Part 16 (2/2)
”You and I both know that kid doesn't have the skill to have caught Phoebe's primary agent by surprise. Listen to Stewart's voice,” Lach stressed, knowing he was right. ”It's like he's making this up as he goes along. He wants something else and is procrastinating. We need to find out what that is.”
”Son, that isn't true. You know that I love you.” Senator Barnes hadn't taken his eyes off of Robbins, who was now scribbling on a piece of paper. He held it out to the Senator, who seemed desperate to get his son to listen. ”Stewart, please come out of there. We can sort this out, I promise. I'll use whatever connections I have.”
”Dad, you need to get in front of the camera and tell them about me. Tell them that I'm your son and that I come first. You have one hour.”
The line dropped and silence descended seconds before chaos erupted. Robbins started shouting directives to his agents while Senator Barnes kept denying that his son would do this. Crest stepped in Lach's direct path to Agent Robbins.
”Let them handle this, Lach. There will come a time when Robbins will use you due to your personal relations.h.i.+p with Phoebe. You know this.” Crest looked over his shoulder at the commotion before once again locking eyes with Lach. ”If you want to stay in the know, keep your mouth shut or both of us will be outside across the street with the general population. I'll remain here with you where we'll be able to hear the intelligence coming in. We'll be able to look at it from a different angle.”
Lach swiftly turned away and did his best to keep the guttural yell that he'd wanted to release inside of his chest. He placed his palms up against the window, looking out at the same view that Phoebe's apartment faced. People were lined up and being held at bay by police officers and security guards that were probably employed by the building. A large park was situated in front of them where no doubt snipers had tried to find some type of camouflage amongst what trees there were. He knew Crest was right and they'd be in that bunch of pedestrians should Lach voice his opinion right now, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow.
”She's mine,” Lach whispered, knowing only Crest could hear the torture within those words. ”Phoebe's mine and I didn't protect her.”
”Is that good enough?” Stewart asked, handing over his cell to Hannah. Hannah and Austin had yet to let him leave the couch. She was smiling her approval as she took the phone and slipped it into her brown dress pants. She'd certainly dressed the part of an upstanding citizen who'd been taken hostage by a deranged son of a United States Senator. ”You'll let me live? My father will hire the best attorney available. I'll serve a couple years max. I promise to keep my mouth shut.”
”Just sit down.” Austin used his gun to make his point before Hannah leaned down to whisper something in his ear that caused him to smile. They were so young to be so unbalanced, though Phoebe could feel no sympathy for them at this precise moment. They would not hesitate to shoot and kill any of them. He stood and the two of them walked away to continue talking. ”We have one hour.”
Phoebe didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the fact that they were waiting to have the national media appear before they shot them all in cold blood, and then upon them being saved giving the interviews of their lives. Didn't they already know that this was a media spectacle? She could only imagine the scene outside and wherever Lach might be.
Phoebe's heart felt like it was being squeezed and on the verge of exploding from the pain this had to be causing him. The parallels between this situation and the last hostage rescue weren't lost on her. If she were just given the chance to talk to him, to relay some sort of message to him, then maybe the outcome this time could be altered.
”What's the plan?” Timothy whispered through the side of his mouth, though he barely moved his lips. Phoebe glanced sideways and saw a line of perspiration leak out of his hairline. His gla.s.ses had slipped down the bridge of his nose. ”There are four of us, well, three. Two of them.”
”With guns,” Kimmie replied softly, not moving her head to bring unwanted attention their way. Phoebe was still able to hear the catch in her voice. ”I'm so sorry.”
”You couldn't have known,” Phoebe replied, tightening her hold on Kimmie's hand. ”This is not your fault. This is theirs.”
”Stop talking,” Hannah snapped, a cruel expression on what used to be such an angelic face.
It was suffocating in Phoebe's apartment. Her hold on Kimmie's hand felt like water and the air was heavy. It didn't help that Phoebe was wearing a sweater. She took a steadying breath, hoping it would calm her, but it did nothing. She tucked her hair behind her right ear, using her free hand and felt it tremble the entire time. It made her angry-that she was in this position, that her sister and friends were by her side, and that they were most likely going to die. There were still many things that Phoebe wanted to experience and who were they to say that she couldn't?
Everyone's head whipped toward Hannah when Stewart's cell phone started to ring. Even Hannah and Austin were looking at each other, trying to figure out what was happening. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone.
”Don't fall for anything,” Austin warned.
”We can't sit here and do nothing,” Timothy muttered, panic starting to set in. Hannah kept her eyes on the ringing phone, taking her and Austin's attention off of them. ”We're sitting ducks.”
”What do you propose we do? Huh?” Stewart asked, leaning slightly in. Austin shot them a warning glance and it had enough of an effect to cause Stewart to sit up straighter. ”If anyone of us somehow warns the people on the phone, these lunatics will kill us and take themselves out. They made that clear.”
”Really?” Kimmie asked, anger finally rearing its head. Phoebe was glad to see some life still left in her sister. They needed all the courage they could muster if they were going to come out of this alive. ”f.u.c.k you, traitor. You gave them what they wanted.”
”Me? I just bought us some extra time.” Stewart practically hissed the words back, his face contorting in anger. ”You think I don't know they'll kill me?”
”You're just trying to save your own a.s.s.”
The exchange between the two had garnered Austin's attention once more and he raised his weapon. Hannah still held hers and her face was contorted in fury, but she didn't answer the phone. Phoebe figured whoever it might be was still trying to negotiate. Unfortunately, they didn't know that there wasn't anything to discuss that would change this outcome.
Phoebe needed to speak with Lach somehow, some way. She frantically thought back to when this whole thing started. Timothy had her phone, which Hannah had already confiscated. Hannah held Stewart's phone and Phoebe knew that Kimmie's was usually left in her tote, which was on the floor by one of the stools. Where was Timothy's cell phone?
”Where's your phone?” Phoebe whispered, trying to keep her voice as low as possible.
”In my briefcase.”
Phoebe wracked her brain trying to figure out how to get a hold of either Kimmie or Timothy's phone, but she knew there wasn't a way without getting shot first. She leaned slightly toward the right, into Timothy, trying to see how Steve was doing behind Austin and Hannah. His chest wasn't rising and she felt her heart lurch into her throat. He had a family. He was a husband and father. He couldn't be dead. As she pulled her gaze away, she noticed the way his legs were sprawled on the floor and remembered something that Lach had said-sometimes agents carried a second weapon.
”I need to check on Steve.”
”I think he stopped breathing,” Timothy murmured, sitting back slightly when Austin took a step toward them. Stewart's phone had stopped ringing. ”You can't help him.”
”Would you two shut up?”
”I'd like to check on Agent Johanson,” Phoebe said, having to clear her voice twice. ”Please.”
”He's dead. Just like all of you are going to be,” Hannah warned, coming to stand beside Austin. ”So sit there and shut up, or I'll make it happen sooner.”
Phoebe figured they would take out Timothy first and her friend had to know it. Hannah needed Stewart alive so that he was forced to speak with the agents, just like she needed Kimmie and Phoebe to communicate if needed. At least until Hannah and Austin decided to end it all.
Phoebe s.h.i.+fted her body slightly, trying to see if she could see anything attached to Steve's ankle. If she could just convince Hannah and Austin to allow her close to Steve, then maybe Phoebe stood a chance of getting a gun. It wouldn't even the odds, but it was better than nothing.
Stewart's phone rang again and all eyes went to Hannah. She walked it over to him, practically shoving it against his chest. Austin reclaimed his seat, although he was leaning forward in antic.i.p.ation of what was about to happen. Phoebe figured they had no choice but to take it or else the agents might come busting in here anyway.
”Answer it. Say one wrong word and I'll shoot you. Keep this up and if you promise to stick with our story, we'll let you live.”
”h.e.l.lo?” Stewart answered, his eyes never leaving Hannah's face. His fear was evident and Phoebe didn't blame him for going along. He was just trying to save his own skin, regardless of how cowardly it was. ”I told you, they're fine. You heard them.”
Phoebe couldn't hear what was being said on the other line, and apparently Hannah didn't like that either. She placed the barrel to Stewart's head, causing him to jump and hold up his other hand. He looked frantically between Hannah and Phoebe until she finally understood what was happening. They wanted to speak directly to her.
”Hold on.” Stewart pulled the phone away from his ear and held the cell close to his chest. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he relayed what the agent was calling about. ”He wants to speak directly with Phoebe and he refuses to bring in any media until he does.”
”That wasn't the deal,” Hannah said, shaking her head emphatically.
”Hannah,” Phoebe cut in, taking a chance and knowing it was their last hope. ”Ask them to put Lach on the phone. I'll talk to him and tell him I'm fine. I would like to hear his voice before I die and I don't think that's asking too much of you. It will satisfy everyone.”
When Phoebe said the word die, her voice had caught. It hadn't been for effect. She didn't want her life to be over. She wanted to go to California and meet Lach's family. She wanted the all American dream-a long engagement, a beautiful wedding where her father walked her down the aisle and her sister was maid of honor, a two-story house out in the suburbs, two point five kids, and a marriage that stood the test of time. Phoebe loved Lach and she needed him to know that.
”Fine.” Hannah motioned with her weapon for Stewart to have him start the conversation.
”Put Lach McKinnon on the phone. Phoebe can talk to him, but only for a few moments.”
Phoebe's chest filled with hope and she scrambled to think of everything she wanted to say. She would tell him all she needed to and then add something that would hopefully give him insight as to what was really happening. She reached for the phone with a trembling hand.
<script>