Bury the Hatchet

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Bury the Hatchet

HUNTER

Spurs came back into the locker room just before I was about to leave. "Listen up!" he said loud enough that everyone would hear him over the regular postgame chatter. It took a few moments for the talk to die down, but gradually everyone realized something wasn't right. The look on Spurs's face was one of calm panic, if there was such a thing. The other coaches and the trainers filed in alongside him, each of them bearing a worried expression.

I dropped back down to the bench at my stall.

"Something's happening in the building," he said. "Not sure what, exactly, but security is locking us down in here until further notice. No one's leaving this room until we're given the all-clear."

"What about our families?" Zee asked immediately. "Our wives and kids? Are they being locked down, too?"

"Gary's doing everything he can as we speak to be sure they're safe."

That wasn't good enough for me. Tallie wasn't right by my side, and Lance was still out there...somewhere. I didn't know where he was or what he was doing. I hadn't thought about him in a while. He'd been keeping a low profile, but he was always lurking at the back of my mind. Spurs was still talking, filling everyone in on whatever he could, but I pulled my cell out of my pocket and called Tallie's number.

It went straight to voice mail.

Maybe her battery was dead. She got really bad service in the BOK Center. It was always low when we left games. That was probably it. I was determined to convince myself that was the only reason her phone would be off.

Razor caught my eye from his stall, directly across the room from me. He raised a brow in question. He knew all the shit that had gone down with Lance. All of the guys knew some of it, but Razor knew everything. For some reason, I was starting to like the asshole and tell him things, not that I could explain why. He had a habit of growing on people.

I shook my head. He'd know what that meant.

"Zee," Razor shouted, interrupting whatever Spurs was saying.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"Call Dana. Hunter can't get Tallie to answer."

Zee nodded and dug out his phone, and one of the coaches moved to turn on the big-screen TV at the front of the room.

"So to sum up what's going on," a reporter said as they showed a shot of the arena from outside, "shots have been fired at the BOK Center following tonight's Thunderbirds game."

My blood froze in my veins.

"We're still working on getting all the details. They're coming in piecemeal, but here's what we do know. One or more gunshots were fired in one of the luxury suites or another room on that level. There is at least one injury, but we don't know more than that at this time. We don't know the severity of the injury. Police and arena security are working together to determine if the one shooter they have in custody is the only shooter or if they were working with someone else, and while that is being determined, the entire building is under lockdown."

Zee looked at me and shook his head. "She's not answering. Tried her twice."

More of the guys took out their phones and started dialing their wives.

Gary Asher came into the locker room from the direction of the coaches' offices, his expression grim. "It was in the wives' room."

That was all I needed to hear. I was on my feet and barreling through the door the second he confirmed my fears, half the guys following right behind me. A few of the coaches tried to stop us, but I wasn't stopping until I was sure Tallie was safe or Lance Benton was dead, whichever happened first.