Kim was in the middle of packing Jeannie's clothes when she heard Steve's voice booming through the house. "Kim!"
I guess he heard the news, she thought. Kim walked out of the bedroom toward the living room. "I'm here," she said. "Keep your voice down. Jeannie's taking a nap. Everything's all right."
"We heard about the school." Kayla grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "Is Andrew okay?"
Kim took a deep breath. "Andrew's fine."
"It was Alamain, wasn't it?" Steve said. He was pacing back and forth. "That dude won't stop at nothing."
"Please calm down, Steve," Kim said, as Kayla took his arm. "Yes, it probably was Lawrence behind it, but we don't know for sure. Shane's gone to the prison to deal with Lawrence. He was pretty worked up about it."
Kayla looked surprised. "Shane was there?"
Kim nodded. "He came, and Roman and Marlena were there with the twins. But nobody was hurt. We were all just shaken a little bit."
"Tell me what happened," Steve said, his voice a little more than a growl. "They said on the news that some guy shot up the school and then was killed."
"That's kind of it." Kim did not really want to relive the experience, but she knew Steve would not stop until he got answers. At least, Andrew was still at Shane's, being watched by Simmons, so he did not have to hear her tell the whole story again. "We had just arrived and were talking with Roman and Marlena, while the kids were playing nearby. Roman saw the gun and warned everyone. If he hadn't, I don't want to even think what might have happened. We all managed to get down, and Roman and Shane ran after the man, while Marlena and I got the kids to safety."
"And they got the dude?" Steve asked.
"They didn't give me any real details, other than the gas tank on the shooter's car exploded. Shane and Roman had to have been pretty close, because they were covered with black soot - or whatever comes from a car fire." Kim did not really want to think about that. Either of them could have been killed in the explosion.
Steve began to pace again. "What are they doing to stop Alaimain? You shouldn't be here all alone."
Kim had to take a deep breath before answering. This was the part that she still could not really accept. "There's an officer downstairs, but Shane and Roman are convinced I'm not the target."
"What do you mean?" Both Steve and Kayla said that almost in unison.
"They think the shooter was aiming at Andrew."
Kayla and Steve both stopped short. The room fell silent until Steve finally spoke.
"You've got to be kidding me," Steve said. "The little dude?"
Kim turned and walked over to the fireplace. She stared up at all the family pictures, and smiled at one of her, Andrew and Jeannie that Shawn had taken shortly before they went to England. It still had not really sunk in that someone was trying to kill her son.
"Kim, what are you going to do?" Kayla's worry was clear in her tone.
"We're moving into Shane's," Kim said. "Andrew's already there. I'm just home to pack up our stuff."
She heard Steve let out a long breath. "This Alamain's got to be some twisted son of a-"
"Steve," Kayla admonished, cutting him off. She looked at Kim. "Shane's place is probably the safest place you could go."
"Yeah . . . that seems to be what everyone says," Steve said, sounding a bit sarcastic.
Kim nodded. "I know. It's just that I feel like we're going to be prisoners there."
"It's not going to be like that," Kayla said. Kim felt her sister's hand on her shoulder. "That house used to be your home."
It used to be my home. Kim thought silently. But that was before so much had changed. Before Kayla had moved in and made it her home. Before Kim had walked in and found her sister kissing her ex-husband. Kim knew the situation at Shane's would be awkward, no matter how important the reason she was there. Their encounters at Donovan Manor in England had been pretty uncomfortable, and Kim expected more of the same if they shared the Salem house.
But you don't have a choice, Kim reminded herself. Your son's life is in danger.
"Look, I'd better finish packing," she said. "I want to be at the house when Shane gets back from the prison."
"He went to see Alamain?" Steve asked. When Kim nodded, he said, "Shane doesn't need to talk to Alamain. That never does any good. You should give me 10 minutes alone with the dude, and I promise, he won't be doing anything to hurt you or your family."
Before Kim could say anything, Kayla spoke. "Stop it, Steve. I know you're upset about what happened, but that's not going to solve anything." Kim watched as Steve turned without a word and stomped into the kitchen. Sighing, Kayla turned to Kim. "Let me help you pack."