Nothing Is Negotiable

by Mark Bentsen

  “Okay, okay,” Luke said. He put his hands up as if surrendering. “It’s all in the Suburban, but let me explain something. The RCMP treated me like a criminal when I was in Cardston and I wasn’t going to let that happen again. When we got to Calgary I decided to hold back the gun and the laptop so I could have some leverage.”

  “What about Lauren? Where is she?”

  “She’s not far from here, but I wanted to keep her out of it as long as I could.”

  Sonny stepped a little closer. “Like we said, things have changed. You’re not dealing with the RCMP now, and you don’t have any leverage. Either you get us the computer and the gun, or we’ll end it all right here.”

  “I was afraid something like this might happen,” Luke said. “So, I did what I had to do. And the way I see it is like this: If you kill us, you’ll never get those two things. So, we do have a little leverage because right now, Lauren is sitting in front of an RCMP substation. And if she doesn’t hear from me in the next—” he looked at his watch, “—two minutes, she’ll go in and turn everything over to them, who I’m sure will share it with the FBI. There will be no doubt who the real kidnappers are, and who killed those people at the hospital. You’ll be wanted all over North America.”

  “Bullshit,” Sonny blurted out.

  “No bullshit. Let me show you something.” Luke moved slowly, and with his thumb and forefinger, reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He held it in front of him. “See this? Before I walked in here, I called Lauren. She answered and I put the phone back in my pocket. We’re still connected. She’s been recording everything you’ve said. I’ll prove it to you. She’s on speaker now.”

  Luke extended his arm toward them and said, “Lauren, can you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear,” came a tinny voice from the cell phone. “And I’ve recorded everything that’s been said since you walked into the church.”

  Paul and Sonny looked at each other, not sure what to say.

  “So, now it’s time to make a deal,” Luke said.

  There was no way to hide the shock on Sonny’s face. He looked from Luke to Paul in disgust, and said, “Okay. What do you want?”

  “It’s very simple. Just two things: First we want Olivia.”

  Sonny said, “Okay, what else?”

  “We want half the money. I believe that would be twenty million dollars.”

  Paul exploded, “You’re out of your fucking—”

  But Sonny held up a hand, signaling him to hold his comment. Paul paused and Sonny said, “We don’t have much choice. So, we’ll do it.”

  Paul looked at Sonny in shock, at first, but then seemed to acquiesce. Luke knew no one in their right mind would give up twenty million this easily, unless they knew they could win in the end. It was exactly what he expected.

  “Good, where’s Olivia?”

  “I can have her in here in two minutes.”

  “And the money?”

  “All I have to do is call my banker and he’ll set up an account for you. We can transfer the money, and it will be in your account within a few hours.”

  “Good. Bring me Olivia and it’s a deal.”

  “What about Lauren and our stuff?”

  “Lauren? Did you hear that? We’ve made a deal. You can come back to the church now.”

  From the phone, they heard her. “I heard you. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Paul pulled out his cell phone and placed a call. “Bring Olivia to the sanctuary.”

  Luke ended his call and put the phone back in his shirt pocket.

  Up until now, everything was going as expected, Luke thought. Since the ransom had been paid, they knew the kidnappers wouldn’t have any problem giving up Olivia. And, Luke knew Sonny would see a flaw in his plan. Sonny and Paul were holding the guns. As soon as Lauren was here, they’d be able to eliminate the only people who could tie them to the kidnapping. So, of course they’d agree to it.

  No one spoke while they waited. In a matter of minutes, the back door of the sanctuary opened and Rosemary stood holding the sleeping Olivia.

  “I’ll take her,” Bonnie said, starting toward her.

  “Not until we get our gun and computer,” Sonny said. He stepped between them and held his gun on Bonnie. “Rosie, come over here.”

  Luke’s phone rang. He looked at the screen. “It’s Lauren.”

  “Tell her to get her ass over here,” Sonny growled.

  Luke pressed the button to answer. He listened a second, then said, “Okay.”

  He looked at Sonny and said, “It’s for you.” Luke tossed the phone to him.

  Sonny caught it and shot Luke a look of distrust. With the gun aimed at Luke, he put the phone to his ear.

  “What?” he said angrily.

  After listening a few seconds, Sonny’s head jerked toward the choir loft behind the pulpit. Four men wearing black helmets were now visible, crouched behind pews with rifles aimed at them. In the middle of them was a gray-haired man in a flak jacket holding a cell phone to his ear. Everyone but Bonnie recognized him. He was the man in charge of the Cardston detachment of the RCMP, Sergeant Ernest Oliveras.

  “Son of a bitch!” Sonny screamed as he turned his pistol toward the choir loft and fired two quick shots.

  As Sonny retreated behind the pews, he turned his gun toward Luke and Bonnie. They lunged between the pews as three silenced shots splintered the dark mahogany wood just above their heads. Paul dove to the ground near Sonny.

  A thunderous, amplified voice bellowed from the choir loft. “I’ve got a SWAT team up here and there’s no way you can escape. Drop your guns and this will all end right now.”

  Sonny already had his cell phone up to his ear and spoke in a low growl. “We’ve been set up. Cops are here. Get back over here as fast as you can.”

  “What the hell do we do now?” Paul shouted to Sonny.

  “I’m sure as hell not giving up forty million dollars, if that’s what you mean.”

  Rosemary stood petrified against the back wall, her expression a mix of confusion and panic.

  “Sonny?” she whined.

  “Get down here,” Sonny screamed.

  Her legs buckled and she dropped down to the ground. With wide eyes, she said, “What’s happening?”

  “It was an ambush. There’s a SWAT team up there.” Sonny looked around. “I called Rita. She’s on her way, probably out front any second now. We’ve got to get out of here. We’ll use Olivia for cover.”

  “How?” Rosemary asked.

  “Hold Olivia in front of you and stand up. We’ll hide behind you. All you have to do is back out as fast as you can.”

  “They’ll shoot me,” she whimpered.

  “Not if you’re holding Olivia,” Sonny snapped. “Did you see any cops out front?”

  “No.”

  “Good, then let’s go,” he said.

  Terrified, Rosemary couldn’t move. Sonny grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up in front of him. Her entire body trembled and her eyes darted around the sanctuary. It was only ten feet back to the door and with Sonny behind her and Paul behind Sonny, they backed out. But as they stepped out into the foyer a demand came from the side.

  “Drop your weapons!”

  Four men in fatigues and ballistic vests were crouched off to the side with rifles aimed at them.

  Paul panicked and in a fatal reaction swung his gun toward them. Before he could pull the trigger, two deafening shots exploded, hitting him in the middle of the chest. He flew back and his lifeless body landed spread-eagle on the tiled floor.

  Rosemary screamed and pulled Olivia closer to her face. The loud gunfire had startled the sleeping child and she began to scream.

  Sonny, who had started to raise his pistol, froze when the shots tore into Paul. He knew he was trapped, but he had come too far to give up.

  Slowly he raised his hands, and as he turned to face them, gave a look of surrender. But, instead he pulled Rosemary over in fro
nt of him. Just a sliver of Sonny’s face was visible behind Rosemary as he pulled his gun around and pressed it into Olivia’s head.

  “I’ll kill her,” he said and started backing toward the door, pulling Rosemary and Olivia with him.

  The gunmen didn’t have a clear shot but they held their weapons on them as Sonny backed into the door. As it opened he glanced behind him. Rita was stopped in front of the church with the back door of the minivan open. He tried to push Rosemary to the side, but she grabbed his arm.

  “Sonny, wait,” Rosemary wailed, pulling him closer. He tried to jerk away, but she held tight, pulling him around. As he backed further, the men in fatigues emerged from the church doors.

  Olivia was his only chance.

  He grabbed Olivia with one hand and tried to pull her away from Rosemary, but her vise-like grip was too tight. Yanking harder, he saw the determination in Rosemary’s eyes. She wasn’t going to let go. He turned his gun on her and fired once into the middle of her forehead.

  Her head flew back as a red cloud of atomized blood filled the space between them. Sonny grabbed Olivia as Rosemary’s arms fell away. As the men raised their rifles toward Sonny, he put his pistol back to Olivia’s temple.

  “I’ll kill her,” he promised as he backed toward the open door of the minivan. “Drop your guns.”

  The SWAT team held their position; no one lowered their weapons. As Sonny fell back inside the open door of the minivan, Rita hit the gas. As the van lurched forward and Sonny saw police cruisers emerging from side streets half a block in front of them. Two units stopped their vehicles blocking the street. He looked out the back window and saw the same thing behind them. From blocks away he saw a dozen more units converging with flashing lights. An army of cops in body armor and with automatic weapons ran in from the side streets.

  He and Rita were trapped in the middle of the block.

  “What do I do?” Rita screeched as she slammed on the brakes.

  Sonny looked around and saw the parking lot behind the church. From it there was another exit there to a side street. It was their only chance.

  “That way. Over the curb!”

  Rita turned the steering wheel and mashed the gas pedal to the floor. The van bounced over the curb and tore across the lawn. Shots rang out and immediately both tires on the right side of the car went flat.

  Rita shot Sonny a panicked look.

  “Don’t stop,” he screamed over Olivia’s wailing.

  The van continued to roll on flat tires as it reached the asphalt parking lot and passed the preacher’s car behind the church. Rita turned toward the exit between two buildings only to find it already blocked by two police cars and a dozen more cops in combat position. She turned and circled around, the rims of her flat tires grinding into the pavement. More shots rang out and the other two tires went flat.

  Rita continued on the rims, making a complete circle before more shots were fired into the engine. The motor fell silent and smoke billowed out from under the hood. Now the only sound anyone could hear was Olivia’s waling cries from inside the van.

  From behind the SWAT team, the squadron commander pulled up a portable microphone. “Throw out your weapons and get out of the vehicle. Lay face down on the pavement, arms away from your body.”

  Everyone waited but there was no movement from the van.

  “Do you have a clear shot?” the commander said to the officer, whose rifle rested on the roof of the police cruiser across the lot.

  “Negative, sir,” he said, his eye pressed tightly against the scope. “The dark tint of the van’s windows makes it impossible to isolate the perp. I see the hostage, but she is in constant motion. I can’t get a clear shot.”

  Seconds ticked by until the silence was broken when the driver’s door opened.

  “Don’t shoot me,” Rita yelled as she stepped out, holding her hands high. “Don’t shoot me.” She lowered herself to the pavement and stretched out her arms.

  Everyone waited as Olivia’s screams seem to diminish. Then the officer spoke to the commander.

  “I have a clear shot. Less than twenty percent risk to hostage.”

  “Fire when ready,” the commander ordered.

  As his finger tightened on the trigger, the back door of the van slid open. The commander said, “Wait.”

  Every police and SWAT officer realigned their aim.

  “I’m coming out,” Sonny shouted through the open door.

  “Fire if he raises his weapon,” the commander said.

  A second later, Sonny stepped out holding the limp child in front of him, his pistol lowered at his side.

  “Drop your weapon,” demanded the SWAT commander.

  His demand went unanswered as Sonny’s eyes drifted around the parking lot, looking at the array of weapons positioned to end his life.

  Every officer now had a clear head shot. The SWAT sharpshooter said, “Sir?”

  Olivia was obviously exhausted. Her cries had become choking sobs. Sonny could take no more. He bent and lowered Olivia to the ground where she stood unmoving, huge tears streaming down her face.

  After lowering his head, Sonny tossed his pistol to the pavement. Slowly he went to his knees, and lowered himself to his belly. As he stretched out his arms half a dozen officers moved in and surrounded him, their guns aimed at his head.

  From behind one of the police cruisers, Bonnie broke through the row of police in dark uniforms and ran to the frightened child. When Olivia saw her, she stretched out her arms. Bonnie picked her up, pulling her tear-soaked cheeks tightly against her own.

  Chapter 57

  The EMT pushed a gurney up beside Bonnie and when she tried to hand Olivia over, Olivia would have no part of it. She held tight and Bonnie didn’t want to let her go.

  “She’s scared to death,” Bonnie said taking her back. “Let me go along and I’ll hold her.”

  “I understand but she’s required to be on a gurney,” the young man said as he opened the back door of the ambulance. Then added, “Aw, what the hell, just hold on to her real tight. It’s a short ride.”

  Less than ten minutes later they were at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and Olivia was already drifting off to sleep. The drugs in her system were too much to fight. The back doors of the ambulance opened and Bonnie saw two nurses and a tall, slender man wearing surgical scrubs and a stethoscope around his neck. As the nurses took Olivia, the man went to Bonnie.

  “I’m Dr. Montgomery from Nephrology. We’ve spoken with Mrs. Townsend and she’s having all of the records sent over. We’ll take Olivia from here.”

  “Can I go with her?”

  “Sure,” the doctor said.

  As they started inside she heard a voice behind her.

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Wakefield.” She turned to see two men in dark suits. “We’re detectives Jackson and Burnet from Calgary Police Service. We need you to come down to the command center and answer some questions.”

  “But, I’d really like to stay with Olivia.”

  “Ma’am, the doctors will take good care of her. Your husband and Miss Gray are downtown answering questions now. As soon as we’re finished, you can come back.”

  ***

  The officers took Bonnie downtown where she was led into an interrogation room where they were met by another man in a dark suit. He introduced himself as the real Sergeant Ames, Chief of Major Crimes.

  “Mrs. Wakefield, you are not under arrest, nor are you charged with any crimes at this time. But, I’d like for you to start at the beginning. Tell us everything you can remember, from the time you got to Montana and all events leading up to the kidnapping and eventual rescue of Olivia Townsend.”

  Bonnie started with the day she received a phone call asking her to speak at the photography workshop. The detectives fired dozens of questions and had her repeat various parts of her story. But, in the end, were impressed by the courage and ingenuity that they used to help capture the kidnappers while keeping Olivia safe.

&n
bsp; “That’s enough for today, but I’m sure we’ll have many more questions for you later,” Detective Burnet said.

  She found Luke and Lauren in the waiting area with the short gray-haired man she’d seen in the choir loft earlier at the church. As she approached, they stood up. The man held his gray cowboy hat in one hand and extended the other hand as Luke introduced him.

  “Bonnie this is Ernest Oliveras. He’s in charge of the RCMP in Cardston.”

  “I was telling Luke that for the past two hours my office has been looking into your missing persons file. It looks like Paul Simpson, the officer who was in charge of your case kept feeding me bad information. Everything I saw made it look like you had slipped away from Luke and gone back to Texas.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The first thing he told me was that a bus driver identified you as a passenger on his bus from Cardston to Calgary. We contacted that driver this morning and he said Paul had not contacted him. Paul also said he found charges on your credit card for airline tickets from Calgary to Austin, Texas. And he said the airline showed you as a passenger on that flight. Neither of those is true, either.”

  “I would have never done that,” Bonnie said, looking from Luke to Ernest.

  “That’s what Luke kept saying, but I had to go with the evidence I had. Paul had been an ideal officer before all this happened.”

  As they moved toward the door Ernest said, “Oh yeah, I’ve got something for you.” Ernest pulled something out of his shirt pocket and held it out for Bonnie. She opened her hand and he dropped two gold earrings into her palm.

  “Thank you,” she said, but looked at Luke, confused.

  Ernest said to Luke, “After you called, I went over and roused Willy Standalone. Following your advice, I asked him about that earring he was wearing. He said he found it on Little John’s dresser. We woke up Little John and asked him where he got it. Little John confessed to everything. You know, Sonny Diamond was one of the best quarterbacks to come out of Alberta. Many kids, including Little John Standalone idolized him.”