School Shootout

Chapter Five

** 'Thank you, thank you' to everyone that reviewed. I've worked out the rest of the storyline and it'll be a little bloody and horror-inducing but I think it'll stay at a T rating.**

Everything seemed to slow down. One minute the gun came up and pointed at us and the next the window was shattering behind us. I didn't even remember dropping my cell phone all I can recall was my hands coming up to protect my face and crouching down toward the floor away from the flying glass. I heard screams all around me…then I realized I was screaming as well.

"SHUT UP"

Rilson shot again, this time hitting the ceiling and causing plaster debris to rain down on us.

"Well, well…what do we have here—an escape attempt, you don't like High School?—don't like the feeling that anything bad could happen to you? That nothing good is ever going to happen? That you can't trust anyone around you? Huh?"

"ANSWER ME!"

"It was him, it was him, it was allll him…" I turned and saw the junior boy from home ec babbling and pointing at me. "He got himself free, and he made us all do this crazy stuff—I swear, I SWEAR, I nothing to with it, please, please…"

I felt my mouth go dry. Rilson slowly turned the gun towards me.

"Sam, isn't it?"

"…yeah…"

"I know you--your dating that bimbo jock girl---you think you're better then me, Sam."

It was more of a statement then a question but I knew that if I wanted to live I shouldn't antagonize him.

"No, no…I just have a lot of luck…luck, really…I mean I totally don't think..."

"Shut up!" He laughed, "God, I love saying that…"

He just stood there looking at us, enjoying his sick little game of life and death. A minute or two passed as we all held still, waiting to see what he would do.

"Alright, so it seems that Sam here is responsible for all that has been going on is that right?"

The junior nodded furiously as he rocked back in forth in near panic and I thought I saw another girl nodding behind him.

"Well it's only fair that he's punished and not you then—see I'm a fair person, not like some of the people around here." He pulled some more of the plastic restraints out of one of his jean pockets and tossed them to the junior. "Here tie up the rest"

The junior froze and looked cautiously at the ties. Rilson let out a sigh of annoyance and twitched the gun in his direction. He grabbed the ties and started doing as he was told.

I glanced around the room furiously I couldn't let this happen again. I had to do something. I briefly considered jumping out of the window but as I glanced at it the jagged edges of the glass and long distance to the ground quickly squished that idea.

As I felt the junior touch my wrist I got an unreasonable urge to punch him for giving in so quickly--for betraying me, but deep down I know he was just scared. I knew I was scared.

Rilson put a restraint on the junior after everyone else had been restrained. Then he gave what I knew had to be the vicious grin I had ever seen. He walked over and then without warning punched me in the jaw. I felt the blood running down from my lip before I tasted it. It would have been so surreal if it hadn't been for the blossoming pain that clouded my vision.

"Come on, I have a lovely little place where I like to put trouble-makers…"

"Lennox!"

Lennox turned around in time to see Mikaela running towards him and Ironhide; he quickly moved to greet her.

"Mikaela, are you okay?"

"Well, if you count getting shot at by a bunch of crazed teenagers and being held captive by a bunch of bureaucrats and cops fun —then, yeah, I'm great….How about you?"

Lennox stopped in his tracks and eyed her defensive stance and wisely decided not to reply.

"Where's Sam?" Fear and panic had slightly crept into her voice

"He's still inside, don't worry, Bumblebee just radioed Ironhide and Ratchet and he says he managed to get a hold of Sam on his cell phone. Evidently, he's fine and is trying to free some of his classmates."

Mikaela let out a long groan and covered her face, "You know this is all your guys' fault" as she pointed first towards Lennox and then Ironhide.

"What? We didn't do anything."

"You kept putting visions of GI Joe and super soldier into Sam's head and now look what he's doing. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is in there? Those freaks are crazy, they've shot and killed at least one person. I know I WAS THERE."

"Mikaela, calm down, Sam is doing what has to do. Would you really want him to leave his classmates behind?"

She glared at me in silence, though, she seemed to be calming down and thinking this through more rationally. She looked around at the chaos of cop cars and ambulances. I realized she was about to break down, I needed to find something to distract her with until she could process everything that was going on.

"Mikaela, I need your help. Bumblebee's having trouble with this whole not-being-able-to-help-Sam-thing and he can't transform without blowing everyone's cover. Do you think you can go over there and help him stay calm and make sure he doesn't do anything crazy."

She was silent, she didn't react to my words at all.

"Mikaela?"

"Yeah…sure…"

"Okay, Bumblebee should be able to keep you up on all the latest developments."

I carefully watched her as she went over to the student parking lot. My heart went out to her, it wasn't easy to have someone you loved in a dangerous position and no one to help them…but I wasn't going to let her do something foolish and lose her too.

I sighed as I lost sight of her and went back inside Ironhide's cab.

"Hey 'Hide, could you radio Bumblebee and tell him to keep an eye on Mikaela."

"Of course. Do you believe she attempt something?"

"I dunno know, but it's better to be safe then sorry."

"Hmmmph,…Bee's just radioed back, he wants to know what the human's next plan is."

"There not having any luck getting them to negotiate, so it looks like they'll probably send SWAT in."

Ironhide was silent as he looked up the word SWAT.

"Well, it looks like they have a reasonable rate of recovery." He stated it grimly, his frustration over the whole situation showing through.

"Yeah, let's just hope Rilson didn't learn too much police procedure from being a sheriff's son…"

"You know, I could use my cannons."

"…We'll save them for Plan B…"

I had thought being tied up was uncomfortable but being not only tied up but marched down a hall with a gun-carrying maniac at one's back was much, much worse. I had no idea where Rilson was behind me or what he was planning. I felt like I was walking on death row towards an electric chair.

My chest felt tight and I noticed that I was once again breathing faster then normal and I was trembling slightly. This experience was definitely not going to be good for my health.

'Calm down, Sam,' I swear I could almost hear Bee's voice in my head, 'calm down.' I was so sorry about Bee. I knew that if I died he would be devastated. He'd always been so patient with me through all of my screw-ups and crazy Sam-ness. He was the absolute perfect friend and how I had ever managed to gain his friendship and respect was beyond me and I'd never really thought about it before. I had always taken him for granted. I would have given anything to talk to him and tell him how I felt—and God, Mikaela, I loved her—had I told her that I loved her this morning? I couldn't remember now. I hoped I had. I hoped they would both forgive me for getting myself killed.

"Turn here"

I flinched as Rilson touched the gun to my back. I turned and stared in disbelieve at where he wanted me to go…the boys locker room. I gave him an incredulous look and got a sharp push in response.

"No window's for snipers, and its highly secured—so don't even hope of being rescued." He reminded me slightly of Lennox and his military friends and not in any way that was good for me.

I kept silent as I was heard in towards the lockers. I heard distant crying and as we rounded the bend I saw girls, lots of girls. It was shocking to see so many in such a small place especially a place where girls were never-ever supposed to be. I spotted Paul off to the side by the sinks. He was also holding a gun to his side and watching what appeared to be the entire cheerleading team putting on make-up. As I looked I realized the constant stream of tears was smearing their make-up and making their faces take on an unnatural look before they wiped it off and started re-applying it again.

"Admiring my bride?"

"WHAT?" The words slipped out of my mouth but Rilson didn't seem to care. He seemed absurdly pleased.

"Tiffany. We've been unofficially engaged for the last four weeks, we had to keep it secret of course what with all the jerks and immature children in school but now, NOW we can finally admit it and get married."

I tore my eyes from Tiffany's masquera-stained face to Rilson's—he truly believed what he was saying. I felt pity for Tiffany. I didn't know much about aside from her being, as Miles once put it, a 'jock concubine' but I knew she was in an even worse position then I was at the moment. I said a quick prayer that she got out of this alive--that we all got out of this alive.

"Hey Paul, take Sam here and put him in the closet, so he can't cause any more trouble."

I was a little thankful when I was roughly shoved into a dark locker room closet and heard the door being locked behind me...I was finally away from those maniacs.

"Witdicky?"

Oh God, I started turning but I already knew who was in the closet with me. This was without question the worse day of my life…