Keith looked at Melissa and Emily, “When Melissa hits the music switch, make a run for the door!”
Shupe was still advancing toward the closet. His concentration was focused on the slightly opened doorway.
Keith whispered to Melissa, “Now!”
Suddenly the room blared with loud music. Shupe jumped and fired two shots at the direction of the sound. In that time Melissa, Keith and Emily bolted out of the door to the studio and the Music room into the dark hallway. Shots rang out after them, barely missing Keith.
They darted around the corner toward the exit. Keith tried the exit door, but it was locked. “Damn!” he cursed, “we’ll have to find another way out.”
They rounded the corner and hid behind a large display case of trophies that Emory had won in football. Keith could see the main entrance at the far end of the hallway, but it would be a stretch for all of them to make it without Shupe being on top of them.
A voice rang out.
“I know you’re here!” shouted Shupe! “Just give me the video and you can all go home.”
Fat chance of that thought Keith.
They could just make out the reflection of his shadowy image in the glass case they were hiding behind. He’d be on top of them any second. There was just no way they’d get away from him.
“I’ll try to make a run for it and see if I can distract him”, said Keith desperately.
“No!” Emily whispered, “He’ll kill you, and then us”.
“We’ve got to try something!” Keith shot back.
He stared at the metal trophies in the case.
“Melissa, can see if you can get your hand in the trophy case and slide the door open? I’ll reach in and grab one of the metal trophies and then toss it down the opposite hallway to see if it might draw his attention.”
Quietly Melissa slid the door to the case open just enough so that Keith could get his hand in and pull out one of the metal award cups. Shupe was still walking down the hallway searching, but getting closer to them with every step. Keith, clutching the cup, hurled it with all his might down the corridor. There was a clang of metal and then a shot.
“I know you’re there!” yelled Shupe “We can end this real easy. Just give me that video! How about it?”
His footsteps were getting closer. The diversion hadn’t worked and now they were done for. There was no way for them to escape! They huddled together desperately trying to think of something, waiting for the inevitable.
Just then the back door bust open.
“Police! Drop your weapon!” a voice shouted.
Shupe turned, catching the full beam of police officer’s flashlight in his face.
He held up his hands facing the officer, still holding his Glock.
“Drop it I said!” the police officer said menacingly. Shupe laid down his weapon.
In that split second, Keith saw his chance, and bolted for the main entrance along with Melissa and Emily.
“Halt!” yelled the police officer, but they were safely out the door of the building and into the street and the parked Prius.
The police officer then turned his attention to Shupe who stood in the hallway with his arms raised.
“Officer”, he said, “my name is Clay Shupe and I am one of Emory High’s security guards. I got a report of some people breaking in the school and headed over to investigate”, he lied.
The officer didn’t seem fluxed, “Let’s see some ID Mr. Shupe”, he said.
Shupe fished out his wallet, and produced his school security ID.
The officer took his time looking at it while Shupe fidgeted impatiently.
“Sir,” the officer spoke up. “In the future, if there is a break in, let the police handle it. We don’t want any more kids getting shot at this school.”
He then handed Shupe back his wallet and Glock.
Shupe turned and walked out of the building knowing that his prey was now long gone.
Jess caught up with him as he walked out toward his parked pickup.
“We’re blown!” he said to Jess. “We need to get out of town fast and warn the others before that video gets into the hands of the police.”
Both pickups then sped out of town.
Emily and Melissa were still shaking as Keith gunned the Prius as fast as he could to the local police precinct station. They ran in the door breathlessly.
The desk clerk, who was just having his late-night snack, looked at them.
“We need to see Detective Woods or Howell. I don’t care if you have to get them out of bed. We need to talk to them now!” demanded Keith.
“Calm down”, said the desk clerk “What is thus all about”
“We have critical new evidence about the Emory High School shooting that they need to see immediately! It’s a matter of life and death!” he added.
The desk sergeant looked at the three of them and decided quickly that they were not nut cases or pranksters. He dialed the private cell phone number to Detective Woods.
“Woods, this is the desk clerk over at the precinct, I’ve got three people here who seem pretty desperate to meet with you right now. They said something about having some new evidence about the Emory School shooting. They said it can’t wait till morning -- It was a matter of life and death!” added the sergeant.
The Sergeant put down the receiver. “He said he’ll be right over. Why don’t you find some chairs in the break room and help yourself to some coffee. You look like you need some”, he said nonchalantly.
Still shaking from the ordeal, they waited in the break room until Detective Woods came in.
“I’m Detective Woods from the homicide department. I recognize Ms. Hartwood here but don’t know who you two are.”
“I’m Keith Watson, a reporter with the St. Petersburg Times and this is my wife Emily, a teacher at Emory High”, said Keith. “We have some new evidence in the Emory High shooting that you need to see immediately. Is there a computer someplace that we can use?” asked Keith.
Woods led him to a conference room and plugged in a laptop computer. Keith put the chip into the SIM slot and it immediately launched into Windows Media Player. Together they all watched Billy’s confession on camera. Then Keith told Woods about the information he had about Shupe from the chemical factory in Osceola. Melissa also told him about the run in Shupe had had with LeVon in the school parking lot and the threats Shupe had made to him. When they were done, Detective Woods picked up the phone and placed a call to the State Patrol. After he hung up, he said, “One of our officers was standing watch at the school tonight just encountered your man Shupe in the school tonight. The officer said he responded to shots fired in the building. Mr. Shupe said he was just chasing some vandals, so they let him go. We had a squad car sent over to where he lives and his wife said he went out, didn’t say where he was going, and hasn’t been back since. She also seemed somewhat relieved that he was gone. I’ve put out an APB on him with the State Patrol. I don’t think he’ll get too far.”
Keith let out a sigh of relief. At last they finally had the evidence to put Shupe behind bars.
Emily just held Melissa tightly who sobbed unabashedly in her arms.
Aftermath
Just after dawn, a chevron of squad cars descended upon the clandestine farm house on the edge of the everglades. They had been tipped off by one of the Army of the White Brotherhood members as to where they could find Shupe and the rest of the brotherhood in exchange for immunity. Despite the arsenal they had stockpiled in the house they all decided to surrender without a fight.
“Clay Shupe”, the deputy spoke solemnly as he was led out to the waiting State Patrol car in handcuffs, “You are charged with two counts of first degree murder, seven counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and three counts of attempted murder. Read him his rights!” he shouted to the other deputy.
A few of the other brothers were also led out to waiting squad cars. Evan Holt, and some of the other brothers had previously bolte
d and left the state. Warrants were issued for their arrest as well in conjunction with the shooting.
The next day the St. Petersburg Times ran an exclusive “Un Masking The Good Guy With A Gun” by Keith Watson. In the story, Keith revealed the entire plot and coopting of Billy to be a pawn in the White Brotherhoods fantasy race war.
Luke Cartright, the man who had sold Billy the gun disappeared. It was rumored he was now in a border town in Texas running illegal guns for the Mexican Drug Cartel.
Later that month the Florida State legislature repealed the “Good Guy With A Gun Law” until better safe guards could be put in place, much to the howling of the NRA. The State legislature also agreed to hear several bills that would put in force stricter background checks and mandate stricter enforcement of illegal trunk gun sales.
A few weeks later Melissa ran up to Emily and wrapped her arms around her with un-abashed tears in both their eyes.
“How are you holding up Melissa?” asked Emily.
“Mom is getting out of the hospital pretty soon,” Melissa replied. “She will have to go into rehab then to recover from her drinking habit but the governor has personally sponsored an early release for my Dad. Because of that dance video that I made with Billy, I’ve been accepted into a Magnet School for the arts near Tampa. One of the teachers has even offered to let me live with her while I go to school; at least until Mom gets out of rehab and we can start a new home.”
“Oh Melissa I’m so happy for you,” said Emily. “I knew you had it in you!”
Emory High School re-opened again after a memorial ceremony to the seven people who died in the shootings, although Billy Edwards was intentionally omitted from the ceremony. Keith and Emily attended the service and Keith spoke out against gun violence and the need for sensible gun control. He also spoke out about the need to come together as a school and community and not let those social outcasts on the fringes fall into the depths of mental illness or fall prey to powerful people with misguided ideas.
He also hoped that someday, these students’ nightmares would go away as would his own.
Keith, Emily and Melissa got out of the car and walked the short paces to a headstone placed over a new grave site. They stared down at the grave in silence. On the tombstone were the words
Billy Edwards
1996 - 2013
A Good Young Man
Killed with a Gun
The End
A Good Guy With A Gun Page 8