The Orphans Series Vol. 1: The Orphans (33 page)

             
Since being rerouted by the dispatcher to the Fox residence rather than to E&T, Thompson, not knowing if Frank was home, parked his car at an angle to make sure he could keep the man's truck from leaving if he tried. He cursed Lennon for not picking up his phone. He couldn't get a call to go through since the dispatcher had originally radioed and gave him a heads up that Lennon had tried to reach him. His shiny black boots hit the driveway as he started the long walk up.

****

              Shaun called Ellie again, thinking of his dad and chalking up another let down. "Ellie, I don't know where he is. He might be at the office. I was trying to call him but something's wrong with my cell phone. I tried reaching him on the landline but no one at the office was answering the phones. I can't even get the freaking security guard to answer his phone! Really, how busy can a place be that isn't open on Sundays?"

             
Ellie was pacing back and forth. "
My cell hasn't worked either. I've been trying to call mom's hospital but no one's answering. I'm freaking out over here all by myself! I don't know what to do! I'm just glad that we have this land line.
"

             
"Hold on a minute--I just heard a car door. Maybe dad finally showed up." Shaun walked through the hallway into the living room to look out at the driveway.

             
Ellie was past waiting for others and her patience was shot. "
Is it Frank? Is he there?
"

             
Shaun pushed the blinds out of the way and let out a sigh of frustration. "No, it’s Greg's dad, but maybe Greg finally got a hold of him and he's here to pick me up. Maybe they wrapped up the murder thing at E&T already."

             
"
You know, either way I'm coming over. I'm going to go insane if I have to sit here any longer by myself. I'll be over in five minutes. It won't take me any time, so don't leave without me!
"

             
Shaun laughed. "Yeah, like I'd leave you because I have a death wish."

             
"
I know where you sleep, little boy! I'll be right there. I can pedal like there's no tomorrow!
" She hung up and ran for the door.             

             
Sergeant Thompson knocked lightly on the door. Shaun waited a minute, pretending like he hadn't actually known he was there and wasn't waiting just behind the door for the knock to come. He opened the door and started in with assumptions before giving the man a chance to speak. "Hey, Mr. Thompson! I'm glad Greg got a hold of you. I'm sorry to ask another favor. I know you said earlier that you didn't mind and that it wasn't a problem, but I know that it's still a pain in the ass driving out to Des Moines. Ellie's already on her way over now."

             
He opened his mouth and shut it deciding to take a different approach. "Hey, Shaun. How are you? I'm surprised you're back already. I figured you'd be with Ellie all day at the hospital. You guys didn't stay down there too long."

             
Shaun nodded and backed away from the door. "You want to come in, sir? My dad brought us back. Ellie wanted to pick up some items for her mom and we wanted to catch a shower and stuff since we left in the middle of the night."

             
"How's her mom doing? How's Ellie handling it?"

             
"The doctors don't have a lot of hope for her, and Ellie's all right given what she's going through. She's freaked out and can't understand why her mom won't get better."

             
They walked into the living room and Shaun sat in his dad's recliner. Thompson walked in and looked around. He stayed standing and leaned in the doorway. He was listening to the sounds of the house, ignoring Shaun. He came to the conclusion that no one else was home. "So, what's your dad up to? I take it he's not here if you need a ride."

             
"He had to run up to work for something real quick--I guess it couldn't wait. He said he'd be right back but that was like a couple hours ago. I don't know where he is now."

             
"So, no idea where he might be then?"

             
Shaun noticed the questions getting thicker, less geared around Karen and Ellie, and more about where his dad was. "He could be at the hospital, but he knew he had to pick us up before heading back down there. What exactly are you doing here?"

             
Thompson realized Shaun was smarter than he was giving him credit for. "When you and Greg talked earlier, did he mention to you why I wasn't home? Did he say anything about E&T by chance?"

             
Shaun spoke quicker and came to a conclusion why he was there. "Yeah somebody got murdered up there, I guess.... Wait! You don't think my dad has something to do with that, do you?" Shaun stood up feeling less and less comfortable having him in his house.

             
Thompson stopped his easy going lean against the wall. "Sit down, now! I just want to ask your dad a few questions."

             
Shaun sat slowly, looking at the man. "You want to ask him questions ... like, where? Jail?"

             
Ellie coasted into the driveway resting her mountain bike next to the house, and ran in, opening the door quickly and slamming it behind. She ran into the living room startling Thompson who immediately spun on his heel. He pulled his pistol pointing it square at her, unsure who was behind him, but wasn't going to let anyone get the drop on him.

             
Ellie threw her arms up backing up a foot into a table. She tripped on it, yelling, "Oh, shit! It's just me! Put the damn gun down!
God
!"

             
Shaun got to his feet and planned on staying there this time. "Put the gun down! It's just Ellie!" As Thompson hesitated, he continued, "What exactly did you want to talk to my dad about? I'm kind of missing that warm, cuddly feeling at this point."

             
Ellie being Ellie added, "So, is it safe to assume you're not giving us a ride to the hospital today?"

             
Thompson got his bearings back, trying to calm his uptight nerves. He looked at his outstretched arm and holstered the pistol. "Sorry about that, Ellie. It's been a long day. Shaun, can you call me when your dad gets here, please?"

             
Shaun crooked his head a little sideways at him. "Really? You just pulled a gun in my house at who you thought was my dad? Yeah, I'll make sure I get right on a call to you when I see him. Besides, we won't be here. Like I said, we're trying to get back to the hospital. Leave a note for him if you want."

             
Thompson went into the kitchen quickly and jotted a note for Frank, advising him he should contact him first.

             
Ellie looked at Shaun, mouthing, "What the f..." and doing a gun impression with her right hand.

             
He shrugged. "Hey," he asked aloud, "can you get Tina to get Lucas to give us a ride?"

             
Ellie shook her head. "No luck. I got a text from her before the cell phones stopped working. She said that she, Greg, and Lucas were going to the welcome home gathering at the high school."

             
Thompson came back in and spoke before Shaun could. "What's Greg doing at that? That kid hates all sports!"

             
Shaun thought about the answer and didn't mean to actually make it verbal. "Yeah, but he loves the girls' volleyball team...!"

             
Ellie smacked him in the chest shaking her head and Thompson murmured, "Yeah, that actually makes sense."

****

              Phil, the bus driver, took the easiest way into town he could. Usually, a drive from Ames was painless, but this afternoon seemed like he had been driving for hours. Getting stuck in a two hour delay on the interstate behind an overturned semi did not help--especially with the accompaniment of eighteen screaming, hyper, teenage girls. Had he left just twenty minutes later, the interstate would have been shut down and he could have taken the highway to the connecting interstate.

             
The conference head people made sure all the participants in the volleyball tournament got a sendoff worthy of heroes. Phil absolutely could not wait to get home to watch the basketball game on TV, then pass out on the couch after putting himself in a food coma from his wife's roast dinner. He looked in the rear view mirror and laughed at the girls. He spoke into the radio at the other bus following behind them, "Hey, Tony! You wouldn't know that these girls just won a national conference...!"

             
"
Why's that?
"

             
"They're all passed out! I don't think the few hours on the interstate stuck in that accident helped anything. Must've been too much excitement with the high of winning and then the low of waiting."

             
Tony laughed, feeling groggy and shaking his head to try and stay alert. He looked into the rearview mirror and noticed all of his passengers were sleeping as well. "
Phil, I think the welcome home rally is going to scare the hell out of 'em when we pull into the school lot.
"

****

              Greg was standing on the curb in front of the school with his thumbs stuck in his pockets. He was trying to not be overly noticeable about his appreciation for Tina's well developing figure. She was wearing a tight denim short skirt and a tight white shirt. Greg looked at his own attire--a faded black t-shirt and a ratty old pair of blue jeans. He smiled, loving being a guy. "Kind of sucks that Shaun and Ellie couldn't make it today. Sounds like his dad is being a d-bag."

             
"Wow. Great. That is a really a great description. Thank you for the insight. I was hoping that Shaun ... I mean that
they
could be here, too."

             
"He called my place earlier looking for another ride back to the hospital. He said something about how his dad was supposed to take Ellie and him back, but his dad blew him off."

             
Lucas laughed immaturely at the reference. "Ha! Blew him.... I could've given 'em a ride. How come no one ever calls me?"

             
Tina commented, "Maybe because they would rather live. They'd have to be half crazy to ride with you, Lucas."             

             
Lucas puffed up what chest he had. "Greg rode with me! What does that say about him?"

             
Greg came up between the brother and sister hanging an arm around each of them. "Oh, hell! We all know I've got a screw loose!" He pointed. "Hey! There's the buses!"

             
The band started playing a victory march as the bus pulled into the parking lot. Everybody who lives in town with a tie to the school was there and cheering the girls' victory on. It was a united effort-- everyone had school foam fingers and signs for their favorite players. Had the girls been awake to see it, they might have had tears in their eyes.

             
There was a huge array of people ranging from families to elderly supporters of the school athletic teams. They all cheered together to welcome home the victorious girls' volleyball team, waving their signs and watching as Phil's bus swung into the parking lot. The bus looked like a wild man was driving, swerving wildly from side to side, but no hands outstretched from the windows. The only noise coming from the oncoming bus was the diesel engine. As it got closer, the swerves became wider and wider until the wheels were off the ground. The bus crashed on to its side, sliding across the school parking lot and shooting sparks everywhere as it slid to a stop.

             
The onlookers watched in horror, momentarily frozen in shock, wondering how a day so great for these girls could end in such a horrible accident. Families and teachers ran for the bus, screaming and calling to the occupants. The second bus barreled into the parking lot and everyone froze. It was driving in a straight line for all of the bystanders and gaining speed. The principal pointed at the bus screaming at everyone to run. The screams filling the air would haunt any survivors for the rest of their lives. The terror of this day would end no time soon.

             
Greg, Tina, and Lucas had watched in awe when the first bus came to a crashing halt. As the second came nearer and never slowed down, Greg grabbed Tina and Lucas by the collars, pulling and screaming at the same, "Watch out! It's coming straight for us!"

             
The bus roared into the parking lot, mowing through the crowd which was trying to free the girls from the first bus crash. It turned into a vicious killing machine, unbiased at who it took. The principal was struck by the second bus as he dodged to the side. The red outstretched stop sign decapitated him. The school bus came to a hard stop by crashing into the side of the brick school--the front ten feet of the bus disappearing in the building.