Hunted

Chapter 19: Promise To Return

The glass cascaded through the room as the bullets bounced off the walls. Screams were heard from around the building as open fire was blasted into the windows of the school. The kids cowered under the tables as more bullets flew at the building.

All of a sudden, the sound stopped and a new voice emerged from the quiet. Laughter echoed from the parking lot.

"I know that voice," Ryan whispered from beside me.

We moved slowly along the floor until we reached the window.

"It's her, Hannah Wright," he confirmed.

Standing in front of the building, the cackling hag screeched as her husband relieved the remaining dead cops of their unfired weapons. Joseph handed the guns to the two men standing with them.

"The one on the right is Frank Ginza. He attacked Andy. Who is the other guy?" I whispered to Ryan.

"Richard Wayne, he would be my monster," Megan spoke to me while keeping her eyes directed at the man. She seemed frozen in the spot, unable to look past him.

"I thought you didn't know who attacked you?" I asked her.

"I didn't, but he is from my home town. He was my favorite teacher."

I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, but the look she gave me made me remove it right away.

"We need to get out of here," Josh said, "I only see four of them, so the others must already be in the building."

Megan looked back to him, "Are you crazy? We should wait here until the cops get back."

"Megan he's right. There is no way of knowing if those dead cops got a call out or not," I said to her.

"The emergency hotline isn't taking calls," one of the girls in the back said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We have been calling since the gun fire went off. It's like they shut down the server," she explained, "No calls are going out."

"The jammer," Ryan whispered.

"What?" I asked to him.

"When the town was built, they placed cell phone jammers in almost all the buildings. They were supposed to be used to block cellphone bombs. Another use they didn't advertise was if something like this happened."

"What do you mean something like this?" Daniel's voice wavered a bit at the end.

"That if an attack did happen, the government didn't want the news to spread. The jammers were to be used to block all cellphone calls in order to make sure no word got out to the media. The ones that were still safe would remain safe. This way, the entire town doesn't get exposed."

"Jason must have activated it so we couldn't get the cops to come back here," I said, "We have to move."

"But what about-" Megan started.

"We are sitting ducks here. They are looking for us specifically," I told her, "The safest thing for everyone else to be away from us."

I looked back to Josh and Daniel, "When we leave, lock the door behind us. Don't let anyone in or out until the cops can get here. Don't worry, we'll be fine."

Megan and Ryan stood up and followed me to the door, "Silver wait," Dylan called out.

"What?"

"I can't just let you go by yourself, unprotected," he said, concern in his face.

"I'll be alright. As long as we stay small and keep moving, they won't be able to get us."

"Promise me you will come back," he pleaded.

I stepped closer into his arms. Lifting off my toes, I covered my mouth with his. It was a kiss that felt like an eternity. Eventually, I pulled back, "I promise."

The second the words left my mouth, I gently pushed back and walked down the hall and away from him.