Something caught my eye over the man’s shoulder at the classroom door. Was it the cops? Fuck. No. Wait!
Walker!
What was Walker doing here?!
He appeared in the doorway, barely visible as he peered around the corner, his hand rising quickly, sharply signaling “shhh” with his fingers. My breath caught, and fear spiked so fiercely that I nearly shouted. My mind raced. If Jamie’s dad saw him, things could turn deadly. My heart continued to hammer in my chest, panic clawing at the edges of my thoughts. Get out, Walker. Go get help, please, I silently begged him. Walker wasn’t trained in how to deal with a shooter in a school. I had to de-escalate.
“How about we talk, Mr. Evans. We don’t want to scare Jamie?—”
“Fuck you!” Jamie’s dad yelled.
Walker was out of sight. Thank fuck. Relief threatened to buckle my knees.
Then, as casually as anything, Walker strode back into the classroom as if he owned the place. “Hi, Finn,” he announced brightly, voice firm but almost lazy. Jamie’s dad whirled to face the new arrival.
As he stepped forward, Walker’s eyes widened in mock surprise, hands raised high in fake surrender. “Whoa, whoa, what’s going on here?” he said, voice shaky and uncertain, bending a little to make himself seem smaller.
“Who the fuck are you?” Jamie’s dad barked, swinging the gun toward Walker.
“Me? No one,” Walker stammered, stepping closer carefully. He shifted slightly, angling his body until I realized what he was doing—putting himself directly between me and the gun.
“Fuck no,” I grumbled under my breath, panic rising. I was now completely hidden behind Walker’s broad, muscled back.
“What’s wrong?” Walker asked, voice still light, playing dumb. “Are you okay, man? You look like you’ve had a rough day.”
“I said, who the hell are you?” Jamie’s dad spat.
“I’m nobody,” Walker insisted, voice still high with fake fear.
“I want my kid! Jamie! Come out here now, you little shit!”
Walker stepped closer. “Hey, man. We can talk this out.”
“Get away from the fucking teacher!” Jamie’s dad growled and lunged forward to press the gun against Walker’s head. Walker moved like lightning, grabbing his wrist and twisting it sharply. Jamie’s dad gasped in pain, the fight draining from him as Walker wrenched his arm behind his back and pinned him against the wall, causing him to drop his gun.
I kicked the gun, which skittered across the floor and slid under the dinosaur display in the corner. My heart pounded so fiercely that I thought my chest might explode. My breath came in quick, ragged bursts, and my legs threatened to give out. Panic surged, making my hands shake as I grabbed my phone. I barely remembered lifting it to my ear, my voice frantic. “Hurry, please, oh God, hurry!”
Jamie’s dad fought like a cornered animal, thrashing wildly, scratching and biting like a wildcat and drawing blood from Walker. He didn’t falter. With his muscles flexing, he had Jamie’s dad restrained as he cursed and struggled. Once Walker had him completely immobile, I caught snatches of what Walker was cursing into his ear—low, furious words filled with barely controlled rage.
“You’re a fucking father,” Walker ground out between clenched teeth. “And you wanna bruise your son? Hurt him? Fucking kill him? I should tear you apart limb from fucking limb. Preying on kids, scaring the shit out of a child… ”
His grip tightened, and Jamie’s dad yelped in pain, face pressed hard against the wall. “But I won’t,” Walker muttered darkly. “Because Jamie’s got to believe there’s something better than men like you.”
The wail of sirens pierced the air. Within seconds, officers swarmed the room, shouting commands. “Hands up! Both of you!” one of them barked. As the officers advanced, Walker froze, lifting his hands, and they treated him as part of the threat.
“Wait!” I cried, grabbing Walker’s arm. “He’s with me. He helped me!” My voice cracked with urgency, and one of the officers hesitated, glancing between us. “He stopped him. He saved us,” I insisted. Slowly, they lowered their weapons, one of the officers stepping forward to cuff Jamie’s dad instead and dragging him away. Only when he was gone did I go to Jamie.
“Jamie, it’s okay. You can come out now,” I said against the door. Walker was hovering behind me, still in protector mode.
“I want my mommy!” Jamie wailed from inside.
“She’ll be here soon, Jamie. You need to come out now.”
I knelt as the cupboard door creaked open. Jamie’s face was blotchy, his eyes wide and glassy with shock. His legs buckled as he stumbled forward, then his breath hitched. His hands twisted into the fabric of his shirt, knuckles white, as if holding himself together was the only thing keeping him from shattering. He stumbled out, shaking so hard his teeth chattered. His whole body trembled as he staggered forward, blinking rapidly.
“Where’s my mommy?” Jamie’s voice was barely above a whisper, raw and broken. “I want my mommy.”
“It’s all good,” I lied, my voice breaking. I had no way of knowing if his mom was even alive, and I hoped to hell she was found okay. I reached out, but he flinched, his little hands curling into fists. Tears streaked his face, and he sucked in quick, panicked breaths, his chest heaving.
