|
Title: Sarah Companion: Stephanie: Hostage Summary: Stephanie meets her future husband and is taken hostage when a killer comes into the school. A companion piece to the Sarah series Note: Takes place well after Wedding and Recruitment. Thanks to everyone who has responded to my stories, it is GREATLY appreciated and very encouraging. I am having a lot of fun with these and couldn't do it without your support. I hope you enjoy this. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc.
"Okay, class, calm down." Stephanie clapped her hands to silence the 32 youngsters. Which was in no way a small task. Class rooms had gotten smaller and the number of students larger every year. This was her second year of first graders and she loved every minute of it. Most of them adored her although they tested her every inch of the way. "Settle down." She walked to the front of her desk and leaned back against it. "All right, now you all have your assignments. Next week we'll make special Greeting Cards for your mothers. You have to come up with what you want to say on the card. So be thinking about that tonight and we'll see what you have tomorrow. Any questions?" She looked around an excited room of six-year-olds as the bell rang. "That's it for today, I'll see you all tomorrow." She smiled as they jumped up from their seats and headed for the door. One little girl held back, gathering her books slowly. When most of the children had left, she came up to address Stephanie. "Miss Mulder?" "Yes, Connie?" Connie Spencer was a shy little six-year-old. She'd lost her mother a couple of years ago and lived with her father. Stephanie worked hard to bring her out of her shell. Connie came to see Stephanie as a big sister, hopefully not more than that. "Who do I give mine to?" Her straggly long blonde hair hanging in her face as she looked down at her shoes, her finger in her mouth. Stephanie stooped down to meet her at eye level, pushing the hair out of the child's eye. "We talked about this, Connie. I know your Dad would be very proud to have a Card from you. Maybe you could do two. One for your Dad and one for your Mom that you can keep with her things. What do you think about that?" Connie's eyes grew big as she nodded. Her outlook had indeed improved since the beginning of the year. "Good, then. You better go, your Dad will be worried about you. " Stephanie smiled as she stood, her hand on Connie's shoulder she walked her to the door. Connie looked up at her before leaving. "Thanks, Miss Mulder." "Your welcome, Connie. Any time." She smiled as she watched the child hurry down the hallway and out the end doors. She saw her father kneel and open his arms for Connie just before the door closed. This is why she went into education. She wanted to help these children grow as individuals as well as teach them the basics. "Hey there." Steph turned to find Ross Jacobs leaning against his class door. Ross was a teacher also, mostly third grade and his class was next door to Steph's. Ross was tall, sort of blond with broad shoulders and a thick neck. He could've been a football player if you didn't know him. He had eyes like her father's, a mixture of brown and green that darkened when he got serious. That's what scared her the most. How he could become so serious so quickly. "Hi, Ross. How was class today?" "Pretty good, how about you?" She turned back to the doors at the end of the hall as she nodded. "Pretty good." "Listen, Stephanie, how about dinner? Maybe a movie or something?" He stood with his hands in his pants pockets, his jacket tucked behind them. His voice soft and quiet as he looked around to make sure they were alone. He looked damn good. A tweed jacket with a sweater underneath. A smile that was never forced but came rarely. He was such a serious man. Ross loved the children, loved teaching, and was very giving, very generous, but he was very quiet and shy as well. A smile was almost always accompanied by a light blush that stood out against his fair complexion. Stephanie liked to give him a hard time, she liked to see him blush. But actually, she wasn't ready for a relationship yet. She hadn't had very good luck with men, they'd deceived her. Steph wasn't going to make the same mistake again. Ross, however, had been persistent. If he'd asked once, he'd asked a hundred times. He was not giving up on her so Steph decided to give in. It was easier than coming up with another excuse. "It's a school night, Ross." She smiled and crossed her arms. "I promise to make it an earlier night." He countered. Her smile grew, she was conceding. How could she continuously say no to that warm smile and those puppy dog eyes? "All right, Ross. Dinner. Pick me up around seven. " She smiled and went back into her class room, closing the door behind her. Ross smiled widely. He'd done it. He'd finally got her to say yes. His heart was pumping a mile a minute. After six months of asking, she'd finally said yes. Stephanie Mulder had caught his eye, and heart, from the first day he laid eyes on her. She had long light brown hair, a full, inviting heart shaped mouth, a petite nose and the most beautiful soft brown eyes he'd ever seen. She was small in size, he felt like a monster next to her and when she'd smile at him, his heart melted. Stephanie was actually nervous over what she would wear. This was just a dinner, not really a date, she tried to tell herself. But her stomach didn't believe it, the butterflies were as active as ever. She decided to go with a simple cotton a-line dress that buttoned down the front with short sleeves and tiny red roses against a pale pink background. Her long hair was normally worn pinned up in school. Tonight, though, she'd let it hang long. It fell past her shoulders in waves. Steph tried different barrettes but decided on none. Why am I fussing?! She shook her head and stepped away from the mirror. Ross was right on time. He rang the bell and tugged nervously on his tie. She looked wonderful when the door opened. He smiled and handed her a small bouquet of roses. Stephanie blushed and took them. "Come on in. These are lovely, Ross, you didn't have to do this. Thank you." It was quickly becoming a date. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman." The moment he said it, he knew how corny it sounded. She smiled as he cringed. He was just so darned nervous, it was down right cute. "Well, I'll just put them in water and we can go. Make yourself at home." She turned to walk into the kitchen. "Where are we going tonight?" Steph called to him from the kitchen of her two bedroom apartment. "How about Luigi's?" He looked around the room, trying to get a clue as to what was important in her life. There were a row of photographs along her fireplace mantle that looked like family. He saw who he thought were her parents, she had her father's mouth. A very distinctive feature. Her brother looked a lot like her mother, or at least that's who he thought they were. Then there was an older girl, possibly a sister, she didn't have any of their mother's features but was the spittin image of their father. It was obvious she was proud of her family. He turned when he heard a noise behind him. Stephanie was setting the vase of flowers on the coffee table. "They're my family. " "Yeah, I guessed, I see the resemblance." His hands moved to his pockets again. "They look like nice people." He smiled. "They are. The best." She returned the smile and noticed his nervousness. "Luigi's sounds great, are you ready?" "Sure." He held the door as she went through. They enjoyed small talk throughout dinner. Ross asked all sorts of questions about her family and what she wanted to do with her life. They talked a lot about teaching. Stephanie was surprised at how committed Ross was. "I love kids. They're our future and the way things are going today, we're going to need all the help we can get. It's up to us to make sure they get the education." "Is your family here in Washington?" "No, they're back in Dallas. It's just my folks, I was an only child. I guess that's why I like kids so much, I always wanted brothers and sisters. It just didn't happen though." "How long have you been teaching here?" "Just two years, but I taught in Dallas for three before I moved out here." "What made you come all the way out here?" Ross smiled as he remembered. "Jonathon Price, actually." "The Dean at Georgetown?" She was surprised that Ross would know him. Ross nodded. "Yeah, we've been friends for a long time. He's sort of a mentor to me. A spot opened up and he knew how much I wanted to work with younger kids. I graduated shortly after I got out of the service and was teaching college courses in Dallas. I've always felt that if you can get to a kid before they become jaded, it makes all the difference in the world. Jon knew that and called me. I jumped at the chance. Not that older kids can't be helped, I believe they can. I work with Juvenile Hall two days a week." Stephanie was impressed. "You were in the service? Which branch?" He seemed sincere. Her Dad would be pleased when she brought this one home to meet the family. But she was getting ahead of herself. She found herself having to make a conscious effort to stay reminded of her objectives. "Air Force. A two year stint. Most of the time was spent in Turkey fixing planes. I got a lot of my education through the GI bill." Dinner went very well. They talked for hours and when it was time to leave, neither were really ready. But tomorrow was a school day and they both had to be up early. Ross drove Steph back to her apartment in relative quiet. He didn't want to say good night and didn't know how without making a fool of himself. He walked Steph up to her door with his hand in the small of her back and waited till she unlocked the door. "I really enjoyed dinner, Stephanie. And the company." She turned and looked up at him, he was standing so close. His presence was almost comforting. "I did too, Ross." "Maybe we can do it again sometime?" "Yeah, I think I'd like that." Steph smiled and tilted her head as he leaned down to kiss her. It was a nice, warm kiss. Nothing invading but it had a lot of promise. "I'll see you tomorrow." He whispered as he released her. "Yeah, tomorrow." She managed to get out as he turned and walked away. Steph closed the door behind her and leaned up against it, releasing a sigh. Suddenly she felt foolish in refusing him all these months. Stephanie was just beginning to nod off when the phone rang. It startled her to get calls this late at night, it was normally something wrong. "Hello?" "Hi Steph, it's Ross." "Ross, is something wrong?" "No, no, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed talking with you tonight. I was wondering if you'd like to spend Saturday with me. I'm taking a couple of kids to the zoo and thought you might like to join us. I meant to ask earlier." "Yeah, Ross, I'd love to. Thanks. I'll get the details from you tomorrow." "Great. Okay, well, good night then." Steph hung up the phone and smiled. He was something else, that was for sure. The weekend came quickly and Ross was right on time to pick her up on Saturday. She wore jeans and a light weight sweater. Pink with pearl buttons down the center and tiny embroidered roses. "We have to pick up the kids at the rec hall and we can be on our way. I appreciate your being okay about bringing the kids, Steph. " He was taken with her beauty even in it's simplicity. "Hey, I'm the one who's intruding here. Really, I'm looking forward to it." She was actually looking forward to seeing how Ross was with children. Ross opened the door for her and guided her into the van. He drove a mini van, it was convenient with the work he did with kids. It was always full. "I got a call this morning and it seems we have more than just two. I hope you don't mind." "Ross, will you stop apologizing. You know I love kids, a couple more aren't going to wear me out." Steph smiled but had no idea what she was getting herself into. When Ross came out of the institution, he was followed by seven small children. Four girls and three boys, ages from five to eight. Ross smiled as he loaded the kids into the van, all were chattering amongst themselves, arguing as to who gets a window, who sits in the back. "It's more than a couple." "I see that." Stephanie turned around as Ross introduced the kids. This was definitely not a date. She felt more like part of the Brady Bunch. The kids went through the gate at the zoo and instantly seemed like the occupants rather than the visitors. It took a lot of attention to keep them in line. One little girl, a five year old, Lucy, stuck with Ross the whole morning. When it was time to take her to the little girls room, it took some talking to pry her away so that Stephanie could take her. When they came out, she ran to Ross and grabbed hold of his pants leg, feeling safe once again. Stephanie smiled at them as she walked along. Ross would reach down and pat Lucy's head every once in a while. He looked so strong, his broad shoulders in a black pull over v-neck sweater. His long legs in a pair of tight jeans. When they'd reach an exhibit that was hard to see, he'd hold each child on his broad shoulders so that they could all get a good look. He was patient with each one, answering the slew of questions that were put to them one at a time, as honest and direct as he could. When the children began arguing, he'd stoop down to eye level and have a chat with them. It stunned her at how old he seemed to be for someone so young. When they stopped for lunch, the four girls, including Lucy, who'd gotten used to Stephanie by now, gathered around Stephanie as she placed their sandwiches and sodas in front of them. They smiled at her, their feet swinging under the table. "Miss Stephanie? Um, do you teach school, too?" "Yes, I do, at the same school where Mr. Ross teaches." "I want to be a teacher." "Me too. I'm going to be better teacher." Stephanie smiled as she remembered the competition between her and Josh at that age. One always wanting to out do the other. The next question startled her. "Are you going to marry Mr. Ross?" "Well, Nikki, Mr. Ross and I are good friends." Although she wanted to answer a more definite 'probably', as she looked at the table next to her where Ross and the boys were eating. She caught Ross's eye and a blush filled her cheeks as the girls giggled. They walked along with the kids staying just a few paces in front of them. Ross slipped an arm around Stephanie's shoulder as they strolled. "Are you having a good time?" "I'm having a wonderful time, Ross. I'm glad you asked me along. " She smiled up at him. Ross returned the smiled and gave her shoulder a little squeeze. Late in the afternoon, he herded the kids together and loaded them back into the van. They seemed quieter at this hour, all worn down from a long day. They would sleep good tonight. Lucy scooted up between the front seats to ask Ross a question. Stephanie reached down and pulled her into her lap. "Can I go home with you and Miss Stephanie? I'll be good, I'll go to bed when you tell me and do all my chores." Stephanie's breath was taken away. This was the hard part, having to leave these children at the end of the day. Leave them in an orphanage with a hundred other parentless children. The look in Lucy's eyes brought a lump to her throat. She looked to Ross to answer and saw the furrow in his brow before he turned to look at Lucy. Then his face was clear and all smiles. "I'm afraid we can't, Lucy. You know the rules. I can't take you places then take you home, too. Besides, I heard that you have a family to look over tomorrow, remember? Give them a chance, they need you and are going to love you the minute they see you, just like we do. Are you scared, Lucy?" Ross looked at her, then back to the road. She nodded with the saddest face he'd ever seen. Stephanie thought her heart was going to break right there. It took all she had to keep from crying. With all her training, this situation was always the hardest on her. "Well, just remember that they are just as scared. They're looking for you to like them too and if you don't give them a chance, think of how heartbroken they'll be. No one likes that, so you just be strong and show them that you're willing to give them a try as parents." He waited for her to nod. "Now, go back to your seat and buckle up, you know the rules." Steph was quiet the rest of the trip. She looked at Ross a couple of times and could see the heartache in his face. She was falling for this man and that's not what she wanted. She wasn't ready for that. Her life was set. She had plans and it didn't include marriage yet. But this man touched her heart, she didn't think she'd ever find anyone like him again. Ross dropped the kids off and climbed back into the van. "You up for a little dinner?" "I ... I don't know." She wanted to and that bothered her. But she saw the look on his face. He needed company right now, that was obvious. Suddenly she wanted it too. "Yeah, actually, dinner sounds good." They opted for Chinese and Stephanie sat across from Ross, staring at him through a pair of chop sticks. Ross looked up and smiled. "Something wrong? Did I spill something?" He looked down to his shirt. "No, no, you're fine. I was just wondering how often you take these kids on trips like today." "I try to take a large group once or twice a month, then smaller groups on the off weeks. I wish I could spend more time with them." "Do you know these kids very well?" "I've had them for about three trips. They grow attached quickly, especially the real young ones. I try not to let them get too close, but it's hard." "I can see that. How do you do it?" Ross turned serious, the vulnerability showing through for the first time. "One day at a time." After dinner, Ross drove Stephanie home. They stood in the doorway, awkwardly looking at each other. "Stephanie, I really like you. A lot. I may even be falling in love with you." She didn't know what to say. Truth was, she felt the same, but didn't want it known just yet. Stephanie searched his eyes, the greenish brown turning darker as he waited to be either ecstatic or humiliated. She knew she had the power at that moment to break a man. Instead, she moved in close, reached up and kissed him. A long and passionate kiss. One that did not mix words. They both knew. When Stephanie pulled away, she was left breathless, her voice was almost weak. "I'll see you on Monday." Then she smiled and went through the doorway, leaving him standing on the front step. Ross slowly released the breath he'd been holding and smiled as he turned and headed for the van. Ross met her in the hallway Monday morning. "Ready for class?" He smiled. Steph smiled as she followed her last student into the room and closed the door. "Good morning class." "Good morning Miss Mulder." They replied in unison. It always made her smile when they did that. She took attendance and filled out the morning reports as quickly as she could. They had a full day and she wanted to get started. First up, reading. Steph was in the middle of the students passing out readers when the door suddenly opened and a man came in. He seemed confused and was out of breath. Steph started for the front of the room. "Can I help you with something?" "Get back!" He pulled a gun from under his coat and aimed it at Stephanie, moving it from her to the children and back. The children began screaming and the ones in the front ran to the back. It seemed to upset him, confuse him. Stephanie moved the children behind her as best she could, moving back with them. "It's all right." She told the man. "No one is going to hurt you. We're no threat to you." He looked to be about twenty, a mere child himself. He was sweating profusely, decked out in a worn army jacket and torn jeans. His hair was long and dirty and unkempt. "Just stay back!" He yelled at her, the gun shaking in his hand. He kept looking from the windows to the doors. There were two doors to the room, one in the very front and one in the back. "All right. We won't come near you. Come on, kids." Steph turned her back to corral the children to the back of the room. "Come on, sit here on the floor. Stay down." She whispered to them. "Keep your heads down." "NO!" Steph turned sharply, startled at the shout. "I want them in their chairs." "It's not necessary, they can stay out of your way here ..." "No! Get them in their chairs." Steph sighed. He seemed so unstable. It was easier to keep them back, she couldn't protect them spread about the room. "Please, they're no threat to you, let them ..." His voice lowered and became even more threatening. "Do it now!" "Okay, kids, take your seats. Lay your head down and stay quiet. It's going to be all right." She tried to reassure them. A few of them had begun to cry and she tried to comfort them individually. "It's okay, I'm here, you're going to be all right." Ross heard the screaming and stepped out into the hall. It was coming from Stephanie's class. A teacher from across the hall had stepped out as well. Ross motioned for her to stay there as he peered through the tiny window in Steph's back door. All he could see were the kids rushing to the back of the room. But he could hear Stephanie and something was wrong. "Jean, get these kids out of here. Take them to the auditorium and get security up here." He went back to his class and grabbed a few things from his desk, one item being his cell phone. Ross told the two other classes in their hall the same thing. The first duty was to get the kids out. Then he slowly peered into the back door again. The kids were in their seats, obviously upset, but he couldn't see Steph. Ross edged up to the front door and took a quick look. A man with a gun. Another look, Stephanie was standing between him and the children. It looked like she was trying to talk to him. He was able to catch Steph's eye. But the gunman noticed her looking and turned quickly to the door. Ross ducked, but not quick enough, the gunman saw him. "Lock these doors! Now!" He motioned to Stephanie with the gun, stepping back against her desk. Stephanie locked the door and looked out at Ross who nodded at her. She understood everything with the nod. They knew and help was on it's way. She looked at the gunman then moved to the other door, locking it. She saw the trail of students passing. Good, he's getting everyone else out. Mulder was fixing lunch when he flipped on the television. Scully would be home in a minute and they always sat down to lunch together. She worked a few days a week at the free clinic in her spare time. He was watching the noon news on the small television on the counter as he tossed the salad. "A gunman is reported holding a class hostage at Harding Elementary." Mulder dropped the salad tongs. "The school has been evacuated and the parents have been notified. We've been told that there are approximately 32 children in the class along with the teacher. Police are asking that you do not go to the school. The gunman apparently held up a convenience store around the corner from the school and shot the proprietor. His condition is unknown at this time. We'll keep you informed of any new developments." He reached for his cell phone and hit a speed dial. It rang and rang. No answer. Mulder didn't like it. Steph would answer if she could. "Mulder?" He left things as they were in the kitchen and came to meet Scully in the hallway. "Scully, there's a problem at Steph's school and I can't get a hold of her. I'm going over." They left together, Mulder told her what he'd heard as they drove. They were stopped at a road block as they neared the school, they weren't letting anyone in. Mulder flashed his badge and demanded to speak to the man in charge. The officer led him to a Lieutenant Harrison. Mulder showed him his ID again and asked what was going on. "As far as we can tell, there's only one man with a 9 mm Glock. We think he's the same one who held up the Stop 'n' Go on Alamedos. He hasn't made any demands yet, but he's very dangerous. He's shot one man already, so there's no telling what he'll do. We're trying to set up some sort of communication now." Mulder was getting impatient. "Who's the teacher?" The Lieutenant flipped through his pad. "A young woman, Stephanie Mulder ... " He looked up at Mulder. "Are you related to her?" Mulder stared at the building. "She's my daughter." He felt Scully squeeze his arm. The police had asked Ross several times to leave, but there was no way he was leaving. He stayed out of their way, but he wanted Steph to know that he was out there, looking out for her and the kids. Sometimes, the police had a way of accepting a minimum number of casualties. Ross was going to see that there were no 'acceptable' casualties. The gunman told Stephanie to gather the children and sit in the middle of the room, moving the desks against the doors. She sat among them, holding as many in her arms as would fit. Every once in a while, she saw Ross's face appear in the window of the door. She felt safer with him out there. They had a tense moment when her cell phone began to ring. She thought the gunman was going to fire at her desk at first, but the ringing stopped and he seemed to calm down. Stephanie wanted to talk to him, but he was so erratic, she feared he'd turn on them. He paced, looking intensely out the windows, then moving over to the doors and back. His breathing was irregular, he was sweating even more and now he was mumbling to himself. Stephanie stood up slowly and moved away from the children. "Look, why don't you let the children leave. You have me, you don't need all these children." The gunman looked over at the children as if he was considering letting them leave. But he didn't. "No." He motioned with the gun. "Get back over there." "They're just children ..." "I said get back!" He shouted. "You don't need them ..." He grabbed her around the throat and shoved Stephanie against the wall, bringing the barrel of the gun to her chin. "Shut up and sit down." He clenched his teeth and spoke low and vicious. The children were screaming and cowering away. Stephanie had been wrong about him. He wasn't a confused, misguided individual. He was a deranged killer who knew full well what he was doing. She nodded what little her head would move and he released her. Stephanie went back to the children, sitting among them, trying to calm them, wiping their tears. "It's all right, everything's all right. Let's keep quiet." She whispered to them. Her hands shook terribly. The man had unnerved her, she'd underestimated him. A pair of binoculars peered at the scene from across the courtyard. Mulder gasped and held his breath as the gun barrel was placed in his daughter's face. The thought that his daughter was going to be killed right before his eyes flashed through his mind. When the gunman released her, Mulder almost crumbled. The relief washed over him so quickly, his knees buckled. He didn't dare close his eyes, the vision of what almost happened was too vivid. Scully grabbed his elbow, the look on his face scared the hell out of her. Mulder had gone a ghostly pale. She was afraid he'd pass out. "What happened?! Mulder! What happened?" She grabbed the binoculars and peered through. Stephanie was sitting down, her head just dipping below the window line. Scully looked up at Mulder. He just shook his head and sighed heavily. "She's okay." But Scully had seen his face, Stephanie was not okay and he was worried. Mulder looked to the Lieutenant. "We've got to get her out of there." "We're working on the problem, Agent Mulder." Mulder neglected to tell him that he was semi retired. He wasn't concerned with formalities, he wanted action. "This guy's too unstable, he's going to kill her and everyone else in that room!" "What do you suggest, Agent Mulder? We go barging in and he'll fire on those children. I won't have that on my watch!" Harrison argued with him. The noise was getting to the gunman, it was clear he was becoming annoyed with the children. The crying and whimpering never seemed to end. "Shut them up! Can't you shut them up?" "Can I move them to the tables in the back? They can work on a project or something." Stephanie asked carefully. He looked to the tables and figured they couldn't do any harm there. "Fine, just keep them quiet." Stephanie stood up and took a few hands. "Come on, every one back here." It was a tight squeeze but she managed to get them around the tables. 32 children around two tables that were meant for 20. "I want to go home, Miss Mulder." "Me too." A few others chimed in as well. Stephanie felt for the children. They were so young and didn't know what was going on. This would be giving them nightmares for a long time. Counseling would be needed. She wondered if Sarah would help. Then she laughed to herself. Here she was thinking about afterward and she didn't know if they were even getting out of this. "You'll get to go home soon, don't worry. But right now, we have to be as quiet as we can, all right? You'll be fine, I promise. Right now, I'm going to give you some paper and we're going to make those Greeting Cards. Did you think about what you want to say?" A few of the children nodded, others just looked at the odd man sitting at the teacher's desk. "We need markers, Miss Mulder." One of the boys called to her. "Shhh. Quietly, Bobby. If you want to talk, you have to raise your hand. Everybody understand?" She watched them nod. "Okay, I'll get the supplies, everybody stay here." Stephanie glanced at the gunman and walked over to the supply cabinet. "What are you doing?" He stood cautiously. "I'm just getting them some art supplies. You want them quiet, they need to be doing something." She stood defiantly in front of the cabinet. The gunman walked over slowly, eyeing her up and down. He took her arm roughly and moved her aside, opening the cabinet and looking in. There were stacks of construction paper, small barrels of crayolas and marking pens, bottles of white glue, a dozen or so pairs of children's scissors and a few other things that where harmless enough. The scissors were small and dull and he didn't seem threatened by those. He looked into her eyes for a long moment before releasing her arm and nodding. Then he returned to the desk. Stephanie wondered what he was thinking. None of this made sense. At first glance, he seemed he was there as a desperate act to hide. He was so nervous, so lost at first. Now he knew there was no way out and he seemed calmer, more calculating. Like he knew he wasn't getting out of there alive. The only question was, how many would die with him? She gathered the supplies and took them to the tables, making a couple of trips. Stephanie passed out a few things giving instructions as she went. "First I want you to draw a heart and maybe a pretty flower or whatever you want. Then later, we'll write your name and a short verse." She kept looking over at the desk, the gunman was staring at them. It frightened her. She had to find a way to get the kids out of there. She jumped when her cell phone began ringing again. The gunman was startled as well. He opened and closed drawers and finally yelled at her. "Where is it?" Stephanie went over to the corner where her jacket was and pulled her purse out from underneath. She reached in and retrieved her phone. Looking at the gunman, she flipped it open and held it up to her ear. "Hello." "Steph, are you okay?" Mulder's voice was quiet and low. "Yes, we're all fine." "Hang it up." The gunman motioned with the gun. "They want to know what you want." Steph pulled the phone away but didn't hang it up. It was time to get on with this. She was not going to let him string her and the kids along all day. "You have to tell them what you want." They stared each other down for a moment, then the gunman gave in. "I want a car, with a full tank. I want to drive out of here with you and three of the kids. When I'm satisfied that no one is following, I'll let you and the kids go. Tell them, that's what I want. If I don't get it," he pointed toward the children and whispered, "someone dies." Stephanie watched him walk back to the desk as she put the phone back up to her ear. "Did you get that?" "We got it. I want to talk to him, honey." "They want to speak to you." Steph held the phone out. "No. They heard me, there's nothing else to say." She brought the phone back up. "He said ..." "I heard. Tell him we want the children released." "They want you to let the children leave. You don't need them, you have me. I'll be your hostage." She watched him as he looked her over again. "No." "They're just children." She whispered pleadingly to him. "They'll only slow you down. You already don't like the noise, the commotion they cause. Let them go, they'll be out of your hair." The gunman looked at the children huddled in the back of the room. Some were crying, some were talking. All were fidgeting. He grabbed Stephanie by the arm and they walked to the children. He pointed to a couple. "You and you, get over here." Then another. "You, come here." But the third child was scared. She hesitated. "Get over here!" He yelled and some of them started to cry. "She's just scared, you don't need to yell." Stephanie flinched when the gunman drew back as if he were going to strike her. But he didn't, he turned back to the children and picked another. "Over here, now." The child slowly came forward. "Go over there and sit down with them." He picked seven year old Justin and six-year-olds Kelly and Sadie. "Everyone else can leave." Stephanie's heart leapt. Thank God. "He's letting most of them go." She reported into the telephone. "Good, there's someone outside the room to take charge of them. Don't do anything heroic, Steph. I saw what he did earlier. He's a powder keg. Just do what he says and be careful. I love you." "Yeah, me too. Bye." She slipped the phone in her dress pocket. "All right, listen up children. I want you all to stand in two rows. I'm going to open the door and you're to file out in proper order. Mr. Jacobs will be there and he'll take you to your parents." The gunman had hold of her arm with the gun pressing into the side of her head as she opened the door to allow the children to leave. She saw Ross standing in the hall waiting for them. He looked concerned for her as he gave her a small wink. She tried to smile a little and nod to let him know she was all right. Stephanie closed the door and took a deep breath when the gunman released her. Then she walked back over toward the three children that were left. They were quiet but nervous and scared. They'd heard what the gunman had said. One in particular was crying softly and Steph knelt down beside her. "It's all right, Sadie. I'm not going to let anyone hurt any of you." "I want to go home." Sadie whispered between tears. "I know, honey. Soon, you'll be going home soon. I promise." Stephanie settled herself on the floor as the three children huddled around her. Ross helped take the children out of the building. A few social workers took charge of them and the police wanted to ask them a few questions. An older man came up to him, a tall man, graying at the temples. Next to him stood a small but formidable looking woman with red hair, also with a few streaks of gray showing through. They looked to be in charge. Ross felt he recognized them, but he couldn't place it right then. "How many teachers are left in the building?" The man asked. "Just myself. There are a couple of swat team members in the hallway." "All right, you can go now, we'll take over from here." "I don't think so. I'm staying." Ross stood firm. He was just as tall as the older man and felt strongly that he could take him if need be. He wasn't leaving Steph's side. "Look, this is a highly volatile situation. We don't need anyone getting in the way." The last thing Mulder wanted was someone to screw things up. "I don't know who you are, but I care about that woman and I'm not leaving her in your hands. Get used to it." Ross turned and went back inside the school, leaving Mulder with his mouth open. Mulder looked down at Scully questioningly as they followed. She shook her head. She hadn't heard anything about this. Mulder let it go for now. All he wanted was to get Stephanie and those kids out of there in one piece. A uniform came up to the lieutenant. "The car's ready. It's right outside those doors." He pointed to the doors at the other end of the hallway. "We can't let them get in the car." Scully jumped into the conversation. "We have to take him out before they get there. It'll be too hard to isolate him after they leave." "We have the car wired, they won't get away from us." "I don't want them getting that far." Mulder hissed at the lieutenant. The officer in charge took Mulder aside. "Agent Mulder, I'm in charge here, now I want this cleared up as soon as possible and I don't want anyone hurt in the process. My men are experts at this. If the opportunity comes up, they'll take the shot. We'll get your daughter and the kids back." He handed Mulder the cell phone. "Dial the number." Ross listened to the conversation and a slow dread fell over him. What had he said to them? That's were he'd seen them. The photographs. Her parents. Well, he'd have to deal with it later. Right now, Stephanie was fixing to walk out that door and if he didn't do something, it might be the last time he'd ever see her. "The car's here." Stephanie told the man after answering the phone. The children sat behind her, as close as they could get. The gunman looked out the window into the courtyard as if he were considering what to do next. He turned and stared at the woman on the floor, the kids huddling around her. How did he get stuck with this? All he wanted was some quick bucks. Score a little blow and move on. Now he had cops on his back, a smart mouth woman and three screaming brats. It didn't look good. The phone was up to her ear as Stephanie watched the gunman. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking except that he looked confused and that was dangerous in her opinion. "Okay, let's go. Get up." Stephanie spoke into the phone. "We're coming out." Then she hung up the phone as she stood and slipped it into her pocket. "Pick her up and carry her." He pointed to the smallest girl. "The other two hold onto your skirt. If they run, I'll shoot them. Make sure they understand that. You do as I say and you won't get hurt. You'll stand in front of me and we back out of the building. You understand?" Stephanie nodded and knelt down to talk to the children. "You're going to be okay, I'll take care of you. Just do what I tell you and everything will be fine. I'll carry you, Sadie. Kelly, you and Justin grab on to my skirt like this." Steph pinched a handful of the skirt of her dress to show them. "And hold on, walk very close to me. Don't be afraid, it'll be okay." She smiled and wiped away the stray tear. Why didn't he just let the children go? With a sigh, she stood and picked up Sadie. The girl was the smallest of the three, but a six-year-old child was rather large to be carrying. She settled the girl on her hip with Justin on the other side and Kelly just to the front. The gunman moved around behind her. "Just follow my step." He wrapped one arm around her waist and the hand with the gun was aimed between Stephanie's head and Sadie's. He pushed them toward the door and Stephanie opened it. "Stay back!" He yelled to the small crowd in the hall. Before her, stood her father and her mother among a dozen of uniformed policemen. She started to smile but was pushed forward. When they were in the hall, the gunman walked backward, his back against the wall, using her and the children as a shield. They got half way down the hall when Steph tried to adjust Sadie on her hip, the child was slipping. It wasn't easy holding a large child. "What are you doing?" The gunman stopped and shoved the gun into her neck. "I'm just trying get my grip, she's slipping." Stephanie hissed back. Suddenly Justin let go and took off running. The gunman began yelling, waving his gun. "Get back here, you little shit!" Stephanie tried to move the gun away. "No! Don't! He's just a little boy, he's scared. Let him go!" "Damn it! I thought I told you to keep them with you." "Let them go, you can't get far." Lieutenant Harrison stepped up and spoke. "We can work a deal. You don't need to do this." The gunman ignored him and once again began walking backwards, pulling Stephanie and the children with him. Stephanie looked around and saw her parents, but Ross was no where around. They stopped with a jolt as they reached the big double doors. The gunman turned and looked out the door. The car sat alone, no one in sight. But he knew there were cops out there. It couldn't be that easy. "If anyone tries to stop us or follows us, I'll kill them. You don't want two dead kids on your hands, do you? When I'm sure were alone, I'll let them go. If I go down, they're going down. Do you understand?" "We understand, Mr. Rhodes." "How do you know my name?" "We know a lot about you, Jimmy. We know you didn't mean to kill that guy this morning. We know you've had some hard luck. We can help you if you let us." "We can't let them leave, Mulder." Scully whispered as the lieutenant tried to reason with the gunman. "I know, Scully." "You can't help me, just stay back, I don't want to have to kill anyone else, but I will. At this point, one or two more won't make a difference." He pulled Stephanie and the two children through the door. He opened the car door on the drivers side and ducked in, pulling Stephanie with him. "Go." She whispered and let the girls run to the double doors. "What the hell are you doing?" He yelled and jerked her inside the car, he aimed the gun, but the girls were already inside. "Son of a bitch!" He yelled, grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head back, placing the gun to her chin once again. "You're taking a big chance, bitch! I could kill you right now." "Yes, you could. But then you wouldn't have a hostage, would you." She closed her eyes and winced when he pulled her head back further. "Shit!" He murmured under his breath as he looked around. "Start the car." Stephanie started the motor and put the car into gear. "Where do you want to go?" "Just drive!" He yelled. She let her foot off the brake and took off. Ross saw the two little girls run into the building from his place in the trunk. While everyone else was inside, he'd slipped out and hid in the trunk. If this guy was leaving with Stephanie, he was going with them. He heard the conversation and thought to himself that Steph was a stubborn woman. And a risk taker. She had a smart mouth, being with her was going to require patience. But he had a lot of patience. Slowly he pulled the trunk closed as the car took off. Mulder watched as the police flittered about him, talking into their mobile radios, getting the backups in order, setting up check points. He stood silently and watched as the trunk lid pulled almost to a close. The guy had guts. Maybe his daughter finally picked a good one. Then he found Harrison. "Where are they going?" He looked down into the electronic box that showed a blinking light moving in a southerly direction. "They're moving south right now." A man behind him spoke into a mobile radio to another, giving him directions. "We've got people all over town. We're not going to lose them." "You've got someone in the trunk of that car. Tell your people to be careful." "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't put anyone in that car." "I didn't think you did. The guy, the teacher who was here, Jacobs, Ross Jacobs. He's in the trunk." Mulder half smiled as the lieutenant went berserk. Stephanie drove the speed limit, the minute she went over, he started yelling. "Your name's Jimmy?" "I don't want conversation! Just shut up and drive." He shoved the gun into her side. Steph sighed and turned onto the freeway. From the corner of her eye, she watched him as he looked all around him. He kept looking behind to see if anyone was following. If he suspected someone, he'd have her make turn after turn. No one ever followed. Or so she thought. They drove for a couple of hours, Stephanie made the turns and stops as he directed. The direction turned easterly for a while and they were near the mountains. Stephanie knew she wasn't alone, she'd been around her father long enough to know how it worked. But she wished they'd show themselves just once so she wouldn't feel so alone. She didn't like where this was going. She didn't want to end up dead, dumped somewhere in the mountains where it would take forever for anyone to find her body. "There. Pull in there." A state park opened in front of them. Winter was just coming to a close, there weren't many campers, especially since school was in session. Stephanie turned right onto a gravel road, the trees suddenly getting thicker, blocking out the sun. No, she didn't like this at all but she was damn glad the kids weren't there. They drove deeper into the woods and found a campsite where no one was within a mile. "Stop here." She pulled off the road into the drive of a site. A concrete picnic bench sat with a metal grill a few feet away. There was nothing else at the site. "Get out." She stared at him, the gun loosely aimed at her. Stephanie didn't want to get out of the car but maybe he would let her go. She was strong, she could find her way to help. But he was acting rather nervous. Maybe strung out. In the back, Ross raised the hood just enough to slip out. He quietly pushed it closed and moved away for cover from the woods. Stephanie caught the movement in the rear view mirror from the corner of her eye as she turned away to open the door. A relief washed over her, she wasn't alone after all. She opened the door and got out of the car. Her legs were stiff from the long drive and she stretched as she moved away. The gunman also got out. He was cautious, he kept looking around as if he expected someone to jump out. Every little noise made him jump. "Give me the keys." "They're in the car." Steph pointed to the car. "Get over here." He motioned to the table. Stephanie walked slowly to the table and sat down at the end, on the other side from him. "Look, you got what you wanted. No one followed. Now, I can just walk away and you can go about your business." "No. Not yet." His voice was deep and unnerving. Stephanie didn't like the sound of his voice or the look in his eyes. He was unstable. He stared at her, looking her over like she was the meal of the day. "Look, you got what you wanted, I'm leaving now." She stood slowly, watching his hand, the one with the gun. She walked a few steps toward the road. But she didn't get far. He was faster than she expected. He grabbed her and threw her against the table. Her back hit hard against the concrete and she cried out just as he hit her with his fist. Ross didn't see it coming. He really thought she was going to be able to walk away. When the man jumped up, it was just as much a surprise to him as it was to Stephanie. Ross leapt from his crouched position and took off toward the scuffle. He caught the man in the middle of the second swing and spun him around. He drew back and hit the man square in the face, knocking him to the ground. He watched to make sure the gunman didn't get back up. "Stephanie?" "I'm okay." She sat at the table dabbing her lip, blood trickling from the cut. Ross came to her and lifted her face in his hands, his thumb gently wiping away a drop of blood. "I thought for a moment I'd lost you." He smiled at her. "You're bleeding." He released her and took his sleeve to dab the blood from her face. She had two cuts, one on her lip and the other from a small cut from under her eye. "It's going to really swell up here in a minute and you're going to be black and blue for a while." They heard a car in the distance and saw the dust being stirred up as it moved toward them. A helicopter whirling overhead. "I guess Daddy is here." She tried to smile, but winced at the pain. "Speaking of which, I don't think I made a good first impression. " Ross smiled as the first car pulled in and several people jumped out, one being Mulder. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was all right. Scully was behind him as they made their way to her. Mulder was concerned when he saw that she was bleeding, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. "Baby, are you all right?" He hugged her tightly. "Yes, Dad. I'm okay. Just a little sore. Hi, Mom." She hugged Scully next. "I'm all right, really." They fussed over her and led her to the car as the other police talked with Ross. He had to give a statement and an explanation. The gunman was cuffed and put in a squad car. Ross glanced over to Stephanie and smiled. She'd been watching him. "Come on, honey, we're going to take you home. You can go to the police station tomorrow to make a statement. I want to get your mother to look after those cuts." Mulder took her by the elbow. "Wait, just a minute." Before they knew it, she'd hurried over to Ross. Ross turned away from the officer and placed his hand on her arm. "Steph, you go ahead and go home with your folks. I'll catch a ride with the police. I don't think your father wants to deal with me yet." "What makes you think that?" She reached out and touched his waist. "From the way he's watching us. I know a father's protective stare when I see one." Ross smiled. Stephanie's smile was even bigger and she lowered her head, then raised it again to look into his eyes. There was silence between them as they stared into each other's eyes. Finally Steph spoke. "Thank you," she said in a whisper. "For what?" Ross moved his hands to her shoulders and pulled her closer. "For rescuing me." She moved closer to him. "Any day, m'lady." He grinned, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. Steph reached up and kissed his mouth then pulled back. "I'll call you tomorrow." Ross nodded as a blush crept up his face. He watched her walk back to her parents. Yes, this was the woman he was going to marry. Scully came into the bedroom and climbed into bed next to Mulder. "Is she okay?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, she's fine. She's still protesting about wanting to go home, but I told her to cut her old man a break and stay one night here." Scully smiled as she kissed Mulder on the forehead. "Did she say anything about the young man?" "You mean Ross Jacobs?" Scully's smile widened. "She told you about him? What did she say? Is she serious about this guy?" Mulder wore a frown. "You better get used to it, Mulder, she said that's the man she's going to marry." Scully smiled as she settled in next to Mulder. The End
|