All of the men carried high powered guns. The leader had made it clear that they were all well-loaded. She could only imagine what would happen if they were to use them.
She stood silently as the men tied her up with rope and set her up on the edge of the stage. T aking a gulp of fresh air, she looked at the gym floor and tried to imagine that she was somewhere else. Anywhere else.
Help! There are men who have taken the school hostage!” A few of the students who had escaped the roundup ran to the diner on the corner. As they burst through the front door, the patrons glanced up at them with curiosity.
“What’s wrong?” the waitress behind the counter looked wearily at them.
“There are armed men at the high school! They have most of the students rounded up in the gym!” a girl of about sixteen exclaimed.
“Are you sure?” an old man at the counter looked over at her.
“Yes! I was at the back of the crowd and slipped away! Please, call the police!” she pleaded with the people who just sat and stared at her.
“I’ll call the police, but if this is a joke, then you’re in big trouble,” the waitress stated as she lifted the phone and dialed the emergency number.
“I’M NOT! HURRY!” she screamed as she broke down into tears.
The quiet town had suddenly become a point of interest.
“The high school? Are you sure?” the dispatcher repeated the questions that the waitress had asked the distraught students. “I’ll send a car out and have them check it out. I’m sure it’s just a prank for some bored kids.”
The dispatcher hung up the phone and radioed for a cruiser to go check in on the school. It was nice to have a little excitement in her day, even though it was probably nothing.
Moments later at school
The police cruiser stopped in front of the school. Everything looked quiet. Too quiet. The first officer pulled his gun and walked toward the entrance. That’s when he heard a round go off from a semi-automatic gun. “Call backup! Now!” he shouted back at his partner. The other officer quickly got on the radio and reported that there was definitely something going on at the school. After putting down the radio, he stepped up next to his partner and waited. They weren’t about to enter that building knowing that there were men with guns in there. Not without reinforcements.
It felt like hours before the rest of the squad arrived. Since it was a small town, there were only ten of them. Not nearly enough to fight semi-automatic weapons. Sheriff Johnson walked up to where his men stood talking amongst themselves. He could see the terrified looks on their faces. This was a situation that no one could be prepared for.
“Officers, I have called the Dallas Police Department and they’re getting here as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait it out until we get reinforcements. I don’t want to put the students and staff in danger,” Sheriff Johnson stated. He tried to keep his composure, but he was shaking inside.
Melissa was in there. The only reason he woke up in the morning. She had left that morning without saying a word to him. What he had done had upset her, and he knew that it would take time to mend that wound. However, knowing that the men who had all the students held up in that school had powerful weapons, he could only pray that he could get the chance to make it up to her. “Sheriff, how many men do you think are in there?” one of the police officers asked. “I don’t know. And I can’t understand why they are choosing to hold up a high school.” Johnson was stunned and confused. His quiet little jurisdiction had erupted in crime within just a few days. “We have to save those kids. Everyone is depending on us.”
“Tell me something that I don’t already know,” Sheriff Johnson muttered as he returned to his cruiser to talk to the head of the Dallas Police Department on the radio.
Meanwhile, all the squad could do was wait. By that time, news of the events at the school had spread around town and worried parents and citizens began to crowd the lawn of the school. “Ashton, use some tape and make sure this crowd stays back. I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Johnson called from the front seat of his car. “Yes, sir.” The officers barricaded the crowd so that the school stood in a silent circle in front of them.
All they could do was wait.
Desiree, we have to let someone know that we’re in trouble!” Matt, a friend of hers, whispered. “I know, but I don’t want to be caught with my phone. We’re too close to that guy over by the door. I’m scared that he will shoot us if we try to make a move.” Her gray eyes were clouded over with fear.
“We have to do something! Melissa is in danger and so are we!” Matt exclaimed in a loud whisper.
“What’s going on here?” a gruff voice came from behind them. It was one of the armed men. “Oh, we were just talking about the math test we’re missing right now,” Matt lied.“Shut up and sit down! If you keep this up, you’re never going to have to worry about any test ever again!” the man stated as he pointed his weapon at Matt’s chest. Matt closed his lips and sat on the hardwood floor. Desiree put her hands over her mouth again to keep the sobs from being heard. They just sat there in silence as the other students around them began to sit and keep quiet.
Desiree felt her phone against her hip and wished with all her heart she could text message her mother or older brother. Anyone who could get them some help.
“So, what do you kids do for fun here?” Jimmy asked as he waved his gun around the room.
Of course, everyone was too afraid to answer.
“I bet it’s boring. I personally like going to bars and riding along busy streets.
Hey you, what’s your name?” Jimmy asked as he pointed his gun at a young boy about fifteen years old.
“Eric,” he squeaked out.
“So, Eric, are you planning on leaving this town when you grow up?”
“I don’t know,” he answered.
Jimmy laughed and sat down with a thud next to Melissa. “Well, according to the papers, Miss Johnson here is going to college on a soccer scholarship. Wouldn’t it be a shame if she never made it out of this gym? What a waste of talent. Just because her daddy decided he wanted to pad his pockets by catching some thieves.”
“My dad didn’t decide to go after them, they did the deed to get them caught,” Melissa muttered.
“What’s that, sweetheart? Now you’re saying that my friends were asking for it?
Should I give you what you’re asking for bitch!” he screamed as he pointed the gun at Melissa’s head. Melissa stifled a gasp and shook her head. She let her loose hair fall around her face so that the man couldn’t see that she was about to cry. However, he wanted to see every emotion that passed over her face.
Jimmy roughly grabbed her hair and pulled her head back with a jerk. She yelped in pain and a few tears escaped her eyes. Pursing her lips, she willed the tears to stop.
He smiled when he saw that he was getting to her. Just like he planned.
“Now, let’s see. I think it’s time for a little game. Sheriff Johnson is no doubt wondering how all of you are doing in here. So, I’m going to fire a shot. Whoever cries or screams will be tied up here next to the lovely Miss Johnson.” He laughed and stood up and pointed his gun at the championship banners above the crowded gym. With a quick jerk, he fired the gun and blew a huge hole into one of them.
A few of the girls in the back who hadn’t been paying attention screamed from the blast. The man’s accomplices came up and pulled them to their feet and dragged them to the stage. Roughly wrapping rope around their wrists, he tied them together and forced them to sit at Melissa’s feet.
“That was fun. However, I get the impression that some of you aren’t taking me seriously. If these young ladies would have been listening to me, then they wouldn’t have screamed. I demand everyone’s attention!” he yelled out at the students.
Melissa tried to duck her head down again, but Jimmy took another handful and yanked her head back. She swallowed her tears and focused on the exit door on the
other side of the gym. She feared that she wouldn’t get out of this gym with her life.
Meanwhile outside the gym after the second gunshot rang through the air. Everyone gasped. They could only imagine what was happening inside the school. Fear gripped everyone.
Sheriff Johnson just stood with shock in his brown eyes. Reinforcements were close, but he was afraid that they wouldn’t be saving all the lives that needed to be saved.
Deep down, he was worried that Melissa was the target in there. Was someone trying to get revenge on him?
“Sheriff! We need to do something! Our children are in there!” a frantic woman screamed at him. Johnson simply stood frozen in place as an officer dragged her away. She screamed insults at him until she couldn’t be heard any longer. Sadly enough, every insult she had thrown at him reflected how he felt about himself.
A few minutes later, the Dallas Police Department arrived at the scene. They quickly swarmed the area. The head of the squad found Sheriff Johnson and approached him for a synopsis of the situation.
“Sheriff, I think we might have a hostage situation. I’m going to call in a negotiator and the SWAT Team to help. It’s simply too dangerous for us to try and go in.
How many people do you think are in the school?” the young female officer asked.
“I’m guessing most of the students and staff. About two hundred people. My daughter is in there, too.” He sighed and ran his hand through his thinning hair. This was the first time he had verbalized that he feared his daughter was in danger.
“Do you think that we might be able to try her cell phone? If she is in danger, she won’t answer, but we might be able to gather some insight into what happening if she can talk to us,” she stated. Johnson nodded his agreement and went to his cruiser to get his personal cell phone.
He quickly dialed her number and listened as the phone dialed through. It went to voicemail. His heart dropped into his stomach. He knew now that his daughter was in danger or dead.
“Well, well, well, we have a rebel here!” Jimmy mocked as the sound of Melissa’s phone ringing reached him. “Let’s see. I wonder if it’s Daddy. If it is, then I’ll let you live. I want to talk to him.”
He reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone. Opening it up, he nodded and smiled.
“It is Daddy. Lucky for you little missy! I bet your life just flashed before you!”
He let out a maniacal laugh. “I’m going to dial back and let you talk to him.
You’re going to tell him exactly what I want him to know. If you don’t obey, then I will fire another shot and scare them out of their wits!”
“Yes, sir,” Melissa whispered.
“I want you to tell him that we are here to make a deal. We will release the people in this gym only on one condition. He needs to release Jack Belmar and his two friends. After they are released, he must promise us safety to the border to Mexico.
Once we’re in Mexico, he needs to let us go.” He looked squarely into her eyes.
“Got it, sweetheart?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, then. I’m going to dial now. I’m warning you. One wrong move and you’re dead.” He punched the redial button on her phone and held it to her ear.
“Daddy? Yeah, I’m okay… Well, he told me to call you and tell you what he wants. Three or four… OW!” He had roughly kneed her in the back. She had given away how many of them there were. “Hello, Sheriff Johnson! Your sweet daughter chose to disobey what I told her, so I’m just going to talk to you myself… Oh, is that right?… Well, here’s the deal. I’m willing to make a trade here… But you haven’t even listened… Shut up or one of the students dies!…
I want the release of Jack Belmar and his men. Once we arrive in Mexico, then we can just call this a nice little nightmare… No?…
Well when you’re ready to talk, I’m here!” He laughed as he ended the call. “I see that you got your father’s stubbornness. Well, let’s just hope it won’t be your demise.”
“Why are you doing this?” Melissa said through her tears.
“Because we both have something the other one wants!”
Sheriff Johnson dropped his phone to the ground. A heavy feeling sunk into his stomach. He had just refused every demand that the man on the other end had made. His daughter was in danger and he could only think about his career.
“Johnson, you did the right thing. Even though that’s your daughter, we have to work for the greater good here. She might be the key to getting those men,” the Dallas officer said.
“Are you saying that I’m sacrificing my daughter just to catch the bad guy? Am I that bad of a parent? He might kill my only reason to live just because I told him that I won’t let this go! How can you call that the right thing!” he yelled at her.
He could feel the anger coursing through his veins. He hated himself for being such a good officer. His daughter might be dead because of him.
“She’s okay right now and that’s what matters. I’m guessing that he’s holding her as the main hostage. He’s playing you, Johnson. If you give in, he will win and you will have to live with guilt for the rest of your life.”
“I think I’ll feel much guiltier if I sacrifice my daughter!” He was almost in tears.
“Johnson, I’m going to have to ask you to step aside on this case. You’re too closely involved and it’s going to cloud your judgment. Please go and sit in your cruiser.” She turned him toward his car and forced him over.
He had no will to fight back and went and sat in his car.
The fear began to take over, and he wanted to rush into that school and save the people in there.
This was happening in his quiet little town. The town he had worked so hard to protect since he was elected as sheriff. As the thoughts swirled through his head, he wondered how he could make it better.
A few minutes later, one of his officers came and took his sidearm. They weren’t taking any chances. He tried to convince the sheriff to go back to the station and wait for it to end. However, knowing that his daughter was in danger, he refused to leave.
He just sat there and stared blankly at his cell phone, willing it to ring. He needed to hear his daughter’s voice again. She needed to be okay. He began to cry softly as the hostage negotiator arrived at the scene. Staring at the man who would try and talk to this guy, he knew that talk would be hopeless. These men were crazy. However, he wasn’t in a position to argue, so he continued to take in the entire situation from the front seat of his car.
Melissa cried freely now. As much as she wanted to appear unfazed and brave, she was too shaken up by the events of that day to control herself. She made sure that she didn’t bow her head. Every time she tried, the man would yank her head back. He was enjoying her discomfort. He just wished he could show her father how much the phone conversation had bothered her. Then he would rethink his refusal to let Jack go.
However, that wouldn’t be an option at the moment.
“Melissa, do you think Daddy will come around? You’re much too cute to die!”
He laughed at his own joke. “I think that we need to try calling him again here soon. Once he thinks about the situation more carefully, he might be willing to make a deal. Maybe I should let him hear you sobbing. It really is heart wrenching to hear you crying so.”
She turned and glared at him. Knowing her father too well, she feared that this situation would end in death. “He won’t. My father’s a policeman to the core. He won’t change his mind. I can try, but I know it won’t work,” she sobbed. “Besides, he’s mad at me anyway. He probably wishes I were gone.”
The gym suddenly fell into silence as a voice from outside forced its way inside.
“Attention! This is the Dallas Police Department! We are looking to make some arrangements to ensure the safety of the students in the school. There’s a telephone in the coach’s office. If you’re willing to talk please answer when we call in five minutes!” The voice came over the crowd. �
�Please be wise and try to work something out with us.”
“Hostage negotiation! How clever! I think I would like to hear what they want to say! Guys, watch the brats! I’m going to have a little chat.” The man hopped down from the stage and headed to the offices.
Melissa let her head fall so that she could let a few of the tears escape without everyone watching her. She just hoped that she could go home at the end of the day. Her father needed an apology. She felt terrible about not telling him goodbye that morning. If she got out of there, she would remember to do that every morning for the rest of her life.
“Hello!” Jimmy sang into the receiver.
“Hello, sir, this is Officer Keats from the Dallas Police Department. I just wanted to talk to you a little about what’s going on in there. I understand that you would like to make a deal.”
“Well, it’s simple. Give me my friends and we let the kiddos go. In case you think that we won’t last long, you’re wrong. We have enough reinforcements to last a few days. I will get what I want in the end, even if I have to wait it out. I’m just hoping that you will be cooperative and make this a little easier on us all,” Jimmy explained.
“First of all, is there a name I can address you by?” Keats asked.
“I’m Jimmy. That’s all you need to know.”
“Jimmy, could you please tell me why you’re holding the school hostage?”
Keats’ voice was annoyingly calm. He wanted to hear him panic. Jimmy figured he could play a few tricks on them. He would make him think that things weren’t as rosy as he was making them seem on the other end.
“I already told you. I want Jack Belmar and my other two friends released and guaranteed passage into Mexico. Once there, we won‘t be your problem anymore. Why can‘t you just let us go?” He was feeling frustrated. How many times did he have to tell these guys? What he asked for was very simple.
Thrills: Vol.2 Page 8