A Silent Terror

by Lynette Eason

  He didn’t recognize the number, but he pressed the button to read it anyway, his mind not on the device in his hands but on how to get the man on the phone and keep him there.

  Then the message caught his full attention. And sent fear shuddering through him.

  A message from Marianna. Somehow, she’d managed to text him.

  Probably from a student’s phone. He didn’t bother questioning how – he was just grateful. But if he responded, would the thing make a noise? He couldn’t take a chance, could only hope for periodic updates.

  He turned back to Dallas and waved his phone. “I’ve got contact. One of the students managed a text.”

  Alarm made Dallas’s eyes go wide. “Oh, man, I hope he doesn’t catch on to that.”

  “Yeah. He’s got a bomb. We need a bomb squad ASAP.”

  Dallas immediately got on the radio, calling for the evacuation of the team that had entered the building. They would let the SWAT team go in and remove as many of the hostages that they could reach without the gunman knowing they were in there.

  What was this guy thinking? What was he doing? What did he want?

  And why wouldn’t he talk?

  Josh had pushed Marianna away, so she slipped back into her seat, thinking, taking in every detail she could process. She stared at the television. Desperately thinking, praying.

  Her cell phone must have rung again, because the gunman pulled it up and pushed a button. Refusing to talk again, Marianna feared.

  Then he was in her face once again. “Where’s that box you keep for that kid Josh?”

  “What?”

  He gave her a shake and her neck whiplashed back, then forward.

  She winced. Wanting to shut her eyes and turn from the foul breath on her face, she instead forced herself to watch his lips carefully. “Pay close attention, teacher. Where’s the box?”

  “That box? This is about that box? I don’t have it.” There was no way she was going to tell him that box was just down the hall in another teacher’s classroom. Where another teacher had a roomful of students.

  A scream of frustration erupted from him, and Marianna cringed,

  this time unable to keep her eyes trained on him. He shoved her aside once more, and she fell on the heating/ air-conditioning unit under the window. When she looked out, she had the view she’d seen thousands of times over the last few years. Only this time, the entire front part of the building was cordoned off, emergency vehicles surrounding it.

  She thought she saw a news camera, various staff members being held back.

  And Ethan standing behind a police car was looking up with an expression she’d never seen on his face before.

  Sheer terror.

  Ethan pushed the raging fear down. Shoved aside the visions of the gun going off and Marianna…

  No, he had to focus, to do his job. Pray as if he’d never prayed before. She’d appeared for an instant. He’d seen her come flying against the window. She must have made the guy mad, and if he refused to answer the cell one more time, things were going to have to change. His commander would pull rank and force an entrance.

  Ethan didn’t want to see that. There had to be a better way. Dallas clapped his shoulder, pulled the blueprints over and pointed out entry points. Kevin, head of campus security, came over. “Can I help in any way?”

  Dallas showed him the blueprints. “We’ve got guys stationed here and here with rifles ready to take him out as soon as we get the word, but he’s staying out of the line of fire. As long as everyone else stays in their classrooms, they should be fine. There’s no way for him to enter the way they’ re set up. Our problem is getting into the room this guy’ s in. Only one entryway. A very small window opening. Not advantageous for us, for sure.”

  “You’ll have to wait him out.” Kevin shook his head.

  “And we can’t get the camera in because of the bomb threat.” Ethan said.

  “Bomb squad’s on the way. SWAT team just arrived.”

  Ethan rubbed a hand over his jaw and glanced back up at the window, pulled out the official cell and dialed Marianna’s number again.

  Marianna watched the intruder alternate between swearing and pacing. Then he pulled her phone from his pocket and slapped it to his ear. “Not talking.” He hung up and looked at Marianna. “You’re lying.”

  She swallowed hard. Lord, Jesus, what do I do?

  Slowly, with even, measured steps, he walked over to stand in front of her. “You’re lying, and if you don’t start talking, I’m going to start shooting.” He moved the gun around, “Now, who do you want to be first?”

  Victoria cringed. Marianna wanted to scream. Josh just watched with a confused expression on his face. Peter still had his head down, and Christopher kept his face buried in Victoria’s arms.

  Marianna lifted her chin. “I might have an idea where it could possibly be. If you’ll let them go, I’ll tell you.”

  He laughed. “You’re not in a bargaining position.”

  “But we have to move. If you would just let them go and keep me, it’ll be a lot simpler.”

  He studied her, then cursed when the phone rang again. But he picked it up, and listened and then said, “Yeah, I want something. I want a million bucks and to live in the Hamptons, but it’s not happening right now.”

  A pause.

  “I tell you what – I’ll let all the kids go. Every last one of them. Get everyone out of the building. Except this room.”

  Another pause.

  “I don’t care about those kids. I don’t want to hurt them. I just need – ” he snapped his mouth shut, then continued “ – get ’em out, but if I see one uniform in here, I’ll start sending out bodies – or just blow the place up.”

  Hope blossomed in her chest. Why the sudden turnabout? Had she managed to convince him? She looked over at Victoria to see if the girl had caught any of the conversation. She had her eyes on Marianna.

  Marianna gave her a slight shrug and shook her head. No more texting. Not yet.

  What did he need with Josh’s box? And how did he even know about it? What had Josh put in there that would cause someone to take an entire building hostage?

  Ten minutes later, to her relief, through the slim side window next to her door, Marianna could see the students and teachers filing past.

  The gunman simply watched the commotion from his perch on her stool, his little bomb sitting on the smaller desk situated in front of the whiteboard.

  Victoria shifted restlessly. Peter still had his head down, refusing to look up. Marianna worried about the long-term effects this would have on him. He was such a sensitive boy. But she couldn’t think about that now. She had to stay calm and cool, think about what she could do to help the authorities get them out of this.

  The gunman stood. She tensed. He moved the pistol her way. She flinched. “Now it’s our turn. Get those kids out of here.”

  Ethan watched the steady stream of students and staff flow from the building and be pulled behind the police line into the safe zone.

  The SWAT team kept it efficient as several others entered the building and swept the rooms they could get to without being seen from the gunman’s room. As the newly released hostages entered the zone, officers patted down each person and checked IDs. Couldn’t be too careful. The principal had been called up to identify each and every person exiting the building as an added precaution.

  Two students followed who made Ethan’s breath hitch in his throat. He recognized them as students from Marianna’s classroom.

  He spoke into his radio. “Hey, what’s the classroom looking like?” “He had the teacher pull the blinds.”

  Ethan sent up a swift prayer. Every hostage situation had its own dynamics, but this…this one was driving him nuts; it was so totally off the charts in the crisis negotiation arena. The process wasn’t working; following procedure was netting him zilch. He was going to have to go with his gut.

  “Chief, I suggest sending the bomb squad in there.
I only received one text message, and the guy won’t stay on the phone. This feels…weird. This isn’t a normal hostage situation. Something tells me this guy hadn’t planned on a bunch of people being here today.” He shook his head, praying he was making the right decision. He looked his chief in the eye. “Send the team in. Now.”

  The man stared at Ethan for a brief moment, searching for something and seeming to find it. He nodded and trotted off. Ethan spun on his heel and approached the student he thought was named Peter and signed, “Can you tell me anything about Marianna?”

  The boy covered his head and shook. Ethan backed away, sorrow filling him. How had these kids lives been changed? How much damage would this do to them? Fury filled him and he vowed to get this guy.

  A hand touched his arm. A dark-headed girl signed, “I’m Victoria.

  I was in the classroom with Ms. Santino. She told the man she’d show him where something he was looking for was. And she’d show him how to get out of the building if he’d let us go. He did, and I saw him pull her out of the classroom.”

  Ethan’s earpiece crackled; then a voice said, “Classroom is empty.

  Bomb squad’s working on the bomb. Guy’ s got the teacher and is on the run!”

  Ethan swung back toward the girl. “Do you know where she would take him?”

  Victoria shrugged, worry pulling her brows toward the bridge of her nose. “No. There’s no way out except this door and the one on the other end. Oh, and the one door upstairs.”

  Ethan envisioned where he had men stationed. All those doors were covered. If the guy so much as stuck his head out, a sniper would put a bullet in it.

  He looked around, then back at the building. All students and staff were accounted for – except Marianna and the gunman.

  Marianna stumbled along after her captor. She debated taking him down to Cleo’s classroom but knew as soon as she gave him what he wanted, she was dead.

  Quickly, she’d said, “I don’t have what you’re looking for. But I might be able to help you find it. There are a couple of places it could be.”

  “Shut up,” he’d snarled. But Marianna persisted.

  “I’ll help you search the entire building, plus I know another way out, a way past the police. I promise.” Another question struck her.

  Why did he have a bomb with him if he’d thought the building would be empty?

  Cold chills broke out over her flesh as she answered her own question. Because if he didn’t find what he was looking for, he would blow the place up and leave absolutely no trace of it, just in case it was here and he didn’t find it. Which meant he couldn’t take a chance on someone seeing it.

  “I don’t have time to search this building. As soon as they realize we’re not in that classroom, they’ re going to swarm this place.” His gaze narrowed, “Now find it so I can get out of here.”

  Her heart fluttered in fear. She started to speak when he flinched.

  She wondered what he had heard. He grabbed her arm. “Someone’s coming.” He pulled her around, his blue eyes glittering down into hers, his mouth tight as he demanded, “Get me out of here or I’ll blow you away right now…and anyone else I come across, got it?”

  “Yes.” She shook. He was serious. He wouldn’t have any reservations about shooting her. But he needed her right now. She took a deep breath. “Follow me.”

  “What a waste of…” he muttered. “I can’t believe this has…all this trouble for a stupid box that’s possibly not even here.”

  Marianna watched his face, his lips move, the shape of his jaw, the outline of his lips, the slight tilt to his head. And blinked. Could it be? No, no way.

  But she knew it was. A deaf person was very aware of body language, and his just shouted his identity.

  Shock and disbelief racked her.

  She knew him. Knew who this man holding the gun was.

  Her mind sputtered, stalled. How? Why?

  Her danger meter just rang off the charts. If caught, this man had a lot to lose. And Marianna knew he had no intention of being caught.

  And if he realized she knew his identity, she was as good as dead.

  Against his boss’s wishes, Ethan ran into the building, ordering, “Don’t come after me until I call for help. If we all descend on him, he’ll kill her.”

  “Ethan, you’re going to get yourself killed.” Victor’s voice came through loud and clear, but Ethan’s focus was on Marianna’s safety, not his own. He darted down to the classroom and screeched to a halt Empty. Just as he’d been told. Where would they go? The roof?

  No. As clear as if Marianna had whispered it in his ear, he knew.

  The basement.

  But no exit door had been shown on the blueprints. He’d specifically looked to see if he needed coverage on one. Why would she go down there? She’d have no way of getting out. Cold terror swept his insides. Marianna was sacrificing herself for her students.

  Probably trying to buy some time. Did she have a plan? Did she think she could get away from the guy while down in the basement? Or did she know something he didn’t?

  Spinning from the door, Ethan headed for the steps that would lead him down. With fingers wrapped around his gun, he kept his focus, his senses tuned to the atmosphere around him.

  I’m coming, Marianna, I’m coming.

  Marianna felt her ankle twist in the dimly lit area as she maneuvered over and around the accumulation of stuff The basement held tons of storage from years past. File cabinets littered the area along with boxes of long forgotten books, paper, files. A path had been cut through the mess, and she knew this was because maintenance workers had to get down here occasionally to work. Or flip a switch in the breaker box. Her left hand caught on a stack of files, sending them to the floor.

  Her captor didn’t stop, just tugged her along. She had to figure out a way to get away from the man, who kept a tight grip on her upper right arm. If she could get free and could get to the Mace she had in her front right pocket…

  But he hadn’t let go of her aim.

  Please, Jesus, help me. Let me have a clear mind, be smart.

  Think, Marianna. Look around you. Get away from him.

  But there was no way. He yanked her around to face him. “Show me. I need out of here, now. There’s no way I’m getting caught, you understand?”

  She nodded, her brain humming. He just needed to let go of her.

  And if she couldn’t get to the little canister in her pocket, she needed some other kind of weapon. Meeting his eyes, she shivered at the coldness there. Death stared back at her.

  Swallowing hard, she pointed to the back. He pushed her on, over to the window with the broken latch. She had discovered it just a couple of weeks ago when she’d followed a stray cat who’d recently given birth. The cat had slipped inside, and Marianna knew she had kittens she was taking care of.

  She’d planned to report it to the maintenance department but had wanted to give the kittens time to grow a bit before they were forced from their home. Now, perhaps her compassionate nature might be the deciding factor in whether this man let her go or shot her.

  Depending on if he thought he could lit through the window.

  Marianna doubted he could lit but hoped he would try. Maybe it would give her a chance to run, since she feared he would not let her go once he had his escape down. She shuddered. As soon as he was distracted, she needed to be able to act immediately, needed to be quick and smart.

  Please give me an opening, just a chance to get away.

  She was going to use the fact that she knew the layout of the basement much better than he. If she could just get out of his sight, she might have a chance. But as long as he kept a hand clamped on her arm, she wasn’t going anywhere.

  Her eyes darted. The lighting was poor, but maybe that could work to her advantage also.

  If she could get away, she could hide somewhere – behind the massive number of bookshelves, a filing cabinet; anything would do.

  When he shove
d her in front of him, she stumbled, her knee banging the side of a file cabinet. Pain shot up her leg, but she ignored it. That was minor when compared with the bullet she felt quite sure was waiting for her as soon as he decided he didn’t need her anymore.

  “Here.” She pointed to the window that sat at face level. He pulled her back, moved her to his right side and gripped her upper left arm with his right hand this time. With the gun, he reached up and shoved the window open. It slapped back down, and he turned back to Marianna.

  The voice growled, “Sit there.” His lips curved into a cruel smile as he shoved her onto a sturdy wooden crate.

  She sat.

  Breathing a prayer of thanks, she shoved her right hand into her front pocket. Fingers curled around the can of Mace just as he swung the gun around to aim it point-blank at her heart.

  Ethan stepped lightly down the steps, his gun gripped tight in his right hand, his eyes finally adjusting to the darker environment. He heard scrapes, a thud, come from up ahead. The radio crackled in his ear, but he didn’t dare answer. Right now, he figured the guy probably thought no one knew where he was. And he sure didn’t want to tip off the attacker to the contrary. He kept his breathing shallow, ignored the adrenaline infusing him.

  Move slow; move smart. Don’t dwell on the fear that if you fail, she’ll die.

  He couldn’t stop the mental picture of him screaming, of Ashley never knowing he called her name, of Ashley being hit by the car, flying through the air. His feelings of helplessness, horror, the crippling guilt that he couldn’t protect her.

  But now Marianna needed him. He breathed deeply. He ordered himself, to focus, keep it together. Lord, I need You.

  Three more steps brought him to the bottom of the staircase. Breathing through his nose, he held himself still, tuned his ears to the slightest sound.

  Nothing. He kept moving, heard a whisper, felt the chill of musty air brush by like a swish of evil against his face. He shivered, not from the cold but from the oppressiveness he felt. In his mind he quoted every verse he could think of. I will never leave you nor forsake you.