by Julia Bright
“Castle, go with them. If that dude tries anything funky, kill him. I’m taking this guy hostage until you get back here. And if he does do something, bring back that teen. I want some tight pussy.”
“Sure,” Green said.
Whisper cringed. He wanted to rip that guy apart and shove his fist in the dude’s face. But he couldn’t put civilians at risk without a solid plan. Grabbing guns and trying to shoot wasn’t going to work. He needed to pick them off one at a time. Nothing about this operation was good or smooth.
Lorelei had put the women and children in the copy room. It wasn’t too huge, but there was enough space for everyone. He set the woman down on the floor next to another lady who’d waved him over.
The door shut behind him, and he glanced around, seeing they’d been left alone without a guard. He immediately assessed the situation. The woman who’d waved him over had started work on the injured lady. He let her do her thing. The teenager looked like she was trying to put up a brave front, but she looked shell-shocked. Lorelei’s cheeks were pink, and she glanced around quickly like fear was riding her hard. The toddlers were all at the far end but in the open.
Whisper pointed at the three moms. “You three, get your kids behind the copy machine. Give them paper and something to draw with. Keep them entertained but quiet.”
The women moved with their kids and others made room for them. He turned to Lorelei and met her gaze, his anger settling. The teen girl was shaking, and he had to get her busy doing something before she broke down.
“Teen girl, what’s your name?” Whisper asked softly, trying to be a calming force instead of barking commands.
“Megan.”
He gave her a warm smile, trying to calm her. “Okay, Megan, you ever babysit?”
She chewed on her thumbnail, her eyes a little red, like she might cry.
“Good. Go help those moms.” He turned to the lady working on the injured woman. “What is your name?”
The lady looked up and gave him a grimace. “Janice.”
“Are you a nurse?”
“I was a medic in the Army, but that was a long time ago.”
He gave her a quick nod and then said, “You’re doing great, Janice. Okay, everyone, listen up. Janice is our medical person. If she needs anything, hand it over. She’s going to keep us from dying if we get injured.”
Everyone nodded their understanding. Lorelei stepped close. He noticed her hands were shaking. He pulled her into a hug and tilted her chin up where he could see her eyes. Fright filled her gaze and something dark twisted through him. He would fight heaven and earth to save this woman.
“I’ll keep you safe. But you have to listen to me.”
Her brows bunched and her lips thinned. After a few seconds she gave him a short nod. He rubbed his thumb over her lips, wishing he’d had a chance to kiss her, but now wasn’t the time. They had to focus and get these people out of here to safety.
“I need to know if there are any other exits back here.”
She shook her head and started to say no then her eyes grew bright. “Yes, but I-I don’t—” Her voice cracked and her eyes narrowed. Fear masked her face. “I’m so scared. I don’t want to die.”
He wished this wasn’t happening. They didn’t know each other well, but already his heart was involved where she was concerned and that was dangerous in a battle situation. Forcing his heart to calm, he spoke in hushed tones so his emotions didn’t show. “I know. Now, how about those exits?”
“Okay…okay. There’s the back door, but an alarm will sound. If anyone opens it, they will know. No way we could all get out.”
“Anything else?”
She shook her head as her brows bunched. Something clicked. He saw the thought pass over her face as her eyes grew bright and the corners of her lips twitched up. “The stairwell. It goes up, not out, so we’ll be stuck on a higher floor, but we can hide in an office up there. I need the key though.”
“Where is the key?”
“In my desk—well, my back desk. I have a front desk and a back one,” a woman said behind him. He turned and saw her eyes were red, her makeup ruined so she looked like a raccoon with the dark circles.
“And you are?” Whisper asked.
“Brenda, I’m the bank manager.” Her voice cracked as she talked. She shook like she was on a rumbling truck. He thought she was probably going to go into shock if she had to do anything.
“So the guy who stood?” he asked.
Lorelei spoke up. “He’s the assistant manager. She’s his boss. He’s a good man and was probably trying to protect her.”
Whisper glanced around, thinking that a third of the women were employees, the rest customers. These women were terrified, even the medic’s hands were shaking. Megan leaned out from behind the huge copy machine.
“I can run to the desk and get the key.” The girl looked earnest, but no way could he take advantage of her inexperience and lack of fear.
He shook his head. “I know you mean well, but I can’t allow you to put yourself in harm’s way. Those men will do unspeakable things to you.”
Her nose wrinkled as her lips pinched tight. “I’m tough, I can take it.”
“I’m sure you are.” He resisted the urge to call her sweetie. “I need you here helping with the kids. If we do retrieve that key, I’ll need you to make sure they get out. They need to trust you. That means you need to bond with them.”
Megan’s eyes narrowed then she nodded. “Okay, but I’m willing to help.”
“I can go,” Lorelei said. “I know where the key is.”
He gave his head a quick shake. “If one of those men sees you, you’re screwed.”
“It’s not far from this room, but the desk is a mess. The key is at the back of the second drawer from the top. I can do this. There are other keys in there and you’ll never be able to figure out which one it is.”
“Is it marked?” he asked.
“No, it’s not,” Brenda said.
He blew out a breath. Brenda was shaking and there was no way she’d be able to keep it together. Also, the woman was older, maybe in her fifties. She looked moderately fit, but he knew joints and muscles grew tight the older a person got. He couldn’t trust that Brenda could make it to the desk without problems. Also, Brenda looked too frightened.
Lorelei knew where the key was located, and that was one point for her going. She was young, probably in her mid-twenties if he had to guess. She looked healthy. He’d felt her muscles when he’d hugged her earlier. He didn’t want her in danger, but those men out there were unhinged and who knew what they would do if they decided to react before he could get these women out. Megan was at risk. If the assholes figured out Brenda was the manager, they’d probably kill her. Yellow didn’t care for kids. He would kill a toddler if he had the chance.
There were risks to staying here in this room, and there were risks to leaving. Right now, those men were too volatile to just sit and stay. He didn’t want to put Lorelei in any more danger, but he didn’t have a choice.
“Okay, Lorelei, let’s go, but you do everything I tell you. If they see us, you drop low and I’ll take them out. Ladies, do not leave this room until we come back. Even if those guys fire their guns, don’t leave. And stay quiet. If you’re quiet, they may forget about you.”
The women nodded. A few of them still cried, but they seemed to have calmed a little since he’d taken charge.
4
Lorelei watched Liam as he dropped to his knees next to the injured woman. He held out his hand to the medic and gave a quick nod. “Janice, while I’m gone, you’re in charge.”
“Sure thing, chief.”
He gave a tight smile and stood quickly, moving with the kind of grace only a guy who knew how to handle himself could move. Before they left the cramped copy room, he put his hand on her arm and met her gaze with his serious eyes.
“Every command I give, you follow. You got it?”
She swayed closer to
him. “Yes.”
“Okay. We’re going low and slow. Don’t make any noise.”
“Got it.”
Her heart rate picked up as he placed his hand on the door handle and turned before pulling and cracked the door open just a little. It sounded like the leader was still ranting. He was going off on one of the guys. Yelling about the guy thinking he was a big deal. A shiver raced over her body and Liam’s hand came down on her arm. He squeezed, and she met his gaze, giving him a quick nod.
They slipped out of the room and shut the door silently. He crouched low, and she bent too. She led him around the corner to the back office where Brenda’s desk sat. This was the place where she counted the money and filled out her logs. The front office was where she talked to customers.
The assholes in the front were still yelling. It was stressful and fear held her, but Liam was there with her, his strong presence comforting. She went to the desk and was about to pull open a drawer when a shot rang out.
Liam moved fast, placing his hand over her mouth. He pulled her against his chest, holding her close.
“Don’t make a noise. The only way we can help is getting this key and getting the women and children out. Once they are free, we can work on getting the men to safety.”
She swallowed down the fear and pushed away the terror. A small tear ran down her cheek and she swiped it away. Liam let her go and she moved stiffly to the desk. Her hand was shaking as she reached out to open the drawer. Fear raced through her and she wanted to cry. Then Liam put a hand on her arm. He held her gaze and gave a quick nod. She felt better, like maybe she could do this.
She reached into the drawer, searching. The key was at the back of the drawer, under a stack of Post-it notes. She moved the stacks very quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible. Her hands were shaking, and she knocked a stack of the Post-its off the desk. Liam moved in a flash, catching the little note stacks before they hit the floor.
Her gaze met his, and he gave a sharp nod before placing the stack on the desk. She watched his sure movements wondering why he wasn’t shaking. Why wasn’t he afraid? This was the most terrifying thing she’d ever experienced, and Liam seemed totally fine.
She reached into the desk and pulled out the key. Liam took it from her hand and put it in his pocket. He put one finger over his lips, making a quiet motion. He held up his hand, telling her to stay. She nodded and watched as he moved to the hall and headed the other way, away from the copy room.
Seconds ticked past and her fear ramped up. Should she go or stay? She had no clue. Then Liam was back, his face blank. That scared her more than anything else. The sweet guy she’d grown attracted to was gone, in his place was some sort of machine with no feelings.
He lifted his brow and cocked his head to the side, indicating she should follow. They very slowly, very quietly made their way back to the copy room and slipped in.
She could see the whole room sigh. She understood. Liam was a comforting presence, even when he was in this robot operating mode.
“Janice, give me a sitrep.”
“Nothing happened. The kids seem calm. My patient is better. We stopped the bleeding, but she’s in pain. I gave her three Tylenol.”
“Has anyone called the cops?” Liam asked.
“No,” the women said.
“I’ll call.” Lorelei pulled out her phone and dialed nine-one-one. The operator answered, and she listened to the woman ask what the emergency was. As she started to speak her throat closed with emotions. “I-I’m at the bank that’s being robbed.”
“Oh. Um, hold on. Wait, can you give me your address?”
She rattled off the bank’s address and watched as Liam pulled his phone from his pocket and send a text. She didn’t know who he would be texting, but it seemed weird. He was awfully cool and calm. He wasn’t working with these guys, was he? Panic filled her, and she glanced up, catching his gaze.
Warmth filled his gaze and calm spread over her. Liam couldn’t be involved with those assholes. His phone buzzed and his focus changed. His face went blank when he read over the text. She wasn’t sure what type of person could switch off all emotions so fast. It was frightening, but he was the only one she could trust right now. She drew in a calming breath and suppressed a shiver. Liam wasn’t a bank robber, she could trust him, she had to trust him.
5
Whisper sent a text to Ghost, telling him he was at the bank being robbed. Ghost sent back a fast reply. Fuck.
He understood that sentiment. Ghost was probably flipping on the TV, pulling up articles. The team would be alerted though there wasn’t anything they could do. They were stateside, not overseas. Overseas, Delta Force would be all over this. They’d take charge and pull off a rescue in twenty, maybe thirty minutes. With him inside, having intel he could give them, they may be able to take it faster.
Whisper glanced up and saw Lorelei frowning at him. He gave her a slight smile, hoping she could stay together. He needed her calm and efficient attitude. He figured he had Janice he could count on, Megan the teenager, and Lorelei. Everyone else was a mess.
Lorelei hadn’t said much, and he guessed the operator was trying to figure out which detective was in charge of the operation at the bank. Whisper leaned in close, his heart sped up as he thought of some asshole hurting this woman.
“If you want, I can talk to them.”
“It’s not necessary.” Her tone was stiff and brought him up short.
He stood tall and assessed her, trying to figure out if she meant anything with her words. “Okay, but I can if you need to.”
Her brows bunched, and her eyes narrowed. She looked in pain as fear flashed over her face.
“Hey, I’m going to protect you all if I can,” he said.
Her gaze held his and after a few seconds she nodded. “Okay. Okay.”
He needed to get these women out of this room. That meant they needed Lorelei to get off the phone. The cops were taking too long. They needed to move. The toddlers would get hungry and then they would make noise. He narrowed his gaze at the bank manager, Brenda. He remembered the interaction with the mother earlier when he’d entered the bank.
“Brenda, where do you store the lollipops?”
Her gaze narrowed at him like he was crazy. “Um, at the teller stations. Why?”
“Do you have any in here?” he asked.
Lorelei held up her hand and moved to a cabinet. One of the women was blocking her access but moved. Lorelei pulled out a box half-full of lollipops. He grabbed enough for the kids and handed them over to the parents.
“We need to move. They have to stay quiet. I don’t care how many you have to give them, don’t let them cry.”
The mothers nodded, and Megan took four more from the box and placed them in her pocket. “I’ve got some too, chief.”
He chuckled, thinking it funny that these people were calling him chief. He wasn’t a leader of a team, just another guy who took orders, though he did know how to run a crew if he needed to.
Lorelei was still waiting to talk to the cops. Every second they spent in this room was a second wasted. They needed to move. His phone buzzed and saw he had a text from Ghost. Do you have a plan?
Ghost was all about the plan. He’d learned that much being under the man’s excellent leadership. He sent his reply. Yes. I’m with the women. We have 1 injured. I’ve procured the key to get us into the stairwell. We’re going up. Then we’ll figure a way out.
He turned to Lorelei and gave her a crisp nod. “We need to move out. Make sure your phone is on silent. Everyone else, pull out your phone now and turned them to silent or turn them off. We can’t afford any noise. We’ll be moving slow and silent. First out is the mothers and children, Megan, you’re going with them. I’m going to carry our injured member. Brenda will lead the mothers to the stairwell.”
Lorelei hung up and checked the side of her phone. Everyone else looked at their phones and switched them to silent. There were too many people to mov
e in total silence, but he hoped they could get to the stairwell. If they made it that far, he could get them upstairs and to safety. The kids needed to be safe. Though he didn’t have any, kids were a soft spot for him. He knew danger changed kids, made them see the world differently. They would never forget the trauma or the pain. If their mothers died in front of their eyes, it would only be worse.
Before he opened the door, he cleared his mind, and blew out a breath, trying to settle his thoughts. “Okay, Megan, you follow up behind the moms and kids. Brenda will lead you all to the door. Here’s the key, Brenda. Can you unlock the door?”
She shook her head no. “I don’t think I can. My hands are shaking too much.”
Megan stepped forward, her gaze steady, her mouth set. “I can. I won’t disappoint you.”
“Okay, Megan, here is the key. You get those kids out. Keep the key in the lock. Lorelei will grab it when we come through.”
He met Lorelei’s gaze and his protective instinct rose. How could he ask anything of her when she had to be frightened?
“I’ll grab the key.” Lorelei’s voice was steady. She was putting up a brave front, or maybe she was just brave.
“Is everyone ready?” he asked.
The women nodded. The women with children were at the front right behind Brenda. Megan was with them, her tiny shoulders steady. He’d seen it in the Army more than once. Size didn’t really determine how steady someone was. Either you were able to handle the pressure, or you weren’t.
He opened the door and the women advanced, heading away from the lobby and teller windows. The idiots still yelled, ranting at the men. He wasn’t sure how many men were dead now, but he knew at least one had gone down. Once he made sure these women were safe, he’d find a way to go back and help the men.
The last of the women filed out and he shut the door so softly it made no noise. He followed up the rear right behind Lorelei. She glanced back once, her eyes looked sad and fearful. This wasn’t a situation anyone here ever thought they would be in. He knew people in the United States thought they were protected. Sure, bank robberies happened, but they weren’t the norm. He’d dealt with situations worse than this so many times it didn’t really faze him. Had there been fewer civilians in the lobby, he probably would have taken down one of the guys and got off a few shots, killing the robbers. But these kids, these women, changed things.