Ransomed Dreams (27 page)

“Why won’t you call him then?”

Gracie thought of Steven in his tailored suits, with the little-boy grin that made butterflies multiply in her belly His love for James. All the FBI stories she’d heard on his birthday and since then made him seem like a living superhero. Why wouldn’t she call?

She put a hand to her mouth. “Fear.”

“Of what? That he’s too good to be true?”

Good question. “I’m not sure. Fear of the future? Not wanting to get my heart broken because some cute guy acts as if he likes me sometimes and then other times not?” Gracie headed upstairs. “I’m too old to play the dating game. Besides, I have other issues that require my attention. School, for one.”

“And your investigation.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll fly out today if you’ll call in sick and come pick me up at the airport.”

“Beth, go back to sleep. I’ll be fine. And you can save your plane ticket for Thanksgiving. I’d love to see you and your family then.”

Her baby sister sighed long and loud. Their mom would have laughed at Beth’s drama queen act.

Within an hour, Gracie was leaning against her classroom windows admiring the reds and yellows of autumn leaves that swirled in the cool mid-October breeze. In the fall, Hope Ridge’s elegant brick buildings and white columns dressed to impress in the bright sunlight.

She couldn’t have ordered a more perfect day Except for Beth’s phone call worries. And the whole situation with Steven. Gracie rubbed her arms, chilled despite her coral sweater and long woolen skirt.

Thomas Perkins opened her classroom door and startled when he saw her. “At work early this morning, Mrs. Lang?”

He wasn’t in his traditional black suit. His blue jeans and green button-up looked as out of place as the carefree look he’d worn before he noticed her.

“I had a few things to do before school begins.” She slipped her journal notebook into her leather satchel. “And you? You’re looking touristy today.”

His jaw muscles clenched. “I had some menial work to attend to.” He checked his watch, a new Rolex if Gracie guessed right. “Best get ready for school now. Like you. Good day.”

He closed the door, disrupting wall posters with hurried ripples of air.

“How weird.” Gracie shut down her overactive imagination and turned her attention to the room setup for the day.

An hour later children began their clockwork arrivals, and the over-the-workweek hump passed in a blur of glue and paint, giggles and requests for help.

They’d begun a unit study on the classic children’s book
The
Story About Ping
. Duck-themed math equations, vocabulary words written on construction paper eggs, and beautiful pictures of bird drawings filled their cubbies.

“Will you read the story again, please?” Akemi took Gracie’s hand and tugged her toward the middle of the classroom where book center beanbags lay scattered. The other children were busy in various other activity centers or the art table.

James flopped a beanbag chair between him and Victoria. “That’s for you, Mrs. Lang.” His smile mirrored his handsome father’s.

Akemi sat in Gracie’s lap and handed her the storybook.

“Where does this Ping live?” Tori asked.

“In China.” Akemi held her head up proudly. “Where I was born.”

“Very good, Akemi. Who’d like to get the globe so we can find China?”

Tori hopped up and walked across the room to retrieve the requested item.

Maria kept her watchful eyes trained on Victoria’s every movement. It had become second nature to have the two agents always in the room. But every once in a while, Gracie had noticed their listening to her as she read and smiling at her interactions with the children.

It warmed her insides to know she’d earned their respect.

“I can walk like the little duck in the story.” James tucked his hands under his arms and waddled around, waiting for Tori and Akemi to find China on the globe. Gracie laughed. Once the girls had found the country, everyone settled back down to finish the story.

“Would you three like to make a duck puppet? We can make the first ones, then you can help me show the others.” The three children rushed to the art table and began to remove scissors, pens, and the basket of yam, feathers, and other assorted supplies.

Gracie stood and stretched before joining the children.

A deafening noise thundered through the room. Glass
shards exploded from the windows. Akemi screamed.

James tried to tackle Victoria. Agent Reynolds ran in front of Gracie, blocking her view. When she tried to locate all of her students and direct them toward the door, Victoria was gone.

Gracie ran toward Akemi and James, who were standing like statues in the middle of the room.

Another explosion.

Everything in Gracie’s sight went white.

Then black.

“Two shots fired. Teacher. Two students down.” Maria screamed into her body mic as she ran through the empty halls.

Agent Reynolds barked clipped syllables into his mic behind her. “No visual, moving to southwest escape route.”

Maria’s heart felt as if it would explode through her chest.

Victoria’s nails dug into her neck.

Curious teachers down the hall stuck their heads out of classroom doors.

“Lock it down!” Maria yelled. Black suits flew past her as classroom locks echoed over the linoleum.

Over the din of Secret Service orders and frightened children, Maria fixated on her target. She pushed her body harder and sprinted faster toward the rehearsed escape route.

Flinging open the heavy metal door, she blinked against the blinding sunlight.

She charged past the gymnasium into the side parking lot and stopped at the waiting car.

Agent Reynolds started the Grand Marquis as she secured a whimpering Tori in the backseat beside her. Radio static filled the car as they sped off Hope Ridge grounds.

“My friends.” Tori gulped in air. “Akemi had blood.”

Maria pulled the little girl’s shaking shoulders into her chest. Their heartbeats and breathing hammered over the busy radio and her partner’s broken sentences.

“What about Mrs. Lang?” Tori’s lungs heaved. The little girl’s eyes were wide with fear, and her hands trembled as she clutched the silver bracelet on her wrist. “Olivia gave this to me. I want my Livvie!”

“Shhh, honey I’ve got you.” She wiped Tori’s tears and held back her own.

This had to be over soon.

W
here is my son?”

Steven ignored his conscience. He didn’t care that the young woman at Alexandria Community’s ER counter looked terrified. Fear drove him. “My son, James Kessler, is here. I want to see him. Now.” He spoke in sharp bursts as he gripped the tall white countertop that partially shielded the receptionist. “Hope Ridge. A shooting in the classroom. They told me he’s here.”

The woman fluttered through files and phone calls to answer his demand. Phone still in hand, she pointed to the door behind her. “He’s in exam room three, but …”

They could call security for all he cared. He slammed the door open and stormed down the hall. No one stopped him. No one would dare.

“James.” Steven’s breath stopped in his throat. His son’s blood covered the bedsheet.

A short man in a white coat and scrubs turned to face him. “Who are you?”

Steven flipped open his credentials before thinking, his eyes fixed on the small form on the bed. The blood smear on James’s cheek about did him in. “That’s my son. What are you doing to him?”

A soft moan lit a fire under his legs, and he moved to James’s side.

“Daddy?”

“I’m here, James.” He stroked a tiny limp arm.

“Your son sustained a few minor injuries—a number of bumps and bruises, seven hairline stitches.”

“The glass, Daddy. Glass was everywhere.” James tried to sit up, but Steven eased him back down. “Akemi kept screaming, and there was blood all over her face …” Tears cut off his words.

Steven touched James’s straight brown hair, avoiding the Frankenstein threads. “I’ll make sure Akemi is okay after we get you taken care of. It’ll be all right.”

“Tori disappeared.”

The words sucker punched him. Charlotte’s brother had tried to kill Victoria and wounded James instead? Rage like he’d never felt ripped through Steven’s veins.

“Is Mrs. Lang okay?”

Steven blinked. What had happened to Gracie?

The doctor scribbled notes on his clipboard and rechecked James’s chest and arms. “Your son will need to rest. Keep the stitches clean and bandaged.” He wiped the remaining blood away and taped gauze in place. Then he pointed behind Steven. “The nurse will make sure you have full instructions in the discharge papers. She’ll be in shortly.” He scurried out of the door and closed it behind him.

Steven felt torn between comforting James and finding out what had happened to Gracie. And Susannah. He felt sure Maria had done her job and moved Victoria to safety, but he needed to know whether or not Hope Ridge security had taken down the shooter. Better for Gordon Landridge, or his hired gun, if they took him out instead of into custody.

“Daddy. I heard her praying, after the noise. There were two big cracks. Like thunder.” His body started to shake as his eyes watered.

Stroking his son’s hair, Steven exhaled as adrenaline rushed through his body. “You’re safe now, James. Rest. I’ll find out how everyone’s doing.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Hope Ridge. “I’m going to find out about Gracie and Susannah.” And Gordon.

The main line rang with a busy signal. He hung up and tried again. Three times. Finally he got through to the headmistress.
“Mrs. Hall, I understand that you can’t give out medical information to nonfamily members; I just want to know if Gracie is alive.” Steven paced at James’s bedside. “Yes. Okay Her parents. Thank you.”

Steven’s phone beeped before he’d disconnected from the headmistress. Being FBI hadn’t gained him any extra access there. “Kessler.”

“James okay?” His partner’s voice needed no introduction.

“Stitches. Bruises. We’ll talk to the trauma counselor soon too.” Steven ran a hand through his sweaty hair. “Susannah?”

“Lots of tears, but nothing else. She and most of the class were checked out by the school doctor and released. Sara’s staying home with her now.” Honking horns blared through the phone. “I’m on my way back to the office. You stay with James. The ERT is crawling over the school. Got a gun. Casings. No shooter.”

Steven kicked the wall.

“Daddy?”

“Sorry, James.” He turned away from his son’s bed. “What about Gracie? No one will release info except to next of kin. I’m guessing she’s alive or someone would have given that away at first question.”

“Yep. From what I heard at the school, she’s giving the hospital docs a run for their money She fought the paramedics too. Wanted to make sure all her kids were safe.”

Gracie was alive but hurt. He had to find out more soon.

“Nothing like being on-site for updates.” Steven turned back to his son. “What about Akemi? James said she was hurt.”

“I’ll check with her parents and get back to you when I come up for air.”

“I’ll be in as soon as Dad gets here.”

“Go see Gracie. She’s at Alexandria Community I’ll cover here ’til you get back.”

That would wait till James was on his way home. Steven punched his dad’s number.

“You’re both okay, then?” His dad let out a long breath and
mumbled to Sue. “We’re almost to the hospital now, five minutes tops. We’ll get James home and settled in bed in a jiffy so you can go catch this guy.”

“Thanks.”

“You’ll get him, Steven. I know you.”

Steven didn’t know anymore. Too many times in the last few months he’d been too late to do much good. Killed one perp. Wanted to kill another. Especially if he’d hurt Gracie as bad as Steven feared. But he hadn’t stopped the man from taking a child’s life. Or hurting James.

“Are you going to call Angela?” his dad asked.

The question sucked the air out of the room. “I hadn’t thought about it.” Steven didn’t want to face the tongue-lashing she’d unload, blaming him for James getting hurt. Never mind the guy who pulled the trigger.

“How about I call her when we get home? She can come see James at the house.”

“That works. Thanks, Dad.” Steven flipped the phone shut and checked his watch. He needed to find out about Gracie and get back to his desk. Follow up with forensics and then see about taking down this Brit before he fled the country.

Unless he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d call Agent David Adams on his way back to headquarters. “You doing okay, James?”

“My head hurts. The doctor said I’d be sore for a good while.”

Steven sat next to the bed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here faster.”

“One of the school nurses stayed with me some, and I was brave.”

“I’m proud of you. Really proud.”

“Mr. Kessler, I have your son’s discharge paperwork right here.” The middle-aged nurse entered the room and shut the door without making eye contact. Then she looked up. “Oh. My. You’re the one …” She clamped her mouth shut.

“One what?” Steven towered over her as he took the clipboard and started signing his name everywhere. He returned the papers.

“The one they were talking about out there.” She jerked her thumb toward the door.

“Where can I find out about my son’s teacher? She was brought in with James.” He gave James a soft squeeze on his shoulder. “She’s a family friend.”

“A girlfriend?” The nurse hugged the clipboard to her chest. Juicy gossip trumped disappointment fast.

“Yes.”

James smiled.

“Last I heard, she was in surgery. Her parents are flying in today.”

Finally some answers. Nothing like in-person influence to get the information he needed.

The nurse handed Steven a stack of papers. “Here are your discharge instructions. Pain meds script. Someone from insurance will be in, and then you’ll be discharged right after that. Do you have any questions?”

“No. Thank you.”

The nurse checked James’s bandages and left without another word.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. “James. Steven. Thank God you’re both okay.” Sue hugged Steven and gripped James’s arm. Then she bent down to kiss him on the cheek.