connecting with the gunman's arm about halfway between the elbow and the wrist. Alex, using an underhanded grip, then brought his right hand across his body at the gunman. The jagged edge of the stool leg entered the man's chest just below the right collar bone. Blood sprayed from the vicious gash and Alex moved now to finish the job. His left arm swung up, driving the second ragged spike into the man's side below the shoulder and exiting out his back.
The man never screamed or even yelled. The look of shock and surprise were the only reaction that Alex saw on the man's face as he dropped the gun then fell to the floor. Alex released his grip on his improvised weapons and stooped to pick up the gun. It was a revolver. Five shots. Empty.
The girls had remained where they were, quiet sobs escaping their lips. Each girl had her face buried in the other's shoulder and both seemed that they would squeeze the very life out of the other. "Everything is okay," Alex said softly. He said a quiet prayer that the man had not screamed when Alex had attacked him. Now he had to think of a way to get the girls out without them seeing the bodies of the gunman or their teacher. "We're going to get out of here now, but I still need you two to do something for me." Both girls released the grip they had on each other just enough to look towards Alex. "I'll carry you out, but I need both of you the squeeze your eyes shut and keep your heads buried in my shoulder. Can you do that? Can you keep your eyes closed no matter what?"
Both girls nodded their agreement, happy to finally get out of this nightmare. They would do just about anything as long as it meant going home. Carefully Alex scooped the children into his arms and stood to leave. "Remember, keep your eyes closed until I tell you it's okay." There was no argument from the girls, each trying desperately to push their faces into Alex's shoulder as far as they could. With the care and grace of moving a sleeping child, Alex began to make his way out of the building.
-----
Morgan Kemp paced the apartment, chewing her fingers nails and quietly cursing the phone. She read the note in her hands again, "Gone to get Gemma and Becky from school...be back soon. Alex." Three hours ago. Alex had left the apartment three hours ago and still wasn't home. The news reports were getting worse and Alex refused to answer his phone. "Where the hell is he?" she cursed.
A knock on the door startled Morgan into dropping the note. For a moment she hoped that it was Alex and the girls, for some reason without keys to unlock the door. "Who is it?" Morgan asked timidly.
"Morgan? This is Janet. Can you open the door?" Janet's voice was shaking and she sounded on the verge of losing control. Morgan hurried to the door to let her in.
"Morgan, have you seen Alex? He said he was going to get Becky and Gemma, but I haven't seen him in forever. Have you heard from him?"
"You spoke with Alex before he left?" Morgan asked, confused.
"Well...yes. I asked if he could go and get Becky. There's something going on near the school and I didn't want Becky there."
Morgan snapped at her, "So why didn't you go and get Becky?" There was no love lost between the two. Fleeting thoughts of something going on between Alex and Janet had recently begun creeping into her mind. The two of them stay-at-home parents with too much time on their hands, Becky and Gemma being such good friends. Alex never seemed to be willing to talk about what went on throughout his day and all but refused to talk at all about Janet.
The thoughts racing through Morgan's head were wrong, she knew. With a shake of her head she dismissed them and apologized to Janet. "I'm sorry, Janet. I've been watching the news lately and am a bit uptight."
Janet interrupted her, "Oh I understand...it's okay."
"Janet, I haven't seen Alex since I got home. All I know is that he went to get the girls. You're more than welcome to come in and wait. I'm sure he'll be here soon."
The man never screamed or even yelled. The look of shock and surprise were the only reaction that Alex saw on the man's face as he dropped the gun then fell to the floor. Alex released his grip on his improvised weapons and stooped to pick up the gun. It was a revolver. Five shots. Empty.
The girls had remained where they were, quiet sobs escaping their lips. Each girl had her face buried in the other's shoulder and both seemed that they would squeeze the very life out of the other. "Everything is okay," Alex said softly. He said a quiet prayer that the man had not screamed when Alex had attacked him. Now he had to think of a way to get the girls out without them seeing the bodies of the gunman or their teacher. "We're going to get out of here now, but I still need you two to do something for me." Both girls released the grip they had on each other just enough to look towards Alex. "I'll carry you out, but I need both of you the squeeze your eyes shut and keep your heads buried in my shoulder. Can you do that? Can you keep your eyes closed no matter what?"
Both girls nodded their agreement, happy to finally get out of this nightmare. They would do just about anything as long as it meant going home. Carefully Alex scooped the children into his arms and stood to leave. "Remember, keep your eyes closed until I tell you it's okay." There was no argument from the girls, each trying desperately to push their faces into Alex's shoulder as far as they could. With the care and grace of moving a sleeping child, Alex began to make his way out of the building.
-----
Morgan Kemp paced the apartment, chewing her fingers nails and quietly cursing the phone. She read the note in her hands again, "Gone to get Gemma and Becky from school...be back soon. Alex." Three hours ago. Alex had left the apartment three hours ago and still wasn't home. The news reports were getting worse and Alex refused to answer his phone. "Where the hell is he?" she cursed.
A knock on the door startled Morgan into dropping the note. For a moment she hoped that it was Alex and the girls, for some reason without keys to unlock the door. "Who is it?" Morgan asked timidly.
"Morgan? This is Janet. Can you open the door?" Janet's voice was shaking and she sounded on the verge of losing control. Morgan hurried to the door to let her in.
"Morgan, have you seen Alex? He said he was going to get Becky and Gemma, but I haven't seen him in forever. Have you heard from him?"
"You spoke with Alex before he left?" Morgan asked, confused.
"Well...yes. I asked if he could go and get Becky. There's something going on near the school and I didn't want Becky there."
Morgan snapped at her, "So why didn't you go and get Becky?" There was no love lost between the two. Fleeting thoughts of something going on between Alex and Janet had recently begun creeping into her mind. The two of them stay-at-home parents with too much time on their hands, Becky and Gemma being such good friends. Alex never seemed to be willing to talk about what went on throughout his day and all but refused to talk at all about Janet.
The thoughts racing through Morgan's head were wrong, she knew. With a shake of her head she dismissed them and apologized to Janet. "I'm sorry, Janet. I've been watching the news lately and am a bit uptight."
Janet interrupted her, "Oh I understand...it's okay."
"Janet, I haven't seen Alex since I got home. All I know is that he went to get the girls. You're more than welcome to come in and wait. I'm sure he'll be here soon."
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