Chapter 24

It took me all day to move past my anger at the FBI. I beat the crap out of the heavy bag before I really felt better. It was two weeks later and I was already running, when Osborn showed up at the softball field. She sat on the bleachers until I was in sight, then started to run.

"You didn't tell me you were coming to run," she informed me.

"I didn't know I was going to run till I pulled into the parking lot. I think I'm running on autopilot in more way than the obvious one. Damn I'm a couple of weeks past that bullshit with the FBI and now I'm bored. Warren county is for old men," I said with a laugh.

"Well you need to start riding with the patrol division again. We have all kinds of fun," she said.

"Osborn, I read your form 51s religiously. 11pm began patrol. 7am returned to the courthouse," I said.

"You forgot gassing the car," she said.

"Yeah and the 3am breakfast at the waffle house," I said. "I think I'm going to do an inventory and begin an investigation of the last sheriff. That should be good for a couple of laughs.

"Sure, why not and hey The Waffle house has a nice fruit bowl," she replied.

"So how much weight you lost now?" I asked.

"Thirty five pounds only fifteen more to go," she said. "I won't be as skinny as you, but I could never be that skinny unless I checked into the hotel Dachau for the summer," Osborn said with a laugh.

My Phone went off playing some stupid ring tone. I held up my hand to Osborn. She stopped beside me. I listened to Mrs West, who was on the phone. I wasn't in radio contact when I worked out.

"Sheriff there is an ongoing shooting situation at the Northern Middle School. You better get back here." She said.

"Fuck that, I'm going to the school," I said.

"Get everybody you can find out there now," I said. "Tell the dispatcher you speak for me."

"You got anything in the car?" I asked Osborn.

"I have my service Glock in there," she said. Get it, you are riding with me. When I got into the car, I slipped opened the locked glove box and pulled the old five shot .22 mag out. I ran with the .22 mag derringer in the pocket of my sweat suit. My newer eight round revolver was at home with my uniform ready to be worn to work.

I was half way to the school, when the phone rang again. I thought it might be an update, so I answered without looking. "Silvia are you alone?" the voice asked.

"No Liam I'm with my workout buddy Deputy Osborn," I said.

"It's on the news can we help?" he asked.

"I'm call if I need a super swat team. Right now I'm just going to go see what is what," I said.

"Fifteen minutes after you call we can be there," he said.

"You will get a speeding ticket like that," I said.

"Okay twenty," he said with a laugh.

"Got to go Liam," I said as I pulled into the parking lot of the middle school. There were a lot of cars in the lot not all them were police.

"Hey you, I'm Sheriff Porter," I said to a highway patrolman. Go block the entrance to the parking lot emergency vehicles only. Got it?" I said.

"Yes Ma'am, but the SBI is on the way," he said.

"Then keep them out as well. When I know something I will decide if I want them fucking up my crime scene." I said angrily.

"What's going on?" I asked the day shift deputy who should have been first on the scene.

"Some Guy is holding a classroom full of kids hostage. He say he want to talk to you." the Deputy said.

"Now who the hell wants to talk to me so bad that he will take hostages," I wondered out loud. "Do we have an ID on him?"

"Fugitive named Tommy Kilborn. He is a well dressed guy, to well dressed to be doing this. Usually you think of a nut case. He seems to be with it. Said he wasn't talking to nobody but you," the Deputy said.

"Well let's go do it. How are you communicating with him?" I asked.

"He gave me his cell number. I wasn't sure we wanted to put it out on the radio," he said.

"That was damn good thinking. Call him and ask him how bad he wants to talk to me. Tell him I will only talk to him face to face if the kids are exchanged for me. If he goes for it, you call this number tell the man who answers Silvia needs you. You got that?" I asked handing him a copy of the Swamp Dog West compound number.

"Yes Ma'am," he said.

I listened while he made the call. "So is that agreeable?" he asked after giving him my message.

He handed me the phone. "He wants to talk to you," The deputy said.

"Hi Tommy you want to trade or not?" I asked.

"Yeah, I got no use for a dozen whining kids," he said.

"I suppose you want to be sure I'll come in if you let them go?" I asked.

"You better believe it," he said.

"Okay as a sign of good faith let half of them go, and I'll be down the hall when they come out I'll come in." I said.

"You get those cops out of the building, all of them," he demanded.

"That's pretty much doable. Give me five minutes then send the kids out. Look out the window and you will see the cops leave the building," I said.

"I ain't going to the window. I'm no fool," he said.