Her eyes widened with shock. "What?! First you, and thankfully it wasn't serious, but now someone else has been shot?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Except this time, it was a kid. One of our students."
"Oh my god, that's horrible... Is the kid okay?"
"He's in serious condition, but he's stable, and he’s apparently going to need surgery."
"How did it happen? Who's the kid who got shot? Who shot him?"
I shook my head. "I don't know the answers to any of that yet. And that's why I need to go there right away."
"I understand. Look, if you need me to go back to the hospital and check in on Jane, I'd be happy to."
"Would you? That would make me feel better."
"Absolutely," she stated.
I bent down and gave her a kiss, and then we stared into each other's eyes for a good few moments, intense attraction gushing through me. This woman was really putting a spell on me... and it wasn't an entirely bad thing. It had been so long since I'd last felt this way about anyone, so long...
Still, I couldn't linger. There was a serious situation that needed attending to, and I had to get there right away – and it was great to see that Vivienne not only understood but that she was supportive as well.
"Thank you so much, Vivienne... for everything. I'll see you soon."
"Make sure you don't forget your phone this time," she said with a wink.
I chuckled, relieved to have some levity in what was sure to be a grave situation.
"Believe me; I won't! See you later."
"Be careful, handsome," she said with a flirty smile, and as soon as I was out the door, I was missing her already. I thought briefly of messaging her to say that but then figured that it might come off as coming on too strong, too soon, so I left it.
My mind shifted into a different state; my focus became razor sharp, and my sense of purpose was powerfully driven. While I had been pissed off that the scumbag Mr. Mask had shot me, now that he, or one of his accomplices, had shot a kid at my school, I was beyond pissed. Now it was personal.
I drove fast and hard and got to the school in record time. The ambulance with the kid was just leaving, but some police cars with their lights flashing were parked out front, as was Ben's car. He was there chatting with a police officer. I parked my truck, jumped out, and ran over to Ben and the cop.
"Ben, I got here as quickly as I could," I said as soon as I reached him.
"I called you as soon as I was made aware of what happened. I only just got here myself. Oh, by the way, this is Captain Walter Smith. He's in charge of the whole Rocket investigation. Walter, this is Everett James, our new principal."
"Nice to meet you," I said as I shook Captain Smith’s hand.
"Likewise," Smith replied.
"So, what can you guys tell me? Firstly, who was it that got shot?" I asked.
Ben sighed. "His name is Kendrick Green. Good kid, real good kid. Fantastic basketball player; the kid's got some serious talent. He's a 10th-grader."
I nodded, digesting this information. "And he was mixed up with Rocket?"
"No, not at all, actually. He was totally clean. Straight and narrow, this kid is a real star, Everett, a real star."
"So how did he end up getting shot today if he's not involved in this Rocket business?" I questioned.
"He and some buddies were here on the school grounds shooting hoops. They come most weekends; like I said, he's got some serious talent on the basketball court. Anyway, he took a break, went to the bathrooms to take a leak or whatever, and that's when he stumbled across a dealer selling to some kids. Thinking he could be a hero, he got his phone out and started filming. The dealer saw him and demanded that he hand the phone over. Kendrick refused. There was a scuffle, and the dealer got a gun out and shot him."
"Damn. Damn it! These scumbags!" I barked.
"I know. I know," Ben agreed.