Chapter 19

Joey hasn't loosened her grip on me. They've locked us in the pantry at the back of the kitchen. There's no way out, we're trapped.

"Pace, I'm so scared. He's going to kill us, all over being expelled?"

"Caulfield is completely cracked. This has to be about more than being expelled, and why is he involving Dawson, Andie, Jack and Jen. They had very little to do with that?"

Just then the door is opened slowly and one of the masked gunmen steps inside and shuts the door quickly behind him.

I step back pushing Joey behind me.

"Pacey, it's me," he slips his mask off, it's Doug.

"Doug, what the hell?"

"When I went to look for you, I came up on one of the gunmen from behind and managed to knock him out. He's unconscious and handcuffed in the janitor's closet."

"Way to go Dougie, but what exactly is your plan?"

"For starters, here," he hands me a gun, "I took his gun."

"There are officers staked out by the windows with orders to shoot Caulfield if he doesn't surrender. Just follow my lead and hide the gun for now."

Doug slips the mask back on and we follow him out into the cafeteria. That's when we hear it.

"ATTENTION MATTHEW CAULFIELD...THIS IS SHERIFF JOHN WITTER OF THE CAPESIDE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT...WE KNOW YOU ARE BEHIND THE SHOOTING THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE TODAY...WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED...COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP AND WE WON'T SHOOT."

Matt laughs callously, as he walks around the room. I glance out the window and I can see my dad's cruiser and my dad holding the megaphone. There are officers all around the outside of the school.

The shooters with the masks on walk toward the door.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Man, they're gonna start shooting us!" one of them says.

"I thought we were just going to scare some people, I'm out." another responds.

They all bolt for the door. I can see them walking outside hands in the air and the officers taking them down one by one. Now it's just us and Caulfield.

Doug pulls the mask off and points his gun at Caulfield.

"It's time to give it up, Caulfield," he says.

Matt just laughs and points his gun at me and Joey. All of sudden I feel Joey's hand yanked out of mine. I turn quickly and I can't believe what I'm seeing...