"We're losing him." I overhear Lydia tell Levi from the other side of the room, everyone is getting restless, we have two hours left before time is up, and no one knows what happens after that.
"There's only two hours left." Tiger joins them, seeming focused.
"We don't have two hours." Lydia hisses, making my blood run cold. "We have to do something now, or he's gonna die."
I look to Dylan laying on my lap, who is a bit worse for wear, which is an understatement, and feel helpless.
"I can't keep pricking him and hoping!" She seems fed up, and I don't blame her. "You know what, screw it, I'm going to the hospital to get some actual morphine."
Evan is pacing in front of the panels. "You can't, they have people patrolling through the hospital constantly, they know we need medical supplies."
"Then I'll just have to wing it, this can't wait any longer or he'll need surgery." Lydia says decidedly.
"I'll go." I offer from my spot on the ground.
"No." She refuses adamantly. "You won't be able to tell which vial from which." She makes a beeline to the ladder. "Besides, you'll want to be here if he takes a turn for the worse."
"Thank you." I try to smile, but I'm too exhausted.
She kneels beside me. "If worst comes to worst, keep in mind that life goes on." She clucks me under the chin, making me giggle. "Survive. Whether you want to or not. That's your job." Then just like that, she's gone.
................................................................
"I can't believe she's doing it." Tiger shakes her head in disbelief as the group watches Lydia on the monitors. I don't want to stress, so I focus on Dylan, singing any crappy lullaby I can think of, come to think of it, that may be a bad idea, considering they are meant to cause sleep. So I sing dubstep (don't ask) instead, no one can sleep through that.
"She's got it!" The others squawk amongst themselves. I look up briefly to see Lydia making her way back, with her arms full of medicine. In the moment I look away, the room goes silent, then they all progressively build up from tittering with worry, to straight up screeching. I'm about to tell them to shut up, when the all too familiar sound of a gunshot rips any coherent thought from my mind, almost drowned out by the whirring of a helicopter. The room collectively detonates, crowding around the screen so I can't see what happened.
"Is she okay?" I croak, already knowing the answer.
Tiger, the only one not yelling, turns to me and shakes her head, backing away from the screen so I can see, and I wish she hadn't, for the sight of Lydia is too horrific, and I instantly look away. But no, I have to look, I have to see what they did to her. So I force myself to stare at the girl, face down in a pool of her own blood, and thank god, because I doubt her face is still there. So I stare until it blurs, somehow I'm not crying, just furious, so I focus on that, on that one emotion. I let it fuel me, I let the rage of a thousand suns consume me until I feel nothing else, maybe if I stay angry long enough, I won't have a breakdown. The adrenaline courses through me and I suddenly feel ready to murder the entire mafia for sheer joy, which is terrifying in itself. "Survive." Lydia wouldn't want me to collapse on the ground, she would want me to fight until every last kid here is free, so that's what I'll do. The other's cries distract me from my hatred, so I stand.
"Shut up!" I shout, making them all stand to attention. "This has gone on long enough!"
Dylan tries to sit up, ending up on his side. "What happened?" He looks up at me, wide eyed.
"Nothing." I reassure him, he doesn't need the stress of knowing Lydia's brains were just blown out, or the guilt. I'm helping him onto his back when I notice something beneath him. I pull it out and squint at it. A lighter. I click it, starting a flame, and everything falls into place. I smirk at the others, who are confused.
I run to the phone, calling the police yet again.
"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"
"Me again."
"Maggie?"
"You got it."
"What do you need?"
"I have a plan on how you can get these kids out in the next twenty minutes, but I need cooperation."
"Go ahead."
"I'm going to set off the sprinklers, which will start a riot, believe me. During all the confusion, I suggest you send in police to take out the gunmen."
"That sounds a little risky."
"We have a staff member killed and a student bleeding out from bullet wounds, so if you have any other suggestions I'd like to hear them." I'm being snarky, but I'm past politeness at this point.
Pause. "We'll do our best."
"Good. Get ready. We'll give you call once the sprinklers start as a signal."
The others look at me in shock after I hang up. I simply point to Tiger, who seems the most coherent. "Call them once I set off the sprinklers." I order. It's time to take back control. "Make sure he stays awake." I tell Laci, she nods. I crouch down to meet Dylan's eyeline. "Just a little longer, okay?" He gives me a shaky thumbs up, and I peck his forehead lightly, then stand, climbing up the ladder. Before I lower the trapdoor, I look at them determinedly. "This ends now."
........................................
I'm at the door, and at this point , I couldn't even care less about getting caught, in fact, I hope for their safety they don't try to shoot me. There are footsteps approaching from behind me, so I whip around, directly punching my attacker in the nose.
"What the hell?" Evan groans, hand clamped over his nose. I don't even bother apologizing, he should know better than sneaking up on me after everything.
"What do you want?" I glare, feeling slightly guilty.
"I just wanted to help." He whimpers.
I sigh, moving his hand away from his face. "Your Mum won't be pleased." I comment, looking at the small cut I left.
"Not much pleases her." He winces, patting the mark.
"Fine, stay close then." I warn him, as I turn to sprint, gun in hand, directly to the dining hall, fully conscious of the cameras following me. Once I reach the kitchen doors, I kick them open, the element of surprise may have given me an advantage, if anyone was there. I circle the room, checking if anyone is hiding in cupboards or whatever. Nothing. I wave to the camera to let them know it's clear before rummaging around, looking for cooking alcohol.
"Is this what you want?" Evan holds up a bottle of vodka.
"Perfect." I muse, pouring it over all the counter tops, making sure it's close to the smoke detector.
"What now?" He watches me work, bemused.
"Stand back." I grin, sparking the lighter.
YOU ARE READING
Welcome To The Circus (COMPLETE)
Teen Fiction"Welcome to the circus, are you a spectator, or a lion?" When Maggie Parker is offered a place at Vidre Grammar, located in New York, a school for the children of high society's rich and powerful elite with the security to match, she sees it as a ch...
