by Susan Stoker
“Miss O’Brien! Mr. Santoro!” she wailed as she ran.
“Shit,” Aimee murmured under her breath, worried about Bridget seeing the bloody mess nearby.
“Get her,” Tony ordered. “I’ll cover you.”
Aimee stepped toward Bridget and opened her arms. The little girl ran right into them without looking away. Aimee folded her arms around the small child and turned so the girl’s back was facing Bill. She held on tight, not loosening her hold for a moment when she felt Bridget’s tiny body shaking and trembling with the force of her tears and fright.
“You’re okay, Bridget. Everything’s fine.”
“I was so s-s-scared,” she blubbered.
“But you did good. I didn’t hear one peep from anyone. That was amazing,” Aimee praised.
“Tommy held me the whole time,” Bridget said, finally picking her head up off of her gym teacher’s belly and looking up. “He was scared too, but we didn’t make any noise.”
“Good girl,” Tony soothed. “No wonder you get all A’s in my class. You’re super smart.”
Her teacher’s praise obviously went a long way toward making the dark-haired girl feel better.
“Go on now, you need to get outside with the others. I know your daddy will be worried about you. He’ll want to see for himself that you’re all right,” Tony told her, obviously knowing his students well. Bridget’s mom had never been in her life and her dad was a soldier raising his small daughter by himself. He’d be beside himself worrying about her, as would all the parents.
“Okay. See you tomorrow!”
Tony and Aimee watched as one of the officers sent to retrieve the runaway child escorted her to the locker room, careful to block her view of the violence nearby. Aimee felt Tony step next to her, getting into her personal space.
“You need to change,” he told Aimee in a weird voice.
“What?”
But he didn’t repeat himself, merely worked on unbuttoning his dress shirt to give to her. “It’s not exactly clean, but I’m guessing you might prefer my blood on you, over his. I’ll have to take this off anyway so the medics can get to my arm.”
Aimee watched in confusion, and with some awe, as Tony stripped off his shirt and held it out to her. It took her a moment to realize why he was giving her his shirt, and she turned her head to try to see behind her back.
Tony took her chin in his hand and kept her from seeing the blood that had splattered onto her when Bill was shot. “I’ll block the view of the others. Just take it off and drop it. You’ll be covered up in a jiffy.”
Aimee nodded, not comfortable at all in stripping off her T-shirt in front of all the men and women wandering around the gym, but she wanted Bill’s blood off of her more than she wanted privacy.
“Don’t pull it over your head,” Tony ordered suddenly. “Pull your arms out and ease it off that way, so the outside of it doesn’t touch your skin. I’ll use the inside of it to get as much blood out of your hair as I can. There isn’t much.”
Aimee shivered, thankful for his direction. She would’ve whipped the shirt off as fast as she could if he hadn’t warned her, turning it inside out and getting Bill’s blood all over her skin in the process. She shuddered, thinking about that as she did as Tony suggested. She was standing in front of him in nothing but a white sports bra before she even thought about what she was doing.
Tony’s nostrils flared and his eyes glittered, letting Aimee know he liked what he was seeing. But he didn’t act on it and in no way showed her any disrespect. He simply took his shirt and wrapped it around her back and waited until she put her arms through. He pulled it closed around her and started doing up the buttons.
“I’m sorry about not thinking about this earlier,” he told her. “I wish I had a clean one to give you.”
“It’s okay,” Aimee told him honestly, taking a deep breath and smelling his soap on the shirt. It felt as if they were still on the ground and he had his hands around her, all while he whispered, “I got you.” She clutched her hands around her belly tightly, holding onto herself.
Her eyes roamed the masculine chest in front of her. He was wearing a tight white undershirt, which molded to his pecs and biceps as if painted on. She could see his pulse beating at his throat and felt his breath on her cheeks.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You should probably get that arm looked at.”
Tony nodded. “Yeah, in a minute, after I help you with your hair.”
Aimee nodded and held still as he used her shirt, now inside out, to wipe down her hair. She tried not to think about how awesome a shower would feel, knowing it would be quite a while before that fantasy could become reality.
He finished, dropping the shirt on the floor as if he couldn’t bear to hold it any longer and silence settled between them. She turned to face him, looking up into his face. Aimee could almost feel the electricity arcing between them.
“About that date,” Aimee said breathlessly.
“Yeah?”
“If you’re not busy later tonight, after we get through whatever it is that we need to get through, I wouldn’t mind some company.”
Tony breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good. Because I was going to show up at your place whether we had a date or not. I think I need to make sure you’re really all right.”
“You want to babysit me?”
“No. I’m saying this badly,” Tony admitted. “I don’t want to be alone. Today brought up way too many memories for me. If I go back to my place, I’ll relive every second of what happened and there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep and not have nightmares. I’d like to hang out with you. Eat. Watch a movie. Talk. Whatever.”
“I’d like that too. I don’t want to be alone either.”
“Then I’ll see you later?”
Aimee nodded then boldly leaned forward and rested her forehead on Tony’s chest and felt his arms wrap around her waist. They stood like that for a minute or two before a paramedic reluctantly interrupted them.
“Mr. Santoro? I think you’d better let me get a look at that arm.”
Aimee backed up and looked up at the man who had changed her life forever. It seemed like she’d always known him. They’d lived a lifetime in the last thirty minutes. Dating games didn’t seem to matter so much anymore. She wanted this man in her life. She wanted him.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead in a tender gesture that made her heart beat faster in her chest. “Take care of yourself. I’ll see you later.”
“Miss O’Brien? We’d like to take your statement now, if that’s okay,” an officer from the Killeen Police Department told her in a respectful voice. She took a deep breath, knowing she’d be busy the rest of the day with law enforcement and most likely the press as well. She’d have to talk to the principal, as well as reassure the kids she came across that everything was fine.
Suddenly Aimee had so many questions. Were all the students okay? Was anyone killed? She wanted to see all of the kids. She knew every single one, since they all rotated in and out of her gym. Was Annie all right? Aimee would hate if her sunny disposition was dampened in any way. What about the others in the gym with them? Had they heard everything Bill and Jones had said back and forth? Did they understand it? Would they be scarred for life? She had so many questions and no answers.
Thinking about the man who called himself Jones made her want to thank him in person. She hadn’t thought much about negotiation techniques before today, but Jones had made it sound easy. He’d been calm and cool and had even managed to send a secret message to Tony. It was amazing and she wanted to see him face-to-face and show him her appreciation.
Aimee’s mind spun. She had so many things she wanted to do, but didn’t know what to do first.
“If you’ll follow me, we’ll go out into the command vehicle where it’s a bit calmer than in here. We’ll get this out of the way and I’ll see if I can’t answer some of the questions I can see
swirling around in your brain. Okay?” the officer informed her, holding out his hand as if to show her the way.
“Yeah, thanks. It’s all catching up to me and I do have so many things I want to know.”
“Come on, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get home to a shower and a nice soft bed.”
Aimee nodded in agreement and followed the officer out of the gym.
Ten
Aimee sat on her couch and breathed a sigh of relief. It was seven at night, and the last five hours had been excruciatingly long. First, she’d been drilled by the officer for an hour about what had happened. He wanted to know every word she could remember, everything she and Tony had done, what she’d heard, even what she thought about the entire situation.
After the interrogation…err…interview was over, she’d asked to speak with Jones, the man whose voice she knew, but whose face she wouldn’t recognize if she passed him on the street. The officer had nodded and within twenty minutes, the door to the RV opened and a man strode in who was most obviously military, law enforcement, or some other kind of badass.
He was tall and stern looking, but it was the look of compassion and relief in his eyes that had struck her the most. He was a person in a shitty situation, just like she’d been.
Standing up to shake his hand, she’d been surprised when he engulfed her small frame in a bear hug.
“God damn is it good to meet you,” he told her fervently.
Aimee giggled. “I think that’s my line.”
“I’ve been doing this a while now, but I have to say you and Mr. Santoro were the most levelheaded hostages I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing.”
“Maybe outwardly,” Aimee mumbled against his chest, as he hadn’t let go of her yet.
At her comment, he’d pulled away slightly and looked down at her. “Outwardly is all that matters. I don’t care if you were screaming like a newborn baby on the inside, it’s your actions that count when push comes to shove. You hid the kids, didn’t panic, and provided a distraction just when it was needed.”
“I don’t remember what you said there at the end,” Aimee admitted. “I have no idea what Bill was even saying. All I could do was watch Tony and wait for some sort of signal from him.”
“It doesn’t matter what was said. All that matters is that you did what needed to be done.”
“Did he really come into an elementary school shooting because he didn’t feel like people were paying attention to him?” Aimee asked.
Jones pulled back all the way and put his hands on her shoulders. His voice got serious. “Apparently. But honestly, it doesn’t really matter what the motive was. People who want to kill will find a way. They’ll use guns, bombs, knives, baseball bats, tire irons…whatever it takes. There’s always a motivation. It could be they stubbed their toe that morning. Maybe they felt ignored growing up, like Bill. Abuse, neglect, or it could be the way they’re raised. Politics, religion and ideological beliefs are always there as ready excuses as well. It doesn’t matter. We can’t control it, and I honestly don’t believe we can stop it. The only thing we can do is be ready for it. To act when it does happen. Protect ourselves and those around us as best we can. And I have to say, Aimee O’Brien, you did good.”
“Thanks,” Aimee whispered, overwhelmed with his words. Needing to change the subject, as it was way too intense for her. “Are you really on vacation?”
Jones laughed and dropped his hands from her shoulders, putting them in his pockets and stepping away from her. “Sort of. I do work with and security company in Virginia. My boss was A Navy SEAL and in law enforcement. We work with all sorts of situations like the one today. I was in Austin this past week for a hostage negotiation conference.”
“Well, that was good timing,” Aimee said in awe.
“Agreed. I know some guys up here in Killeen who work for the Army. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
“Thank God,” Aimee drawled.
“Yup. You gonna be all right?” Jones asked.
“Yes,” Aimee declared immediately. “No way am I gonna let some asshole ruin my life.”
“Good for you. If you’re ever in Virginia, I’ll consider it extremely rude if you don’t look me up to say hello.”
Aimee laughed. “I hadn’t planned on any vacations to the mountains in the near future, but I might just have to make the effort now.”
Jones held out his hand. Aimee took it and they sealed the deal. “You’re good people, Aimee.”
“Back at’cha, Jones.”
They’d said their goodbyes and Aimee’s next job was dealing with the media. Even though the shootout had been over fairly quickly and there hadn’t been that many casualties, the news stations were rabid over the incident. There were trucks and cars parked everywhere and reporters were roving the grounds of the school with their faithful camera operators following them closely.
Knowing it needed to be done, Aimee had asked Captain May to set up a couple of interviews, just to get them over with. She didn’t have to do it, the school board president or someone else on the board could handle it, but since she was directly involved, it seemed like the right thing to do. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would be the end of it, but for once in her life she hoped some other newsworthy event would happen soon to trump this one so everyone, especially the students, could be left alone to heal.
Next, she’d sought out the groups of students who hadn’t been picked up yet. They’d all been herded into the cafeteria, which was on the other side of the school from the gym. She’d cuddled and talked about what had happened with the kids, listening when they wanted to talk, and simply hugging the ones who needed the one-on-one human contact.
Principal Allen had also wanted information on what had happened in the gym. Aimee had told the story so many times she wanted to scream, but she simply retold it again and again and again, to whoever wanted to hear it, gritted her teeth and continued on.
It’d been an extremely emotionally draining day and now she was finally home. It was dark outside and slightly chilly…just how she felt inside. Aimee was starving, but didn’t have the energy to get up and make something to eat. It’d been a long time since the sandwich and chips she’d eaten with Tony at lunch, the fuel from the calories long gone.
She’d showered and changed as soon as she’d arrived home. Tony’s shirt was bloody, dirty, and needed to be washed. It was silly to worry about cleaning it, because he’d probably just chuck it, there was a hole in the sleeve after all, but Aimee made the decision that if he didn’t want it, she’d keep it to sleep in…just to remember how good it felt when he’d taken care of her by taking it off and giving it to her.
I got you.
His words still rang in her head. She was a former soldier, a fully competent woman who could take care of herself, and had taken care of herself for her entire adult life. She’d bought her own house, mowed her own lawn, invested her money without help from anyone else, but those three words wouldn’t leave her brain.
The ding-dong of the doorbell pealed through the small house, jolting Aimee out of her musings. She sighed. She couldn’t deal with anything else. Not one more reporter, not one more question from the police, not one more surprise.
She ignored it and closed her eyes, hoping whoever it was would go away if she didn’t answer the door.
The bell rang again.
Sighing deeply, and pulling up her big-girl panties, Aimee rose from the couch and headed for the door. She looked through the peephole, and was pleasantly surprised to see Tony on the other side. He’d said he wanted to come over, but Aimee had assumed he was as tired as she was. He had probably gone through all the same things she had today after the shootout.
She unlocked the door and swung it open, welcoming the one man who would truly understand what she was feeling at that moment, since he’d been right there alongside her when her world had almost ended.
“Hi!”
“
Hi. I wasn’t sure if you still wanted me to come over, but I took the chance.”
“Of course I did. I’m glad you’re here. Come in,” Aimee told him, holding the door open wider.
Tony held up some white paper bags. “I brought food.”
“Oh my God, you’re my hero. Get in here!” Aimee ordered, reaching out and grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him into her entryway.
He laughed, and followed her willingly.
“You look…different,” Aimee told him, blushing for some reason. She hadn’t realized it until she’d grabbed the front of his shirt, but he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Other than the one time at the carnival at the school, she’d never seen him in anything other than his dress shirts, a tie, and a pair of slacks. He looked more…rugged, approachable, down-to-earth, relaxed…a hundred other adjectives came to mind.
Tony shrugged. “Believe it or not, I don’t wear a tie on my time off.”
Aimee laughed, as he’d expected her to. “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just different. Not bad different. Just different. What did you bring to eat?”
“I stopped by my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican place. Loads of chips and salsa, and tacos. I didn’t want to get too crazy because I wasn’t sure what you liked or if you’d already eaten.”
“I hope you brought a lot. I could eat a dozen tacos right about now. Do you mind eating on the couch? It’s really comfortable and I don’t care if we spill anything on it.”
“Couch sounds wonderful,” Tony told her. “Can I grab the drinks?”
“I’ll get them, thanks though. Go through there and get settled, I’ll be there in a bit. Water okay?”
“Perfect.”
By the time Aimee got back into her small living room, Tony had opened two containers of salsa, torn open one of the bags to make a bowl of sorts for the chips, and had put what looked at first glance like twenty wrapped tacos in a row on the coffee table.
The smell emanating from the feast made her mouth water. The two made small talk as they consumed the meal, but otherwise didn’t go out of their way to communicate, too engrossed in the delicious food filling their bellies.