Page 64 of Presidential Bargain
My jaw tightened as my eyes narrowed. I remained quiet and waited for Sean tocontinue.
“The school where she was talking was ambushed. Her Secret Service detail was killed. Shooters are holed up in the library with her, a few teachers, the school’s principal, and twentykindergarteners.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Kids? I ran a hand across my face and sighed heavily. I was trying desperately to keep myself calm and focused because that was what the situation called for. I couldn’t give in to the massive ball of panic that weighed heavily on my chest and the barrage of worst-case scenarios that waited to infect mythoughts.
“The entire building is surrounded by ATF, SWAT, FBI, and local law enforcement. Shit, if you want the National Guard, we can getthem,too.”
“How manyshooters?”
“Two. One of them iswounded.”
“Get methere,now.”
This wasn’t happening. I was supposed to fly down to Memphis in just a few short hours and finally see Georgie. I was planning on finally confessing everything, but fuck, now she was involved in a hostage situation? Once again, I found myself totally helpless and I hated it. I was always proactive, always looking for a solution to a problem, but this situation? I had no fucking control over anyofit.
There was a helicopter waiting for us at a nearby airfield and within minutes, we were in the air. Georgie was just an hour away and getting to her, making sure she was safe, was my onlyconcern.
Sean stayed updated on the situation while I plugged myself into some seriously angry death metal. It was not my cup of tea, but nothing else was going to keep me calm and focused. When we landed, Sean informed me of the latestinformation.
“They managed to communicate with the shooters and convinced them to let all thechildrengo.”
“Thank fuck. Who are theseassholes?”
“Empowered white Nationalists with too many guns.” He said it too quickly, which made mesuspicious.
“Is thatafact?”
“No, it’s just myguess.”
“I only work with facts, Sean. Don’t be afraid to tell me if you don’t knowsomething.”
Sean nodded and we headed from the helicopter to awaitingSUV.
“Do they know we’recoming?”
“Yes, but they asked us to stay back. The commander in charge thinks that your presence will cause adistraction.”
“I’m not fucking staying back, Sean! Georgie is in there. Georgie!” I screamed, my voice filled with the unfamiliar sounds of panic anddesperation.
“I understand, James. But I agree with the commander. Let them do their jobs. Trust them to get her outsafely.”
I pounded my fist on the tempered, bullet-proof window of the SUV. The force stung my hand, but it wasn’t painful. The unmistakable burn of tears pricked my eyes and I blinked rapidly until I knew nonewouldfall.
“I can’t lose her, Sean. She’s everything I never knew Iwanted.”
Sean gripped my shoulder tightly and squeezed. “We’ll get you as close as they willallow.”
Sean made good on his promise. We were allowed in their “central command”, which was a huge empty lot a mile from the school. I reluctantly agreed to remain in the SUV while Sean received updates, which he passed along to me. I only wanted to know one thing. WasGeorgieokay?
Hours passed and my anxiety only grew until it festered intoanger.
And then I heard them. The unmistakable sounds of gunshots.Pop-pop-pop. They echoed in the stillness of the neighborhood, which had been evacuated. An explosion unexpectedly followed momentslater.
I scrambled out of the SUV. Why was there anexplosion?
“What happened? Tell me what the fuck is happening?” I didn’t even bother trying to mask the panicIfelt.
Sean held up his hands in mock surrender. “SWAT went in. That’s allIknow.”
