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Chapter 8

The crimson spot spread unevenly across the surface of Roger Sullivan's white t-shirt. The look of terror in his eyes indicated he had been caught off guard. The pain was evident as he clutched his chest and then collapsed slowly to the floor. Hanson and Penhall both turned and caught the eye of Trumble's henchmen Willy Burke. Who watched with wide eyed wonder as the ex-Marine collapsed and fell to the floor. Burke glanced over to where Booker lay crumpled and unconscious against a door. He then turned his attention to Hanson who was fighting Penhall to go to Sullivan's aid.

"Hold it!" Harry Ioki shouted as he shoved himself past Hanson and Penhall. He had his weapon trained on the bulky janitor who looked as if he was going to finish Booker off next. Ioki's lengthy ink colored locks clung to his face as the water continued to rain over the officers.

"Get off Penhall…" Hanson shrugged the bigger officer off of him as Ioki shoved Burke forcefully into the wall while reading him his Miranda Rights.

Hoffs and Fuller rushed in at the same time as the rain falling inside of the school was finally cut off. Noting that all other officers were moving on their own Hoffs skidded to a halt on the floor next to Booker who was struggling to open his eyes.

"Am… am I… dead?" Booker whispered in choked hushed tones.

"No… you're still breathing." Judy soothed.

"Darn…" Booker coughed again. He poked out his bottom lip as he closed his eyes to the pain bombarding his head.

"Why?" Judy asked with a soft smile.

Booker let his eyes flutter open again and he answered softly.

"I thought I saw… an angel that looked a lot like Judy Hoffs…" his voice trailed off again as he closed his eyes and lost consciousness once again.

Judy furrowed her brow as she gently ran her coffee colored fingers across the bruise rising on the side of his filthy face.

"Shhh… you had your shot Booker… just rest now." She forced a smile across her lips as Ioki glanced down at her the look of concern flashing across his face as he shoved the janitor across the corridor and through the front door.

Adam Fuller ran back out the door shouting for medical help with the four men in the building. He watched as Ioki shoved the burly janitor into the waiting arms of four Metro officers.

"Get him out of here." He seethed as he turned his attention back to the doorway.

"Do you see the principle… Trumble?" Penhall asked gasping for a breath as Fuller walked back into the building. The officer clung tightly to his ribs while he spoke to his captain. Fuller grabbed the young officer's shoulders helping to study the man who was starting wobble on his feet. "He did this… he's the mastermind behind all of this. He's also the dealer we've been looking for. He's pushing the kids out he doesn't want here."

"Silk suit?" Ioki asked his cat like eyes surveying the crowd of students who were watching the fire department as they tried to clean up the fire hoses. They started to part the waters for the on coming ambulance.

"Gray…"

"Got'em." Ioki whispered to nobody as he began walking towards the neatly dressed fashion forward man.

Ioki jumped off of the cement rise that led to the school. He was followed rapidly by Adam Fuller and three other Metro PD officers. The principle must have realized he was in trouble as he took off rushing through the scores of students gathered to watch in nervous anticipation.

--

"Mr. Sullivan… come on…" Hanson cradled the teacher in his arms as he struggled to regain his breath.

"You… did… good Tom…" Sullivan gurgled as he continued to struggle to breathe.

"Hang on sir… please hang on." Hanson continued to encourage his new found friend. "We need help now!" Hanson shouted as he watched the life slip from Roger Sullivan's eyes.

Doug Penhall watched silently from where he had slipped to the floor waiting for the medics to be given access to the school. His head rested heavily on a young female firefighter's chest. He flinched as he watched the older man struggle for breath. He shuddered as he watched Judy looking around helplessly as she held Booker's head in her lap. His eyes still closed to the world around him. A first responder from the fire department was bouncing from one person to the next evaluating injuries when three men charged into the school toting a stretcher, oxygen tank and cardiac monitor with them.

"We need to get him out of here." The taller woman shouted to the man to her right as she ripped the material of Sullivan's white t-shirt.

"…you're… a good… cop… lousy student…" Sullivan tried to smile through the blood now dribbling from his lips. His teeth were deep crimson from the liquid which had begun to fill his lungs. He was drowning in his own fluids and there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Sullivan held his grip on Hanson's hand as the medics loaded him onto the cot and forcefully separated the two men.

"NO!" Hanson screamed as two Metro officers restrained him while the teacher was rushed to the back of the ambulance to be transported to County.

"This one needs to go next." The young female holding Penhall shouted.

"This one is pretty bad too." A young male sitting with Hoffs and Booker protested.

Hanson looked over at Booker whose wrists were an awful shade of red and white. They were also covered in broken and unbroken blisters. The metal hand cuffs still hung like a bracelet on Dennis's right wrist. His face was a bloody mess while the left side of his face revealed an ever darkening bruise across his temple and his eye; running down his cheek fading just above his cheekbone.

Penhall was growing pale as he continued to clutch his chest like a child holding tight to his favorite toy. His face wasn't battered as badly as Booker's but he was still a mess of soot and smoke. He had closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again making eye contact with his best friend. He swallowed hard and blinked. He took a breath coughed. He tried to smile but it was obvious he was in a lot of pain. Hanson walked over to him and took one of his hands in his own.

"You're gonna be okay Doug." He offered with tears in his eyes.

"Thanks…" Doug answered softly as he squeezed the hand in his own. His best friend… his partner... "Thanks… for finding us…" he squeaked.

Hanson tried to smile but all he could feel were tears running down his face. He turned his head to see Booker being loaded onto a gurney. His face was covered with an oxygen mask. He was then covered with a heavy blanket. Hoffs was pushed to the side where she leaned against the wet wall watching the people shuffle Booker out of the school. She rubbed her tired eyes with the tips of her fingers as she watched them move to Penhall who wasn't fighting at all with being placed on the cart. It wasn't long until Penhall was strapped down and moving towards the door. Hanson rose to his feet and joined Judy against the wall. She laid her head on his comfortable shoulder. The two followed Penhall from the school and stood at the top of the steps watching the ambulance carrying their friends depart. Now all they could do was wait.

--

"Hold it Trumble!" Ioki shouted as the Ken doll like principle pushed and shoved his way through endless waves of students. He was heading past the athletic complex towards the student parking lot. He turned a corner and continued on his path to freedom. Ioki kept up with his pace but was having trouble cutting off his lead… until he made a big mistake.

Bill Trumble ran across a path for student access into the parking lot and collided with a battered blue Toyota rolling onto the hood, smashing the windshield and then rolling onto the ground. The man lay still on the ground in apparent shell shock over being hit by a car. He rolled onto his back as Harry Ioki pulled his weapon and pointed into the older man's face.

"Next time… look… both ways when crossing. You're under arrest!" The handsome Asian man huffed.

"Great… job… Harry…" Fuller arrived and bent over at the waist holding tightly to his knees drawing in deep breaths.

The two were soon joined by the additional Metro officers who pulled the man off of the ground, his suit paints ripped at the knees and his nose trickling blood. His always neatly placed hair was scattered almost like a wind tousled birds feathers. He grunted loudly as he taken to the police car to await an ambulance to transport him to be checked out.

The young female student emerged from her battered vehicle shedding tears of concern and shame for hitting the older man; her schools principle administrator.

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean too… I…" an officer from Metro sat the young driver down and began to get a statement from her.

Fuller took a deep breath and looked down at this young officer who looked on as he watched the three ambulances departing the school in a hurry. He knew that two officers and a brave teacher were on their way to the hospital.

"Come on Harry… lets get Hanson and Hoffs and head out."

"Sure thing Cap'n." Ioki nodded as they walked back towards the school.

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