We slipped out of the computer room as quietly as we could, staying low as we backtracked.
“This way,” Janice whispered, guiding me to where the locker rooms were.
We turned a corner, nearly colliding with someone.I choked on a scream, raising my hands to defend myself, but the figure skidded to a halt.
“Cadence?Janice?What the hell is going on?Why are you still inside?”
“Justin!”Relief and a different kind of fear hit me.His dark hair was damp from a shower.He was in his team jacket, the swim bag I got him for Christmas slung over his shoulder.
“We need to get out of here,” Janice hissed, glancing over her shoulder.“Right now.”
“What’s happening?Why are you running?Is there really a fire?”Justin’s eyes narrowed, his gaze flickering between us.
“L-Laurens,” I stammered, my voice shaking.“He has a gun.”
Justin’s expression darkened, tinged with disbelief as his brows furrowed.“He what?”
“We need to get out of here now.He’s going to catch up,” Janice snapped.
Justin grabbed my hand.“Follow me.All the lockers have a way outside.”With Justin in the lead, for the first time since this all started, I felt like we had some hope.A chance.Justin briefly glanced back at us, as if to reassure himself that we were still there before pulling us into the boys’ locker room.
The air was thick with the faint scent of chlorine and damp from all the showers that had been recently used.Rows of lockers lined the walls, and the faint hum of the ventilation system buzzed in the background.
Justin guided us toward the back of the room, to a door with a push bar.He slammed into it, the cold air rushing in.My breath puffed in short clouds as we ran along the building.Everything felt so much louder now that we were outside and the sound of the fire alarms wasn’t bursting my eardrums anymore.
“This way,” Justin said, motioning toward the corner of the building that led to the main parking lot.
Janice and I followed as closely as we could.My legs were burning with the effort to keep up.They were ready to give up on me, having to run around so much of the school.Janice was right beside me, her breath ragged.
Just as we rounded the corner, a voice froze us in our tracks.
“Another step and I’ll shoot you.”
I turned, my heart sinking as Laurens emerged out of a different side door.I wasn’t even sure where it led inside the school.Near the big gym most likely.The barrel of his gun gleamed faintly under the lights.His face was a mask of rage, his chest heaving from running around as hard as we’d been.
Justin stepped in front of Janice and me, his arms outstretched protectively.“Do you really think this is a good idea?”he said, his voice low and steady.
Laurens sneered, shaking his head.“Don’t play hero, kid.I don’t give a shit about you and after I shoot you, it’s nothing to pull the trigger and shoot them.This is beyond you.”
“I have no idea what you think I know,” Janice snapped, her voice shaking.“Why are you doing this?The Ryder gang is done for and anything I have I already gave to the police.It’s over for them.”
Laurens’ gaze flickered to her, and for a moment, something like regret crossed his face.But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.“So you think.But you were too close with that bratty kid.Even if you haven’t pieced it together yet, you will, and we can’t afford that.”
Justin shifted slightly, drawing Laurens’ attention back to him.“How do you think this ends?This place is full of emergency responders now, thanks to the fire alarm.You’re all over the cameras.”Justin tilted his head toward one of the cameras.
Laurens snorted.“That’s already been taken care of.”
Justin stilled at that.“And while they’re responding to the fire alarm, they have no idea what is really going on.Once I kill the three of you, I can easily escape, even now.Not an issue.”He took a step closer, the gun steady in his grip.
My mind raced, searching for a way out.The parking lot was just around the corner, we just had to be seen.The problem was none of us could outrun a bullet.We wouldn’t make it.I glanced at Janice, whose wide eyes mirrored my fear, and then at Justin, who stood firm despite the danger.
Didn’t his legs shake as hard as mine?Wasn’t his heart thundering in his ears?How could he be so strong, standing there, blocking Laurens from having a straight shot at either of us.
And then the last thing I expected to see happened.Davies slowly and carefully slipped out of the same door Laurens had come through.We looked at him but then focused back on Laurens.
“They’ll know it was you,” Janice stammered, distracting Laurens.
He frowned at her.“What are you talking about?”
