(TW: it might be a little graphic Blood and death and other gory stuff may or is mentioned. It's at the part of the movie where they finally go into the school so if that scene ever bothered you or made you uncomfortable, please, read at your own risk - Kenn xx )
Emma stood hidden, far away so they couldn't see her, but close enough to hear their muffled voices and the outlines of their bodies.
As the army men went into the body of the drain pipe, she realized that Mr.Parker was not going with them. That made her plan harder. She didn't want to disobey his orders, she realized how important it was to him to keep her safe. It would have been a lot easier if the men let him go with them. She felt bad, really bad and debated whether or not she should actually go back to base and wait for the all clear.
But then she saw that Mr. Parker had a similar idea to hers as he waited for them to go on ahead, and he led himself through the drain pipe
Emma shook her head as she smirked. The Dean was growing more and more on her. She respected him, liked him. She would have to give him some flowers or a nice card to show her appreciation after all this was over.
But right now she wasn't worried about that. She was worried about if Luis knew his father was dead or if an hour had been up.
As Mr. Parkers footsteps through the water got quieter and quieter, Emma started to walk closer, still making sure she was hid by the tall trees and their leaves.
It was open fields. Of course it was open fields.
Once The dean was ahead and behind the army men, Emma realized that their was no place to hide. With her shoes wet along with the bottom of her jeans she sat down on the ground, planing her next brilliant idea.
It wasn't until she heard a soft banging noise and grunts of pain did she get up from her spot, and run towards the campus.
She saw blurs of black race towards the building and a man run towards them.
They had taken down the men on the roof. So far, Emma could breathe.
But then she saw a bloody hand off of the side that dropped something spherical.
Something, that looked like a grenade.
She took off running, faster than ever, waving her hands around as if they could see her and tell something was wrong. Her legs were wobbly and she had to catch herself a few times.
"Mr. Parker!" She tried to shout. "Mr. Parker!" But it was masked with the sound of a small explosion.
She came up short next to the dean, breathing heavily.
"I thought I told you to stay!"
"Yea, well I'm helping where I could."
She couldn't apologize. He was already on his way over to the men, making sure they were okay. Emma jogged after him.
Smoke found its way into Emma's lungs. She stopped next to a man gasping for help. She knelt down and held his hand.
"Shhhh, shhhh," Emma didn't know what to do. Emma never knew what to do. If she could have ran a little faster. Shouted a little louder, the guy could have stood a chance. He was going to die. And Emma couldn't do anything but hold his hand.
"Look at me," she spoke quietly. "Hey, look at me. Thank you." The man tried to speak. He gurgled on his blood and looked around frantically. "Shhh, it's okay, shhhhh." He squeezed her hand lightly, than let go. His breathing had stopped, his pain had gone, and Emma was now holding hands with a man who used to be alive. She let go and realized that that was more than Joey ever got. She moved on to the next injured man, hoping to give them one last piece of calmness in all that pain, before passing on.
She saw Mr. Parker wrap a belt on some guy's leg as she talked to another man. He didn't last as long as the one before, and she shut his eyes, blood covered on her hands.
Emma tried to wipe it off on her pants, but it had dried to her skin. They shook ever so slightly. She wanted to scream out in anger. Wanted to jump up and down how it was not fair. That man shouldn't be hurt, those men shouldn't be dead, Joey shouldn't be dead. But it wouldn't do them any good. She had to be strong. She had to help.
She placed her shaking hands into the back pocket of her jeans and walked over to the dean and the injured man.
"Forget it, we jammed the radios," the man said, breathing deeply, as Mr. Parker tried to call for backup. "Help me get to the headmasters office - to the detonator
Emma went to one side of him as they put one of his arms around their necks, and together they moved towards the window.
Emma heard the distant sounds of helicopters and then gunfire. She hoped it was aimed at one of the bad guys.
They moved a little faster towards the windows. More Gunfire was heard along with the sound of windows breaking. 'Now would be a good time for the boys to move into the basement' she was thinking. 'Now would be a pretty damn good time.'
She could see the rest of the army men make their way into the school. There was more of them than there were terrorists, which made her relax a percent more. They had the upper hand. They would win.
Mr. Parker began climbing up the wall, towards the head office, as the army man couldn't. He told Mr Parker to stop for a moment, and then he handed him a black hand gun.
"Be careful!" Emma called out.
It stung her heart as that was one of the last things she had ever said to Joey.
"And...and shoot him for me." He looked back at her and then started to climb. It hurt her to say those words, but she needed some revenge for what Luis had done to all of them, to Joey. As long as he ended up in some sort of pain, she would be okay.
Emma stayed with the man. He was groaning in pain and Emma couldn't even look at his leg without wanting to throw up. "Get....help...."
"Help? Me, okay I'll be back. Don't go anywhere," she winced at her words. "I mean, just be safe. I'll be right back."
She started to run towards the front of the building, thinking that maybe some ambulances had arrived. But came to a sudden halt when she heard gunshots closer to her location. She looked back in the direction she had just came from. She was no medic. Running towards guns fire would be a suicide mission. The man asked her to get help, and that's what she would do.
She ran. And didn't stop until she saw someone that looked remotely like a medic. She almost bumped into her. "There's a man! He's hurt real bad, you gotta help him."
"I'm sorry, I can't I have to go in-"
"No! You don't understand, a grenade was dropped near him and if he doesn't get help soon he's gunna die from blood loss or never be able to walk again!" They lady looked into Emma's eyes. She was pretty, blonde hair that fell down from a hat and blue eyes that held sadness and strength.
"Show me where." Emma explained that she couldn't go back to him, but he was behind the head masters office, keep going straight, make a few left turns and you should hear him before you see him. She nodded and motioned for some other guys to bring a gurney and they headed off in that direction.
Emma's whole body was on fire. She burned with anxiety and eagerness and a few other emotions she couldn't quite name. Dancing on the balls of her feet, she looked around to see if anyone else needed help or needed her to get help, but noticed bodies piling out of the front entrance of the school.
Not just any bodies. But kids, people her age.
It had ended, it was over, and they were free.
This time she didn't run. She walked. Taking her time, looking around, trying to count the various heads that darted around.
"Billy? Has anyone seen Billy?"
Emma turned around to see Hank, Ricardo, Snuffy, and the two other boys that they had shared a room with. But no Billy Tepper.
"Guys! Snuffy!" She watched as his head looked around. "Hank! Ricardo! Guys!"
The 3 boys found Emma in the sea of bodies.
"Emma!"
She burst out crying. Seeing them there, in front of her, no evident scratch on their bodies made her so happy so could barely contain herself.
Trying to brush the tears of her cheeks she was engulfed in a hug. After a few moments they pulled apart, and she asked a question she didn't know she wanted the answer to.
"Where's Billy?"
Just then, she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey! Hey!"
Emma found her knees buckling and her head rolling to one side. Billy Tepper was coming towards him, his hair bouncing as usual with each step he took.
They all collapsed on top of Billy. Hugging him, rubbing his hair, kissing his cheek. (They would all agree it was only Emma that did that, but she knew it wasn't just her)
They cheered, and clapped, and cried some more. Billy eventually pulled Emma to the side.
"I'm sorry, about Joey you know." Billy shook his head and wiped a lone tear on the side of her face. "Shhh, we don't need to talk about that." She smiled and punched him in the arm.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"For risking your life you idiot." Emma stared at him. "I'm proud of you."
They returned to the group, laughing and standing in front of the sun like they hadn't seen it in a million years.
It had ended, it was over, and they were free.
Thank God.