Chapter 66
Shawn’s heart ached as he replayed the moments he had pushed Allison aside for Kate. He had said so many things he now deeply regretted. Allison had always been clear about wanting to marry him, but he had dismissed her feelings, claiming he could never see them together. What if he changed his mind now? Would she give him another chance?
A flicker of hope lit up Shawn’s eyes at the thought. Surely, if she could be the esteemed Mrs. Reynolds, Allison would agree to come back.
The sun was barely up when Allison took her client to the Social Security office for a work injury claim, catching a cab back to the law firm just before noon. As they neared her street, the cabbie noticed something unusual. “What’s going on up there? Why’s there such a crowd?” he muttered, then turned to Allison, “Hey, miss, looks like a jam ahead. How about you hop out here? It’s just a short walk.”
Allison strained to see through the windshield and indeed, the street was packed tight with people. Odd, she thought. This place is usually so quiet. What’s happening today? After paying the fare, she stepped out of the cab.
The closer she got, the more the unease grew in her stomach. The crowd was packed around Summit & Vale Solicitors. A bad feeling crept up her spine, so she quickened her pace. Suddenly, screams erupted from the throng, and the crowd scattered like startled pigeons, chaos erupting in the street.
In the commotion, a young woman bumped into Allison. “Sorry!” the girl gasped, fear etched on her face, before bolting away. Allison caught her arm, “What’s going on up there?”
“You can’t go there!” the girl warned, panic in her voice. “There’s trouble at the law firm. You are gonna get hurt, run!” And with that, she was gone.
Allison’s face hardened, and she sprinted towards the firm. As she neared the entrance, a cacophony of angry shouts, sobs, and screams filled the air. Her heart raced. The crowd had dispersed, leaving her a clear path to the entrance, but her heart pounded with dread.
The scene was terrifying. Brody, her colleague, lay in a pool of his own blood, his side still bleeding heavily. A man was rampaging through the office, wildly swinging a knife, attacking everyone in sight without
discrimination.
He was shouting at the top of his lungs, “Damn you lawyers! You think you can ruin me? Bring it on! I’m not afraid of you!
“If you want me gone, then we all go down together! I’ll take you all with me!
“I’ve got nothing to lose, what’s a few more lives to me? I’ll kill every last one of you today!
“I’ll make sure every damn lawyer here goes down with me!” he bellowed.
He spotted a female lawyer in heels and charged, knife raised. Elliott was running for her life, yelling, “Help! Help! Please don’t kill me! I didn’t work on your case, it’s nothing to do with me, please!”
But the man, lost in his rage, wasn’t listening. He had already taken down the lawyer who had handled his case and was now stabbing anyone in his path, caring not whether they were involved or not.
Elliott screamed, racing toward her colleagues, hoping to divert the madman’s attention. Brody bleeding out on the floor had everyone in a panic; no one dared to confront the attacker.
Just as Elliott was about to be caught, Allison made a split–second decision. She kicked off her heels, shrugged off her blazer, and sprinted toward the attacker, moving swiftly like the wind, fast as a bolt of lightning.
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Chapter 67
