Hello, everyone. I hope you read the previous chapter and enjoyed it. This story is a continuation of the Shadows of Resentment series.
In this chapter, we find out what happened with the girls. Again, let me reiterate, I am no expert on anything military, so I used my imagination freely here. It is not my intention to offend any of the great people who have sacrificed and served in any branch of the military. So please remember this in a fictional piece of writing and not meant to be taken literally.
I hope you enjoy this chapter and remember to vote and comment after you have read it. Thank you. IR2R,
"Derrick, it's Dad. Can you and Dawn come over now? Something has happened." Marvin explained to his son.
He had managed to calm Marge down enough to call. After the stroke, he decided that his kids would be the first people he called from now on.
He started to dial Sierra, when the door opened and Jasmine rushed in.
"Oh God, Marge. They've got to be alright," she sobbed holding onto Marge. Jasmine was followed by Derrick, Sierra, and Gunther, who had just gotten back into town.
Dawn, Cameron, and Deidre rushed over from their jobs. All eyes were glued to the television.
"Oh God! Darius! If he knows, he's going to... Oh my God!" Deidre whispered as her boyfriend Jason held her.
"Deidre, we have to pray that Cynthia and Kerrie didn't get hurt." He whispered.
The twins were at daycare, as were Marcus, and DJ. Sierra had her infant son, Ian with her. After Marge's stroke, Deidre discussed it with Darius, and they agreed that it was for the best. However, the girls spent most of their Saturday's with Grandma and Grandpa.
Marvin held his wife and they wept as they watched the news. Derrick and Dawn held each other as they watched the news, as did Jason and Deidre. Nick sat with Jasmine and held her hand.
Meanwhile, at a base on the other side of the country, a report went out of a shooting at a military hospital. Darius was working on repairing a tank when he heard the news, a sense of foreboding crept over him, but he tried to shake it off. Then his commander shut off the radio.
"What the fuck?!' Darius yelled out standing.
He looked right in the face of his commanding officer Lieutenant David Brown. Standing in attention, Darius greeted his supervisor as well as the other soldiers.
"Sir, Lieutenant Brown, Sir" Darius greeted him.
"At ease soldier, I know you all are aware of the shooting. It was at a medical facility. I cut the radio off because-"
Darius didn't hear more Cynthia and Kerrie were at a medical facility.
"Sir, Tell me my people are alright." Darius demanded.
"Stand down soldier. I am your commanding officer." He commanded.
Darius took deep breaths to calm down. His palms were sweating, heart pounding, praying that this man wasn't about to tell him Cyn and Kerrie had been shot.
"Officer Granger. We need you to come with us." Lieutenant Brown ordered.
"Sir, please. Tell me." Darius pleaded. He had yet to disobey a direct order.
"Soldier, come with me." Then he turned and started walking. He didn't know how to tell this kid two members of his team may have died.
"Lieutenant Brown?"Darius asked when they entered the office.
The Lieutenant had a television on. On the screen was the title
Shooting at Manglady Army Medical Center
.
The reporter came out and said,
"This morning an unidentified assailant opened fire on the third floor of Manglady Army Medical Center. Over thirty people worked on that floor and causalities have been reported.
"Sir, part of my team is at that facility. Are they Alright?" Darius demanded shaking furiously, thinking.
Cynthia and Kerrie are at that facility. Oh God please let them be alright. I can't lose her. I can't lose Cynthia. I just found her. Please let him say they are alright.
"Son, we don't know. We're getting people out now." Lieutenant Brown explained. "We don't know how many shooters are in the building. We have teams in place assessing the area now."
"Sir, I need... I need to go" Darius said. Trying to hold himself together as he felt his world be ripped apart.
"Of course son. We have a bird ready to fly you there." Lieutenant Brown answered.
Darius knees buckled. It was too much.
Cynthia, Kerrie were in that building. They had to be alright. She had to be alright. Fates could not be that cruel.
Within minutes, Darius was airborne and being flown to be where his fallen team mates were.
When he arrived at the government building which was housing military and civilians that were working this case, Horse, Danny, and Maria were there.
"Have you guys heard anything?" he asked praying that if they had it was good news.
"Naw, man. Nothing." Horse answered. "I'm gonna see if I can go in and search for them." Horse stood to find a commanding officer.
Darius was barely holding on. He could not breathe. The thought of Cynthia being hurt paralyzed him. And if something happened to Kerrie, he didn't know what he'd do."
"Officer Granger, you have a phone call Sir. The Lieutenant said to put it through.
Darius took the phone.
"Hello, Officer Granger." He spoke before he heard his Mom's voice.
"Darius, you bring my girls home. You hear me son. Find them and bring them home." Marge Granger sobbed in the phone to her son.
Her words broke him and his breath heaved. His team stood around him as two of the higher ups closed off the room to give them privacy.
"Momma, I can't lose her. Momma, I don't know..." He whispered into the phone.
The thought of losing Cynthia was so devastating that he dropped the phone and Danny picked up. His heart broke as he listened to Mrs. Granger sobs on the other end.
"Ma'am," Danny said. "They are going in now. We should know something soon."
"Danny, Danny," Marge pleaded. "Look out for my boy. She's his heart. Please help him Danny. Is the rest of the team there?"
"Yes Ma'am" he answered through his tears.
"Then you all need to be strong for each other. Be strong, Danny." Marge ordered.
Lieutenant Strapp came in. "Mrs. Granger, someone is here with news. I gotta go, but I will call back as soon as we know something."
"Officers Granger, Tate, Sanchez, and Stephens, the building is secure. Unfortunately, Officers Knicks and Masters were on the floor with the shooter."
Darius collapsed, His knees gave out and he fell into a chair behind him. Maria quickly moved to his side. Holding him she tried to reassure her friend.
Lieutenant Strapp gave him a moment to gain control before continuing. "We have a team that is assessing the situation on that floor and will let you now more shortly." He informed them.
"Lieutenant Strapp, were there casualties?" Maria asked.
Inhaling Lieutenant Strapp didn't really want to answer that question. But he wouldn't lie. "Yes Ma'am"
"Oh God!" Maria then lost it. Horse held her close and tried to reassure her.
Darius had calmed down and was back in control. "Officer Strapp, thank you." He said. "Please let us know when you find them.
Meanwhile, back on the floor. Kerrie was laying down wondering why Lieutenant Garner shoved her so hard. Then her brain registered the gunshots. She saw her Lieutenant drop. He fell on top of her.
Then it was silent. She lay there and watched in horror as the confused soldier place the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
Cynthia, where's Cynthia
she thought frantically when she spotted her across the room on the floor in a heap.
Kerri pushed Lieutenant Garner off and crawled to her friend.
"Cynthia," Kerrie sobbed. "Please be alright."
Cynthia coughed. She was still breathing. Next to her lay Lieutenant Manson, he was barely breathing.
Cynthia woke up and saw that Kerrie was alive. She started to move when she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. She'd been shot, but she'd survive.
Kerrie needed to check on Lieutenant Garner. He had taken a direct hit. His pulse was sporadic and he had lost so much blood.
Lieutenant Garner opened his eyes and looked at Kerrie.
"Kerrie," he whispered. "You are so damn beautiful. I thought so the first day I saw you walk in." Then he coughed. Blood spewed from his mouth. "I wanted to marry you. I was going to let you go on your mission and then meet you and beg you to marry me when it ended."
Kerrie listened to him as she sobbed silently, holding him close. "Would you have done it? Kerrie, would you have married me?" he asked growing weaker by the minute.
At that moment medics had arrived and Kerrie, kissed his forehead and answered. I'll answer you when you wake up." Then the medics rushed him to the critical care unit.
Two other medics were working with Cynthia. But she was begging them to check on Lieutenant Manson. One of the medics did and he had a slow pulse, so they rushed him to trauma well.
Cynthia had a bullet lodged in her shoulder, and needed surgery. So they rushed her to trauma to prep for surgery.
A medic examined Kerrie and had a petty officer escort her off the floor.
Lieutenant Strapp rushed back over to the conference room where the rest of the team was waiting.
"Officers," he yelled. "Your friends are alive. One sustained a gunshot wound, and the other was unharmed."
"Yes, thank God" Maria cheered crying, "Can we see them?" she asked.
