"Get over there see if the two are related"
"Yes sir".
"Excuse me? Officers? Hi, I need your help..." Kellie said running towards the police barricade.
"Ma’am I'm sorry but you need to stay back" an officer said to her.
"No please my son..."
"All students have been bussed to the elementary school if your son is a student here there's a good chance he's there" the officer said to her.
A car came to a stop behind the mob, the door open, Howie and AJ jumped out.
"There's too many kids here where do we start?" AJ asked as they looked around at the crowd.
"Christina? Christina!" Howie yelled.
"Kel! Kellie Mitchell!" AJ yelled as they separated.
“I was just about to call you” Christina said hugging Howie.
“Where's Harry?” he asked looking around at the mob.
"I just talking to him he was in the publication room; he didn't know anything was happening" she said to him.
"Is he alright?" he asked.
“He's fine he was in the darkroom” she said to him "He's on his way out now."
"What about the others?" he asked.
"Neilson" Bradley groaned.
"Neilson" Natalie said.
"What?" he asked, wrench still clamped in his hand.
"He's asking for you" Natalie said, she stood up and he knelt down next to Bradley.
"Hey" he said softly "You okay? How do you feel?" he asked.
"I think this is it" Bradley groaned as he turned his head to look at him.
"Stop talking like that" Neilson said to him “This isn't you okay? You don't give up, the Bradley J. I know doesn't give up".
"What makes you so sure?" Bradley asked him.
"Because...this is you...Bradley Littrell, you're a badass" Neilson said to him, Bradley managed a weak smile.
"He's right" Natalie said nodding.
"You think I'm a badass?" Bradley asked him.
"Yeah...and so do you" Neilson said to him.
"I feel like I should tell you this just in case"
"You shouldn't talk alright? You need to save your strength" Neilson said to him.
"Just listen to me, please?" Bradley asked grabbing ahold of his wrist, leaving a bloody handprint on his arm.
"Okay...Okay fine...What do you want to tell me?" Neilson asked.
"I know I never say this a lot...If ever" Bradley said turning his head towards him "You’re my best friend, you always have been and you always will be” Bradley said “You are probably one of if not the most important person in my life…I love you” Bradley said to him as tears began fill the corners of his eyes. "Just remember that okay?" he asked.
Neilson looked at him sadly, feeling his eyes well up before looking over at Natalie who had tears in her eyes "Yeah...I know" Neilson said nodding sadly. Bradley raised his arm and held his hand out, Neilson took his hand and held it tightly in his. Bradley closed his eyes and took a deep breath before grimacing in pain.
“Kellie!" AJ yelled running to her side.
"When did you get here?" she asked.
"Just now, he and Chris are walking around looking for Harry...what's going on?" he asked.
“I don’t know, nobody will tell me anything” she said.
“Did you talk to the cops?” he asked.
“Barely, every time I try they just tell me to stand back” she said. “Kyle is in trouble I know he is” she said.
“Don’t worry alright I’ll find out what’s going on” he said “Hey!” he said whistling to an officer “Yeah, you, come here” he said.
"Folks I'm sorry but you need to stay back" he said to them.
“Yeah we’ll stand back as soon as we get some information alright?”
"Don't worry our team is going in as soon as we get the all clear."
"You can't wait that long!" he said to him.
"Sir I'm sorry but it's police protocol, just to make sure there are no explosives on the scene".
“You need to listen to me alright, my son goes to this school and I think my son is in physical danger” Kellie said to him.
“I’m sorry ma’m what’s your son’s name?” he asked.
“Kyle Richardson” she said “Here” she said handing him her phone, showing him a picture of Kyle “I called him earlier and someone else answered his phone and I think they might hurt him” she said.
He handed her phone back to her “Excuse me” he said, he walked up to Captain Swan, she watched them converse, he looked at her and walked towards her.
“You said your son is Kyle Richardson?” he asked her.
“Yeah, like I said, I called him earlier and someone answered his phone and I think he might be in danger” she said.
“Do you know who it was that answered his phone?”
“Yeah this kid he goes to school with, Damien Winchester, he’s been bullying my son for years” she said.
He looked back at the officer “Miss..."
"Mitchell, Kellie Mitchell" she said.
"Miss Mitchell...I’m afraid your son’s been taken hostage by Damien Winchester.”
“What?! What are you talking about hostage?” she asked.
“Don’t worry, like my officer said, as soon as we get the all clear we’re moving in” he said.
“You don’t understand, Damien will hurt him if he hasn’t already” she said.
“We’re going to make sure that will not happen, he’s not alone either, it seems Winchester has taken another hostage” Captain Swan said taking out his notepad “Adam McLean, do you know him?” he asked, she turned to look at AJ him, his face had gone blank.
“Yeah he’s uh…he’s my son” he said.
“Miss Mitchell, Mr. McLean I promise we’re going to do everything to get your boys out safely, just trust us” Captain Swan said. “Jenkins!” he yelled, the officer came to his side swats here yet?"
"Still on their way" he said.
"Where's Collins?" he asked.
"Went to check on this Daphne Winchester to see if there's any relation to the shooter" he said.
Police walked around the Winchester house, inspecting the aftermath of Damien's rage filled tantrum.
"Any idea who would do this?" a detective asked Damien's mother, Daphne.
"No, of course not, we have a very secure system, the alarm would've been tripped" she said to him.
"Excuse me?" the officer asked coming into the house "Sorry to interrupt, are you Daphne Winchester?" he asked.
"Yes...is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"Ma’am are you related to a Damien Winchester?"
"Yes of course that's my son...what's happened is Damien hurt?" she asked.
"Ma’am I'm afraid your son might be involved in the shooting at Hilridge High School."
"What? Involved how?" she asked.
"Witnesses say he's the gunman."
"What? That's preposterous!" she said to him.
"We talked to the principal he said Damien had been suspended."
"Suspended?" she asked.
"Principal said he left a message for you."
"I didn't get any..." she said hurrying into the living room and pressing the button on the answering machine.
“Hello again Mrs. Winchester this is Principal Wexler I have your son Damien in my office and I'm calling you to let you know that he will be coming home early today followed by a week's suspension, if you have any questions please call my office, thank you” the machine then beeped.
"Mrs. Winchester...do you know where your son is now?" he asked.
"No of course not, he's supposed to be in school!" she said.
"Okay Mrs. Winchester I want you to come down to the station with me until we get some answers" he said, she nodded absently and grabbed her purse, the police lead her from the house.
"I thought you said Harry was coming out?" Howie asked Christina as they looked around the mob scene.
"He is! I told him I would be right here" she said as they looked around "He should've been out here by now!" Christina said as they continued searching the crowd for Harry.
"He's probably lost with all these people here; I'll look over here" Howie said.
"I'll take this side" she said going into the crowd "Harry? Harry!" she yelled as she pushed past people.
Harry quickly emptied his locker and ran down the hallway and opened the door to the stairwell, he ran down the steps and opened another door that opened to the previous floor.
