Against All Odds

My Father's Gun (Part Three)

Troy quietly made his way through the hallways, trying to find any sign of Gabriella as he did so. He had already been to the cafeteria and the library only to find both completely deserted.

Turning a corner in the hallway, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and immediately stepped into a niche in the wall. He pulled out the phone and sighed when he saw it was from Chad, but felt relieved when it said they had all made it outside safely.

He put the phone back in his pocket and turned his head at the sound of someone's voice from down the hall. He stepped back out into the hallway and saw a girl turn the corner in front of him, running quickly towards him. He recognized her as a freshman girl who was in his gym class last semester, but was unable to recall her name.

"Troy!" She called out quietly as she approached him. "You have to get out of here."

She grabbed his arm and tried to drag him in the opposite direction.

"Why aren't you coming?" She asked in a crazed, shrill voice. "The shooter is down there. We have to get out."

Troy looked away from her and down the hallway. "Was Gabriella with him?" His eyes returned to the girl's.

The girls eyes started to water and she nodded before turning away from his gaze.

"I can't go with you. But if you head towards the east doors, you should be able to get out safely. I didn't see anyone."

"Troy!" The girl whined again.

"Go. Now." He said with a firm voice, turning the opposite direction. He didn't say anything else to her, and began running. Something about the way the girl reacted when he asked about Gabriella frightened him more.

A few moments later he turned yet another corner in the hallway and came face to face with Tim and almost collided with Gabriella whose back was turned to him. Immediately he took in her appearance. She seemed fine, although blood was dripping down her right arm. He looked around and saw two bodies lying on the floor in between Tim and Gabriella. He looked up and locked eyes with Tim who had his gun aimed directly at Gabriella.

"Ah, well if it isn't Troy Bolton to come and save the day." Tim said with a wicked voice. Troy's gaze hardened and took two steps so that he was now in front of Gabriella.

"Just let her go Tim."

"Or what?" Tim laughed. "What are you gonna do Bolton?"

Troy looked at him before turning his head slightly and catching Gabriella's gaze. She instantly put her hand on his lower back, just needing that connection, hoping it would make everything else go away. Troy looked back at Tim. "Please Tim. She didn't do anything."

"Wrong! She did everything. Like a little slut she led me on, and I actually believed she wanted to be with me. But she didn't. She was getting her kicks from you. Stupid bitch."

Troy flinched after Tim spoke, causing the gunman to break out in laughter.

"I have an idea!" He said enthusiastically to the pair in front of him. "Let's play a game."

Tim circled the couple and scratched his head. "Let's see, let's see. What to do, what to do. You know when I was a little boy I always wanted to be a game show host. My dad told me it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. Let's prove daddy wrong."

He pulled out an old folded sheet of paper and read it over. "Troy, question one: What is Gabriella's middle name?"

Troy looked at him and burrowed his eyebrows. "Anne."

"Good. Question two: If Gabriella could go to any place in the world, where would it be?"

"Paris."

"Hmm, right again Troy. Question three: What is Gabriella's favorite song?"

Troy's brain immediately recognized where these questions were from. Tim obviously had the sheet he and Gabriella filled out during the group projects earlier in the semester and was now asking Troy questions from it.

"Lean On Me by Bill Withers. Her dad used to sing it to her when she was little."

Tim clapped his hands together after Troy finished. "Wow, Gabriella he really is perfect isn't he?" He circled them a few more times, twirling the gun around his pointer finger as he read over the sheet some more. "Let's give Gabriella a turn. Troy why don't you turn around and face your pretty little girlfriend."

Slowly, Troy did as Tim said and locked eyes with Gabriella. She looked so scared and he wished there was anything he could to do to just get her out of there. He watched as her eyes widened and felt cold metal connect with his temple.

"Gabriella, question one: Are you in love with Troy Bolton?"

Gabriella's scared expression changed into one of sickness and disgust and Troy knew at that moment he was going to die.

-flashback-

Gabriella turned around and saw that Taylor was no longer in sight.

"Taylor!"

Gabriella frantically ran down the hallway looking for her best friend. "Taylor!"

"Gabriella." She heard a voice from behind her and Gabriella stopped in defeat. She turned around and saw Tim standing there with the same crazed look from before.

"I missed you Gabriella."

"Where is Troy?"

"He doesn't matter anymore Gabriella."

"WHERE IS HE?" Her outraged voice echoed throughout the hallway.

Tim opened his mouth to speak but two boys came running down the hallway and stopped when the saw the two standing there.

"You!" Tim said grabbing the taller one's collar. "What's my name?"

The boy looked scared and looked over to Gabriella and then over to his friend for help. "Uh."

"Sorry, too long." Tim said holding the gun up and shooting the boy in the stomach. The boy fell to the floor and Gabriella's screams immediately radiated off of the hallway.

"Tim! What are you doing?" She yelled despereatly. "Stop!"

"Shut up Gabriella. Now you," Tim turned to the other boy. "What's your name?"

"James." The boy answered, not looking up from his friend's body.

"Ah, James can you answer another question for me?" The boy slowly nodded his head in response.

"Who is Gabriella Montez in love with?"

The boy looked up at the brunette girl across the hallway. "Troy Bolton?" He said with a weak voice.

"Ah, sorry but I believe that's the wrong answer."

Gabriella's sobs came harder as the second boy fell to the floor.

Chad looked down at his phone for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes praying that his friend would send some kind of reply. He needed to know that his best friend since kindergarten was safe inside.

"They're okay Chad." Taylor said squeezing his hand. "I promise you, they're okay."

Chad nodded his head and looked behind her at the masses of reporters and parents and people standing behind the line of police and S.W.A.T. in the parking lot. Someone had explained to them earlier that the police couldn't enter yet because the gunmen could have hostages. Or something like that.

"Chad! Chad Danforth!" He looked over and saw Bill, a sports columnist for the local newspaper. "Chad, were you inside? Do you know who the gunman is? Is Troy alive?"

Chad clenched his fists and began to walk towards the reporter before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw a ragged Jack Bolton. "He's not worth it, son. Let's just focus on Troy and getting him out."

Chad nodded and walked back to where his friend were standing, taking out his cell phone again to see if any response had come through.

"I, Uh, I." Gabriella stammered, not being able to look Troy in the eyes.

"God Damnit Gabriella, answer the question!" Tim screamed. He pushed the gun tighter into Troy's temple, causing him to wince in pain.

"I, uh. No, I don't love..." Gabriella's answer was interrupted by loud footsteps. Tim looked up and saw Zane rounding the corner.

"Damn it Bolton. You'll pay for that little stunt you pulled." Zane said holding up the gun and aiming at the basketball player and fired. Troy closed his eyes, expecting immediate and major pain. He opened his eyes at the small grunt from the girl in front of him. Her hand was on her stomach, and blood was pooling out onto her white shirt.

"Oh, god Brie." Troy said as she fell into his arms and the two fell into a crumpled mess on the floor.

"I love you Troy." Gabriella said weakly as tears filled her eyes.

"Shh, baby. I know, I know. Shh. Troy said as he held her close to him, the tears falling from his own eyes.

"No!" Tim screamed and pulled up his gun. "What the hell did you do Zane? What the hell did you just do?"

Zane looked at the huddled pair of Troy and Gabriella then back up at Tim who looked wild. He didn't even have time to respond as Tim fired the gun he was holding and shot Zane square in the chest.

Zane fell hard to the floor and Tim quickly turned around.

"I love you Troy." Gabriella said again, this time quieter and more strained than before. Her eyes closed as she lost consciousness.

"Brie!" Troy screamed. "Brie wake up!" Troy sobbed and looked up and met the wild eyes of the man who had caused all of this.

"Why?" He asked, a sob erupting from his throat as he did so.

Tim looked at the tear stained face of the school's golden boy and then down as his girlfriend unconscious in his arms. What had he done?

He slowly pulled the gun to his own temple. He could see Troy's eyes widen and his mouth open to scream, but everything seemed to blank out as he pulled the trigger.

Troy watched as yet another body fell to the floor.

"Oh God. Oh God. Oh God." Troy pulled out his phone from his pocket, one arm still secure around Gabriella and dialed a familiar number,

"Thank God man." He heard the voice of his best friend on the other line.

"Chad." Troy sobbed out. "Get the damned police in here. Both gunman are down and Brie's been shot. I don't know what to do Chad."

Chad was silent on the other end of the line as he listened to his friends sobs. "Troy, I'll go get them right now. Tell her to hold on, okay?"

"Chad, I don't know if she's okay. I don't know. Oh God Chad. What happened?"

"Troy." Chad said firmly. "Be strong for her okay. Be strong."

"Okay." Troy said and ended the call. He pulled Gabriella's limp body closer to him, and prayed to God to let her be okay.