a/n: Posting this before work so I'm sure I will come home, reread it, and correct a billion things but oh well. Posting it unedited is better than not posting for two years, right? :)
The rain started coming down harder. Gail was thankful because it masked the murmuring and occasional crying of the kids hiding in the kitchen. The counselors tried to keep everyone as quiet as they could but some of the kids were terrified and had trouble staying silent. The two men were still outside but they had split up. One had headed toward the admin building while the other was just outside the cafeteria trying to peer inside through the wooden slats. Gail was glad she had sent Holly to the kitchen to make sure everyone had their phones on silent and to try and help with the kids because he was stuck in a corner in the open eating area. It wouldn't have hidden a second person from the flashlight's beam shining into the room.
Gail had grabbed a discarded dark hoodie off the floor before they closed in on the building and she replaced her soaked shirt with the dry material, using the hood to hide her hair. Then she slowly moved closer to the closest window to try and get a better view of the man outside as his flashlight moved across the floor of the room. He was inspecting the remnants of the sleepover and she was hoping that whoever they were they would think everyone had left due to the storm and keep moving. The wooden window slats and the angle of the corner she was hiding in meant she couldn't make out much about him except that he was big, he was wearing a big jacket and boots appropriate for the weather, and he had the unmistakable glint of a handgun to go along with his flashlight.
Whoever these people were they were not here to play nice.
The guy who had split up and headed to the admin building came running back over and they spoke quietly and quickly with each other. While they were turned away from the building, Gail quickly moved across the wall toward the kitchens and turned into the doorway behind the serving station. All eyes fell on her and she could see the panic and fear on everyone's faces. Gail knew she couldn't mess this up.
Dov looked like he wanted to ask her something but Gail quickly signaled for him to stay silent. The downpour on the cafeteria roof was covering the quiet sounds from the handful of crying kids but Gail didn't want to even risk the chance of a voice being heard by the armed men outside. The thought of the gun was suddenly at the forefront of Gail's mind she looked around the kitchen and signaled for Dov to follow her when she found her target.
Some of the windows of the cafeteria's eating area were visible from the kitchens through the serving area so Gail was careful to make sure she and Dov remained completely out of view of them as she moved across the open portion of the kitchen. Reaching their destination, Gail pulled open a drawer and presented Dov with a variety of cutlery. Dov looked at the knives and then back up at Gail, meeting her eyes.
Dov was terrified.
No. They were both terrified.
They weren't trained officers. They were two idiots who thought summer camp sounded like a fun, relaxing break away from their lives. Yet here they were, crouched down in a kitchen in the middle of the the night confronted by the danger and uncertainty they already knew would fill their futures. Gail knew that if it came down to it there wasn't much that knives were going to do against men with guns but they really didn't have any other choice.
Dov nodded and took one of the knives with a shaking hand. Then Gail almost jumped when Chloe also grabbed one from her because she hadn't expected Santa's elf to follow after them. However, Chloe must have realized what Gail had been going for though she was there looking just as scared as them to be holding something they might actually have to use as a weapon. After an uneasy moment between them, the three head back over to the rest of the group hiding in the corner.
Gail looked over at Holly and saw that she had been watching them the entire time and Holly's eyes flickered between the knife in Gail's hand and back to her eyes. However, Holly didn't move or say a word. She simply offered a small smile that faded as quickly as it had appeared. Gail tried to smile back but she was sure it looked more like a grimace. Then Gail quietly and quickly moved back out of the kitchen just behind the serving station.
The men had moved away from the main doors of the cafeteria and headed to the side facing the admin building. They seemed to be watching something toward the parking lot and Gail watched from behind the serving station as both men tucked their firearms into their belts at the small of their backs, just under their jackets. While the big guy that Gail had inspected before kept his hand on his the smaller guy pulled his jacket down and walked forward a few steps. Confused, Gail moved along the wall closer to the windows. Someone was outside with them. Someone they were greeting.
"Hey there!"
Gail was crouched below the window just on the other side of the wall from the men and she could hear one of them call out. She assumed it was the small guy.
"Hey," called Andy.
Gail's eyes went wide. She had completely forgotten about Andy coming back from helping her dad or maybe she just figured the idiot wouldn't have come back in the middle of the night after the storm had gotten worse. Whatever the case may be, Andy was back and she was in a a lot of danger. Looking over at Dov, who was just on the edge of the serving station and also listening she could tell she wasn't the only one who had let Andy slip their mind. Gail quickly pulled her phone from her pocket and texted Andy, making sure to keep any of the light from her dim phone from being seen.
"Did you see-," started the big guy but he was soon cut off by his friend.
"Hey, uh," said small guy. "Wasn't there a summer camp happening here?"
"What?" Gail could hear Andy's voice more clearly and a lot closer now. She must have moved up onto the deck with the men. Gail prayed that Andy's pause in conversation was her checking her phone. "Oh. Oh yeah. There was. We packed everyone up because of the storm. Were you looking to pick up a camper?"
"Everyone that was here is gone? They just left all their stuff in there?"
"Well, we didn't expect the storm to get this bad. I just came back to get the kids' medication that got left behind," said Andy. "We're down the road at um...you know that motel that's just in town? Next to the diner."
"So, you haven't seen anyone up here?" asked the big guy.
"Other than you guys, nope," said Andy as casually as she could. Then she paused and changed her tone. "Should I be worried about someone being up here? Have you guys seen someone?"
"No. No. We haven't seen anyone," said the small guy. "Hey, do you think I could pick up my kid's stuff while I'm here? You know, before we go to the motel to pick him up."
"Oh. Uh. Are you sure you'll know what's his? It's kind of a mess in there." Andy's voice faltered.
"I'm positive."
Gail swallowed hard and looked to Dov who looked as uneasy as she felt. There was no way Andy was getting in through the locked and barricaded doors and there was no way Gail was going to let those armed goons anywhere near the kids inside, let alone the one they were after.
"Well, you know I'm not even going in there. I was only given the key for the nurse's office. I only came over to see if you guys needed help," said Andy.
Gail heard the guy grunt and peeked out of one of the slats to see him pull the gun from under his jacket. The big guy followed suite and in a second Andy had two guns pointed at her. She threw her hands up and froze.
"Look, I'm tired of playing. You're going to let me the fuck in this building or I'm going-"
"FREEZE! PUT THE GUN DOWN!"
Gail shot up and looked out the slats of the window at the sound of her brother's voice. Steve was standing just behind the two goons with his gun drawn and trained on the one closest to Andy. Another officer ran up just behind Steve with his weapon trained on the other guy. Flood lights popped on from the direction of the parking lot and the comforting sight of blue and red lights filled the darkness.
A wave of relief rushed over Gail as the two men surrendered without a word. As soon as their guns were on the ground two officers had them pinned against the wall with handcuffs at the ready. Steve moved to Andy to check on her and Gail yanked the shutters that she was at open. Steve jumped slightly and pointed his gun toward the window but he moved the barrel back to the goons and smiled when he saw it was just Gail. Andy looked like she was about to pass out but gave Gail a small wave.
Leaving the knife on the floor where she had been crouched, Gail rushed to the kitchens to see the stove being moved from in front of the back door and a couple of EMTs head into the room. Gail was about to push passed a couple of teens to get to where Holly was helping April with Jarred when her mother's voice cut through the room stopping her in her tracks.
"Gail!"
Gail turned to get swept up into an uncomfortable hug by her mother but she couldn't just shove her mother off of her. Could she? It was certainly tempting. Had everything really taken long enough for her mother to get to the camp? Why did Elaine even show up? No, actually Gail was pretty sure she knew exactly why her mother was there and if she found a single news truck in the parking lot she was going to be sick.
"Gail, I'm so glad you're alright. I called everything in the second you hung up," said Elaine.
The hug broke but Elaine was still holding on to Gail's arms which kept her stuck in place. All Gail wanted was to get to Holly. Being stuck with her overbearing mother was pretty much the exact opposite of that in her head.
"Come with me, you're going to give your statement to the sergeant and then I'm taking you home."
"What? I'm not-"
Gail tried to turn toward the last place she saw Holly but Elaine was already pulling Gail toward the kitchen's back door.
"This way," said Elaine.
It was futile to try and resist her mother's directions so Gail was dragged outside and under an open umbrella. Elaine had obviously had an officer waiting for her to emerge from the kitchen in order to stay even remotely dry in the downpour. They were led to the admin building that now had lights on and was swarming with officers and, to Gail's disgust, at least one reporter. Doing what Gail did best in forced social interactions with others, she zoned out during all the introductions and small talk between Elaine and the nearby police department's Sergeant Luthor. He was a man in his late 40s with a bushy mustache Gail's father would envy. Gail ran through the events of the night with Sergeant Luthor as he filled out a report. She focused on what happened after she stepped out for air so that she wouldn't feel like she was omitting anything about accidentally getting high or any of the specifics of any moment she spent with Holly and thankfully the Sergeant didn't care about much leading up to Gail's discovery of Jarred.
Gail had to really force herself to focus on the conversation. Her mind kept drifting to Holly and how it was only just recently that Gail and Holly had been sitting and watching Abbot and Costello videos exactly where the Sergeant was standing. Over the past hour, Gail had been so focused on trying to make sure everyone was going to be safe but such a big part of that was Holly. She had to keep Holly safe. If something had happened to any one of those kids or any of the staff, her friends, she didn't think she would handle it well but if something had happened to Holly...well, Gail didn't think she'd be able to live with herself.
"That should be everything for now," said Sergeant Luthor. "If we need anything else we'll give you a call, Ms. Peck."
The sergeant clapped a hand to Gail's arm and smiled at her.
"You're gonna make a great cop someday," he said before addressing Elaine. "You're more than welcome to take her home now, Superintendent. Like I said, we have your information if we need to go over anything or ask anymore questions."
"Thank you, Sergeant Luthor. Make sure you remember to call me about the gala."
As Elaine started to direct Gail toward the front doors, Gail actually managed to hold her ground for a second. After a moment, Elaine's words had sunk in through Gail's daydream and Gail managed to realize what was happening.
"I can't just leave," said Gail.
Elaine stopped and looked over at the sergeant who was already talking to another officer before addressing Gail.
"You don't have to worry about your things," she said. "Your brother is going to stay here and collect them all. Right now my main priority is getting you home. Your father is worried sick. If he didn't have an important meeting in the morning he would have come himself."
Of course. A meeting is always more important than your own child.
"I'm not just worried about my stuff," said Gail.
Elaine and Gail both silently stood and watched each other for a moment. Gail didn't need to actually say that she wanted Elaine Peck to know that she was saying she wanted to stay for Holly.
"I'm sure your friends will understand that you want to go home to be with your parents after such a life threatening ordeal," said Elaine in the kind of tone that Gail knew meant her mother was done with this conversation and there was no getting out of it.
Weeks of not feeling like an Elaine Peck model robot were gone in seconds. It was like she had never been at summer camp. Like she had never been her own person. The realities of her life not being her own came flooding back to her. If Gail was being honest with herself, which she never was, the whole ordeal of the night had made her realize there was nothing more that she wanted to be than a police officer. But knowing that it was what she was being forced into doing made the unbearable suffocation of expectations come flooding back into her chest.
Gail resigned herself to being led out onto the porch where they were photographed while Elaine shared false pleasantries with the reporter. Then the officer with the umbrella escorted them out to Elaine's waiting car in the nearby parking lot. Gail didn't bother trying to stand under it. She let the pouring rain soak through the borrowed hoodie and let the cold air soak into her skin as she tried to choke back the tears that threatened to fall.
What would Holly think about her leaving so abruptly? Of course Gail would text her as soon as she was in the car but would Holly understand? Would Holly think she didn't care? What if Holly thought that Gail was bailing without saying goodbye just because the summer was over?
Would Holly even care that she was gone?
Gail climbed into the back seat of Elaine's car. She didn't want to be any closer to her mother than she had to be on the drive back home. Gail pulled out her phone and just stared at lock screen picture of her and Holly before sending a short message and lying down.
Holly stood on the porch of the admin building watching Gail's mother pull out of the parking lot and disappear into the trees. After everything that had happened that night the last thing she had expected was watching Gail leaving without so much as a goodbye. Trying to not focus on the tight feeling in her chest, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and unlocked it to read the text she'd felt her phone receive a moment ago.
"I'm sorry."
Holly rolled her eyes and shoved her phone back into her pocket. She spotted April helping a couple campers get back to their bunks and decided that if she just focused on helping out then maybe she could ignore how she felt. It would certainly be a long night and making sure everyone got home safe the next day would be equally taxing. Holly just needed to breathe and focus on what needed to get done. She couldn't let herself get distracted again.
a/n: remember long ago when I said there wasn't going to be any angst? oops, I lied. I can promise it won't last long? does that make it better? haha.