Chapter 3
— BACKSTORY —
Damn.
Charlie had forgotten to take his cell off "silent" again after his last class, and while he and Larry sat in his office and discussed the potential new grading policy proposed at yesterday's faculty meeting, Archimedes had called.
He listened to the voice mail, his expression growing more and more unhappy. She left the message almost two hours ago. Called away on assignment. Wouldn't be able to maintain contact from her location, but hoped to be away for only a few days. Loved him very much. Apologized for letting him leave the house in two different colored socks; felt he should be aware of it, and try a little harder while she was gone.
Charlie looked down and stuck his ankles out of his jeans while he listened to the message again. Not even close. One green, one white. How the hell had that happened?
Alone in his own office, he still blushed when he remembered how the hell that had happened. When he came back to their bedroom after his shower that morning, Archimedes was standing in the door of the closet, wearing only a child's football helment that she had found in the back. Her voice was muffled as she tried to yank it off and demanded his help. Of course Charlie had laughed at the picture, and of course he tried to be gentle as he pried the helmet off. It really wasn't his fault that when it finally popped off they both flew backwards and landed in a heap on the floor. It really wasn't his fault that his body had a natural reaction to a naked woman lying on top of him. Therefore, it really wasn't his fault that they had almost both been late for work — and now he was wearing two different colored socks.
He smiled and tossed the phone to the desk — where it slid until it crashed into another. Charlie frowned. Whose phone was … He shook his head. Larry. Larry was becoming a cell afficiando, always hoping for a call from Megan, these days. Charlie reached over and picked it up, saw that there was also a voice mail waiting on this phone. He had to return some books to the math and sciences faculty library. He'd better stop at Larry's class and leave it on the desk for him.
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When Gary had put the handgun, its extra magazine and ammunition into his book bag, he told himself that he didn't really have any plans for it. He just wanted to have it with him today.
He tensed up as soon as Dr. Fleinhardt came into the lecture hall through the faculty entrance in back. The diminutive professor was carrying a stack of papers and a handful of pencils. There had not been a test scheduled for today. Gary would have skipped class if there had. He was already in danger of losing his scholarship.
He began a slow panic when the Dr. announced the surprise quiz, and his groans joined those of several others. He looked around. He could get sick, and leave. It wouldn't be hard. He did feel like he could throw up pretty easily.
Then that asshole Tranden, passing out pencils for Dr. Fleinhardt, paused in front of Gary's chair. He deliberately broke the lead off a pencil on the back of the chair in front of him, then dropped it in front of Gary. "Might as well give this to you, idiot," he said, sneering. " It's not like you even know what class you're in."
Gary knew he was reddening as he grabbed his book bag. "I have my own," he mumbled, reaching inside. Tranden was still laughing, and now the cute blonde in the next chair was laughing at him, too. Gary reached for the pencil in his bag and felt the cold steel.
He was as surprised as they were, when he drew the gun out of his book bag and blew Tranden into the next row of seats.
Having done that, he had to find a way to stop the screaming, so he tried to find the loudest voices and make them stop. He kept yelling at them to stop screaming. Every time someone would not stop, he shot them, too. Finally, he was in a corner near the front of the room. He saw a student reach for the door to the lecture hall, so he fired and was surprised again. He didn't know his aim was that good.
"Nobody else tries to leave," he shouted above the noise. "Nobody says anything! I need … I need you all to be quiet! I have to think!" He saw that he had brought his book bag with him to the front of the classroom, so while he thought, he carefully ejected one magazine and replaced it with a full one.
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He'd have to hurry. The physics class Larry was teaching was about as far from the math class Charlie had to teach next as it could be, and still be considered in the same building. The faculty library was about dead center. So, he'd return the phone, then the books, hopefully get to the classroom early enough to prepare the lesson.
Charlie paused in the hall to look through the window, but the shade was drawn, so he continued on toward the back of the lecture hall. He would just quietly open the faculty entrance door and cross the few feet to the desk, lay the phone down. Larry had planned a surprise quiz for this class, so at least he wouldn't be interrupting a lecture.
He pushed the door open softly, heard Larry's voice. "Garrison, please. Tell me what you want."
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Damn Dr, Fleinhardt. If he hadn't tried to talk to him, Gary would have seen the door opening before he did, and he might not have fired. At least not so many times.
He recognized Dr. Eppes as the first two shots sank him to the floor, and it upset Gary. He liked Dr. Eppes. He was trying to help Gary keep his scholarship. The sudden fear that gripped him translated to the gun in his hand, and he kept firing. There was no human target, anymore, so the white board on the wall took a few hits. A large chunk of it broke off, and crashed on top of Dr. Eppes. It looked like maybe it hit him in the head.
Then Dr, Fleinhardt was moving, trying to get to Dr. Eppes.
Gary didn't mean to shoot him either, but he was still firing.
He saw Dr. Fleinhardt go down.
He saw an unbelievable amount of blood surrounding Dr. Eppes, leaking from his gut, soaking his entire shirt, and one arm of his jacket, and pouring out of his head …
Gary realized that he was one of the voices screaming.
He was sorry. God, he was sorry. He never meant for any of this to happen.
He saw Campus Security barge through the back door, and he barley had time to make it right.
He put the gun in his mouth, and fired once more.