I'm safe as long as no one gives me away.

I was teaching at a small private school a few years back. We were in an old school building the district had sold and that we rented. The building was shaped like an ‘L’ with the bathrooms, cafeteria, gym, and stage down one wing and classrooms down the other. In the middle was the office, which had the only printer in the school. At the east end of the office were two large windows that looked out onto the hall, one faced the west hall and the other faced some previously empty rooms at the end of the north hall that had recently been sub-leased to a production company. There was also an ‘inner office’ for the principal / administrator.

About a month after the production company had moved in, there was a break-in that targeted them. Some expensive equipment had been stolen and they hired a security guard. As teachers we became very strict about visitors and safety issues. Only a day or two after the break in I showed up as usual sometime before 7am and as usual the building was empty except now there was a security guard. He came out, we exchanged hellos, then he went back in and I went to my classroom to work on lessons.

There were some pages I needed to print out and make copies of for the students. I put the information on a floppy disc (they were old computers) and walked it down to the office so I could print it. I left the office door to the hall open and I was in the middle of accessing the information when I began to hear voices.

They sounded angry and it startled me. Cautiously I turned off the lights and went to the open door where I could clearly hear men threatening someone in one of the rooms that were rented out. The room was dark and I couldn’t see anything, but I ducked back inside and moved to where I couldn’t be seen from the office windows. The angry voices became louder, then I heard the unmistakable sounds of men beating up another man and of equipment crashing as someone fell into it! For the first time in my life I became very scared.

I was too far from an exit where my car was parked, and too far from my classroom. I hoped no one had noticed my turning off the light, but I left the door open incase they had noticed that. Quickly I went into the inner office and closed and locked that door. I picked up the phone and called my husband, then in my fear I hid under the desk while I told him what was happening. I whispered, “I need help. There are bad guys in the school.” After awhile he believed me, and he got my full story. He told our grown son who was also home and called 911. Then both of them jumped in a car and frantically drove down to ‘save’ me.

I was still huddled under the desk when the phone started to ring. I remember thinking, I can’t answer it because ‘they’ would have heard it ringing and if I answer it ‘they’ will know I’m there. I just froze and wished it would quit ringing. The phone did stop ringing, but then it began again, but this time the answering machine kicked in. Suddenly over the speakers a lady’s voice said, “Susan, pick up the phone.” Her voice could be heard in both offices and into the hall. I thought, ‘thank you for giving me away.’ Then she said, “Susan pick up the phone, the police are in the building.” Reluctantly I came out from under the desk and picked it up. She asked if I was ok, and then told me I could go out and talk to the officers.

I guess most of police officers in my small town had shown up. The building was pretty much surrounded, with several inside. I went into the hall and first thing I noticed is that they were talking to the security guard and he didn’t look beat up at all. I walked toward the huddle of men, my husband and son were coming down the north hall to my left from where they had entered the building.

"Mrs. Dayley?" an officer asks. I nod my head, but I'm looking at everyone sideways. The atmosphere is much too calm. I look around for some evidence of injurred or cuffed thugs. Introducitons are made, hands are shook, and then the chief officer says, "Mrs. Dayley, what you heard was, well, the security officer has been watching a movie."