One School, one gunman, your child. One Breath Away is the story of one harrowing event seen through the eyes of five very different narrators. Nearing retirement, Evelyn Oliver has been teaching for forty three years and believes that she has seen it all until the safety of her classroom is compromised by a man with a grudge. When her school goes into lockdown all thirteen year old Augie Baker can think about is getting to her little brother. Instead she comes face to face with the intruder and quickly understands that she may be the only one who can save her brother, his classmates and his teacher. Holly Baker, Augie's mother, lies miles away in an Arizona hospital recovering from a terrible accident, and can only wait helplessly while the horrors of the day unfold at her children's school. Will Thwaite, Augie's grandfather and pillar of the community, upon hearing of the siege at the school realizes that he may have lost the opportunity to repair his fragile relationships with his daughter and granddaughter. Police Officer Meg Barrett, the only woman on the small Broken Branch police force, has responded to domestic abuse calls, exploding meth labs, hunting and drunk driving accidents. She prides herself in being impervious to the emotion and heartache that often accompany her chosen profession, but nothing prepares her for the potential devastation this one lone man could have on her community and on her own future. As the minutes pass relentlessly, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.