Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                    Chapter 30

                                             Sometimes You Just Gotta Do What You Gotta Do.                                                                                        

     Alex's phone was dead and he begin to panic, banging his cell against his thigh.  "What's wrong?"  Dawn asked hysterically.  "My cell is dead.  I meant to charge it last night but I forgot.  We are now cut off from the dispatcher Hope, Detective Burns and my Dad!"  Alex cried.  "I have mine," Dawn said, taking it from her bag.  "Of course you do," Alex said, "I should have known."

     "Call 911," Alex told her, "Tell the dispatcher who you are.   I gave Hope your name.  Ask for Hope."  Dawn quickly did as she was told.  "Hello," And then she told the dispatcher who she was and asked for Hope.  "This is Hope, Dawn.  What's going on?"  "Alex's cell is dead.  I'm using mine," Dawn told her.  "Okay.  I'll keep a line open for this number, so just like before, if you call, you'll get me."

     "Okay good," Dawn said in relief.  "How are you all doing?"  "Tell her to get a hold of Detective Burns," Alex interrupted.  "Tell him he's with my Dad and that I got cut off from talking to him.  I want him to know we're all okay."  "Right," Dawn said, relaying the message to Hope.  "I'll have Alex's Dad and Detective Burns the message," Hope promised.  Dawn related her message to Alex.  "Good.  Thank God you had your cell with you Dawn," Alex said on a big sigh.

     "You all just sit tight," Hope told Dawn.  The F.B.I. is in negotiations with the gunmen and it's going well.  I should have something good to tell you soon."  "Okay Hope.  Thanks." Dawn said.  Hope rang off and Dawn breathed deep and then handed her cell to Alex.  "Here.  You take it.  It will make you feel like your more in control."  "Thanks Dawn," Alex said, putting the cell in his back pocket.

     Alex, Lee and Fletch begin to have a conversation about sports, just to get their minds off the situation they were in, for a few minutes.  But Anna shushed them before they were barely started.  "Did you hear something?" she asked the group of friends.  "Footsteps," Glenna whispered in a frantic voice, her heart racing.

     "What do we do?"  Dawn asked Alex, her tone near hysteria.  "Well, we can't panic," Alex told her and then thinking fast he said, whispering in the darkness, "Fletch, Lee.  Follow the sound of my voice."  Fletch and lee moved quickly to Alex's side.  The girls sat down against the wall and hung on to each other.

     "Okay Lee.  You and Fletch go to the other side of the closet and I'll stay in this corner." Alex whispered.  "Alright Alex," Lee said, grabbing Fletch's shoulder and slinking off.  "Dawn, Anna and Glenna just remained where they were, a few steps down from where Fletch and Lee had stationed themselves. "If any of you feel like making a sound, cover your mouths."  "Okay Alex," Dawn and the others chimed in a whisper.

     "So what's the plan?"  Lee asked Alex.  "If someone should open the doors.... we jumped them,"  Alex said, with a great deal of bravado, even though he didn't really feel it.  "I guess you're right Alex.  We really don't have another choice.  Lee agreed.  "I do," Glenna said.  "Can't we just go peaceably."  No one answered her, sarcastically or any other way because footsteps had reached the top of the stairs and were quickly moving down the hallway, to stop right outside room 220.  Alex's stomach was suddenly in his throat.

     Alex was relieved when he heard a lone voice say, "Yeah.  This is a one man job alright," then he chuckled.  "There's no one here.  I told those two jerks I work with that we got everybody when we first came in and herded everybody into the cafeteria."  The teens heard footsteps again as the man finished with his monologue.  Then they stopped.