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“Get Zeke,” I command.
Alex already has his phone to his ear. “On it.”
In a situation like this, I need to be the voice of reason, but I feel anything but calm or reasonable at this moment. I approach the group of parents and kids who were in the library when this started. Officers are taking their statements before they can be released.
“Excuse me. I’m Captain Caleb Thorne. Can anyone tell me why he let you all out and not Miss Honeyton?”
A tall slim woman, looking to be in her late thirties, very pale and obviously shaken, steps forward. “Gwen told the man that she would help him look for his son if he would let us go. At first, he said no way. But Gwen was very gentle and explained that having all of us here just made it harder. He let the kids go first, but a few minutes later, he let us all out, except Gwen.” The woman lets out a sob. “She sacrificed herself for us. That woman is so selfless. Everyone adores her.”
I clench my fists. A pain grows in my chest. It seems that Gwen has made quite an impression on people. As I look around, I see the sad faces and worried expressions.
Before I can respond, Alex comes to my side. “Zeke hacked in to the security feed. Damian has gone around back to see if there’s a quiet way in. And the guy’s wife is here.”
Eliza Taylor is a petite woman. She’s pretty blonde, but there’s a cloud of sorrow looming over her. She waits silently by the police car that brought her here, staring at the library.
“Mrs. Taylor,” I call as I approach her. She turns to look at me. “I’m Captain Thorne. Do you know what’s happening here? Why we sent for you?” The gentle approach is always the best in these situations. The woman is already freaked out. She doesn’t need to feel like she’s being interrogated.
“Y-yes,” she stammers. “The officer explained that Malcolm is in there.” Eliza looks again at the library. “Malcolm is a good man. He’s never done anything like this before. He was a great father and husband. He’s lost and confused. Since Joshua…” Her voice trails off, and a sob catches in her throat.
It’s obvious she still loves her husband. “I understand this has been a difficult time for you and your husband, ma’am. But a young woman’s life is at stake here, and my job is to get them both out in one piece.”
She nods. “I can talk to him. I’m not sure what good that’ll do, though. He’s been so distant lately. I want him to get help.” She grips my arm tightly. “He needs help, Captain. Malcolm is lost without our boy. Joshua was everything to us.”
“Caleb!” Alex calls out. “We’ve got eyes on the inside.”
“Wait here with the officer, ma’am. I’ll be right back.” I rush over to Zeke and Alex, and my heart drops when I see Gwendolyn on the screen sitting in a chair, and Malcolm pacing back and forth, gun in hand, clearly distraught. Gwendolyn is speaking to him. Without ears on the inside, I have no idea what she’s saying, but the man stops pacing and sits in the chair next to her.
Malcolm drops his head and is visibly moved. What the hell is she saying?
Suddenly, I see Damian running over. “I found a way in. There’s an employees-only door through the back. One of the part-time workers has a key. We can go in that way and assess the situation. From what I’ve been told, it’s hardly used. Only staff know about it.”
“What if he hears us come in?” Alex says. “Might make him flip out.”
“They’re on the other side of the building.” Damian begins to draw the schematics of the library. “One of the parents said they’re here.” He points to the back left side of the library. “The door I’m talking about is located here, at the side.” He points to the other side of the building. “Literally, the easiest and most efficient way in. It’s far enough from Malcolm and Gwendolyn for them not to hear us come through. It’s a good thing they put a door there, but then again, who the hell would have thought anyone would go into a library and take hostages?”
He’s right. They built a building to house books and made it attractive to the community. No one ever thought this would be the situation they would find themselves in.
“Let’s get on that.” I turn to Zeke. “You keep watching that screen. He may leave that room, and if he does, you need to notify us. I’m going in as soon as I can.” Damian and I go over to the fire department to see what tools they have available just in case we have to pry it open.
Damian grabs the key from the staff member and rushes back. He inserts the key into the lock, turning it slowly, and edging the door open. Alex produces a floor plan of the library, which I study to see what my next steps need to be once we’re inside. It’s not long before we’re in and heading toward the sound of voices.
We need to move stealthily, to keep the element of surprise on our side. I go in first, Damian and Alex follow behind, and I have Zeke in my ear to let me know if anything changes on the inside. If Malcolm moves out of that room, we may need to move fast.
As we approach the room, I hear voices. One distinctly belongs to Gwendolyn.
“Mr. Taylor, I see you’re very upset, but at this point, you know that your son is not in the library. I want to help you. I really do. Where do you think he can be? I’ll come with you.” she says, her voice soft and sweet, without even a hint of fear.
“He’s not here.” Malcolm sounds gutted. He lets out a moan of anguish. “They killed my boy,” he says and begins to weep.
“Pardon?” Gwendolyn asks.
“He was on his way here. He loved the library. He loved to read and said that the librarian always helped him find the best stories.”
“Oh no!” she replies with a gasp.
“They ran him over like a dog on the street and left him to die,” Malcolm says. “I’m so sorry. I was con-confused,” he explains. “I get like that sometimes. I just wanted to see my boy.”
We’re close enough now to be able to get a peek in as the door is open a crack. “Mr. Taylor, I understand, I really do.”
