Liv nodded. “Pretty much. She’s got into the building by breaking through the cleaning store, which isn’t alarmed during the day and the lock on that external door is dodgy to say the least. She’s put a cleaner’s tabard on and blended into school to find Mia – one of the teachers is absolutely beside himself because he saw her and didn’t challenge her. Poppy was covering, but she’d gone out to look for Cara after Mia had said something and got bashed around the head. She’s okay apart from a concussion. We’ve got eyes around the back of school and we can see in Cassian’s office, which is where Cara is with Cas and Mia.”
“What’s she doing in there?”
“She looks very calm, but she’s pointing a knife at them. The problem is the door to Cassian’s office leads straight out onto fields. We know she wants to take Mia, but if Cassian lets her we will struggle to intercept. And she’s armed. She has a knife.” Liv shuddered. “I’m not a fan of knives unless I’m using one on my steak.”
“They must be terrified.” I was starting to shake. Amelie put an arm round me. “What’s the plan? You must have a plan.”
“We do. We’ve got the strategic response team - ”
“The ones with guns?”
She nodded. “Those ones. Lovely big egos they have, but that’s what comes with being a master marksman. At the moment, Cara is blocking the external door so no one can leave, so there’s no clear shot, and she’s got hold of Mia. We’ve got a hostage negotiator on the way and we’ve got an open phone line because Cassian managed to answer his phone. He’s doing okay. Very calm and he’s got Cara talking to him.”
“What’s she been saying?”
“She knows she’s going to be arrested, how much she loves Mia, how she just wants to take Mia somewhere safe. That sort of stuff. He’s being really good at trying to help her rationalise, but she doesn’t stay rational for long. My guess is that she’s high on drugs and life. In other news, we’ve arrested Blake Harris for possession with intent to supply. He was pulled over about an hour ago just near the lighthouse and made it easy for us with the volume of cocaine he had in his boot.” She smiled at that. “Fucking idiot.”
I nodded, not really taking much in past the bit about Cassian and wondering how the hell I helped Mia after what she’d been through when this was over and they were both back safe and well. How did you help a little girl who’d been held at knife point feel safe again?
Liv left us, heading back to her inspector who was saying something urgently to the team. Then Amelie and I watched as a line of armed police went into the school, the helicopter grew closer, or so it felt and then all of a sudden, everything started to move. Noise, air, feet pulsing over dry ground.
I wondered whether Cassian would try to be a hero and take the knife away somehow, maybe getting hurt in the process.
Like Joel had.
Just like Joel had.
I closed my eyes, tears wrecking my vision anyway and prayed to skies and every god I could think of that they’d both walk out of there.
I couldn’t lose someone else. I couldn’t have another void in my life that I’d never fill.
“Romy. Romy!” Amelie elbowed my ribs. “Here’s Mia.”
I opened my eyes, seeing the little girl being carried by a mountain of a man in a stab vest. She was crying and struggling to get out of his hold.
He put her down when another officer pointed at me, the police cordon lifted, and Mia ran out, moving quicker than I’d ever seen, and another tumble of a child fell into my arms.
I gathered her up, kissing her, reassuring her, desperate to know where Cassian was.
“He’s here.” Amelie’s words crash landed me back on earth. “I think he’s even smiling.”
I saw him too, striding out of the school building looking like he was just coming off a football field after a win, his shoulders broad and proud and he was alive and looked unharmed.
He headed straight to us, the police officer and paramedic either side of him. They came with him, pausing when he took the last few feet to get to us. Straight away he threw his arms around me and Mia, pulling us into a tight hug. She let go of me and clung to Cassian, sobbing quietly.
“Hey, hey.” He cuddled her. “It’s okay and your mum’s safe as well. The paramedics are looking after her.” He crouched down, still holding her. “You were so brave, Mia. So, so brave.”
Her chin tipped up and she looked at me, completely overwhelmed, and then I was kneeling down next to her, cuddling her while she started to let it all out.
The paramedic joined us down there, checking Mia over. “Hey, Mia, I’m Beth and I’m here to make sure you’re okay.” Shelooked at Cassian. “You as well. You’re Mia’s head teacher, aren’t you.”
He grinned, but now I could see that his eyes were full of worry. “Mia was the star pupil this week. She got the award in assembly before lunch.”
Mia nodded while she cried. Her sobs were slowing and I figured she was going to be absolutely shattered. I had a feeling both she and Heidi would be sleeping in my bed tonight, if they wanted to or not.
“That’s amazing, Mia,” I said. “Maybe you can tell me about it later.”
“I painted you a picture,” her bottom lip quivered as she spoke. “I wanted to bring it home. Can I get it?”
