JR SWAT 1: The Basics

Chapter 23: All for one...

Meanwhile...

The kids took several deep breaths. Even though they were cramped pretty tightly, none wanted to leave. They didn't even try to move! Rubio and Chen held their legs folded up, while Leyla and Kelly sat close, holding each other's arms. Marv stood by the door, head down, trying to calm down and think of a way out. He feared it was too late, but...he couldn't show it. He just couldn't!

He shook his head, then slowly slumped down to sit on the ground. He shot a look at his friends and sighed. They were terrified!

"Hey!" he whispered. "Y'all aight?"

For the first time, he received no answer. The others were speechless, made no move! Kelly shook her head slowly, Leyla stared at him with worried eyes and the boys wouldn't even make a eye contact.

Silence.

"Y'all wanna know what's really bad?" Leyla said slowly.

Silence.

"Me and my momma had a huge beef this mo'ning. I feel so stupid!" Leyla said with her voice cracking. Everyone in the room felt her pain.

"I didn't even get to see my mom!" Chen whisper.

"Yeah" Rubio and Kelly whispered, agreeing. They nodded...sniffs were heard.

"Hey! C'mon, y'all! We'll be aight. We already got SWAT working on how to get us outta here. Chill!" Marv said trying to remain positive.

"What if the bomb got to them?" Chen asked.

"Oh my God! What if Luca got hurt?" Kelly feared.

"I wonder where's ma...she can't run!" Rubio said scared.

"C'mon, man! Don't think like that. We ain't ever gonna figure out how to get outta here thinkin' like that!" Marv urged.

"How are we getting outta here? The only thing not wired is that window and it barely fit the car!" Chen demanded, frustrated.

Silence. Some shook their heads, others straightened up, most just stared at the floor. Sigh.

Marv turned to Kelly, who held back the tears. "C'mon, Kells! Whatever happened to the positive Luca vibes you was talkin' bout this morning, huh? You said positive attracts positive."

"Yeah, but Marv-" Kelly began

"Just face it. Not even SWAT can help us." Chen interrupted, defeated.

"Then, we gotta do it ourselves." Marv said sternly, as everyone turned towards him.

Moments before...

The crowd was becoming louder and louder, as many more people gathered around the entrance of the school. Out of the blue, a group rioting in the front, turned violent. One of the police officers in that side was impacted by a water bottle, as the crowd began throwing objects, rocks and anything they could at the officers blocking the access to the school.

In a matter of seconds, the angry crowd soared dangerously towards the police officers. The push was violent, as metal barricades fell loudly on the floor. Several officers were impacted and lost consciousness in the floor. Stevens' squad was called to help provide protection while the injured officers were retrieved, as Hondo and 20 Squad provided backup for the perimeter.

Angry citizens chanted "NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE! SAVE OUR CHILDREN OR TAKE THE HEAT!" These lines were repeated over and over again, louder as the crowd became bigger. From a couple dozen, now the numbers had soured to around hundreds. Most were parents and relatives of the students still held captive in the building. Desperation, cries and demands were heard, as the audience's patience ran low.