CHUNKS OF DRYWALL FLEW THROUGH THE AIR, AND A HOLLOW ringing muffled all other sounds. Leslie stopped in midair, her face distorted in disbelief. Then she sank to her knees on the floor. Children turned to face the window; women shrieked. Karen and Ileana ran over to Leslie and held her, looking for wounds. Leslie hadn’t been hit, but she gulped air, yelping like a wounded dog. In the gym, children froze, staring at the observation room window, large eyes searching for their mothers.
Charlie got to his feet, holding the gun in the air. “Everybody calm down, now.” He wheezed through the ringing sound. “I don’t want anybody hurt.” His voice broke into a fit of coughing. “Sit down, please,” he continued. “I’m here for Miss Zoe. But I’ll take care of all of you, all of you.”
Coach Gene pounded on the door. “Everything okay in there? Open the door.”
Shaking, I got up and crossed the room.
“Don’t open it, miss.”
I didn’t answer. Charlie wouldn’t shoot me. with trembling hands, I moved the chair; Coach Gene flew into the room, gaping at the hole in the wall. “what the heck’s going on in here?”
“Just a little accident,” I said. “But everything’s okay.” I looked at my terrified friends. Susan was beside me, smiling stiffly, indicating that Gene should play along.
“We’re fine,” she said, drawing his attention to Leslie, who was still yelping on the carpet. women clustered, hugging each other. Gretchen, Davinder, and Ileana huddled together, bug-eyed. Karen had moved to the doorway and now sheltered Nicholas in her arms. All eyes were riveted on Charlie. “Jingle Bells” continued its maddening endless loop.
“who’s that?” Nicholas pointed to Charlie.
I remembered then that nobody knew. Crossing the room, I stood beside him. “Everybody. This is my neighbor Charlie.” I could barely hear my own voice. It came from far away. “He wants to keep us safe, so let’s all stay calm and let him help us.”
Gene, pretending nothing was wrong, gave a nod and backed away. “All right, then. Okay. I see. Everything’s under control, then. Nice to meet you, Charlie. Come on, Nicholas. Mom, why don’t we take Nicholas back to class? In fact, why don’t all the moms come watch in the gym?”
“The women better stay with me,” Charlie told him. “They’re safer here.”
Coach Gene’s eyes darted from Charlie to the exit door. I thought he might run for it, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves. Finally, though, he led Karen and Nicholas back to the gym: Karen glanced back at us as Gene reached for his cell phone. Help would come soon.
“Charlie thinks somebody may be trying to hurt me,” I kept talking, trying to hold Charlie’s attention.
“Dammit,” Charlie gasped. “what’s wrong with you? There’s no maybe. He’s about to do it. She knows.” He pointed at Leslie, still whimpering on the floor. “She already knows what I’m talking about. Don’t you read the newspapers? Don’t you see the TV? I’m not making this up.”
“We know that, sir. We all know.” Susan’s voice came from across the room. “And we appreciate your courage in trying to protect Zoe. And the rest of us, too.”
She was going along with him, trying to calm him. But Leslie didn’t get it. “What the hell, Susan? He’s not protecting any—”
“Shh.” Susan squeezed Leslie’s arm, shutting her up.
“Don’t be afraid.” Charlie ignored them, speaking softly to me. “As long as I’m with you, you’ll be safe.”
We sat for a few moments in silence. Waiting. Listening to Charlie’s labored wheezing, wondering what to do. Then, over Charlie’s shoulder, through the observation window, I saw Gene gather the children into a circle at the far side of the room by the pit. Uniformed policemen crept into the gym, taking cover behind stacks of mats, sneaking along the walls, leading the children out the back door.
“Charlie,” I begged him. “Please, give me the gun.”
“No, miss. Can’t.”
His forehead dripped sweat. His pupils were dilated, his breath short. He grabbed my arm. When he leaned close, I smelled sour wine and stale sweat. White globs foamed in the corners of his mouth.
“Charlie, please,” I interrupted. “Put the gun away before someone gets hurt.”
“You still don’t get it?” Charlie coughed, holding up the gun. “Don’t you realize what I’ve done? Coming here? I’ve signed my own death warrant.”
“Charlie, please.” Behind him, police had their guns drawn, aimed at the window. Susan waved at me, signaling that I should move away from Charlie, but I stayed put.
“No. He’ll never let me live, not after this. Look. He’s not alone. There are others like him all over the country. Where do you think all those missing young people are? All the kids who go to the mall and never come back, who hitch rides and disappear? They’ve been taken—just like the women—”
Susan couldn’t be silent anymore. “Charlie, sir? The police are here. Put down your weapon or they’ll take it from you by force.”
He wasn’t listening, didn’t seem to hear her voice. “Remember, miss. Evil wears disguises, and as long as those like him live and breathe, caution’s your only hope.”
“Charlie, listen,” I repeated Susan’s message. “The police are here. They want you to put down your gun. Give it to me. Please.” I held my hand out. His eyes widened, but he shook his head. No.
Cops were everywhere now. I could see five of them. If Charlie turned around, he’d see them scattered through the gym, guns raised. Any second, they’d rush the room.
Charlie slumped against the window and wiped sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his overcoat. The gun hung loosely in his hand. I sat beside him. Would he shoot me if I grabbed it?
“Sorry, miss.” He looked at Leslie. “I wish I’d stopped him sooner. But at least I’m stopping him now.” Charlie looked at me with glazed and somber eyes.
A voice called over the loudspeaker. “You, in the observation room. Charlie. This is Sergeant Bennings of the Philadelphia Police Department. You are surrounded by police officers. You have no way out. Put down your gun now and come out with your hands on your head.”
Charlie turned and gazed out the window, gun raised. “I told you—he’s closing in, miss. I’ll stay by your side and hold him off as long as I’m able, but you have to be on guard, too. Mind my words. Trust nobody.”
“Charlie, you have sixty seconds to release your hostages and come out of there peacefully.”
“Please, Charlie,” I said.
Leslie wailed. Susan gestured for me to move away. The rest of the mothers sat silent and still.
“Charlie, do what the man says,” I begged. “I’ll go out there with you. Please. We’ll go together.”
Susan came over and grabbed my arm. “Zoe. For godsakes move away from him.”
“No—it’s okay. Charlie and I are going to go out there together, right, Charlie?”
“They mean business, Zoe.”
“Charlie? Let’s go, okay?” I touched his shoulder and stood. “Zoe, I’m serious—move away—” “Just a second—”
“Dammit,” Susan scowled. She stood glaring at me while Charlie leaned forward, peering through the glass. He looked exhausted, pensive. Seconds passed, each one leaden, adding weight to the next. Thirty, forty. The room was silent. Motionless. The air too heavy to breathe.
When a minute had passed, Sergeant Bennings began to speak again, but Charlie shouted over him. “Okay—zero hour—here we go! Get down!” He raised the gun and fired at the window. Glass shattered, shards soaring.
“No!” I screamed. “Charlie—the children!” Susan pulled at my arm; I yanked it away and pulled at Charlie, trying to stop him. With surprising strength, he shoved me away. Behind me, women shrieked and dropped to the floor. Susan ducked; someone ran for the door. Charlie shouted obscenities and kept firing, popping two shots, three, until suddenly what remained of the window exploded in a glittering shower. A gush of red burst from Charlie’s hand and his gun flew through the air onto the floor. He turned to me with a look of surprise. His mouth opened, forming words I couldn’t hear, and his skull exploded. Brains, bone, blood, bits of Charlie flew all over the room. Warm, sticky spray splattered my clothes, my face, my eyes. I couldn’t see, squinted to find Molly through a warm, crimson veil.
On the floor, the mass that had been Charlie twitched awhile before it lay still. Susan led me to a chair. Then she was gone. Coach Gene stared from the doorway, his mouth moving, no sound coming out. Police in white jumpsuits shoved past him, clearing the room. Sometime, out of nowhere, Nick appeared, wrapped me in his arms, and carried me out. I saw events as a silent movie, heard no voices, no commotion, no cries. Long seconds passed before I realized that I’d been deafened by the gunfire, so I couldn’t hear any sounds at all, even my own screams.