Cady rolled up to the student parking lot on the east end of the school over by the football field, where throngs of kids were gathered.
She dashed out of the driver's seat of her car, vest already on, Walt hot at her heels. Across the lot, in a sea of Wyoming Highway Patrol cars, BIA cars and units from neighboring counties, she spotted Zach and the Ferg speaking with Mathias. She broke out into a full run, approaching them.
"Tell me what's going on," she said.
"Kid has an entire classroom held hostage in a chemistry lab on the first floor," Mathias answered. "Somehow got an AR-15 in the building and just started shooting anyone who was in his way. We managed to get most everyone in the school out, but we can't reach these kids."
"Kid's name is Spencer Tall Oak," Zach said with a sigh. "The kids out here told me he's kind of a nerdy type. Straight-A student. Nice kid, but not very popular."
"A target for the bullies," Cady finished. "Got tired of it and snapped."
"Exactly."
"Can we talk to him? If we go in there, guns blazing, he's liable to take out the whole class."
"Yeah," Mathias said. "I have a megaphone in my car. We can talk to him from out here."
A minute later, he returned, megaphone in hand.
"I'll try to talk him down, Mathias," Walt said, motioning for the younger man to hand him the megaphone.
He flipped the switch on and, with a high pitched squeal, the megaphone turned on.
"Spencer," he said. "Spencer, my name is Walt. I'm here to help you. Why are you doing this?"
A dark-haired young man appeared in one of the open windows. Cady deduced that he was maybe seventeen, probably a Res kid (which likely contributed to the bullying), and definitely at the end of his rope. He had a baby face, though, that made him look a few years younger than he was. This was a kid that truly saw no other way out.
"I'm sick and tired of this goddamn school! I'm gonna make everyone pay! Four goddamn years of getting beat up every day and no one's done a fucking thing to help me!"
"I need you to take a breath for me, Spencer. I know people have hurt you, but this isn't the way to make things better. Let the other kids out and we can sit down and talk."
"It's too late for that! You have no idea! None!"
"I do," Walt said. "I know what it's like to feel hopeless and like there's no way out. But there is, Spencer. There always is."
He turned the megaphone off and turned toward Cady.
"We need to get those kids outta there, Punk. I'll keep talking to him, you and the Ferg go around back and try to get those kids out."
The chemistry lab was situated near the east end parking lot, near a set of double doors leading to the gymnasium next door.
Cady, motioning to the Ferg – who was trailing behind her – to be quiet, wordlessly opened another set of double doors leading to the same hallway as the chemistry lab. The fire alarms, which a student had likely pulled during the evacuation procedures, blared as the strobe lights bounced off the floor. Disorienting as it was to Cady, she was thankful that the alarms covered up any noise she and the Ferg made.
After the longest thirty seconds of Cady's life, she and Ferg reached the classroom door.
"Get behind me," she whispered to him. "You get the kids out, I'll take him down."
"Cady, are you crazy?"
"Just do it."
As quietly as possible, Cady opened the classroom door. Her stomach turned as the first thing she saw by the table up front was Mr. Runyon, the chemistry teacher, lying unconscious – possibly dead, Cady thought – on the floor. Thanking God once again for fire alarms, she pointed Ferg in the direction of a group of kids, huddled and crying in a corner of the room.
"All right," Ferg whispered. "I want you to get out of this room and run toward the door. Go to the police officers. Do not stop for anything, you got that?"
The kids nodded.
"Move."
Cady, pistol in hand, moved toward Spencer as the last of the kids left the room.
"Spencer? Spencer, it's over. Put yo –"
Clearly spooked, he turned around toward her. Before Cady could process what was happening, let alone defend herself, Spencer pulled the trigger, striking her in the thigh. With a cry, she felt her legs give out from under her and she hit the tile floor. A split second later, another shot rang out and Spencer hit the floor, dead.
"Cady?! Cady, talk to me!
He reached up and grabbed the radio attached to his shirt sleeve.
"Zach, Mathias, she's hit!"
Ferg looked down at Cady's paling face as he began to undo his belt. He went to wrap it around Cady's leg, cursing to himself as he tightened the belt above the wound to try to stop some of her bleeding. Blood rapidly pooled under Cady's body and as she began to shiver, Ferg took his jacket off and covered her with it.
"You're going to be all right, Cady," he said, brushing a strand of fiery red hair away from her face.
After what seemed like an eternity, Walt came racing into the classroom, followed closely by Zach. The older man kneeled down by his daughter's side, covering her wound with his hands.
"Talk to me, Punk."
Suddenly, Cady found, it was a battle to keep her eyes open. She was so cold, so tired, and all she wanted to do was sleep.
"Cady!"
"Da...I love you."
"I know, Punk. I know."
The last thing she heard before her vision faded to black was the distant wailing of the fire alarm and her dad's anguished voice pleading for her to hang on.