5:19 P.M.
Everyone crowds around the monitor. The computer shows a live feed from KGW with the sound turned off. On the screen, a blond reporter’s mouth moves as she gestures with her free hand. Occasionally the picture freezes or pixelates. Miranda squints to read the closed captioning that runs across the bottom of the screen.
“… hostages pressed up against the windows, presumably to serve as human shields. This is heartbreaking. One girl of about twelve is mouthing, I believe she is saying, ‘Help me.’”
The image changes to the exit doors of the mall, the ones Miranda discovered were locked. At least a dozen people are pressed up against the glass doors, with their hands bound in front of them. Many of them are moving their mouths, desperately trying to communicate. If they don’t survive, will anyone know what they were trying to say?
“The hostage dressed in a Santa costume is just a sad reminder that this tragedy is taking place at Christmastime, a season that is supposed to be about peace on earth and goodwill toward men.”
The camera cuts back to the reporter, who is now standing with a high school–aged girl. Her long dark hair is shaved on one side.
“I’m with Jackie, who was in the food court at Fairgate Mall when the shooting broke out.”
The camera zooms in on her wide-eyed face. “I was standing there, I was just about to pay for a slice of pizza, and I heard gunfire. People were running and trying to hide. I ended up with a bunch of people behind this kiosk that sells remote-control toys. Then we all decided to make a break for it. I kept expecting to be shot, but we weren’t.”
The camera pulls back to show the reporter nodding. “You were very lucky.”
The girl’s face crumples. “But I saw people die. It was awful.”
The camera pans to show a milling crowd, police setting up barricades well back from the mall, flashing lights cutting through the gathering darkness.
“Police have confirmed that there are as many as eight shooters dressed in black and wearing ski masks. More than a dozen victims have been taken to area hospitals. If you have friends or family at Fairgate Mall, the authorities are advising you to stay away. Police, fire, and ambulance crews need the roads free so they can deal with this ongoing situation. They will be setting up a waiting area at Calvary Baptist about two miles from here, where they will be taking people to be reunited with their families.”
Is that where Miranda’s dad is right now? Have the authorities made him leave? She hopes not. She hopes he is still just a few hundred yards away.
The reporter nods decisively. “The question is: What do these killers want? When we first arrived on the scene, I was given a flash drive by a young man who claimed to have been one of the hostages. He said he was freed on the condition that he hand out these drives to the media. A few minutes later, he was taken in by the police. Barry, do you have any update on that drive?”
The camera cuts to an unsmiling man sitting in the TV studio. “As Jessica said, we do have this flash drive. Its contents are still being analyzed, but it appears to be some sort of manifesto. We are sharing it with law enforcement, but if we get the go-ahead, we will pass it on to our viewers.”
“Okay, Barry.”
And then a huge blast rocks the storage room.
5:21 p.m.
UNIT 68: We’re making entry to Nordstrom.
DISPATCH: Copy.
UNIT 68: The store appears to be empty. The security gate is down. We’re gonna—wait, what’s that? [sounds of explosion]
DISPATCH: 68. Status!
DISPATCH: 68? Status? 14? 41? 43?
UNIT 14: [static] … bomb … [static]
DISPATCH: We need ambulance and backup to Nordstrom entry on south side stat!