Promises to Keep

by Kathryn Shay

  Luke tried every door to the gym. They were locked. He circled around to the Phys Ed offices. The door to the men’s office was open. Luke strode inside and accessed the main gym through the teachers’ entrance. The huge arena was empty and smelled faintly of disinfectant and sweat. The boys’ locker room door was ajar. He hurried through it.

  The space felt different. There was something about it that pricked Luke’s instincts. A chill ran through him, and he checked his gun. Carefully, he crept down the aisles. It was dim and eerie in here at this hour. When he reached the last aisle, he remembered that this was where Smurf’s gym locker was, and where, once after class, Webster had stolen all Smurf’s clothes. Luke had gotten them back for him.

  “Whatcha doin’ here, Luke?”

  Luke squinted in the semidarkness.

  Smurf sat on the floor, dressed in jeans and a Have a Nice Day T-shirt.

  Surrounding him were several pipe bombs.

  In his hands he held a sawed-off shotgun.

  o0o

  6:15 A.M.

  Joe burst into Suzanna’s office and whipped open the conference room door. Around the table filled with food were Suzanna, Kelsey, Josh, Morgan, another girl, and two other boys.

  Calmly, Joe said, “Don’t panic, but do exactly as I tell you.” He faced Kelsey. “Kelsey, get these students out of the building. Get to your car as fast as you can, and drive off the school grounds. The police are on the perimeter keeping everybody out.”

  “What’s going—” one of the kids started to ask.

  Kelsey grabbed him by the arm. “Don’t ask any questions. Let’s go.”

  She herded the students out of the office.

  Josh stayed behind. “Mom, what about you?”

  Suzanna touched his arm. “I’ll be along, honey. Now go.”

  “No, I—”

  “Go son,” Joe said. “I’ll take care of your mother. I promise.” Joe pushed the boy out with Kelsey.

  Once Josh was gone, Joe turned to Suzanna. “Get on the PA system. Use the code we came up with for an emergency to get everybody out of the building immediately.”

  Her eyes wide and worried, she glanced after Josh.

  “He’ll be all right.”

  Taking a deep breath, she hurried to her office and picked up the PA phone. “I want everyone’s attention. This is Mrs. Quinn.” Her voice was as steady as a trained government agent’s. Joe had never been more proud of her. “There’s a gas leak in the building. All students and staff are to exit the premises immediately and to remove themselves from the school campus.”

  Joe asked, “That’ll get everybody out?”

  “The teachers and custodians know that’s the code for an evacuation emergency. The students will take it at face value, though I don’t think there are any kids in the building yet but the Student Court.” She came around her desk. “We need to check, anyway.” As they reached the corridor, she said, “What happened?”

  “I think Jimmy Smurfella has bombs in the building. Bomb experts should be here any minute.” He grasped Suzanna by the arm as he led her down the corridor toward the closest exit. “You need to leave now. We’ll comb the building.”

  She clutched at him. “You come, too.”

  “No.”

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  He expected this. Over her head, he saw Ross Maloney burst through the door with Caruso. “Ross, the police need to sweep the entire building. Meanwhile, get Suzanna and yourself out of here.”

  “Joe!” She gripped his arm.

  Joe faced her. “Trust me, Suzanna.” He said to Ross, “Do it.” Whipping out his cell phone, he punched in a number. “I have to find Luke.”

  o0o

  6:30 A.M.

  Luke sat on the floor across from Smurf, as if they were two kids hiding out for a smoke. He took a pack of cigarettes from his pockets and lit one. His hand had nudged his gun, but he knew that particular weapon wouldn’t solve anything now. He had to rely on his wits.

  “Those’ll kill ya, Luke buddy.”

  Snorting, Luke pointed to Smurf’s shotgun. “Yeah, it seems real important now.” After he took a drag, he said, “They know.”

  Red eyebrows raised. “Whatda they know?”

  “That you’re in here. With those stupid-ass bombs.” That sat silently, lethally close to Luke.

  “How did you know I was here?” He nodded to the bombs. “And about them?”

  “Somebody called Uncle Joe. I came with him; he thinks I’m safe in the car, but I snuck in to find you.” It didn’t make a lot of sense, but Smurf didn’t catch on. “He’s lookin’ for you right now, Smurfy boy.” Luke took a long drag. “Shit, what are you doin’ here?”

  “Showing them.”

  “Who?”

  “Those dickheads.”

  “What dickheads?”

  “All those dickheads that pick on me.” His eyes lighted with something not quite sane. Freckles stood out on his pale complexion. “I’m good at this.” He indicated the bombs. “They said I’m not good at nothing.” With narrowed eyes, he scanned the locker room. “Especially the jocks. Pretty soon there won’t be no more gym. And no more lockers to stuff me into.” Smurf’s tone was that of a little boy who’d decided to take his toys and go home. Except that this game was deadly.

  Luke tried to stay calm and nodded to the bombs. “These in the hall lockers, too?”

  “Yep. Theirs.”

  “How’d you get the combinations?”

  Smurf looked askance at Luke. “Gimme some credit, Luke. I hacked into the school’s computer system.”

  “How powerful are the bombs, Smurf?”

  “I set ’em off in the woods behind the house. One of them brought down a tree,” he said proudly. “And one shoulda taken out my car, already.”

  “You’re gonna do some major damage to the school, buddy.”

  “That’s the plan.” He seemed to go off somewhere. “What does it matter anyway? The world sucks—terrorists’ bombs kill tons of people. Nobody’s safe.”

  “Look, why don’t you—”

  Luke’s cell phone rang, and Smurf jumped, lifting the gun. His eyes widened, and in them Luke saw something wild and irrational.

  “It’s probably my uncle. Checkin’ up on me.”

  Smurf said, “Go ahead. They can’t do nothing anyway. It’s all set to go off.” He patted the gun. “And I got this to keep ’em away from me until it happens.”

  Luke asked, “The bombs are all set?”

  “Yep. Timed to go off. You see the one in the parking lot?”

  Luke nodded.

  “That was just for demonstration. To show ‘em I mean business. Besides, I don’t need my car anymore.”

  The message was clear. Smurf planned to go down with his bombs. Which meant Luke would, too. He thought briefly of Kelsey and all they never got to do together. He pictured his sisters and Matka. Like hell! He wasn’t going to let this happen without a fight. Luke flicked on the cell phone. He’d have to play this right, use all his smarts and his glib tongue to end it. “Hi, Unc.”

  “Did you find Smurf?”

  “Yeah, clock’s tickin’.”

  “Where?”

  “Where I was headin’.”

  “He has bombs, doesn’t he?”

  “Right on.”

  “With him?”

  “And elsewhere.”

  “In the school?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Get out of there now.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Fuck, Luke, get out of there!”

  Smurf said, “You can go, Luke. I don’t wanna hurt you.”

  “You find Ms. C. and Mrs. Q.?”

  “Yes. They’re safe. We got everybody out.”

  “What?” Luke pretended alarm. “Who can’t you find? Well, you better, Unc. They could get hurt.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Joe sounded confused. “I told you we got Kelsey, Suzanna, and the kids out.�
�

  Luke said, “What? Look I’m breakin’ up here. I can’t hear you no more.” And he clicked off the phone.

  Smurf said, “What’s goin’ on? I said you could go.”

  “Seems like Josh and Morgan left the meeting, Smurf. They’re off somewhere in the school lookin’ for some old records of the court. Mrs. Quinn and Ms. C. can’t find them.”

  Smurf scowled and whined, “They’re not supposed to be here.”

  Ever the little boy. “Come on, Smurfy. You don’t want anything to happen to them.”

  “Everybody else out?”

  Luke shrugged. “Not the people you like.”

  Glancing up at the PA, Smurf said, “The gas leak.”

  “Hey, you know Mrs. Quinn and Ms. Cunningham.” She better be out of the building. “They’re some stubborn broads.”

  “Your uncle will get them out.”

  “Maybe...”

  “Damn it, why don’t you just leave, Luke? I said I don’t wanna hurt you.”

  Luke shook his head. “No can do, buddy. Not with you in this mess.”

  Smurf looked worried. Please, God, let him be worried.

  There was noise outside.

  “See, Smurfy you aren’t only gonna take yourself out. You’ll take out my uncle, who’s done a lotta good at this school. Maybe Morgy and Josh. And two teachers who never did anything but try to help you. You want that?”

  “I want to show them.”

  “You did. You showed them with the parking lot bomb that you’re not somebody to be messed with.” When Smurf didn’t relent, Luke said, “You know, the dickheads who picked on you? They aren’t here. The rest of us are. Josh never once teased you. Morgan helped you with your Social Studies. All those bomb guys probably got families.” He gave him his best buddy grin. “And me. Didn’t I pick you on my team every chance I got, Smurfy boy?”

  Slowly, Smurf nodded.

  “Come on, buddy. Tell me what to do to stop this.” He glanced at the clock. “There’s still time, isn’t there?”

  Smurf was silent for interminable seconds. Finally he said, “Yeah, there’s still time.”

  o0o

  6:55 A.M.

  Police lights flashed and blazed in the morning sun. It was a crystal-clear April day when the rest of the scene unfolded. Dr. Joe Stonehouse came out the front of the building first, his arm around a handcuffed Jimmy Smurfella. Next to Stonehouse was his nephew, Luke Ludzecky; no one was sure if the boy had been in on the plan with Smurfella. He wasn’t handcuffed, though. Several police officers exited, and then some bomb experts, carrying disarmed weapons. Another disaster had been averted. From the perimeter, the police officials breathed a sigh of relief and raised their eyes to the sky to thank God.

  o0o

  11 A.M.

  Kelsey watched Suzanna rush to the door when she heard the car pull into the driveway. Luke and Joe had been at the police station for four hours, and though Luke had called to say they were fine, both women had worried.

  It had been a horrendous morning, one Kelsey never wanted to live through again. She hadn’t really thought about what a Secret Service agent’s life must be like, living on the cusp of danger, courting death with every assignment. It was too much to take in, and she’d just blocked the knowledge, prayed for long, soul-searing minutes that Luke and Joe were all right.

  After Smurf’s surrender, no one was allowed back on school property, not even the high school principal or the superintendent. Searches by bomb-sniffing dogs and police sweeps had been instituted, and there would be no admittance to school today. She and Suzanna had returned to the Quinn home to wait for their men after Joe and Luke had accompanied Smurf to the police station.

  Joe came through the door first, and Suzanna threw herself at him. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, I am.” He hugged her close, kissed her hair. His eyes were tired—and sad.

  Suzanna held on to him. “Thank God.”

  Luke followed Joe in. His jaw was scruffy with a beard, his jeans and T-shirt wrinkled; his face, still somewhat battered, was lined with fatigue. He looked like a man who had faced down death, which of course he had. Word had filtered out about the gun and the bombs.

  Without hesitation, Luke came directly to her, but his gait was uneven, as if his ribs were bothering him. “Heroes usually get welcomed on their return from battle, woman.”

  She had to smile. In so many ways, he was a little boy. Clasping his hand around her neck, he pulled her close. Despite all that was between them, she hugged him tightly.

  He kissed the top of her head. “There. That’s better.”

  “I...” She almost couldn’t speak. “I was so worried.” She shuddered when she felt the outline of the gun beneath his shirt.

  “I’m fine, honey.”

  When he drew back, he looked over at Joe and Suzanna.

  “How did this happen, Joe?” Suzanna asked as they crossed to the couch and dropped down on it. All the while she clung to him.

  Taking a chair, Luke drew Kelsey down on the arm. His hand clamped around her waist. She didn’t let go of him, either.

  “Little Jimmy Smurfella was making bombs in his spare room,” Joe said.

  Suzanna sighed. “Was this because of that PBB group?”

  “He told the police that’s how he got the idea. He stumbled across them on one of the bomb web pages.” Joe scrubbed his hands over his face. “All you have to do is go on the Internet and type in bomb building, and you get set up with a bunch of sites.”

  Kelsey shook her head. “Did he say why he did it?”

  “To get back at the bullies,” Luke answered.

  Suzanna moaned. “We didn’t do enough for him.”

  “Sweetheart, he’s a troubled young boy. Psychologically, we were dealing with a loose cannon.”

  “I suppose. I just feel so bad.”

  Joe pulled her close and kissed her hair. “I feel bad, too.”

  “What happened when you went in?” Suzanna wanted to know.

  Joe deferred to Luke with a glance. Luke told them he’d found Smurf in the locker room. When he described how he’d gotten the boy to surrender, Kelsey stood abruptly.

  “Where you goin’?” Luke asked.

  She shook her head. “I can’t listen to this.” The thought of him in so much danger was intolerable. She turned to leave.

  Grabbing her shirt, he didn’t let her go. “Stay put.”

  Joe said, “He was a hero, Kelsey. He could have saved his own hide, but instead defused the entire situation.” He smiled. “Pardon the pun.”

  Hands on her hips, she asked incredulously, “Aren’t you mad at him for risking his life?”

  With the authority of a high-ranking government official, Joe said quietly, “He did his job, Kelsey.”

  “Besides,” Luke added, tugging on Kelsey’s arm so she sat back down, “Joe would have done the same thing.”

  Joe nodded.

  Suzanna paled. She asked, “What’s going to happen to Smurf now?”

  “He’s at the police station, waiting for his parents to fly home from Hilton Head. He’ll be charged with a laundry list of crimes. I’m not sure after that.”

  “So your cover’s blown,” Kelsey said.

  “Actually, it’s not. At least until Brenda Way does something to expose us.” That threat had yet to be defused. “Luke thought fast on his feet. He played it smoothly right to the end. The kids, and everybody else, will just think Ben called us, and I worked with the police. Nobody knows Luke talked Smurf down. They just think he snuck into school out of some misguided sense of being a friend.”

  Kelsey frowned. “The kids will suspect more.”

  “Maybe.” Joe and Luke exchanged a meaningful look. “But it doesn’t matter now.”

  Suzanna stilled. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

  Again Joe pulled her close. “Yes, we are. We think we’ve ferreted out most of the problems. Before we go, we’ll do some in-service with the staff,
and I’ll leave you with directives to implement in the next year or so. But essentially, we’ve done about all we can at Fairholm.”

  Suzanna said, “You’ve done a lot. Webster. Ben. And of course Smurf.”

  He brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “And Max is better, thanks to you.”

  “So,” Suzanna said bravely, “when will you go?”

  “We ought to be able to wrap this up in a week or two.”

  Kelsey’s heart shuddered in her chest. So soon? Her gaze whipped to Luke. He was lying back against the chair, eyes closed.

  Joe stood. “Come with me a minute.” He drew Suzanna up and out to the kitchen.

  “What’s that all about?” Kelsey asked.

  Luke had opened his eyes. They were muddy with fatigue. “He’s leavin’, Kel. We’re done here. She’s tryin’ to be brave about it, but she’s lost her heart.”

  Kelsey sighed.

  He stood, jammed his hands in his disreputable jeans, and looked down at her. “So, how about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, you feel bad that I’m goin’?”

  “Even if I did, what difference does it make? There’s no future for us.”

  “There’s no future for them, either, but they’re not bitin’ each other’s heads off.”

  Because she was frustrated and confused, because she was still feeling hollowed out at the danger he’d placed himself in, she snapped at him. “What do you want me to do, Luke? Jump into bed with the hero of the day as a final farewell?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “This isn’t funny. You could have died in there today.” Her voice cracked, and she had to force back the tears.

  His shoulders sagged. “Look, I didn’t mean it that way. Nothing comes out right around you.”

  “Unless you have time to plan out a strategy with Joe.” She could hear the ice in her voice. But damn it, what did he expect? She asked him.

  Wearily, he stared at her. “Nothin’, Teach. I don’t expect nothin’ at all.” With that he turned and left Suzanna’s house.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  With a self-effacing smile, Joe stood in front of the high school faculty, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. “Thanks for meeting me here like this.”