Time Is Running Out

by Michael Wood

  ‘We need to get you all out of there. Go to the fire door.’

  ‘We can’t. It’s been locked and chained.’

  ‘What?’ Sian asked.

  ‘It’s been chained up. So have the doors at the front of the school. There’s no way out.’

  ‘You’ll all have to climb through the window.’

  Fiona ushered the students to the window. As quickly as possible she helped them up and Scott helped them down the other side.

  Sian dug her mobile out of her pocket and made a call.

  ‘Christian, don’t say anything, just listen. Me and Scott are at the back of the school at the library. The fire door has been chained, locking them inside. We’re getting some of the kids out through a window. I need you to meet them as they come running towards you.’

  ‘Jesus Christ, Sian.’

  ‘You can give me a warning later,’ she said, ending the call. She turned back; three pupils had already made it out of the building. They looked scared, cold and afraid for their lives. ‘It’s ok, you’re safe now,’ she said to one with tears streaming down her face. ‘What I need you to do is put your hands on your head and run as fast as you can to the car park at the front of the school but give the building a wide berth. They’ll be someone waiting for you who’ll show you where to go. Do you understand?’

  The petrified girl nodded.

  ‘Good. Follow me, I’ll show you where to run.’

  Sian led the ever-growing group to the corner of the building. She sneaked a look around and, in the distance, saw Christian looking for her. She raised her arm, and he raised his, acknowledging he’d seen her.

  ‘Did you see that man?’

  The girl nodded.

  ‘That’s who you need to run towards. What’s your name, sweetheart?’

  ‘Isobel,’ she said, her teeth chattering.

  ‘Everyone,’ Sian spoke to the group building behind her. ‘I need you all to follow Isobel. Put your hands on your head and do exactly what she does. Ok, off you go. Run as fast as you can.’

  Sian stood back and watched as the group set off. She saw the flash before she heard the explosion. The glass in the windows of the science lab blew out and the fleeing group of students were thrown to the ground as they were hit with flying debris.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  ‘What the fuck was that?’ Rory asked.

  Christian stood, mouth agape, as he watched the students running towards him fall to the ground as the explosion went off.

  ‘He planted a bomb. The fucker planted a bomb in a school full of kids. The bastard,’ Christian exclaimed as he set off in a run.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Rory said, springing into action and following him.

  They ran, crouched, towards the stricken students. Christian arrived first and bent down to the girl leading the group. She looked up. She was muddy and covered in shattered glass.

  ‘Can you hear me? Are you all right?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said loudly through tears.

  ‘It’s ok. You’re safe. Is anyone else hurt?’

  The other students began to get up, slowly. A few had minor cuts from the flying glass but none appeared to be seriously injured. He quickly told them to continue running and pointed Aaron out, who was waiting to meet them at the incident van.

  Rory stood back, looking up at the hole in the building. ‘What the fuck is this bloke doing?’ he asked Christian.

  ‘I’ve no idea, Rory. But we need to get as many of these kids to safety as quickly as possible. Who knows what else he’s planning.’

  When the science lab exploded, everyone was thrown back by the blast. The students screamed in horror and burst into tears. Scott jumped up and leapt into action.

  ‘We need to get out of here, right now.’

  No longer was the exodus conducted in orderly fashion, but the students began scrambling over each other to get out. Scott and Sian helped, grabbing them under the armpits and yanking them out of the classroom.

  ‘Run. Go. Now. As fast as you can,’ she said as she pushed them towards the middle of the school field where Christian was waiting for them.

  ‘Fiona, where’s Chris?’ Scott asked as he pulled her out of the building.

  ‘I don’t know. He told us all where to go to get out. He was at the back of the group. I thought he’d followed us, but I don’t know, Scott. I’m sorry,’ she said, tears running down her face.

  ‘It’s ok. Don’t worry. Knowing him, he’ll have gone back for his iPhone.’ He laughed, though it was obvious he was worried for his boyfriend.

  With everyone gone, there was only Scott and Sian left. Scott headed for the window and started to climb into the room.

  ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Sian asked.

  ‘I’m going to get Chris.’

  ‘You’re bloody not. That’s what the Armed Response team are here for. They’ll be storming the building any minute now there’s been an explosion. Get back out here now.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Sian. I’m not leaving him in there.’

  ‘Then I’m coming with you,’ she said, grabbing hold of the window frame and easing herself up.

  ‘What? Sian, you can’t.’

  ‘You need to wait out here. If you refuse to do so, then I’m coming in with you.’

  ‘But you’ve got four kids. If anything happens—’

  ‘All the more reason to stay out here and wait for the armed response,’ she interrupted.

  Scott turned away. His bottom lip quivered, and tears began to fall.

  ‘He’ll do something stupid, Sian, I know he will. He’ll put himself in harm’s way to save the kids.’

  ‘He’s a sensible bloke, Scott. You both are. He won’t do anything to risk being injured.’

  ‘You don’t know him. If the only chance he had of saving those kids was him being killed, he wouldn’t hesitate to stand up to the gunman.’

  ‘What are you two doing hanging around here for?’ Rory said, joining them.

  ‘Chris is still in the building,’ Sian replied. ‘Scott wants to go in after him.’

  ‘I don’t fucking think so,’ Rory said, grabbing hold of his best friend. ‘I’m not losing you today as well as Nat.’

  Scott had no choice. He let himself be led away from the building. He walked with heavy legs, dragging his feet on the wet grass, looking back at the school where his boyfriend was trapped inside.

  When they were almost at the car park, Rory’s grip loosened on his arm. Scott took his chance and pushed his colleague out of the way, turned back in a sprint towards the library.

  The explosion rocked the whole building. Chris and a group of a dozen students froze as the building was plunged into darkness.

  ‘What was that?’ someone asked.

  ‘It sounded like a bomb going off.’

  ‘Oh my God, are they blowing the school up?’

  ‘Look, calm down, everyone,’ Chris said. ‘The police wouldn’t blow up the school. Now, we need to get out of here as quickly as possible. Come on, we’ll go through the science labs.’

  Chris led the group along the corridor, down a short flight of stairs and opened the door to the science block. He stopped when he saw the devastation. The explosion had brought the ceiling down. There was no way they’d be able to escape through there. He closed the doors on the chaos and turned back around. He looked at the horrified faces of the students. He didn’t have a clue what to do next. For all he knew he could be leading them into the path of the gunman. He looked over their heads at the corridor that stretched out before him; it looked alien in the dark.

  ‘We need to go back upstairs,’ he said.

  ‘But that’s where the gunman was.’

  ‘I know that, Kwame, but we can’t get out this way.’

  ‘But aren’t we just heading straight for him?’

  ‘I promise, I will not let anything happen to any of you.’

  ‘You can’t make that promise,’ one of
the girls said.

  ‘Lacey, while I’m still breathing, nobody will touch any of you. That is my promise.’

  At the end of the corridor, the double doors were kicked open. Jake stood in the entrance. He placed the Glock in the waistband of his trousers and aimed the rifle at Chris and the students.

  ‘Like fish in a barrel,’ he snarled as he opened fire.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  ‘You are reckless and irresponsible, do you know that?’ Rory said as he caught up with Scott at the entrance to the library and spun him around. ‘You’ve spent all day lecturing me on being professional, on making sure we get the gunman alive and bring him to justice, then you throw it all out of the window to act the hero.’

  ‘I’m not acting anything, Rory. I’m trying to save some lives.’

  ‘Chris’s life.’

  ‘Yes. His, and those of the students he’s with. That’s why we do this job, Rory, to help others. And they need my help right now.’

  ‘That’s what Armed Response are for. They’re equipped to go head to head with a mad gunman. We’re not.’

  ‘And their boyfriend isn’t up there getting shot at. Mine is.’ He shook himself free from Rory’s grip and headed out into the dark corridor.

  ‘Scott…’

  ‘If it was Natasha up there, if she was a teacher instead of a police officer and she was trapped upstairs with a group of students, would you seriously be able to stand outside in the cold and dark and just watch? No. You’d be in the thick of it. You’d be where I am right now. And do you know something, I’d be right beside you, because you’re my mate, and I’d be happy to help you.’

  Rory looked to the floor. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry. Today has been… Well, it’s a fucking nightmare, isn’t it? Come on, let’s find this gunman. Then you can hold him down while I tear his fucking head off.’

  They walked down the corridor, turned a corner and stopped when they saw the sea of dead at their feet. Mostly students, they’d been shot and killed as they’d tried to flee. Neither of the detective constables could comprehend what they were seeing.

  They’d both seen dead bodies before. They’d both attended disturbing crime scenes, but this trumped everything they’d ever witnessed. There must have been twenty students mercilessly shot and killed.

  Scott looked away and wiped a tear from his eye. ‘Why would someone want to do this?’ he asked, a catch in his throat.

  ‘I’ve no idea. Whatever motive these gunmen who open fire in a school give after the fact, it’s all bollocks. Nothing can justify this.’

  They headed for the stairs and stopped when they both heard a noise from one of the classrooms.

  Neither of them were armed, but they couldn’t risk walking past a room full of desperate and helpless teenagers. On the other hand, however, it could be the gunman – hiding, lurking, luring them inside in order to open fire and cause more carnage.

  Rory lifted a fire extinguisher from a bracket on the wall. He didn’t know whether he’d soak the gunman or hit him with it but, either way, it was better to be armed with something than nothing at all.

  Slowly, they approached the first classroom on the left. Standing either side of the door, Scott nodded at Rory who nodded back. They were both ready.

  Scott’s hand was clammy with sweat. He held the brass doorknob and slowly turned it. He pushed open the door and leaned inside. He released the breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding. The room was empty.

  They went to the next room along and repeated the drill. This time, a group of ten students were huddled inside. They were trying to remain silent but their muffled cries in the stillness of the school had resounded. Scott turned on the light. They screamed louder when they saw him enter the room.

  ‘It’s all right,’ he said, raising his hands. ‘I’m a police officer.’

  That didn’t help the kids. They continued to scream and scrambled further out of reach even though there was nowhere else to go.

  ‘I’m not armed. I’m here to get you out.’

  Rory stood alongside him and lowered the fire extinguisher. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I’ve no idea. Look, if you come with us, now, we’ll take you out through the library. But you need to be quick and be quiet.’

  ‘Are you going to kill us?’ one of the girls said. She was sat on the floor, her knees up to her chest, rocking slightly.

  ‘What? No. We’re police.’

  ‘So was the other guy.’

  Rory and Scott looked at each other.

  ‘What?’

  ‘The one who was shooting. He was wearing a police uniform.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Jesus! Look, we don’t know how he got hold of a uniform, but he isn’t a policeman, I promise you. We are. And we’re here to help,’ Rory said.

  ‘How do we know you’re not lying?’

  ‘My name is Detective Sergeant Sian Mills,’ a voice came from behind them. Where she appeared from, they had no idea, but she pushed past Rory and Scott and entered the room, holding her warrant card aloft. ‘I’m with South Yorkshire Police. These are Detective Constables Rory Fleming and Scott Andrews. Here, take my warrant card, have a look.’ She walked calmly and professionally up to the group and handed her card to one of the girls. She unzipped her flak jacket and her coat underneath, holding it open. ‘I’m not armed. I have no weapon on me. Neither do those two. We don’t know whereabouts the gunman is, but there is a safe route out of here if we go through the library, but you need to move now.’

  The girl handed back the warrant card and looked towards the group huddled next to her. Their blank faces didn’t change. None of them were willing to move.

  Sian crouched on her haunches. ‘Look, I have four children, two of them are of a similar age to you. I know what must be going through your heads right now. You’re frightened, and that’s perfectly understandable. But if we don’t move, then the gunman could come down here and we’ll all be killed. There has been far too much death and destruction today and I don’t want there being any more. Now, please, you are literally a two-minute walk away from getting out of this building. That’s all it will take.’ She held out her hand.

  It took a while, but one of the girls eventually reached forward and placed her clammy hand inside Sian’s. Sian pulled her up.

  ‘Good.’ She smiled. ‘Follow me.’

  Reluctantly, the other teenagers began to follow. Once they reached the door to the corridor, Sian stopped and turned to the group.

  ‘I don’t want any of you turning back once we’re out of this room, ok? Many have died today, and it’s not something you need to see. Look straight ahead towards the library. Understand?’

  There were nods of assent.

  ‘Good. Rory, Scott, stand guard at the door, shield the bodies,’ she whispered to them.

  Once the detective constables were in place, she led the group out. She pushed each of the students towards the library, telling them to run, climb through the window and head for the front car park. She turned back to Scott and Rory.

  ‘You two have—’ She was interrupted by a barrage of gunfire from the floor above.

  ‘Chris!’ Scott shouted. He ran for the stairs and took them two at a time.

  ‘Scott, get down here right now,’ Sian called out.

  ‘I’ll go and get him. You make sure the kids are out.’

  ‘Rory, stay safe, please.’

  ‘I will.’ He placed a hand on her arm, smiled, then turned away, heading upstairs after his colleague.

  The first-floor corridor was long and stretched the entire length of the school. At the far side, Rory and Scott could make out a mound of bodies by the door. They were dressed the same, so Scott surmised they were students. He hated himself for thinking it, but he was pleased he wasn’t looking at Chris’s dead body.

  ‘Where the fuck did he go?’ Rory said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  ‘I don’t k
now.’

  Scott’s phone started vibrating. He lifted it out of his pocket. It was Chris. He swiped to answer.

  ‘Chris, where are you?’ he whispered.

  ‘He came for us. He started shooting. I grabbed all I could and ran into a classroom. We’re upstairs, but I don’t know if we’re going to get out.’ His voice was full of fear.

  Tears began to well up inside Scott’s throat. He’d never heard Chris sound so frightened before. It was chilling. He swallowed hard.

  ‘Me and Rory are here. We’re on the long corridor on the first floor. What number room are you in?’

  ‘I’ve no idea… Oh, it’s B-sixteen. One of the girls has just told me.’

  Scott looked at the number of the door they were passing as they edged carefully down the corridor. ‘We’ve just passed B-three.’

  ‘Are we all right to come out to you? Is it safe?’

  ‘We don’t know where the gunman is, but we can get to the library from here and out of the window.’

  ‘We’re coming now.’

  The call ended.

  Scott took a deep breath. He was visibly shaking.

  At the end of the corridor, a classroom door opened, and Chris poked his head out. As soon as he saw Scott, his tense face relaxed a fraction. He looked left and right, then stepped fully into the corridor. Eight students followed. One screamed when she looked at the doors behind them and saw three of her friends shot dead, lying in a bloody heap.

  ‘Come on, this way,’ Rory called out as quietly as he could.

  Chris and the pupils were almost at the top of the stairs where Rory and Scott were waiting for them when the doors at the end of the corridor were pulled open and Jake appeared in the entrance.

  ‘What do I win if I kill the fucking lot of you?’ he shouted before laughing. He aimed the rifle and squeezed the trigger.

  Chris tried to shield the students, and his body jerked as bullet after bullet pierced his skin. He fell, pulling a couple of pupils down with him. They, too, began to fall as the loud burst of gunfire continued.

  Rory grabbed Scott and pulled him into the doorway of one of the classrooms. He held him close and tight until the gunfire stopped. When it did, a heavy silence descended.