Part 16 (1/2)
Lach didn't need to hear the rest of her unspoken sentence. They had thirty minutes or else someone else would end up dead. He took a step back, trying to see things from a negotiator's standpoint, but that was difficult when all he wanted to do was kick the door off of the hinges and take out the threat. This couldn't be happening again. He doubled over, placing his hands on his knees as a wave of rage engulfed him. At this precise moment, he was helpless to protect the woman he loved...and he hadn't even told her yet.
Phoebe held tight to Kimmie's hand as Austin and Hannah herded them into the living room, away from the door and Steve's body. His chest would rise every so often, indicating that he was still alive. He wouldn't be for long if they didn't get him to the hospital. As for the agent's weapon, Hannah had confiscated it quickly.
”Why me?” Stewart asked the question more as a plea for understanding. ”Why would you make them think it was me? I haven't done anything to you. And you, Hannah, all I've done is help you. How can you do this?”
”There is only one way that I can come out of this and that is if they think I'm another victim.” Hannah threw her purse onto the chair and tossed her hair behind her shoulders while her arm lay at her side with the weapon. This was a part of the young girl that Phoebe had never witnessed. Apparently neither had Stewart. ”Just imagine the air time I will get. I'll play it up and before you know it, I'll be getting sympathy requests to join one of the presidential campaigns.”
”How do you think that's going to happen?” Stewart asked with thoughtless bravery from his position down at the end of the couch. He needed to shut up. All four of them were sitting on the sofa, with Timothy to Phoebe's right, Kimmie to her left and Stewart on the other side of her sister. Unfortunately, Austin had taken her phone from Timothy almost immediately. ”Do you think we'll let you do that?”
Phoebe closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, already knowing the answer. She noticed that Kimmie placed her hand on Stewart's knee, squeezing it slightly to try and give him a signal to remain quiet. Phoebe's heart was rus.h.i.+ng blood through her ears and though she felt sick to her stomach, that didn't prevent her from hearing Austin's reply.
”You don't get it, do you? Hannah said you weren't too quick on the draw.” Austin laughed as he shot Hannah an amused glance. The young girl was still pacing and apparently thinking, although Phoebe could have told her that whatever plan she was coming up with would only end with her arrest. At least Phoebe hoped that was the case. ”The only ones coming out of this are Hannah and me. The rest of you will be dead.”
Phoebe heard a strangling sound come from Timothy and she blindly reached for his hand as well. She hoped that he wouldn't react and get them all killed. She'd been in a similar situation back in Northern Africa, and although Timothy hadn't been there, they'd all come out alive. The same thing could happen again. Right?
”Austin,” Kimmie said as if she were approaching a wild animal, ”you need to think about this. Those agents outside that door aren't stupid. They're going to know it was you-”
”How?” Austin chuckled like he had all the answers. ”Do you know how easy this was? The Secret Service had already checked me out and gave me the all clear. I've been hanging out with you almost every day, getting to know those agents. Who would have thought that once a person has been given clearance, they don't check someone for weapons? Now with Hannah...that's a different story. They wouldn't have allowed her near either one of you, which was why she came to me.”
”Austin,” Hannah warned, apparently not liking that he was revealing so much. Phoebe figured it was good to keep him talking to give the men outside a chance to rescue them. Lach would figure everything out. She had to believe that. ”That's enough.”
”It's not like they're going to be around to tell anyone.” Austin moved in front of the cus.h.i.+oned chair, taking a seat and making himself at home. The a.s.shole had the nerve to put his shoes on top her coffee table. Phoebe's initial fear was starting to turn to anger. ”We have to kill time anyway until Stewart's father gets here.”
”Why?” Stewart asked, spitting out the question. ”If you think I'm going to admit to something I didn't do, you're crazy.”
”If you don't, I'll start shooting.” Austin waved his gun, pointing to each of them. ”It's already set up, thanks to Phoebe. Hannah was specific with how she wants this to go down, but I'm sure as h.e.l.l willing to change our plans. See, Hannah came to me a couple of months ago. Her father had ruined whatever future she had in politics and she wanted to get it back. She thought that since Kimmie and I were friends, I could talk to her and get Hannah back on the campaign.”
”You had to know that Paul Mooney would never have allowed such a thing,” Stewart replied with disbelief, directing his statement toward Hannah. Phoebe heard her sister's breath catch at knowing that she'd been used. There was no comforting Kimmie now, no matter how much Phoebe wanted to. She slid her thumb over the back of Kimmie's hand, trying to keep her calm. ”Hannah, this isn't going to work.”
”Which is why when Austin informed me how the Secret Service weeds out threats, I proposed that he help me.” Hannah had now come to stand beside the chair, one arm wrapped around her waist, giving her other elbow something to lean against while she held up the gun next to her face. Her head tilted up just slightly to indicate her victory. ”It worked, didn't it?”
”And what do you get out of this, Austin?” Phoebe asked, now needing to know more facts. The more armed they were with information, the better chance they stood of getting out of here. ”Say this works out and everyone dies but you and Hannah. She gets the sympathy spotlight, but what about you?”
”Are you f.u.c.king kidding me?” Austin laughed as if Phoebe had just told a joke, but no one else joined him. The sound was startling and she jumped slightly, feeling the rest of them do the same. ”I'll be on every national news channel, in every magazine, and on every social media site. I'll have hit it big and be raking in the cash. Besides, I'm the one who saves the day by shooting Stewart.”
”That's why you befriended me to begin with, isn't it?” Kimmie's whisper sounded tortured and Phoebe's heart broke for the betrayal she must be feeling. It was unfortunate that they would forever have to live with such doubts about people, but if they didn't get out of this alive, there wouldn't be a need to worry. Stewart had gone red in the face with how Austin and Hannah had planned the ending. ”From the time my father announced his candidacy, that's when you started speaking to me. Ethan was right all along.”
”No hard feelings.” Austin glanced at his watch, but they must have still had time, because he continued speaking. Phoebe managed a glance toward the large clock on her far wall, trying to calculate the minutes but not remembering how long ago they'd been forced to sit. ”It was easier than I thought. You just wanted someone to talk to, and my original plan had been to use you for my benefit until Hannah came along. It was so f.u.c.king simple, far more simple than playing the role of a boyfriend for the next four or five years. I hid this pistol in the bathroom on Wednesday when you brought me here. Hannah worked on Stewart to get her a letter of recommendation and he didn't think twice when she wanted to come here today. f.u.c.k yeah. Effortless.”
”There's no way I'll talk.” Stewart emphatically shook his head, his panic evident. ”If you're going to kill us anyway, I won't have my father believing I had something to do with this.”
”Which is why we're offering to cut you a deal,” Hannah said, a small smile playing on her lips.
Phoebe prayed that Stewart wouldn't fall victim to their deceit. She had no doubt that Hannah and Austin would kill Stewart without hesitation at the end of this. Phoebe caught his eye, trying to warn him but she knew it was useless when he said those two fateful words.
”I'm listening.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight.
Lach leaned against the wall of an apartment down the hall from Phoebe's, watching the agents set up their command post. Clint Robbins was with the Secret Service and he was heading up this combined emergency response task force. The man appeared comfortable with his abilities and took command. Thornton explained that Lach was an armed civilian contractor on sight, mostly to keep him from being shot. Crest had provided Lach with his backup weapon from the office.
Crest had arrived a mere fifteen minutes ago and he'd had a private discussion with Robbins, but Lach hadn't been privy to the conversation. He'd been keeping track of time and he knew they were closing in on the timeframe given by Stewart Barnes. His father, a U.S. Senator, had been located and was in the process of being transported here. Robbins didn't seem to be concerned that there was five minutes left to start negotiations.
”The building has been, for the most part, evacuated,” Crest said, coming to stand next to Lach. He didn't look his boss's way, not wanting to miss any cues from Robbins that things were about to go south. ”The rest of our team is on the ground floor. Robbins is allowing the two of us to stay as long as we keep out of their way.”
”Thornton had a lot to do with that,” Lach acknowledged, spotting the agent across the room. He was going over blueprints with one of their tactical members. Lach itched to get in the midst of the decisions, but he knew the rules. ”I appreciate you being here. I take it that Dunaway knows what is taking place?”
”Yes, but the Secret Service won't allow him to leave his residence. He flew in with Phoebe late this morning.” Crest slid his hands into his trouser pockets. ”Lach, I know this is hard for you, but you have to let them do their job.”
”I should have known this would happen.” Lach switched his gaze back to Robbins, who was signaling with one of his hands that he needed something. Another agent walked up to see what it was, but once again, Lach was left out of the loop. Anger, frustration, and helplessness seeped from his pores as he struggled to remain where he was. ”Phoebe's a f.u.c.king prime target. All of them are. You and I both know there aren't enough concrete safety guidelines. If a person is h.e.l.l bent on reaching his target, such as Stewart Barnes, he'll be able to find a way.”
”Stewart Barnes had been cleared, not only by us but by the Secret Service.” Crest had pointed out the obvious, but that didn't give Lach a sense of satisfaction. They'd all been wrong. ”Nothing in his background indicated he was capable of this.”
”We both know that anyone is capable of anything.” Lach saw some commotion by the door. Senator Barnes had shown up, looking a little haggard. Once again, Lach had to restrain himself from walking over there to hear what was being said. ”What I don't understand is what Stewart will get out of this. Jim said the kid has three additional hostages besides Phoebe and Kimmie-Timothy Mickel, Hannah Ward, and Austin Bentley. With all those people, I find it hard to believe that Stewart could have gotten the drop on all of them.”
”I don't either, but I think we're about to find out,” Crest replied, also watching the scene unfold. ”If Robbins sticks to protocol, he'll tap into Stewart's cell phone and start negotiations.”
Sure enough, Robbins walked Senator Barnes over to the kitchen table where quite a bit of technology was set up for their use. Recording devices, laptops with numerous amounts of software, and a small speakerphone were just the tip of the iceberg. Lach would have felt better had Taryn been allowed up here in command, but he knew that wouldn't be the case. A dial tone resounded throughout the room followed by several rounds of pitches indicating a number being called.
”h.e.l.lo?”
Stewart's voice rang out, but Lach discerned right away that something was amiss. The hesitancy that came through wasn't one from someone who thought they had total control. Had something happened inside that apartment? Had Phoebe tried to escape and gotten hurt in the process? Adrenaline pumped through him as he pushed off the wall and he would have walked over to where the speakerphone was had Crest not placed a hand on his arm and shook his head, reminding Lach of how easily it would be to be thrown out of here. He clenched his jaw as he listened to Robbins start negotiations.
”Stewart Barnes? This is Special Agent Clint Robbins with the Secret Service. I have your father here, per your wishes. Before I allow you to speak with him though, you must show me some good faith. I need to know that Phoebe and Kimmie Dunaway are safe and unharmed.”
”They're fine.” Stewart seemed distracted. Lach stared intently at the speakerphone and strained to hear for any word from Phoebe. ”I need my father to know something.”
”Stewart, I will reiterate my stance. I want to help you. I do. But my first priority is Phoebe and Kimmie. I need to hear from one of them that they are all right.”
”Phoebe, for G.o.d's sake, say something.”
”We're fine,” Phoebe called out, although Lach could hear the strain of tension in her voice.
”You heard her. Is my father there?”
”Stewart, son, I'm right here,” Sentaor Barnes said, looking for direction from Robbins. ”Why are you doing this?”
”Y-you never paid me any attention,” Stewart stuttered, though the emotion just wasn't there for Lach. He studied Agent Robbins, wondering if he felt the same. ”All you care about is your seat in the Senate. I want the world to know you have a son and I want you to tell them that...on national television.”
Lach shook his head, knowing in his gut that something was off with this scenario. Crest shot him a warning glance, but it wasn't needed. Lach wouldn't compromise the situation but he d.a.m.n well would speak his mind when this call ended. He refused to have this situation blow up like the one he'd led years ago, all because he didn't listen to his intuition.
”Robbins has experience,” Crest stated in a low tone. ”Let him handle this.”