Their pondering was interrupted by the main lights flashing on dimly with a low hum. The doors around them suddenly slammed open and several squads of both police and SWAT filed in each entry, both on the ground floor and the balcony above. Adam dropped the launcher to avoid confusion with the bad guys and raised his hands. A voice familiar to him called out across the squads, informing them that the people they saw were civilians.
“That sounds like Cody,” noted Lance.
“It is,” the lieutenant confirmed as he walked up to the group.
“Is everyone alright?”
“We’re all alive,” stated Lance. “I’ve had worse than getting kicked around by an overaged bully,” he added with a pained chuckle.
“Well, we are except for...” hinted Adam.
“We know. We were told by the others and found the body in the west wing,” said Cody with a hand up.
“But the rest of you are lucky no one else was killed!” he stated firmly. “Was this your idea, Adam?”
“It was mine,” admitted Lance. “But I probably wouldn’t have been able to get too far without him.”
“Well, let’s get these people out of here,” said the lieutenant after a brief sigh. “My men will take care of Striker and his Ouroboros.”
They turned just in time to see Striker trying to get up and sneak off. Lance and Adam acted immediately and both tackled him, pinning him to the ground. Cody followed behind them, taking over to cuff the Ouroboros leader.
“You’re not getting away this time, Striker,” he stated. “We’ve been trying to pin your slithery hide down for a while.”
“You really think I will stay captive for long?” asked Striker, slightly muffled from being pressed face down into the floor.
“You amuse me.”
“That’s what all of the big-time crime bosses would say,” mocked the lieutenant as he pulled Striker to his feet and passed him to a couple of his squad men. “Take him away,” he ordered.
“Ready to leave?” he asked, turning to Lance, Adam, and the others.
“Yes,” they all replied.
Lance approached Melody, who was again amazed at all of what transpired.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, offering his hand to walk her out.
“Yes please,” she said with a shy smile on her face.
A pair of police officers opened the double doors for the group as they neared the exit. The bright sunlight glared down as a welcomed change of lighting to all that had been inside. Cheers and applause greeted them as they left the building.
“Quite the crowd,” laughed Lance, repeating the words that had been said earlier.
“Well besides the police, emergency responders, and news reporters, they are all the people you saved,” Adam said.
“WE saved,” clarified Lance with a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“We worked as a team to make this happen.”
“You did surprise me there at the end,” noted Adam. “I didn’t know you could fight like that.”
“We can talk about that later,” suggested Lance as they were suddenly rushed by reporters with their mics and cameras.
Luckily for them Adam’s brother stepped forwards to press through the mob to give space.
“Give them room people! Your stories aren’t going anywhere,” he announced.
The first responders approached the group to make sure none of them needed medical assistance. Lance dismissed the EMT who checked him and went to locate Melody once more. He found her sitting on the edge of an ambulance’s deck with her family around her.
“Lance!” exclaimed Melody happily when she saw him.
Her family turned to see him as he approached, her father extending his hand to shake Lance’s.
“Thank you, Lance,” he said as his firm grip met with that of Lance.
“I don’t know what more I can say.”
“There is no need to say anything, sir,” replied Lance. “I just wanted to come by to make sure Melody was alright.”
“Of course I am now, silly,” giggled Melody with another shy smile.
“Will we be seeing you tonight at the Brewer’s Café?” queried Lance, returning the smile.
“Yes!” she answered cheerfully. “You shall.”
“Alright, see you then,” said Lance. “The police want to talk to Adam and me about what happened, so I need to go.”
“Okay, bye!” said Melody as Lance wandered back through the crowd.
Lance searched around and finally spotted Adam, who was with Scott and Noel conversing with Knight and Midas. Noel noticed him and ran over, leading him back by his hand to the group.
“Get over here!” she demanded.
“Hey! No need to drag me!” Lance replied with a laugh.
“Mr. Shepherd, we were waiting for you,” stated Mr. Knight.
“What you and Mr. Chase did was probably borderline foolhardy....” he began. “...but it was definitely not anything short of extraordinary. We were just discussing how you are both to be commended.”
“The board and the committee for both the school and the event were talking ever since when you managed to get most of us out,” added Mr. Midas. “The way you managed to even think of all you did was impressive, and that is on top of falling within the parameters of the judging criteria for the event we were supposed to have today. We even included several of the contestants in our decision and we are all in agreement.”
Scott placed his hands across both Lance and Adam’s shoulders.
“You guys are getting free scholarships through your studies!” he stated.
“And Lance, you have the Midas Corp internship,” continued Midas as he shook Lance’s hand. “I can’t wait to work with you, my boy! I see great things ahead for the both of you!”
Lance was stunned at the news -- it was far more than he would have asked for.
“Earth to Lance!” exclaimed Noel, bringing him back to his senses.
“Thank you!” was all he could manage to say.
“No, it is we who are to be thanking the both of you,” informed Mr. Knight. He turned to the massive crowd behind them.
“Let’s hear it again for Lance Shepherd and Adam Chase!”
The resulting cheer was nearly deafening.
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