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Now you’ll know what it feels like to have your guts twisted when you hear that kind of news.
It would be dark soon. Although that wouldn’t make much difference inside the hospital, it did mean shift change.
The staff always slacked off at night.
He’d get his chance.
Chapter 24
Traffic was horrible. Cassie had meant to leave school on time to go do her shopping, but the principal had called her to his office to discuss one of her students. The student wasn’t the problem—the parents were. She’d never known people could behave so outrageously until she’d become a teacher. Some parents behaved like vipers. And the poor kids were the ones who suffered.
The office secretary had a saying, which she freely verbalized quite often. “You want to know why a child acts the way he does—look at the parents.” Cassie had found that to be true on all occasions.
Her refrigerator was bare, so she had to go to the grocery store on her way home. Then she’d gotten stuck in five o’clock traffic and hadn’t gotten home until six.
Her cell phone rang just as she placed her groceries on the kitchen counter.
“Cassie! Thank God, you’re home. Where have you been?”
“The gro—”
“Never mind. Turn on the TV.”
What had Tammy so riled up? Cassie picked up the remote and pointed it to the television. “What channel?”
“It’s on every channel. The six o’clock news. A fireman has been shot.”
A cement boulder slammed Cassie’s chest. She couldn’t get air. A voice screeched from somewhere on the floor. Realizing she’d dropped her phone, and the remote, she snatched them both.
“Tammy. Slow down,” she gasped. “Stop. Let me catch my breath.”
Cassie turned up the volume and listened.
“Local news involving one of our fire departments. An investigation is underway after a downtown shooting occurred this afternoon at the intersection of Liberty and Coalter Street. Police responded to a call of an accident. Station Eight fire department responded as well. Police on the scene called for backup with a report of gunshots fired at the same location. An armed gunman fired at a fire truck.”
Cassie stood frozen, glaring at the newsman on the TV screen.
“An Augusta County Fire Department spokesman told TV3 News that firefighters arrived on the scene expecting to assist in a crash when shots were fired. One firefighter, Mike Armstrong, was struck by a bullet and was taken to the hospital. His condition is unknown.”
A buzzing filled Cassie’s head. The ringing in her ears grew louder in intensity.
Count. One, two, three …
My God. Mike.
She grabbed her purse and was out the door in seconds. No sooner had she started the car than her Bluetooth activated her cell-phone. She pulled onto the highway and hit the off-hook button.
“Dammit, Cassie. Why wouldn’t you answer your phone?”
“I’m too busy driving. Now that I’m on a highway—”
“Driving!” Tammy shouted loud enough for other passing cars to hear. “You should not be driving. I’ll come get you.”
“I’m half way there,” she said as she drove up the ramp to I64.
“Well, for God’s sake, don’t take the interstate.”
“Too late.”
