So I come from a country a little bit behind as far as We The Kings is concerned – last week was the first time I had ever heard them played on the radio here! Anyway, today I went to post a package to Charles and Alli… and right as I pulled into the post office, 'Say You Like Me' came on the radio. It was very 'trippy!' ;-)

Chapter 4

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It was so quiet in the library, the normally inaudible sound of Alli's iPhone vibrating was painfully loud, and she immediately covered her pocket with her hand to silence it. Everyone's eyes were glued to the doors, as the masked man continued to move about outside. Without averting her eyes, Alli slowly removed her phone from her pocket

The message was from Charles. He was nearby and knew something was up.

Alli closed her eyes. Please, please don't let him be on campus. Please let him be safe she silently willed.

Trying to stay as still as she could, she carefully typed a short message.

We heard shots. Locked in the library. Please know that you will always mean the world to me. I love you so, so much. Stay safe.

And then her heart stopped. The masked man outside was gone. 10, 20 seconds went by, and nobody moved. Nobody breathed. She wanted to cry out in fear, but she crept closer to Tally instead, and they grabbed hands. Suddenly the door handle began to move, and then a voice came.

'Help, please help me! He's going to be back any minute. Please, please let me in. Don't leave me out here!'

The librarian looked out from behind her desk. Nobody moved towards the door. She looked around, as if for confirmation. Nobody offered any. Alli stood up, unable to stand the thought of leaving a fellow student outside whilst a gunman was wandering campus.

She started towards the door, but the librarian spotted her and motioned for her to wait, before making her way to the door and turning the handle.

A small, wiry male slipped in the door and the librarian locked it behind him. He slid to the floor, back resting against the door, and dropped his head to his hands in relief.

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Charles didn't have long to wait. It was only a few minutes before his phone chimed, and he looked down at it, grasped tightly in his hand. He didn't know what to make of the message – all he felt was helplessness. In fact, he felt downright sick.

Was she safe? Was she okay? Why was she talking like this might be the last time she would see him?

Frustrated, he went to text her again. As he typed, he had a sudden brainwave. He glanced at the cop who had talked to him. He was standing casually against his patrol car, and Charles felt a surge of rage. His fiance was inside that building, along with countless other students. Why wasn't anyone doing anything?

He marched up to the cop. 'Excuse me… but what's happening? Why hasn't anyone gone in to see what's happened? What if there are people injured in there!'

The cop turned to face him.

'Sir, the building is on lockdown. We have officers patrolling the area – but until we can get confirmation of the situation, we cannot take action. '

Charles shook his head, incredulous. Maybe he'd watched too many movies, but surely this wasn't the normal way to react to a shooting? Shouldn't there be patrol cars everywhere? Helicopters? News teams? Action heroes? What about…

Charles stopped suddenly.

The coffee cart shortcut.

This morning, on their way to Alli's lecture, Alli had pointed out a shortcut directly from the street; an alleyway that came out by the path which snaked behind the Coffee Cart… the one that parked outside the Library.

Maybe…

He shook his head, chiding himself. This wasn't a movie. He was no Tom Cruise. There was no way he could sneak onto campus, and find his way to the library without getting stopped by Police.

Then he thought about this morning. About how he'd wasted time with Alli taking pictures of his stupid coffee cup. How he should have kissed her again, given her a hug… told her he loved her. Told her she didn't just mean the world to him… she was his world.

He stood up, and took off, giving one last backwards glance to the cop, who wasn't paying any attention to him. As he slipped around the corner towards the alleyway Alli had pointed out, he heard the faint, but unmistakable sound of a helicopter in the distance.

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Nothing had changed in the library, but people were growing restless. Why hadn't there been any more shots- had the gunman been caught? If so, why hadn't anyone come to tell them? Was the gunman still somewhere on campus, lying in wait for the first person that attempted to venture to safety?

Still no one was talking, but they were shifting uncomfortably, looking around as they took out their phones nervously.

They were all playing a waiting game.

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It was so ridiculously easy, Charles almost felt like it was some kind of a setup. He looked over his shoulder every few seconds, sure a gun wielding mad man would be behind him. But now he stood outside the corridor which led to the library. He took a deep breath, and reached for the door. Just go. Open the door. Alli's in there. You're so close.

The minute he stepped into the corridor, he felt like his footsteps just might have been the loudest thing he had ever heard in his life. He thought he might vomit from fear. He was shaking, sweating. What the hell was he doing? This was so unlike him. But Alli was in the library, and he would have done anything, anything to be with her.

With great relief, he spotted the library doors, and he placed his hand on the handle. Locked.

Well, duh he chided himself.

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They had all heard the footsteps coming down the corridor, and everyone had immediately frozen. Was this it? Was their time up? If that was the shooter outside… would a flimsy lock really keep them all safe?

Then the owner of the footsteps knocked, and everyone visually relaxed. That was not the sinister knock of someone on a murderous rampage, but rather the tentative knock one might expect of a pizza boy unsure if he has the right address.

This is a lockdown! Who the hell knocks! Alli thought, and then she realised. Maybe it was someone come to tell them that they had the all clear, than the danger was over.

I'll be with Charles soon, she thought, and it was all she could do to contain her relief, relief that she would see her fiancé again – kiss him, hug him… marry him.

She was so intent on her thoughts of Charles, that when she saw his face at the window, she initially thought she was hallucinating.

But the thought quickly vanished, replaced with the most desperate, cold fear she had ever experienced. The man she loved with all her being was standing outside in the corridor, with a gunman still on the loose.

She almost cried out, but Tally slapped her hand over her mouth.

'Wait.' She hissed. 'What if it's a trap?'

Alli shook herself free and looked incredulously at Tally. What? She mouthed.

'Alli!'

Alli looked backed to the door. He hadn't seen her, but was now rattling the door handle and calling her name, and if the shooter was anywhere nearby…

'Alli! Are you in there?'

Alli was up and towards the door within a heartbeat. She was only a few metres away when the lanky male they had let in before held up his hand for her to stop, and turned towards the door to open it himself. Charles slipped into the room, and immediately locked eyes with his fiancé, relief washing over his face.

He moved towards her, desperate to hold her, but froze mid step as he heard Alli gasp, and saw the blood drain from her face.

He followed her line of sight, and looked over his shoulder.

Behind him, the young man who had let him in, was now holding a gun directly at his head.

'Well well well.' The voice that came had a clear spanish accent, and was icy, but deep, betraying the man's mousy exterior.

'Isn't this sweet?'

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