trance. “He's on the way. It'll just be-”
Aaron pulled away from Amanda and pushed up to his feet. Shaky at first, but now feeling refreshed after the peace and quiet of this chilled sanctuary. He rubbed at a scratch on his hand as he looked anxiously down the hallway. “Why are we waiting?”
“Because we need to wait for Carl to.”
“We need to go find Mikey right now!” Aaron snapped, finding his voice at its normal volume again. He shot a determined glare at Amanda. That could be him out there. Running from a killer's bullets. Do something.
“You can't just go, Aaron,” she said. But, it was too late. Aaron steamed down the hallway. He didn't run all this way to sit on his behind and waste more time. “Aaron, wait,” she called after him, following as he power-walked away. They sped by Chuck as he was hauling a roll of plastic sheeting and dragging it inside the library.
Amanda caught hold of Aaron's forearm, slowing him down. “You don't know who or what's out there, Aaron.”
“I don't care. He could be dying!” Aaron wrenched his arm free and kept walking. “I can't believe I just left them out there. Did nothing.”
Ahead of them, Dan was pushing open the main doors to greet Carl. “Did you find them?”
With a shake of the head, Carl replied, “Not yet.”
Aaron, incensed, sliced between Carl and Dan, shoving the door open to leave.
“Hey, I need to take you down to the station for a full statement.”
The door slammed shut. Aaron was gone.
eleven
Frustration constricting his chest and pulsing at his temples, Aaron was about ready to run again. Where? Who knows. He'd just rather be doing something. Anything. Not sitting around talking about what happened, what he saw.
Carl's hand clamped like a vice onto Aaron's shoulder, turning Aaron around to face him, Amanda, and the school. Aaron cringed to be looking at that stupid building again. This was supposed to be his oasis. But, after chasing it, turned out it was more of a mirage. He needed help, not concerned adults with all their questions.
“Where do you think you're going?” Carl barked. He didn't like to chase kids, and Aaron was no exception.
“The robbers shot Steve and maybe Mike by now, too. If you're not going to do your job then.”
“How do you know it was them?”
“I saw him shoot his partner and then he shot Steve and… and…” Suddenly overcome with emotion, Aaron swallowed hard and looked down at his shuffling feet. Eyes stinging, the heat of tears on his cheek. Amanda quickly moved to Aaron and put a comforting arm around him before he completely lost it.
“It's okay, Aaron. Calm down. Carl's not the enemy here,” said Amanda, flashing a meaningful look at Carl, then back to Aaron. “How about we all go out there and have a look around together? Would that be alright?”
“Amanda…” Carl's voice had a chastising tone.
Amanda retaliated in kind with a firm “Carl.”
Carl sighed and pointed to his cruiser. He opened the back seat. Aaron and Amanda slid inside.
Principal Parker emerged from the school, looking from the cruiser to Carl. He flapped his arms. “Officer, should I call the parents?”
“That's not necessary, Mister Parker. The station will handle all that. Just go on back inside… We've got it covered. Just stay put in case the missing boy comes over here. Okay?”
Inside the cruiser, Aaron felt like a perp. The seats were worn and a corner was ripped with pieces of foam pecked out. He looked out the window at the tree-laden parking lot, as the radio crackled to life.
Carl opened the driver's door and sidled in. Tremblay's voice blazed over the radio speaker: “Your ears on, Carl?”
“I got you, Sheriff,” Carl said, pulling the microphone to his lips. He twisted the key in the ignition and the cruiser roared to life.
“Where you at?”
“Leaving the school now. I'm bringing the kid. And…” Carl glanced over at Amanda, “company.” She poked her tongue out and
Aaron pulled away from Amanda and pushed up to his feet. Shaky at first, but now feeling refreshed after the peace and quiet of this chilled sanctuary. He rubbed at a scratch on his hand as he looked anxiously down the hallway. “Why are we waiting?”
“Because we need to wait for Carl to.”
“We need to go find Mikey right now!” Aaron snapped, finding his voice at its normal volume again. He shot a determined glare at Amanda. That could be him out there. Running from a killer's bullets. Do something.
“You can't just go, Aaron,” she said. But, it was too late. Aaron steamed down the hallway. He didn't run all this way to sit on his behind and waste more time. “Aaron, wait,” she called after him, following as he power-walked away. They sped by Chuck as he was hauling a roll of plastic sheeting and dragging it inside the library.
Amanda caught hold of Aaron's forearm, slowing him down. “You don't know who or what's out there, Aaron.”
“I don't care. He could be dying!” Aaron wrenched his arm free and kept walking. “I can't believe I just left them out there. Did nothing.”
Ahead of them, Dan was pushing open the main doors to greet Carl. “Did you find them?”
With a shake of the head, Carl replied, “Not yet.”
Aaron, incensed, sliced between Carl and Dan, shoving the door open to leave.
“Hey, I need to take you down to the station for a full statement.”
The door slammed shut. Aaron was gone.
eleven
Frustration constricting his chest and pulsing at his temples, Aaron was about ready to run again. Where? Who knows. He'd just rather be doing something. Anything. Not sitting around talking about what happened, what he saw.
Carl's hand clamped like a vice onto Aaron's shoulder, turning Aaron around to face him, Amanda, and the school. Aaron cringed to be looking at that stupid building again. This was supposed to be his oasis. But, after chasing it, turned out it was more of a mirage. He needed help, not concerned adults with all their questions.
“Where do you think you're going?” Carl barked. He didn't like to chase kids, and Aaron was no exception.
“The robbers shot Steve and maybe Mike by now, too. If you're not going to do your job then.”
“How do you know it was them?”
“I saw him shoot his partner and then he shot Steve and… and…” Suddenly overcome with emotion, Aaron swallowed hard and looked down at his shuffling feet. Eyes stinging, the heat of tears on his cheek. Amanda quickly moved to Aaron and put a comforting arm around him before he completely lost it.
“It's okay, Aaron. Calm down. Carl's not the enemy here,” said Amanda, flashing a meaningful look at Carl, then back to Aaron. “How about we all go out there and have a look around together? Would that be alright?”
“Amanda…” Carl's voice had a chastising tone.
Amanda retaliated in kind with a firm “Carl.”
Carl sighed and pointed to his cruiser. He opened the back seat. Aaron and Amanda slid inside.
Principal Parker emerged from the school, looking from the cruiser to Carl. He flapped his arms. “Officer, should I call the parents?”
“That's not necessary, Mister Parker. The station will handle all that. Just go on back inside… We've got it covered. Just stay put in case the missing boy comes over here. Okay?”
Inside the cruiser, Aaron felt like a perp. The seats were worn and a corner was ripped with pieces of foam pecked out. He looked out the window at the tree-laden parking lot, as the radio crackled to life.
Carl opened the driver's door and sidled in. Tremblay's voice blazed over the radio speaker: “Your ears on, Carl?”
“I got you, Sheriff,” Carl said, pulling the microphone to his lips. He twisted the key in the ignition and the cruiser roared to life.
“Where you at?”
“Leaving the school now. I'm bringing the kid. And…” Carl glanced over at Amanda, “company.” She poked her tongue out and
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