21 Jump Street (Tom Hanson)

Runaway School Bus: Tom's Version

January 17, 1990

I was sitting at my desk, working on paperwork. I wasn't going undercover today, but me, Doug, and Ioki all had to cover some shifts over at Metro Police Department so we were all in our uniforms. We unanimously chose to wear our dark long sleeved uniforms because of how cold it was outside.

After I finished one of the many reports I had to tackle, I took the paper out of my type writer and leaned back in my chair. I observed my coworkers working feverishly to accomplish what they needed to for the day, and I let out a sigh. I stated, "it's so quiet in here."

Ioki gasped as he looked up at me and Doug shushed me.

I furrowed my eyebrows at them and asked, "what?"

"That's a cursed word," Doug stated.

I wanted to laugh. They think way too hard about dumb things like that. Once, I was helping Doug and his friend adopt a cat, and Doug had feverishly warned him about the apparent dangers of black cats. I said, "that's only for hospitals."

"And police stations," Ioki added while flipping a page over.

"This is a precinct. I doubt me saying that it's quiet will result in anything exciting," I said and shuffled my papers together. They are way too superstitious.

"I'm not the smartest person in the world, but I'm also not the dumbest," Doug said, "and even I know better than to say that."

Suddenly, Fuller burst out of his office and raced around the chapel. His keys were jingling in his hand when he told us, "guys, we have an emergency."

Doug glared at me but I rolled my eyes at him. This was just a coincidence.

"What's the problem, Cap?" Ioki asked.

"Bus 14 from the Metropolitan School District had its breaks cut, and we have reason to believe that there is a bomb on board," Fuller stated.

"Where are they?" Doug asked.

"They're driving right alongside Evergreen Lake, driving over a hundred miles an hour."

"Are there kids on the bus?" I asked as I began to stand up from my chair.

"The bus driver said that he thinks everyone made it off and into the water," Fuller said as he put on his jacket. "But you all should know that Mickey was on that bus, and she wasn't found in the lake."

I froze and got big eyed. "Mickey is still on the bus?!"

"We have to leave, now," Fuller said firmly with a tight nod. "But I want you all to be fully aware of how this will probably end. Penhall, I want you to call the search and rescue team."

I glanced over at Doug and we exchanged helpless looks. Fuller was preparing us for the huge probability that Mickey was going to die on the bus. Doug quickly grabbed his phone and dialed a number and held the receiver to his ear.

"This is Officer Doug Penhall with Jump Street. I need a search and rescue team on stand-by... yeah, the interstate beside Evergreen Lake. Um... yeah, caucasian, brown hair... eye color, hazel. Officer Michelle Gregg. Yeah, she's on the bus. Great." Doug hung up and turned to us to say, "they're gonna meet us there."