Part 4: A Private Little War
by Bobbie Cabot
“Hey, Carla!” Faye said after answering her phone. “What’s up?”
“Faye?” Carla said and then broke down crying.
“Carla! What’s wrong?”
“Faye, someone’s kidnapped Michae!!”
- - - - -
“Doc!” Faye called as she knocked on her office door.
Dr. Penny opened it, but she was talking on her smartphone. She gestured for Faye to sit down as she finished her conversation. Faye sat down on Dr. Penny’s couch.
Finishing her conversation, Dr. Penny pocketed her phone and sat down in front of Faye.
“Honey,” Dr. Penny said, “I have some bad news.”
- - - - -
Just a few hours ago, there were three attacks on three separate schools in Chicago – the three were miles apart, but obviously were related as the attacks were minutes of each other. And one of them was Delos.
All three were bombed, and many kids were hurt or killed. For Delos –
A few hours ago, six people attacked Delos High. The police were calling it a mass shooting: the frontage of the school was shot up and the attackers forced themselves inside. They got to classroom G, bombed the room with what looked like a couple of dynamite-based IEDs, and over twenty of the senior class was hurt. Apparently, it was just bad luck that the attackers ended up bombing Classroom G.
Several other seniors, plus a few of the teachers and staff who were outside in the hallways were shot as well. Nearby police were at the scene in less than ten minutes and were able to stop the gunmen from making a clean getaway. Police backup was soon at the site and had the attackers bottled up in the school.
Before that, most of the rest of the staff and student body, except for a few stragglers, were evacuated and safely away from the firefight.
But as the firefight was ongoing, there was yet another explosion in the school’s foyer or entryway. The explosion seemed to be unexpected, and it killed a couple of the attackers and left three bleeding and stunned. The police could only assume that it was the sixth intruder. As to why – all they could conclude was that it was to help him escape.
Because, less than a minute after the explosion, a Bell 412 commuter helicopter showed up and landed on the school roof. Except for its spinning rotors, the chopper couldn’t be seen from the ground. Nevertheless, the SWAT and police started shooting at the chopper in frustration. The pilot, apparently worried that the bullets would hit his propeller, took off. He caught his compatriot off-guard because, as the pilot took off, a man was seen dangling from one of the chopper’s skids, struggling to climb up and into the cabin.
It was a giant of a man, some saying he was maybe eight or even nine feet tall, and was so big he couldn’t fit into the front cabin of the chopper so he climbed into the back passenger cabin. His features couldn’t be properly determined because he was wearing a full beard, and had long, flowing hair.
All the injured were taken to nearby hospitals, and many of them were in critical condition, There were a handful from Classroom G that were blown up – no bodies to even recover. Based on Mr. Daimon’s count of the people who were evacuated, there were five missing kids. These were all in classroom G during the first explosion, so it was safe to assume that they were the ones that were blown up.
“… and one of them is your friend, Michael,” Dr. Penny said. “I’m so sorry, Faye.”
“But, Doc!” Faye said, “I just got a call from Carla - she said Michael was taken by the bombers!”
She looked at Faye in shock.
- - - - -
After some arrangements, Dr. Penny was booked on the next flight out to Chicago. Faye wanted to go, but the doctor was adamant that she stay in Saint John where it was safe. But needless to say, with her powers of persuasion, Faye was able to join her.
By five PM, they were on a flight to Chicago. By nine-thirty Chicago time, they landed and O’Hare, and were met by Homeland Security’s director, Dr. Maia and Mr. Daimon. To Faye, it seemed that they all knew each other.
“Director Hall,” Dr. Penny said, “this is Faye Goodchilde, one of my students. You might want to hear what she has to say.”
He led them to an empty room in the customs area and they talked it out.
“This is the second time our paths have crossed, Doctor,” Director Smith said. “I just hope this isn’t as messy as last time.”
He put Michael’s picture Dr. Maia provided down on the table.
“This is the student?”
“Yes, sir,” Faye said.
“Why do you think anyone would be after this boy?”
“I don’t know sir. I think it’s best to talk to Carla – she’s the girl who actually saw the kidnapping.”
“I had her brought here. Let me check if she’s here now.” He stepped out of the room and came back with Carla. She had one of her arms in sling.
“Faye!” Carla said, and cannoned into her arms.
“How’re you doing, sweetie?”
“I’m okay. Oh! Hey, Dr. Griffin, Dr. Penny. What’re you doing here?”
“We’re here to find out what happened to Michael. Can you tell us what happened? Everything you can remember, and start from the beginning.”
Carla said that it was the second afternoon class, and they heard a firing. After a lot of commotion, six people led by a very big man over seven feet tall barged in. One of the men surveyed their class and pointed to Michael.
One of the others then threw a bag into the room. The big man dragged Michael out by the coller, and then they then left and closed and barricaded the door from the outside. Some of the kids rushed the door and tried to break it down, but no one could. Knowing the bag was probably a bomb, their teacher yelled at the kids to come away from the door. He pulled the others away, including Carla, and led them to the farthest window. He picked up one of the chairs and threw it through the window. He then practically threw four of his kids through the broken window and jumped through himself. Carla wanted to run after Michael but their teacher reached for her and pulled her through the window. At that point, the bomb exploded.
Dr. Maia, Dr. Penny and Faye vouched for Carla with the director. He really wasn’t disposed to believe the word of a teenager but Dr. Penny could be very persuasive.
“The man sounds like someone we’ve met before. Carla, is this the man that grabbed Michael?” He showed Carla several close-up pictures of the guy when he was on the chopper’s skid.
“Yes sir, definitely. I remember the hair and the beard. Besides, no one else can be that big.”
“Dr. Castellanos,” Director Hall said, “some of my people have been running the pictures through some projections and, using Hercules Smith’s file photos, we’ve established that Michael’s kidnapper and Smith are the same.” Dr. Penny, Dr. Maia and Mr. Daimon nodded knowingly. “He was wearing a disguise but our computer people were able to see through it.”
“Well,” Dr. Penny said, “we’ve been waiting for him to surface again.”
“What’s bothering me is, why did he kidnap Michael? Dr. Griffin, Mr. Daimon, what can you tell me about Michael?”
“Nothing really, Director,” Mr. Daimon said. “Average student, senior, middle-class family. Totally unremarkable.”
“Then why was Smith after your student?”
Dr. Penny, Dr. Griffin and Mr. Daimon looked at each other.
“We think,” Dr. Penny said, “Smith had mistaken Michael for someone else.”
“Who?”
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Comments
Hercules
Has really screwed the pooch on this one. Let's hope he finally gets what he deserves.