Thrills: Vol.2

by Jason A. Joseph

  “Are you willing to take his place?”

  She gulped hard. She had to do something to make sure that her fellow students would leave here.

  Meanwhile outside, the news reporter is getting ready to make another live report “We just heard another round of shots fired in the Jamestown High School. Just a while ago, one of the teens escaped the school and managed to tell the authorities exactly what was happening in the building.

  “So far, no one has been injured. The teen states that the gunmen have tied up the sheriff’s daughter and are holding her for ransom.

  “Coming to you live from Jamestown High School, this is Rose Anderson with Seven News.”

  Rose sighed again as she watched the SWAT Team prepare to enter the building.

  They had requested at that point that the media not let the public know that they were going in. Any panic that could be avoided, the better. She turned around and looked at the crowd that was now pleading with the officers to give in.

  “Officers, please just give him what he wants! It’s our children in there! Let us talk to the sheriff! His daughter is in there too!” the crowd was beginning to get restless.

  They didn’t know about the most recent threat, but if something didn’t happen soon, they would make something happen.

  “We’re doing all we can. Just be patient.” Keats was trying to calm the crowd as much as possible.

  “Good luck on having a good reputation in this town, Sheriff!!! It’s over for you!” an angry citizen screamed from the crowd.

  Sheriff Johnson just shook his head. He didn’t care about his reputation. He just wanted his daughter back alive. Nothing else mattered at the moment.

  Seconds later the SWAT Team entered the school. As they quietly slipped down the hallway toward the gym, they could hear the murmurs of the students whispering. They also caught a few sobs as they reached the entrance.

  Looking in, they could see the situation that the teen had told them about awhile ago.

  The students were huddled in groups around the large room. At the front of the room was a small stage, and they could see a young girl tied up sitting on the edge. A shaggy man with a semi-automatic rifle seemed to be taunting her.

  They couldn’t see much more, but they began to plan their next move. As they waited, the leader of the team received a message that the man had threatened to kill a student every ten minutes until the other fugitives were released. They needed to keep any students from dying, so they got prepared to burst in at the first sign of any violence.

  “Two more minutes until show time!!!” Jimmy sang to the crowd. He was thoroughly enjoying the discomfort in the room.

  Eric sobbed as he huddled at Melissa’s feet. One of them would die in just a few minutes. Fear coursed down Melissa’s spine. She just hoped it wouldn’t hurt too badly.

  “Miss Johnson, I did think that your father had more sense than this. What a shame!” He glared at her.

  “Okay, I’m done playing!” He turned and pointed his gun at Eric’s head.

  Everyone in the room screamed as the loud bang resounded.

  Panic and screaming filled the room as Jimmy dropped off the stage.

  Amid the shrieks and cries, no one had realized what had really happened. Men in full armor swarmed through the gym. Groups of students were quickly ushered out. A few more shots rang through the room. Screaming and crying drowned out the shouts of the uniformed men.

  Melissa looked to her left to see that her captor laid lifeless at her side. She bit back the urge to vomit and scooted away from him. Eric was still sobbing at her feet. As the armored men drew closer to her, she let her emotions go. Tears flooded down her cheeks as the SWAT Team untied her and carried her out of the gym. Knowing that everything would be okay, she felt the world go black around her.

  Rose watched in shock and relief as students and staff flooded out of the school.

  The shots that had just come from the building alerted everyone that something was happening. Many of the parents and members of the community didn’t know that the police had sent the SWAT Team in.

  Panic resonated through the crowd until the first group of students ran out onto the school lawn. Then there were cheers as the parents found their students and led them away. There would be questioning of everyone in that gym, but right now they just needed to let the students go home.

  Rose felt a tear slip down her face. She realized that they had saved the lives of the students in the building. Hoping that the gunshots were aimed at the culprits, she dried her eyes and prepared to go live about what was happening at the moment.

  Three Months Later

  Graduation had finally come. As the happy seniors posed in their caps and gowns for their pictures, a sense of accomplishment was felt amongst the crowd. Not only had they graduated from high school, they had all survived a historic hostage situation.

  After the school was taken by the SWAT Team, the two remaining gang members were taken into custody. Unfortunately, they had to kill Jimmy. If they hadn’t, an innocent life would have been lost. What remained of the gang was prosecuted and sentenced to life in a high security prison.

  The town would have been draped in mourning if it hadn’t been for Desiree and

  Matt’s creative plan. Escaping the school had given the police the valuable information that they needed in order to capture the men. Melissa smiled her widest for the pictures. She had made the state soccer team and had earned a full ride scholarship to a school of her choice. It was a dream come true. Sheriff Johnson smiled proudly at his daughter. He was relieved that she was still with him. He was even more relieved when she told him that she planned on attending a college close to home. She wouldn’t be far from him and he wouldn’t feel like he was losing her again.

  Somewhere in a Texas State Prison

  As he sat behind bars, he continually tapped his fingers while he thought about how he would get revenge on the sheriff for taking his life away. Jack Belmar had been too confident in his men’s abilities to get him out of trouble.

  If he would have known that the Jamestown police would have caught them, he never would have ventured out into the small country town.

  He pulled out a piece of paper and began to write out a plan of action.

  He had to escape, it was the only option left.

  ***

  Music was floating onto the street. Mist clung lovingly to every surface in the cold New York winter outside of the Carver house. A man sat on a piano bench in the parlor, his fingers flying across the keys. A young girl was sitting on the bench next to him, watching with wide blue eyes; and repeatedly pushing a stubborn strand of fiery red hair out of her eyes so she could see better. The man's fingers drew out the final note, then fell into his lap.

  "If you practice hard enough, Miss Carver, you'll be able to play like that, too.” The young man's voice and eyes were kind; and the child loved him.

  "What if I never get that good, Mr. Jacob?" She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. She wanted to be good at everything she tried and she wanted to be quick. The man laughed at her good-naturedly.

  "It'll come with time. You just have to keep on practicing." The little girl took her teacher's advice to heart. She practiced every day, and most days more than once.

  Thirteen years later, twenty-one-year-old Melanie Carver had a large trophy case full to overflowing with awards she'd gotten for her piano playing. She was now going to school for ballet and writing. She fervently wished to be a journalist, but she also wouldn't mind being a ballet teacher. She volunteered down at Bella's School of Music and Dance three times a week to teach ballet to the youngsters who otherwise couldn't afford lessons. Her old piano teacher, Mr. Jacob Benner, had pulled a few strings to help her get the volunteer job. Melanie loved to read and her small New York apartment was so full of books that anyone walking in for the first time would think of a bookstore or a library right away instead of thinking they were in a place of residence. The young woman
truly was a lover of the written word. She not only read anything she could get her hands on, she also penned a few short stories herself.

  Mostly, she was just a sweet kid that did everything for everyone. Her parents had gotten divorced and both had moved to foreign countries; though not the same one leaving her to make it on her own in the states. But she wasn't alone. She'd met a boy at school, and they'd been together for six months now. Maverick was her dream come true. She could only dream of being Mrs. Maverick Lamb. Maverick Lamb was tall; just over six feet and a good two hundred and fifty pounds. He had striking blue eyes that Melanie could get lost in, and unruly black hair. He was a classic he-man. The boy loved to hunt and fish, watch gory movies, and get into fights. Maverick had a quick and terrible temper; and usually Melanie got the brunt of it. She was used to it, though. It was just a part of who he was, and she loved him despite his flaws. He was paying for school by being a salsa instructor at Bella's. He wanted to be a big shot lawyer. It wasn't going too well for him, though. Melanie was supportive of him, at all times, but sometimes his laziness really made her mad. She went to school all day, came home after volunteering at the school, and cleaned the house. He would sit on the couch and watch sports; expecting her to make dinner.

  The long day was wearing on Melanie, and she was not in the mood to deal with Maverick today. Sometimes she just wanted to smack him in the face and walk out. She came through the door and was not surprised to see him sitting in front of the television, watching sports. She let out a sigh and dragged herself into the kitchen to start dinner. She really wasn't in the mood to fight with him. She opened a cupboard and looked for something that would be quick and easy. She settled on Stir Fry Hamburger Helper. She set the pot on the stove with the vegetables and water, then grabbed a package of hamburger meat out of the refrigerator and chopped the frozen meat into little pieces in the skillet. When it started sizzling, Maverick got off the couch and came into the kitchen. He didn't even set the table, he just sat down at the kitchen table and crossed his arms over his chest...waiting. She could feel the anger rising in her, but she dampened it so he would leave her alone. She really didn't have the energy to deal with him at the moment.

  When dinner was eaten and the dishes were cleared, Melanie was glad to get to bed. She was exhausted from everything she'd done today and from holding in her anger at Maverick. He was still in the living room, watching sports as she drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  The months dragged on and on for Melanie and she was beginning to have doubts about Maverick. She'd awoken one morning with anger boiling her blood and not knowing why. When she'd looked over at her boyfriend to see whether or not she'd woken him up, the temperature of her blood increased a few degrees. He was the reason for her anger. She'd always ignored the anger and packed it away to a little corner where it would be hidden, but that day it was just not going to be so easy. She'd realized then that she didn't want to be with him anymore. She was going to give it a few days to see whether or not her resentment for him could be overcome. The days went by, but the anger and hate for Maverick didn't slacken one iota. She was going to break up with him and that was that. She had the day off tomorrow, and he had an afternoon class. It would be perfect. She went to bed happy for the first time in years. After all, tomorrow was another day.

  The sun shone bright and cheery through the blinds when Melanie awoke the next day. Normally, her day was full of things that she had to do for Maverick before he came home. Today she wasn't going to do a thing for him. Why should she? He'd be packing at the end of the day anyway. She smiled. What should she do first? She settled on getting some chapters read in her favorite book, Love Bites. She was still in her pajamas and felt a little bit rebellious because Maverick would definitely disapprove of her "lounging around the house all day." When she finished those chapters, she went grocery shopping. She bought all the healthy food that she loved, and not a single greasy and/or fried food that Maverick always wanted. Life was going to be good from now on. She checked her watch. It was a quarter to five. Maverick would be coming home soon, and she wanted to be there first. She grinned as she loaded the groceries into the car. At half past five, the front door opened and Maverick walked in. He froze in the doorway when he saw Melanie standing there in sweatpants and a tank top.

  "Don't tell me you wore that all day." He was irritated; good. It was about time that he had a dose of his own medicine shoved down his throat, and Melanie was only too eager to play nurse.

  "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."

  "At least you didn't go out in public like that," he muttered.

  "Yes, actually I did." He was angry now.

  "Are you crazy? My woman is always perfect and a credit to me, not a liability!"

  "I am not your woman anymore. I'm done with you." His eyes widened in surprise, then quickly clouded over with anger.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "All of your things are packed in boxes in the garage and I want you out of my apartment."

  "You're throwing me out?" He took a few angry steps towards her until only five feet separated them.

  "And I'm breaking up with you. Or didn't you catch that part?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and held her ground. He took a few more steps towards her, closing the gap, and slapped her so hard that she sank to her knees. She refused to give him the satisfaction of crying out in pain, even though it hurt really bad.

  "You've got to be losing your mind, bitch. I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you." Melanie got slowly to her feet.

  "No, you are the worst kind of cancer on the face of the earth. I'm cutting you out of my life right now, and for good." She stood there again, glaring at him with flinty eyes.

  "You really mean it, don't you?" This revelation hit him a few minutes later.

  "Yes, I do. Now get out. And don't bother coming back."

  "Are you sure you want it this way? Once I walk out that door, I'm not coming back."

  "Is that a promise? Can I get that in writing before you go?" The confidence sprang up out of nowhere.

  "You stupid little bitch!" he screamed. "You'll come crawling back to me."

  "You wish." He walked out and slammed the door so hard that two panes of glass fell out. Now that he was gone for good, she could relax a little bit. She had a good mind to go to the park he always said was too far away. Yeah, that's what she'd do. She'd go for a quick jog to lower her adrenalin levels. She put on some old sneakers and grabbed her IPod off the counter. When she opened the door, the cool breeze of the evening washed over her like a lover’s kiss. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deep, smelling the various floral scents, a whiff of takeout food, and the new paint of the apartment building next door. This was perfect. Life was wonderful. She popped her ear buds in, scrolled through her running playlist to find a good song to start on, and slipped the IPod into the protective pouch that she wore on her upper arm. Her feet slapped the pavement in time to the music, and she let them carry her away into the park.

  When night fell on a nature park, it simply transformed everything. The moonlight shining down on the fountain made the water shimmer in an ethereal way. The streetlights cast their warm glow in puddles over the walkway, and she saw that she was alone tonight. Melanie felt as if she had entered into a fey land, where mischievous fairy creatures were watching her every move, waiting for their chance to strike. The song changed and her feet slowed a little to match. Her breaths came longer and slower. She watched the shimmer of light playing in the arcs of water that the fountain spewed forth, but she didn’t know that someone was watching her. Melanie took a swig from her water and came to a standstill. Her breathing was labored, but she was elated. She didn’t need that Neanderthal. She was going to take her life in her own hands from now on and do what she wanted, not let herself get swept up in a fake romance where she was the only one making any effort. The more she thought about what she was going to be able to do now, the more adrenaline flowed into her
veins. She had to start running again. Melanie was just too hyped up to be standing still. She took off again, feeling the wind in her hair, with her heart soaring in the clouds. Melanie was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to see the shadow detach itself from the trees and follow her.

  Isabella MacIntosh was not at all happy. It was her first day as a police officer and she was being shown her new precinct. The Barn. That's what they called the station house. How immature. It didn't help that all the officers here were male.

  No wonder they named it the way that they did, the place looked like a barn; with the officers resembling farm animals at play rather than enforcers of the law. She was new here, that was true, but she always thought that Homicide would be a little more serious than Cyber Crimes. This new department was infinitely worse than her last. She really wanted to know who she'd pissed off to come here. She was already in a bad mood and she hadn't even met her new partner yet. She couldn't wait, the suspense was just killing her. That was the biggest load of sarcasm that she'd ever dropped, if she was honest with herself. And she was. She was always honest with herself. She believed that in order to be honest with everyone around her, be it victim, suspect, or bystander, she had to start by being honest with herself. She saw the captain's office at the top of the stairs and made for it. She did her best to make her pasted on smile look happy and not strained.

  Detective MacIntosh! It's good to meet you!" The distinctly overweight man looked like a monkey. There was no other way to describe him. But if he had some common sense, Isabelle might be able to scrounge up a little respect for her new boss. The man tried to take off his wedding ring without her seeing it. Nope, there went respect. She was the only female in the Barn and they were all going to try for her. Wonderful. On the plus side, she loved to let men down so it should be fun.