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Chapter 2
The field trip had gone smoothly. All the kids had been excited about going to the zoo and had been on their best behavior the entire day. The only trouble had come from little Nicky, but that was to be expected. According to poor Mrs. Connell, the unlucky one who got stuck in chaperoning him, he'd thrown a mild tantrum when they had to leave the tiger exhibit. Other than that though, no major problems occurred.
But now here they were, waiting for their bus to arrive. Juliet looked at her watch again and frowned. The bus was half an hour late and the kids were restless. Cassandra, one of the shier girls of the class, came up to Juliet and tugged on her sleeve to get her attention. "Yes, Cassandra?"
"Where's the bus, Miss Lowell?"
"It's running a little late, but don't worry. It'll be here soon."
Sure enough, not even five minutes had passed when the bright yellow bus with the school's name came in sight. Her class gave a cheer and she knew she wasn't the only adult to be relieved to be finally going home. As Juliet boarded the bus though, she felt a slight feeling of trepidation run through her when her eyes fell upon the driver. "Hey, where's Tom? I thought he was supposed to be driving us back."
The driver smiled at her, doing nothing to stop the chill that coursed through her body. "Tom got caught in some kind of emergency and called on me to back him up."
"Oh. Are you new here?"
"You could say that."
Get off the bus!! Juliet's inner voice screamed at her, but she couldn't. The kids and parents needed to get home. They were all going to be late as it was. And Lance is there waiting for you. That was it. With that, she turned back around to start letting everyone else board. She sat back and did one last head count as they filed past her and sat on the bus. Satisfied that everyone was accounted for, she began a round of children songs for them all to sing to pass the time.
Twenty minutes into the bus ride though, Juliet happened to glance up toward the front and the sick feeling she'd tried to dispel came rushing back. They were on the outskirts of the city… leaving town! "Hey! Where are we going? The school's the other way!"
"Shut up, miss. We're going somewhere else," the driver snarled at her, the same cold smile playing on his face.
The tone of his voice was not lost on the children. Like a receding wave, their voices slowly stopped. Juliet tried her best to keep this from getting any worse. "And where exactly, are you taking us?"
"I don't know yet. Why don't I show you the sights?"
"I know my way around the city, thank you very much," she said through clenched teeth.
"Country girl, huh?" Juliet's eyes blazed. "Don't worry. This is my treat for the young ones."
Nicky spoke up then. "Hey, mister! Can you stop? I gotta use a potty." A chorus of requests followed, as well as some whining when a few others realized they weren't going back yet. The parents behind her, spread out among the kids, looked to Juliet, their eyes begging for her to do something.
"Shut up!" Their driver growled.
Some of the children started crying at his outburst and this fueled Juliet's anger. "Or else what? What can you do with a bus full of children and their chaperones?"
"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" Juliet glared back at him, face pale with fury. "It didn't. What can I do? I have a loaded gun here. Use your imagination." As he spoke, he drew a gun from inside his jacket. More of the kids started crying out then as Juliet's mind raced. Her face forcibly calmed down, trying to hide the mixed emotions she felt now. She needed time… "What do you want?"
"Oh, it's nothing you or the others can give me. I just want to get the hell away from here."
Her mind calculated the risks. Twenty-five kids, five adults, plus myself. If only there was a way to ensure that they were all safe! It didn't matter what happened to her.
"Please, there must be something I can do. Anything at all!" she pleaded.
"No," he shook his head angrily. There's nothing you can do to help." By now, they were well into the country. He was shaking with fury at whatever was bothering him and that caused for the bus to swerve from one lane to the other. She glanced back and saw parents holding tightly to the children, everyone terrified. He burst out again, frustrated with the noise level. "Can you all be quiet already?"
"Maybe if you asked nicely, they'd listen, or have you forgotten that you have five and six-year olds aboard this bus?" Juliet snapped back, icily.
"Lady, I'd watch your mouth if I were you."
Juliet knew she was gambling with lives here, but she'd already glanced at the tank and found it nearly full. They'd be too far if and when they ran out of gas for any help to come soon. And for some reason, her gut feeling told her to keep on going. "Yeah, or what?" her lips curled up, reflecting the cold smile he'd given her earlier.
"This." He waved the gun in front of them all. The terrified screams that resulted frustrated the driver even more. "Shut up!" he screamed, pulling the trigger.
The loud burst only brought about more noise. In all the chaos, Juliet's anger had finally peaked. How dare he threaten these innocent people! At the top of her voice, Juliet cried out, her screams mingling with those around her. "Let them go! For everyone's sake, let them go unharmed! They are the innocent!"
If Juliet hadn't been as angry as she had been, she would have felt the strong undercurrent that now surrounded the driver. She would have noticed how many of the children now looked at her, awed and strangely quiet. She would have noticed how the driver's mood had changed; he hadn't snapped back and there was a distant, almost robot-like look on him now.
Juliet did notice the obvious, however, for immediately after she'd cried out, the driver stopped his swerving and straightened out. As soon as there was a large, clear part off the country road, he pulled over and stopped, opening the door. Juliet wasn't about to ask any questions and she quickly bade everyone off. The parents helped, trying to keep calm so the kids wouldn't get too hysterical, although they themselves were on the verge of breaking down as well. Quickly, she checked to make sure that nothing had been left behind before stepping off the bus. Just as quickly, the door behind her shut and the bus was off into the dying afternoon.
Being as practical as ever, she questioned if anyone had brought along their cell phone. She sighed with relief when she saw that Mrs. Bates was already chatting away, telling those back at school what had just happened. As Nicky's mother, Mrs. Bates had come prepared, and within an hour, a team of cars, most carrying anxious parents, arrived.
Juliet stood to the side, watching as the kids ran to greet their family. When they finally started to leave, she remembered to check each student out, meanwhile graciously accepting their thanks for keeping them all safe. It was no surprise that local news came around as well, pressing for her account of what happened. Finally, everyone else had left and one lonely car remained. Juliet stood, rooted to her spot as a figure emerged from inside. She watched as he took his time in reaching her. He stood before her, hands in pockets, posing casually. "And you said your life was boring." White teeth gleamed in the last of the sunset.
Juliet suddenly felt exhausted. "Just take me home, Lance, please."
Lance draped an arm over her shoulder and guided her back to the car, seemingly aware that she was worn out.