officers, including the S.W.A.T. team members down on the ground, looked up. He sped down the steps and waved his men over to him. A minute later, half of the officers hurried away, heading towards the front of the Lutrell building. The chief made a call on his cell phone, probably to the governor.
Reporters showed up first, some coming from the direction of the student center, others from the front, but all of them came running. Other police officers arrived, driving up the sidewalks and onto the grassy areas, their tires digging ruts into the soft, wet ground. Ambulances brought up the rear.
Chief Cobb ended the call just as other law enforcement officials joined him. He waved for Phoenix, Alaia, and Dr. Cain to hurry down from the steps of the Lutrell building. “The governor has already activated the National Guard, seemingly, on the advice of the Center for Disease Control. He knew about this before we did. They’re quarantining everything this side of Green Hills, Granny White, and Woodmont. Everybody, including the paramedics, are to stay outside of the perimeter.” He looked at one of his sergeants. “Make it happen, now,” he said firmly.
The sergeant turned. Chief Cobb grabbed him by the arm. “If anybody crosses that line, for any reason, they’re to be shot – and that’s not my call: that’s straight from the governor. Tell them this thing was a terrorist attack and that bioweapons were used. That ought to keep them back. The CDC is on its way with a team. Just hold until they arrive.”
The sergeant nodded and hurried away.
“The governor knew about this before we did?” Phoenix asked.
“He had the CDC and the Guard in motion before we got the call,” Chief Cobb said. “No biggie – we got the call a minute later, that’s all. The CDC is already watching Tennessee because of the June Buckner incident and after what happened to---”
“Did somebody call the CDC or the governor from this campus?” Alaia asked. “Kind of odd if you ask me. Seems like NPD would’ve gotten the call first.”
“I called NPD,” Dr. Cain explained, “just as soon as I saw blood.” He reached for his phone, hit the home button, and scrolled through his calls. “Here it is, the call to you guys – twelve-thirty, a one-minute call.”
“Do you know who patient zero is for this event?” Phoenix asked. “You said you saw one student attacking another in the hall. Can you identify that student?”
Dr. Cain bit his lip. His forehead, wrinkled enough, wrinkled some more. He put his hands together, almost as if he was praying. “I never saw the young man’s face. But he had on a Titan’s cap and a white tee shirt. Aeropostale, I think. Yes, Aeropostale – I’m sure of it.”
“I shot a guy wearing a Titan’s cap,” Chief Cobb said.
“Do you remember where you dropped him?” Phoenix asked.
“Look, we need to stand down and wait for the CDC,” Chief Cobb said, looking askance at Dr. Cain, quickly, and then turning away.
Alaia cut her eyes over to Phoenix, and Phoenix caught her gaze and held it. Then he nodded towards the body-littered grass. They both moved quickly, hurrying down the steps together, tuning out the shouts of Chief Cobb telling them to stop, and they crawled under the yellow tape.
Chief Cobb and Dr. Cain came right under the tape behind them, Chief Cobb waving off the sergeant and nearly coming to verbal blows with Alaia and Phoenix.
“Where were you standing, exactly, Cobb?” Phoenix asked. “I thought I saw you here, near the big guy – the fat one.”
Chief Cobb rolled his eyes and carefully picked his way through the tangled mass of bodies with Phoenix behind him. He reached down and, with his two bare hands, and with his massive muscles bulging in his arms and back, he flipped the fat guy over. “Guy with the Titan’s cap.”
A gunshot wound to the head, two or three holes in the
Reporters showed up first, some coming from the direction of the student center, others from the front, but all of them came running. Other police officers arrived, driving up the sidewalks and onto the grassy areas, their tires digging ruts into the soft, wet ground. Ambulances brought up the rear.
Chief Cobb ended the call just as other law enforcement officials joined him. He waved for Phoenix, Alaia, and Dr. Cain to hurry down from the steps of the Lutrell building. “The governor has already activated the National Guard, seemingly, on the advice of the Center for Disease Control. He knew about this before we did. They’re quarantining everything this side of Green Hills, Granny White, and Woodmont. Everybody, including the paramedics, are to stay outside of the perimeter.” He looked at one of his sergeants. “Make it happen, now,” he said firmly.
The sergeant turned. Chief Cobb grabbed him by the arm. “If anybody crosses that line, for any reason, they’re to be shot – and that’s not my call: that’s straight from the governor. Tell them this thing was a terrorist attack and that bioweapons were used. That ought to keep them back. The CDC is on its way with a team. Just hold until they arrive.”
The sergeant nodded and hurried away.
“The governor knew about this before we did?” Phoenix asked.
“He had the CDC and the Guard in motion before we got the call,” Chief Cobb said. “No biggie – we got the call a minute later, that’s all. The CDC is already watching Tennessee because of the June Buckner incident and after what happened to---”
“Did somebody call the CDC or the governor from this campus?” Alaia asked. “Kind of odd if you ask me. Seems like NPD would’ve gotten the call first.”
“I called NPD,” Dr. Cain explained, “just as soon as I saw blood.” He reached for his phone, hit the home button, and scrolled through his calls. “Here it is, the call to you guys – twelve-thirty, a one-minute call.”
“Do you know who patient zero is for this event?” Phoenix asked. “You said you saw one student attacking another in the hall. Can you identify that student?”
Dr. Cain bit his lip. His forehead, wrinkled enough, wrinkled some more. He put his hands together, almost as if he was praying. “I never saw the young man’s face. But he had on a Titan’s cap and a white tee shirt. Aeropostale, I think. Yes, Aeropostale – I’m sure of it.”
“I shot a guy wearing a Titan’s cap,” Chief Cobb said.
“Do you remember where you dropped him?” Phoenix asked.
“Look, we need to stand down and wait for the CDC,” Chief Cobb said, looking askance at Dr. Cain, quickly, and then turning away.
Alaia cut her eyes over to Phoenix, and Phoenix caught her gaze and held it. Then he nodded towards the body-littered grass. They both moved quickly, hurrying down the steps together, tuning out the shouts of Chief Cobb telling them to stop, and they crawled under the yellow tape.
Chief Cobb and Dr. Cain came right under the tape behind them, Chief Cobb waving off the sergeant and nearly coming to verbal blows with Alaia and Phoenix.
“Where were you standing, exactly, Cobb?” Phoenix asked. “I thought I saw you here, near the big guy – the fat one.”
Chief Cobb rolled his eyes and carefully picked his way through the tangled mass of bodies with Phoenix behind him. He reached down and, with his two bare hands, and with his massive muscles bulging in his arms and back, he flipped the fat guy over. “Guy with the Titan’s cap.”
A gunshot wound to the head, two or three holes in the
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