Scene 38

A road in South Carolina

We waited for the bus convoy to approach our location. We had placed ourselves so that we could hit the convoy quickly and without warning.

“Convoy approaching,” came the warning from the tail car. They were watching for the arrival of the convoy. Now that they had warned us, we would wait for the lead car to pass our location. Then, our head car would jump out to black the progress of the convoy. At the same time, our tail car would block the convoy from the rear. The assault car would drive directly towards the bus and disable it.

Once the vehicles were stopped, my team in the van would pull up alongside the van and free David.

We pulled the masks over our faces as we waited for the convoy.

I saw the lead car pass our position and knew it was time.

Our head car slid onto the road in front of the convoy’s lead car, blocking its path. The team in that car immediately opened fire on the policemen inside. I knew the tail car was doing the same to the trailing escort.

Julie gunned the motor of her car and it jumped onto the road in front of the bus. Greg was firing at the driver, who quickly slammed on the brakes and ducked.

“Go!” I yelled to Michael, who stomped on the gas and pulled the van alongside the bus.

We threw the doors open and charged towards the bus. Looking up I saw two guards and the driver in the bus where David was being held. The guards were firing from the windows, but the driver was hiding below the dash.

As the others returned fire on the guards, I rushed to the door of the bus. The door was jammed closed, but a quick burst from my rifle shattered the glass. I pointed the rifle at the driver.

“Open the door!” I ordered.

The driver tentatively reached up to the door release and opened the door. As I charged up the stairs, the guards quickly turned their pistols towards me, but a quick spray of my rifle silenced them. The driver remained cowering under the dash.

There was a locked metal gate between the driver and the prisoner’s section. I saw David sitting in a seat, slumped forward.

“Get this gate open!” I ordered the driver.

“I don’t have the key!” he gasped out.

“Hawk, cutters,” I yelled outside.

Ms. Hawk ran up to the door and tossed the bolt cutters she carried up to me.

“Cover him,” I ordered. She quickly pointed her rifle at the driver.

I quickly cut through the lock on the gate and slid it open. I ran back to David.

He was hovering on the edge of consciousness as I got to him.

“It’s okay, David. We’re here to take you home,” I said to him as I cut through the handcuffs that secured him to the seat.

“Home,” he managed to gasp out.

I tossed the bolt cutters back to Ms. Hawk, who tossed them out of the bus to Mike. “Help me,” I told her.

She quickly moved back and helped me get David to his feet. We had to carry him between us, as he couldn’t seem to stand on his own.

We managed to get him out of the bus and I yelled to Greg. “Secure the driver.”

Greg raised his rifle to shoot the driver, but I managed to slap down the barrel.

“I said secure him!” I yelled at him.

Greg glared at me defiantly; I glared back at him. Then he lowered his rifle and pulled out the duct tape we had brought along.

Ms. Hawk and I walked David back to the van where Diane had climbed inside. We passed him in and she began a quick examination. Ms. Hawk climbed in after him to assist.

“We’ve got company!” Julie yelled from the front of the bus.

We all looked where she indicated. Three state police cars were speeding down the road towards us.