The 9th Hour

Jess

4:35 to 5:00

"Chief there are people in here." He began to say things in the ear piece like how things are going and what is happening. I was about to when Kayla went and hugged Evan. Jealousy bubbled inside of me as I realized more and more, I truly love Evan. I stare between them and notice Jake and Luke shocked as well.

When she moves away her cheeks flush red. "Sorry." Luke is the first to talk, obviously pissed. "What was that?"

"Um. Earlier, I saw them in the front of the gym and told them to get help. To not stay and help. I said SOS. Save our souls."

"I know what that means but that doesn't mean you have to hug...him." Evan scoffs next to me and whispers, "Rude. Jealous much." I stifle a laugh. But I do snort. "Did you say something?" Luke says.

"No." Kayla looks at Luke angry as well. I would think being parents would help. I guess not. 

Kayla and Luke begin to argue and soon both Jake and Evan start fighting as well. I was the only quiet one. Chief Brody was no longer talking to me. 

"Hey! Shut up! We have bigger problems then a hug! So quit fighting and arguing and lets get to work!" They all turned to me shocked. I am always the silent girl in the back. I think that is the loudest they have heard me talk. Ever. After their shocked expressions left they all looked down and murmured a response.

Thank you I smirk at Chief's response.

"OK." 

"Yes, mam." Wow, didn't expect that. "Um, Yea." Not shocked they corrected themselves.

"Got it."

"Fine. But this isn't over." I scowl Luke he looks back down from Evan. 

"Good. Now, here is the plan." And I say the plan Chief says in my ear. Kayla and Luke will distract Kyle. Jake, Evan, and I will get the kids out through the dressing room as some officers slowly take them out. The injured first. Then the youngest. And so on. Easy? Wrong. We still need to get Kyle's full attention off of the kids. If he spots one move he will shoot them and notice half gone and go on a killing spree. Then there is still the fact he has a gun and Kayla and Luke will face him when he wants them. Kayla, Luke and Jake cut me off at that part to tell me this information. After I finish they all shrug like they are OK with it. "Well, them let's get started." 

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I skim the crowds tapping people on the shoulder and pointing to the dressing room. They nod and I signal to the people around them to get up and go. We have gotten a few kids out and the plan was going fine. Besides for Kayla. We decided to just send just Kayla. Luke didn't like it but we needed as much help down here as we could get. One person could distract him, right? Well he was torturing her. Tapping the gun against her chest, knocking her onto the ground. She was near tears and didn't look towards the crowd at all. She knew it would give it all a way. She stayed strong. Or was trying to. But is was working. After she went up there he faced his back to the kids. Most of the teachers were out. There were about twenty kids and four teachers were dead. I looked at there bodies and felt sick. Some I recognized. Sam, John, Susan, Susie, Kaden, Jake, Sofia, and Charlotte. Miss Nicole, Mr. Wright, Couch King, and Mrs. Mang were all the teachers dead. The principal was near death, but was hanging on. She was the first to go. I skim the crowd for him but don't see him. I hadn't seen Jack at all. I hoped he wasn't with the dead bodies. You know with them, where they go, yea you get it.

Luke went straight to the back and shuffled a few dance team members out. Jake got a big group of freshmen out. Evan on the other hand was doing the same thing I was doing. Searching for Jack. We had exchanged few words through. I asked him if he saw Jack and he said he will look while we get the kids out. Now, I would just look at him and he would shake his head. He knew what I was asking. I tap on a group of girls all huddled around I watched them for a while as I made my way through to them tapping and pointing to other kids on the way. I reached the group and so one of Jack's friends, Lucy. I nearly jogged over there. They were the best of friends and they would definitely meet up at a time like this. "Hey, Luce."

"Oh my god, Jess." She hugged me and didn't let go, just hung there.

"Where's Jack?" She then stiffened and let go. She looked down and I knew something happened. I said it once more. "Where is Jack? What happened to him?" I began to panic. But all she did was point. There he was, on the stage, at Kyle's feet. He looked at Kyle scared. He turned and looked me in the eye. I nearly screamed. Jack had been shot in the arm and the leg. His face was all bloodied up and he had definitely been crying. Lucy was now crying and I shushed her, "Take your friends to the girls dressing room. There you will be taken out. Go. And grab a few people on your way." 

When I said a few, I meant a few, not a quarter of the gym. But yes, the little girl did it. Got nearly a quarter of the entire group left out, silently. Luke, Jake, and Evan looked shocked as well. But I didn't stay shocked. I looked back up. Jack was crawling towards the end of the stage. Darn it Jack. I shook my head no but he didn't stop. I started waving my hands but he still moved centimeter by centimeter closer. He has only moved a feet when Kyle notices he moved. "What are you doing? Are you running away? Weren't we best friends friends back when me and your sister was a thing. What were you going to better then me?" I took this chance and ran. Right up the stairs and onto the stage. Screw the plan. I ignored Chief's yells and ran right onto the stage in view for Kyle.

"He was crawling to me." The look on his face was priceless.