Gathering Roses

16.

"I am here only for Cassidy and the man she's with. No one else needs to get hurt."

James announced, holding his pistol high in the air. The officers in the station just stood there for a minute, caught off-guard. Then all at once, they collectively drew their weapons and aimed them at him.

"Now, now, boys. No need to get jumpy." Then without a warning, James grabbed the nearest officer and pressed the barrel of his pistol against the man's temple. The officer's gun clattered to the floor as he threw his hand up.

"Drop the gun or we will shoot you." Ordered one officer, 'sheriff' stitched across his uniform. James adjusted his grip on the gun.

"I'll shoot this man before you even get the chance. No good guys need to die today, just give me what I came for!" James was now yelling at the sheriff. 

"We do not negotiate with men holding guns to our officers' heads. Put down the gun and we'll talk." The sheriff lowered his own gun to the floor of the station. James scoffed.

"This is not a negotiation." He lowered his own gun—and shot the officer he was holding in the thigh. The man screamed in agony and clutched his leg. The room gasped and broke into whispers, many of the men ducking down behind the desks.

Cass watched the scene in horror from the cracked office door. Tuck was gripping her shoulders, pulling her back into the office. Officer Zeralto, for his part, sat in stunned silence at his desk, unmoving.

"CASSIDY!" James bellowed, his calm facade replaced with his usual neurotic state. "If you don't want this man to die, you'll come with me!" Cass involuntarily rose, a sob leaving her. Tuck's hands pulled her back into him, not letting her leave. 

"No." His voice sounded low in her ear. "He's gonna kill that guy anyways and then kill you." Cass shuddered.

"But he shot that guy because of me!" She whispered fiercely. The guilt hit her like a truck. "I don't want to be responsible for anyone dying. Oh my—" the thought took over her mind, consuming her. "Emmy!" she cried aloud, and James' head whipped towards the sound. Cass pushed out of Tuck's grasp and flung the office door open. 

"Cass, no!" Tuck called, reaching to pull her back, but James had already noticed her. 

"I'll go with you. No one else needs to get hurt." She raised her hands. Her gaze fell to the injured officer on the floor and her brain refused to function. His leg was a mess. Blood was running down to his ankle, his face deathly pale. Tears began to flow down Cass' face. She had no doubt that her fate would be worse than his, gruesome as he looked. A dark shape moved suddenly in front of her, blocking her view of the office. Tuck. He squared his shoulders.

"No one is going anywhere." He said, his voice solid and strong. The only sign that he was not fully confident were his trembling hands clasped behind his back. Cass' heart cried out. Tuck did not deserve to get involved any further in this. So many people were being affected because of her and her past. Too many people.

"No." She whispered, defeated.

James' attention had shifted. He no longer held tightly to the officer he had shot. He trained his gun upwards. Cass felt as if she was watching everything in slow motion, her mind numb. She stepped out from behind Tuck.

"Cass." He said, sounding slightly exasperated. He reached to push her back behind him.

"No, Tuck. You're not getting hurt for me, too." Her voice trembled, her hands shook, but she refused to move back, ignoring her brain screaming at her to do so. James' eyes gleamed. He was getting exactly what he wanted. He raised the gun further, aiming it at Tuck.

"Come with me and I won't shoot your boyfriend." He sneered. Cass automatically took a step forward.

Before she could take another, everything imploded. A gun went off right in Cass' ear, then James crumpled to the ground. Cass screamed and dropped to the floor, whipping her head around.

Officer Zeralto, who had shown little sympathy towards Cass and her pleas up until this moment, stood in his office doorway, gun still pointed at James' unmoving body. The sheriff sprung up from his own place on the floor and kicked James' gun out of his reach. Two other officers bolted to the injured officer, one using a belt for a tourniquet, the other applying pressure to the wound on his leg.

Cass watched all this unfold, hands clasped tightly over her mouth to stop the subsequent screams from escaping. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Tuck kneeling beside her, his eyes full of fear and concern. She did not hesitate to throw herself into his arms and began to cry in earnest. He didn't say anything, just held her until she calmed down.