Rumors

by Phil M. Williams

  Caleb looked at Gwen Townsend. “I might be willing to let everyone go.”

  A palpable wave of relief washed over the students.

  “That’s great, Caleb,” Ms. Townsend said.

  “I have two conditions,” Caleb said. “The first condition is Shane stays.”

  “I’ll stay,” Gwen repeated. “I’ll be a much better hostage than Shane.”

  “If he does what I say, I won’t hurt him.”

  “Please, Caleb—”

  “No! The first condition is, Shane stays. The second condition is, Shane tells the truth about everything.” Caleb glowered at Shane. “Let’s hear it. Tell us how your mommy fixed it so you’d start over Jamar. Tell everyone what you did to me in the locker room before the Lancaster game. Tell them about that picture of me in the bathroom, and the text you sent those girls.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Shane said, not making eye contact.

  “Well, I guess nobody’s going anywhere.”

  The class murmured among themselves, clearly displeased by Shane’s silence.

  “Dude, just tell him the truth,” Drew Fuller said.

  “Shut the fuck up, Drew,” Shane replied.

  “I’m gonna beat your fuckin’ ass—”

  “Guys, stop,” Ms. Townsend said.

  “I don’t give a fuck who your mother is,” Drew added.

  Ms. Townsend gave Drew an exasperated look, and Drew showed his palms in surrender.

  “This says a lot about you, Shane,” Caleb said. “You have the chance to tell the truth and be the big hero, but you’re too selfish. Maybe you need your mommy here.”

  Aaron and Drew Fuller stifled grins at that last comment. Shane looked away, his face flashing red.

  Caleb addressed the group. “Raise your hand if you think Shane should tell the truth, so you guys can leave.”

  Hands were raised, tentative at first, until every hand was in the air, except Shane’s and Ms. Townsend’s. After a beat, Ms. Townsend raised her hand.

  Caleb smiled. “This is your last chance, Shane. Are you a hero or a coward?”

  “Tell him the truth,” Jamar said.

  “Just tell him,” a girl said.

  Shane looked around at his classmates. “This is bullshit. It doesn’t matter what I say.”

  Caleb pointed his handgun at Shane. “You’re a coward who doesn’t deserve to live.”

  Shane ducked his head, and the surrounding classmates scooted away from him.

  Ms. Townsend stood and stepped into the line of fire. “Don’t, Caleb. Please.”

  The classroom phone rang.

  CHAPTER 75

  Rick and Chaos

  Police cars zoomed past, their lights flashing. Rick followed the police in his pickup. A news van followed Rick. As he approached the high school, he observed students and teachers running from the main entrance toward the football stadium. Police cars littered the scene, parking sideways in front of every exit, officers leaning over their hoods, wearing bulletproof vests, with rifles and shotguns trained on the doors. A fire truck and three ambulances idled nearby, ready for action.

  Rick parked in the teacher’s lot and ran toward the scene.

  CHAPTER 76

  Janet, the Hero

  Janet had finally found Caleb’s essay, buried in her bottom drawer. But she wasn’t running down the hall with that essay. When she thought about her fingerprints on the original, she made a copy of that essay. Then she shredded the original. Thankfully, she had a shredder and a small copier in her office. Security cameras covered the shared copiers to discourage personal use.

  She didn’t have gloves, so she had pulled the sleeve of her sweater down over her hand, creating a makeshift glove to hold the copied essay. Now she ran down the hallway, toward Gwen’s classroom, running against the current of kids.

  Lewis stood guard in front of Gwen’s classroom. “Go to the football field,” Lewis said to the kids as they ran past.

  Janet approached Lewis, the essay held discreetly at her side. “I need you to go to the football field too and get a head count.”

  Lewis said, “You should go. Print the attendance list for today and take that to the football field. I’ll make sure everyone gets out.”

  “My son’s in there!” Janet’s eyes flicked to Gwen’s classroom door.

  “I can help. Caleb and I have a relationship.”

  “I don’t care. Go. Now!”

  Lewis stepped away from the door and herded students on his way out. Janet looked into the window. The door was bombarded by desks stacked three high. Her view was obscured by the desks, but she caught a glimpse of Shane and his classmates sitting in the back of the room. Janet breathed a sigh of relief. He’s okay.

  Shane sat by himself, like he had a communicable disease. His classmates clustered together, at least five feet away, creating a ring of empty carpet around him. Janet doubted anyone would notice a single piece of paper under the barricade of desks. She turned around and waited in front of Gwen’s classroom until a group of kids passed.

  As they shielded her from view of the security camera, Janet bent down and slid the essay under the door. With her mission accomplished, Janet ran from Gwen’s classroom to the main entrance.

  Janet kept her word, sort of. She wasn’t about to stand in front of a door with a gunman on the other side, but she did stand near the exit, safely away from the scene, instructing students to go to the football stadium. A few minutes later, the school was dead silent, and Janet exited a hero, the educator who risked her life for her students.

  CHAPTER 77

  Gwen and the Negotiation

  The classroom phone rang again. The first time, Gwen had offered to answer it, but Caleb had told her to sit down. Thankfully, he hadn’t shot Shane.

  “Someone has to answer that,” Gwen said, looking up at Caleb.

  “No,” Caleb said.

  “I’ll answer it,” Aaron Fuller said.

  “No.”

  “That ringing is annoying as fuck,” Drew Fuller said.

  The phone stopped ringing.

  “It’s probably the police,” a girl said.

  “I know who it is,” Caleb replied.

  “Let me talk to them for you,” Gwen said. “I can get you out of this.”

  The phone rang again.

  Caleb looked at Gwen, the handgun pointed to the floor. He motioned with his chin toward the phone. “Go ahead.”

  Gwen stood and hurried to the phone attached to the wall. She picked up the receiver and put it to her ear. “Hello, this is Gwen Townsend.”

  Caleb moved closer to Gwen, now standing in between her and his hostages. Everyone watched Gwen, hoping to glean some information about their fate.

  “Gwen, I’m Trooper Dexter Trombley with the state police. Is anyone injured?”

  “No, everyone’s fine,” Gwen replied.

  “How many students are in there?”

  “Twenty-five—”

  “How many cops are outside?” Caleb said to Gwen.

  “He wants to know how many police officers are outside?” Gwen said into the phone.

  “We’ve had word that Caleb Miles is the gunman,” Trombley said. “Just say yes if that’s correct.”

  “Yes—”

  “How many cops?” Caleb said.

  “How many police officers?” Gwen asked again.

  “I don’t know exactly,” Trombley said. “Tell him a lot of officers are here and that he has our full attention, and we don’t want anyone to get hurt, including him.”

  Gwen turned to Caleb. “He said a lot of police officers are here, and they don’t want anyone to get hurt, including you.”

  Caleb nodded, the wheels turning in his mind. The hostages looked at each other with renewed hope.

  “Ask him if he’s willing to release the kids,” Trombley said.

  “He wants to know if you’ll release your classmates,” Gwen said. “I’ll stay here with you. I won’t
leave you, and I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  Caleb’s shoulders slumped, his head hung for a moment, as if he was resigned to his fate. He turned to his hostages. “Go.”

  The students looked at him but didn’t move.

  Caleb motioned with his gun. “Get the fuck out!”

  “He’s letting everyone go,” Gwen said.

  “That’s great news. Please tell him I said thank you.”

  “He said, thank you,” Gwen said to Caleb.

  “Hang up the phone,” Caleb replied.

  “He wants me to hang up now,” she said before hanging up.

  The students unbarricaded the door and ran from Gwen’s classroom, leaving the door wide open. Shane was the first from the room, pushing his way through the group of students.

  “Do you want me to shut that?” Gwen asked, gesturing to the open door.

  Caleb shook his head and sat at a student desk, his handgun resting on the desktop. He put his head in his hands and sobbed. Gwen thought about grabbing the gun, but there was no way she’d use it, and she wanted his trust, so she approached and put her arm around the boy. Caleb leaned into Gwen, and she bent down and hugged him with both arms. His body shook with his sobs.

  “It’ll be okay,” Gwen said, rubbing the boy’s back. “We’ll fix this.”

  A minute later, Caleb sat up straight, breaking Gwen’s embrace. He sniffled, wiped his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, and said, “I’m sorry, Ms. Townsend.” Caleb stood from the desk, grabbed his gun, and backed away from Gwen.

  “Don’t apologize,” Gwen said, stepping toward him, her hands held out. “I know people have hurt you. I know your home life is difficult. I care about you, Caleb. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

  Caleb took another step back and pointed his gun at Gwen. “Too late.”

  CHAPTER 78

  Caleb and His Holy Grail

  The classroom phone rang again. Caleb had seen enough movies to know what was next. Either he came out, or the cops came in. But this would be on his terms.

  “It’s time to go,” Caleb said, pointing his gun at Ms. Townsend. “I’m gonna hold my gun to your back, and we’re gonna walk out together, but I don’t want you to be afraid. I promise I won’t shoot you.”

  Ms. Townsend nodded, tears slipping from the corners of her blue eyes. “I know you won’t.” She looked to the phone still ringing. “I’d like to tell them that we’re coming out and that you’re not violent.”

  Caleb shook his head and stepped behind Ms. Townsend, poking her in the back with his gun. “Let’s go.”

  “I think this would be much safer for you if you left the gun here.”

  “No. Let’s go.” He prodded her in the back again.

  The halls were empty and dead silent. It was eerie, the only sound their footsteps on the linoleum. They made it to the end of the hall, which opened to the main entrance on their right and the main office to the left. Through the windows on the entrance doors, Caleb saw the army of police officers shielded by their cars and pointing rifles.

  Ms. Townsend stopped. “Caleb, please put down the gun.”

  He took a deep breath and prodded Ms. Townsend forward with the barrel of his gun. “Open the door.”

  She opened the door, and they walked outside, Ms. Townsend in front and Caleb behind her, his gun touching her lower back. The air was crisp and cool, but the sun warmed his black hoodie. Ms. Townsend’s long dress swayed gently in the breeze. A helicopter hovered overhead. Behind the wall of police, reporters and cameramen jockeyed for position.

  She put her hands in the air. “Don’t shoot,” she shouted. “Please don’t shoot.”

  Caleb felt her shaking, her fear reverberating through her body into the barrel of his handgun. He bent into an athletic stance and shoved her with his left hand, using his legs for power. She fell easily, her wedge heels and her shakiness providing a poor base. Caleb raised his gun and ran toward the police.

  He only took a few steps before his body was riddled with bullet holes.

  CHAPTER 79

  Rick’s Banished

  A flurry of gunshots came from the school. Kids screamed and ducked in their seats on the stadium bleachers. Rick looked toward the school, a lump in his throat. He thought about Gwen and her class, hoping she and her students were okay, knowing that at least one person was likely dead. Caleb Miles. Rick thought about the hazing rumors. I didn’t protect him.

  “Stay calm everyone,” Lewis said, from a bleacher near Rick.

  “Mr. Barnett?” a girl said, handing him a clipboard.

  Rick blinked, his mind returning to the task at hand. He took the clipboard from the girl. “Thank you.” Rick glanced over the names, making sure they were legible. He moved to the next row.

  “Everyone, print your name on this sheet. Please print legibly. When your parents come to pick you up, they’ll have to sign you out.” Rick handed the clipboard and paper to the first student in the row. As the kids printed their names and passed the clipboard, Rick surveyed the bleachers. They were filled with students, talking with each other, texting and thumb-swiping on their phones. Lewis and a few other teachers also collected names and provided emotional support.

  Mrs. Moyer and Mrs. Baumgartner sat near the front corner of the bleachers, tapping on laptops. They’d signed in remotely to the school’s database, checking attendance to cross-reference with the names added to the clipboards being circulated. The school had to account for each and every student and staff member. Earlier, Rick had heard them say that Ashlee Miles was absent.

  Principal Pruitt approached the bleachers, his eyes locked on Rick. Shit. Here we go. The chubby principal didn’t bother climbing the bleacher steps. He simply stood at the bottom and called out, “Mr. Barnett. I need to speak with you.”

  Rick addressed the first kid on the row. “When the clipboard comes back, start it down the next row.”

  The boy nodded. “Okay, Mr. Barnett.”

  Rick walked down the bleacher steps.

  Principal Pruitt stood, red-faced. “Where are you parked?”

  “Teacher’s lot.”

  “Let’s take a walk.”

  Rick nodded, and they walked away from the bleachers, cutting across the practice fields, toward the teacher’s parking lot.

  Once they were away from the scene, Pruitt said, “What the heck do you think you’re doing? Don’t you think I have enough to deal with?” Pruitt gestured to the school and the police and media presence.

  “What happened? Is everyone okay?” Rick asked.

  “Caleb Miles held Gwen and her class hostage.”

  “I heard. Was anybody hurt?”

  “Just Caleb.” Principal Pruitt shook his head, his beady eyes brimming with tears. “The police shot him in front of the school.”

  “I’m sorry, Don.”

  Pruitt shook his head. “You can’t be here, Rick. You know that. What the heck’s wrong with you? I should be dealing with this mess, not escorting you to your car.”

  “This school is all I know. These kids are the only family I have left.”

  “You should’ve thought of that before …”

  “I’m being setup.”

  Pruitt sighed. “Did you sign the papers?”

  “Not yet. Burks said I have a week to make a decision.”

  “If you really care about these kids, sign the papers and move on. The last thing this school needs is more bad press.”

  CHAPTER 80

  Janet Does Damage Control

  Janet sat in an interview room at the Swatara Township Police Department. Sitting across from her, at the square table, was Detective Lee Strickland. The detective was middle-aged, short and thin, his cheap suit a bit big. He was clean shaven, his dark hair feathered and parted in the middle. Nineteen eighty-five called. They want their detective back.

  Detective Strickland slid Caleb’s essay encased in plastic across the table. “Do you recognize this paper?”r />
  Janet looked over the essay, giving a good show. “I’ve never seen this before.”

  The detective nodded. “The paper indicates that Caleb was suicidal. Gwen Townsend said she gave it to you and talked to you about it.”

  “I’ve never seen this before.”

  “Why do you think she’d lie?”

  Janet shrugged. “Maybe she’s mistaken. Maybe she went to see the counselor, Mrs. Baumgartner.”

  “Ms. Townsend mentioned that the counselor was out that day.”

  “What day?”

  “Friday, September 16th. We’ve already verified that Mrs. Baumgartner was in fact out that day.”

  “Well, Gwen Townsend didn’t give me this paper. If she had, I would’ve been on the phone with Caleb’s mother that day. I did talk to Gwen about Caleb on that day, if my memory serves me correct.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  “There was an issue in her class between my son, Shane, and Caleb.”

  The detective nodded. “What was the issue?”

  “It was a misunderstanding over some name-calling. You know how teenagers are.” She forced a brief smile.

  The detective narrowed his eyes at Janet. “Ms. Townsend claims that Shane bullied Caleb, called him a faggot, and she went to you for disciplinary action.”

  Janet frowned and shook her head. “That’s not what happened. Yes, she did bring Shane to me for discipline. Normally, this would’ve gone to Principal Pruitt, but he was out that day.”

  The detective nodded, nonplussed.

  “Apparently, Shane called him Farmer Caleb or something like that, but that was after Caleb called Shane and a number of other boys douchebags.”

  “Do you think Shane was lying to you?”

  “Maybe, but, even if he did call Caleb a faggot, and I didn’t find any evidence that he did, it was after Caleb called Shane and several other students douchebags. I suppose I could’ve given both of them detention, but, if I gave detention to every kid who called another kid a name, nearly the entire school would be in detention.”