerous carjacker in the area. He abandoned the car a few minutes ago just round the corner on Salem Street. We're making sure everyone's safe and to ask if you've seen or heard anything."

There was a moment of frozen panic as I pictured the stranger's impassive face. I remembered to breathe, and some semblance of control returned. It was only then I noticed how young the policeman looked - almost certainly a rookie.

"A carjacker? Wow. Um, so how dangerous is he?"

"Very dangerous, sir. Let’s just say he's a person of interest in another violent crime. Have you seen any strangers in the area? This guy is built - you'd notice him if you saw him."

“Sorry, officer. I haven’t seen anyone like that.”

I was trying my best to keep my voice calm and conversational, and it sounded good to me despite the ever present certainty one mistake meant a knife in the back.

“OK, thanks. I’m happy to come in and do an inspection of your property if you like. Make sure everything’s good. Might make you feel safer.”

“Thanks, officer, but that’s not necessary. Besides, we had a party last night and the place is a mess.”

The officer’s eyes automatically peered into the darkness behind me. I moved my head aside in what I hoped was an imperceptive movement.

“Very good. Well, thanks for your time, and please phone 911 if you see anything suspicious.”

“I will. Thank you, officer,” I said, closing the door.

My legs resumed their shaky disposition as I turned around half expecting to be knifed in the stomach, but the stranger remained on the couch, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Good job. You did well. This is almost over. Only one thing left. I’ll need your car keys. Oh, and I’m a bit short so if you could lend me some cash, I’d appreciate it.” He offered me another one of his sinister chuckles. “Well, I guess that’s two things.”

With heart pounding and legs threatening to give way at any step, I walked over to the kitchen island to retrieve my car fob from the fruit bowl. Only the thought it was almost over kept me moving.

“I don’t have any cash, only a credit and debit card. You can take those. I’ll give you my pin.”

“That’s fine,” came the gruff reply. I jumped a little as it sounded so close. I turned around and sure enough, the stranger had vacated the couch and was now standing only a few feet away. The guy could move like a Ninja when he wanted. I wrote down my pin on a paper scrap and handed it to him along with my bank cards.

“Sit,” he ordered, pointing the knife at one of the bar stools facing the kitchen island.

I did as I was told, staring straight ahead at the magnets littering the fridge - colorful reminders of an alternate reality.

“I’m going now, but there’s one last thing I want from you.”

I stayed still as stone, staring ahead.

“No matter what happens, don’t turn around. Oh, and I’m not very fond of loose ends. Hey, I guess that’s two-“

The stranger’s words were cut off and replaced by an agonizing yelp accompanied by an odd buzzing noise.

I leapt off the stool and almost fell over the stranger, who was convulsing on the floor. Several tendrils of wire were attached to his back and I followed them with my eyes to an odd looking gun held in two hands by the rookie cop.

He gave me a knowing smile and said, “Must have been one hell of a party.”