Free A Message for Julia by Angel Smits

to be doing something, even something so simple.
    â€œI just want out of here,” the woman beside her whispered.
    Rita spoke for the first time. “If you know how, show us.”
    â€œCome on.” Julia helped the blonde woman to her feet and fumbled around in her pocket for her keys. The master key was something she seldom used, but she didn’t think the principal would care if she used it now.
    She led the group to the weight room just beyond the far doors. “There’s a door behind that closet, left over from the renovation.” She pointed it out and Patrick andJack moved the mats away. She slid her master key into the lock she’d had put on just last week.
    â€œHold on.” Patrick pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and spoke into it. “Yeah. Bring it around to the back of the school.” He cautiously pushed open the door and looked around. “And don’t let anyone see you leave.” After he hung up, he turned back to the families. “We’ve got a bus to take you up the hill.”
    â€œWhat about my car?” Shirley asked.
    â€œWe’ll leave your cars here for now. It’ll distract the press for a while at least.”
    The sound of a bus engine came through the opening in the door. “Let’s go.” Patrick led them outside. “If we hurry, maybe we can slip past before the press conference ends.”
    The sun hung low in the sky, and clouds blocked some of the fading twilight. A cool wind plucked at Julia’s hair. She wondered where her jacket was. Had she even brought one?
    Still holding the other woman’s stiff hand, Julia led her across the grass to the yellow school bus. She would have preferred the physical activity of walking to the mine, but that wasn’t an option at this point.
    She felt better having remembered the door. She had to keep busy, had to take action. Doing kept her from thinking. She couldn’t give in to her emotions. Not now. She had to be strong. Nothing else was an option.
    As the bus turned the final corner out of the school parking lot, nearly everyone turned to look back. The press conference must have just ended, but the few reporters who had already stepped outside weren’t quickenough to catch even the slow-moving bus. Moments later they drove through the gates of the mine and Julia breathed a sigh of relief. They’d escaped.
    For now.

CHAPTER SIX
    Thursday Evening, 6:30 p.m.
    A HUGE WHITE TENT had been erected on a flat patch of ground behind the mine offices. It was one of those tents typically rented for happy events—weddings, bar mitzvahs or revival meetings.
    As Julia climbed off the bus, she wondered if the canvas had soaked up enough good memories to counter the bad ones she was afraid lay ahead.
    Stop that! She shook her head and tried to clear the gloomy thoughts. The quiet young woman at her side and the others shuffling behind her prompted her to keep moving.
    Hank and Dennis, the other officer she’d met earlier, stood a few yards away at the gates to the compound, keeping the media out and the families in. She knew the mine didn’t want any more bad press than necessary, which, for now, suited her just fine. There was no way she’d make it if she had to deal with reporters shoving microphones in her face.
    The blonde woman suddenly spoke. “I’m Trish Hayes. My husband, Zach, is down there.”
    â€œHi, Trish. I’m Julia.” She tried to smile but found her facial muscles reluctant to cooperate.
    â€œI know. Your husband’s the inspector, isn’t he?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œMaybe that’s a good thing.”
    â€œWhy?” Julia couldn’t see anything good about any of this. She stumbled over a rock in the dirt path. Trish clutched her arm and kept her from falling on her face. They were definitely in this together.
    â€œThere are too many accidents. Maybe now we’ll get some action from the mine