by Natasha West
Rick rolled his eyes. ‘Right. This argument stops because she’s not going out and neither are you,’ Rick said to the father/daughter duo. Lily gave her dad a satisfied smirk.
‘You do realise you just talked yourself into staying in a hostage situation?’ her dad said.
‘I don’t care,’ Lily said insolently.
‘OK, waiter kid,’ Rick said to the boy with the bum fluff. ‘You can go. Sit over at that table.’ He pointed at a small table on the other side of the dining area.
The waiter appeared shocked, but he didn’t argue. He walked across the dining area and plonked himself at the appointed table.
‘OK, who else?’ Rick asked himself, looking around.
His eyes landed on the group of office workers. The one with the birthday badge casually glanced at the ceiling as she hooked a finger underneath the badge and began to waggle it about. Rick barked a laugh. ‘It’s your birthday, is it?’
The woman nodded, smiling.
‘Well, I think you deserve a treat.’
The woman’s smile widened.
‘There’s cake in the kitchen. I’ll make sure you get a slice,’ Rick said with a cruel smile. Birthday Girl’s joy fell sharply off her face. One of her friends let out a little snort. Birthday Girl spun at her. ‘What are you laughing about?’
The woman shook her head, clearly more scared of her friend than she was of Rick. ‘I wasn’t. I was coughing.’
Rick looked at the third member of the office trio. ‘You.’
The woman jumped up, shrieking, ‘Thank you, thank you!’
‘Alright, no need to gargle my balls or anything,’ Rick said mockingly. Gina frowned. ‘Fucking gross,’ she whispered under her breath.
The woman joined the waiter at the release table.
‘Right!’ Rick said, clapping his hands together. ‘That’ll do.’
‘You said three,’ Ashley reminded him.
Gina turned to see how Rick was taking Ashley’s correction. For a second, Rick looked livid. But then he ran a finger over his moustache. ‘I said, maybe three.’
‘Of course, it’s totally up to you. But the more people you send out, the better it would look,’ Ashley told Rick conversationally.
‘You think?’ Rick asked, somewhat swayed.
‘Definitely. The optics of three people walking out is much stronger than just two,’ Ashley assured him.
Rick considered her point, scratching his chin. ‘Optics,’ he muttered to himself, trying out the term. ‘You know the third won’t be you, don’t you?’ he sneered.
‘Of course I do,’ Ashley told him matter-of-factly. Gina could tell she was being honest. She hadn’t risked Rick’s ire for her own benefit. She was just trying to get people out. That surprised Gina. All morning she’d seemed so self-interested. But now? She was taking risks to save lives. Gina was starting to think her first assessment of Ashley was completely wrong.
‘Right, fine. You,’ he said, pointing at a middle-aged male patron. The man let out a sigh of relief and went to join the others at the happiest table in the restaurant.
‘Now that that’s sorted, you got that copper’s number?’ Rick asked Ashley.
‘Err, yeah, she gave it to me earlier.’
‘Then you can bell her up on that landline, talk to her about these three,’ he said, nodding to his soon to be free hostages. ‘And I want the whole thing filmed.’
‘Why do I have to talk to her?’ Ashley asked.
‘Because you’re one of them. If anyone’s gonna be able to get through to that bastard copper, it’s you.’
Gina knew what he was getting at. To someone like Rick, anyone who lived under the law was establishment. He lived above it and therefore couldn’t speak the language. And of all of them, Ashley would seem to him to be the best at talking to people. It was her job, after all. Only problem with that was that he didn’t really know that talking to people wasn’t exactly Ashley’s strength. Not the way he meant it. She could unearth a story with the nose of a bloodhound, that was clear. But careful, bipartisan negotiations? Gina was less sure that was in her wheelhouse.
But Ashley had surprised her a few times today. Gina could only hope that she would surprise her again. Because it was becoming clearer and clearer that the job of keeping them all alive had fallen directly into Ashley’s hands.
Fifteen
Ashley was sitting in a grubby booth, Rick squeezed in beside her with Gina across the table, shooting the pair of them. Ashley had the landline in front of her, scrolling down her mobile contacts for DI Conway. It would have been simpler to dial her from the phone, but Rick said, ‘I don’t trust mobiles.’ He didn’t explain beyond that. Even now, he was looking over her shoulder, obviously making sure she didn’t do any unauthorised texting. Though only god knows what he was worried she’d text, and to whom. Ashley was of the opinion that he was just like any despot, desperate to control what the media said about him. The Kim Jong Un of Jimmy’s Pizza. Pathetic.
She found the number. ‘Shall I ring now?’ she asked Rick.
‘You know what you’re saying?’ Rick asked, trying to hide his anxiety.
‘Yes,’ Ashley said, just as worried. She couldn’t make a mistake here, or there was a possibility – a rather strong one, she felt – that Rick was apt to change his mind about letting anyone go. And if there was one thing Ashley did and did well, it was saying the wrong thing.
‘Right, ring her,’ Rick commanded.
Ashley dialled the number, putting the call on speaker. As soon as the last number was keyed in, Rick took her mobile back. DI Conway picked up after one ring. ‘Hello?’
‘Detective, this is Ashley Quick,’ she began. So far, so good. She’d remembered her own name.
‘Miss Quick, hello. You’re OK, then, I take it? You and your camerawoman?’
‘Her name’s Gina and yes,’ Ashley said irritably. She hadn’t even memorised Gina’s name before she sent her into the line of fire. That irked Ashley quite a bit.
‘Good, good,’ the detective said. ‘And is, er… Is he with you? Mr…’
‘Rick,’ Ashley told her. Though she didn’t think that was his real name.
‘Rick, great to have a name. Is he with you?’
‘Yes, he is. And he’s ready to release three hostages,’ Ashley explained.
‘I’m very pleased to hear that,’ DI Conway said with too much cheer. She sounded like a kid’s TV presenter trying to jolly up proceedings. Ashley wished she would be a bit dourer about it all. Rick wasn’t likely to take kindly to being patronised.
‘Before he releases the three, he wants some assurances first,’ Ashley explained, trying to make sure she remembered everything she’d been told to say.
‘I’d be happy to give Rick whatever he-’
‘He also wants you to know that this conversation is being filmed and the footage is going straight to KTN. So anything you agree to right now, if you go back on it, people will know.’
DI Conway paused. ‘Understood,’ she said, somewhat less jovial. ‘So maybe I could hear what Rick would like?’
‘He wants the rest of the press to be let into the car park. To shoot what happens out there.’
DI Conway sighed. ‘I don’t know if I can do that, Rick.’
Rick pursed his lips and gave Ashley a look of dark encouragement.
‘You’re talking to me, Detective. That’s the way he wants it,’ Ashley informed her.
‘OK, Ashley. I don’t know if I can do that. I’d be risking the lives of further civilians.’
‘That’s what he wants. That’s the only way those three people are coming out,’ she told the woman. ‘And if it’s any consolation, Rick says he’s got no intention of firing out into the car park.’ Rick nudged her. ‘Unless you make him,’ Ashley added quickly.
DI Conway paused. ‘I’ll have to think about it.’
‘Don’t think too long,’ Rick suddenly barked and killed the call. He sat back in the booth, a look of
satisfaction on his face. He stared into the camera. ‘You see that? Classic tricksy bullshit. They think you’re stupid, these types. They think they can fool you into walking into a cage and saying thank you when the door slams shut behind you. Well, fuck that. I’m not stupid. I’m gonna have a whole…’ He glanced to Ashley, ‘Waddya call it?’
‘A media circus,’ she told him quietly.
‘A media circus, yeah!’ Rick said into the camera. ‘Because I’m not an idiot! And I’m not going back to prison. I’m gonna walk out a free man,’ he declared with a bravado that Ashley didn’t buy. ‘And every eye in the country will be on that detective, making sure she goes along with it.’ He stopped. ‘You can cut there,’ he said to Gina. She switched off the camera and put it down on the table.
‘So, what now?’ Ashley asked.
‘We wait.’
Gina coughed. ‘Hey Rick, while we wait, might be a good idea to feed everyone?’
Rick looked at his watch. ‘I suppose it is teatime. Should I ask them to send food in?’
Ashley couldn’t believe he could be so media savvy while being so astonishingly dense. ‘It’s a restaurant. You’ve got all the chefs here.’
Rick glanced at the kitchen. ‘Oh. Yeah. But I’ll have to be watching carefully. Don’t want anyone getting any funny ideas about using the knives for anything other than chopping food.’
***
Everyone was crowded into the kitchen, including the soon to be free members of the group. The two hostages in chef whites were working away, one of them on dough, the other prepping toppings. Rick had a gun on them the entire time. ‘Do a meat feast first,’ he told them.
They both nodded and soon they had a huge pizza loaded with every animal under the sun, baking away.
‘What should we make next?’ the female chef asked.
He looked around. ‘Anyone got a preference?’
Lily stuck her hand up. ‘I’m veggie.’
Rick snickered. ‘Of course you are,’ he said to the teenage girl. She gave him a filthy look, which he ignored, turning back to the chefs. ‘Do a veg pizza, then. I’m not a monster.’
One of the chefs set to work constructing the next pizza, as the bell dinged on the meat feast, and the other slid it out and divided it up with a pizza cutter. Rick grabbed a slice and stood back eating it, pizza in one hand, gun in the other. ‘Stuff your faces,’ he instructed the crowd. People tentatively began to step forward and collect pizza, Ashley and Gina among them. Ashley was starving. She hadn’t realised it until just now.
As the second pizza came out and the vegetarians tucked in, it occurred to Ashley that people with good blood sugar are less likely to do something crazy. She was including the hostages in that assessment too. Anyone wanting to play hero was gonna get hurt. Thank god Gina had suggested the food.
After everyone had finished eating, Rick went to the fridge. ‘Oh, look. Tiramisu,’ he said. He turned to the woman with the birthday badge. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Leanne,’ the woman said.
‘Happy Birthday to you,’ Rick warbled, bringing the desert out. He shot a death stare at the room, and everyone joined in the next line, albeit with less enthusiasm. ‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Leanne, happy birthday to you!’
Leanne looked ready to slap everyone in the room, but she slid a thin smile onto her face. ‘Thanks.’
Rick smirked, plating up a piece for her. ‘Well, we couldn’t leave the big day unmarked, could we?’
Leanne kept the smile on her face with effort as he gave her the plate.
‘So, this was your birthday treat, was it? Coming here?’ he asked. Ashley wanted to tell him to shut up. It was one thing to hold everyone hostage. It was another to wind them up. But of course, Ashley couldn’t risk speaking up. Leanne, all of them, were going to have to put up with whatever Rick wanted.
‘Was your birthday lunch fun?’ he asked.
Leanne shrugged. ‘It was alright.’
‘Alright? That doesn’t sound like you were having a belter.’
‘It was a work thing, not my idea,’ Leanne admitted.
‘Whose was it?’
Leanne nodded at her two buddies. ‘Polly and Tina.’
Rick turned to Polly. ‘You’re the one going out soon, aren’t you? Didn’t you think of giving up your place for your friend? Seeing as it’s your fault she’s here?’
Polly threw a nervous glance to Leanne. ‘I didn’t really want to come either, to be honest.’
Leanne arched an eyebrow but said nothing.
‘So Tina? This was all you?’ Rick asked the third member of the party.
Tina swallowed nervously. ‘I, err, I’ve been quite busy… and this place, it was around the corner…’
‘Sounds like you put a lot of thought into it,’ Rick said with a chuckle.
‘It does, doesn’t it?’ Leanne said bitterly, folding her arms.
‘What did you expect?’ Polly muttered. ‘Lunch at the Ritz Carlton?’
‘I suppose I just thought that two people who had been my best work friends for years might have given slightly more of a shit and taken me somewhere nicer,’ Leanne snarked.
Polly made a small bitter grunt. ‘Right.’
‘What do you mean, right?’ Leanne said, spinning to Polly.
‘I mean… Nothing,’ Polly said, swapping a quick look with Tina.
Leanne caught the look. ‘What was that?’ she demanded of the pair.
They didn’t speak.
‘Answer her,’ Rick said mildly. But as with everything he said, it held a sinister threat with that gun omnipresent in his hand. ‘Let her have it – I mean really give it to her – or I’m not letting you go.’
Polly was horrified. ‘But, that’s… Why?’
Rick shrugged. ‘Bored.’
Ashley glanced at Gina, who looked like Ashley felt—disgusted. This was a new side to Rick. Before, he’d just seemed like a chaotic loser without a sense of responsibility. But now they were getting down to his core. He was cruel. Playing with people for nothing more than fun. The janitor from yesterday popped into Ashley’s head, and she wondered… was this how people saw her?
‘Fine,’ Polly said, throwing her hands up. ‘You’ve become a real bitch lately. Especially since you got that promotion.’
Leanne looked at Polly without surprise. ‘I fucking knew it! I knew you were jealous!’
Polly was shocked. ‘I didn’t want it. Neither of us did. We were happy for you when you got it,’ Polly said. ‘Weren’t we?’ she encouraged Tina.
Tina shook her head. ‘I don’t want to be involved in this.’
Polly turned away from Tina with slight disgust. She locked onto Leanne, the rest of the room, even Rick and his gun, forgotten. ‘We all used to be mates. Now you’re a level above us, and even though you’re not our boss, you’ve started acting like it, telling us what to do all the time. And you keep rubbing our noses in your pay rise.’
Leanne pursed her lips. ‘Look, the pair of you can never make a decision about anything. I’ve always had to do that. Or we end up in places like this. It’s only different now because I make a bit more money and I want to do things that cost a bit more.’
Polly drew a deep breath. ‘Leanne. We didn’t end up in a place like this because we don’t have much money. We ended up here because we knew you’d expect us to take you out. But we didn’t care enough to plan anything proper, because… because we’re both sick of you. Especially Tina. You bully her constantly.’
Leanne’s mouth fell open. She turned to Tina. ‘Is that true?’
Tina cringed. ‘Oh, well, I don’t… I mean… I don’t know about that. Maybe sometimes you can be a bit… No, no, I wouldn’t say bully.’
Leanne glared at her. The phone rang. Tina looked thrilled at the distraction.
‘That’ll be for us,’ Rick said to Ashley, slapping his hands together. ‘OK, everyone. Get back in the front.’
Leanne put her tiramisu down, untouched. Everyone began to amble out of the kitchen. Leanne, Tina, and Polly were the last to shuffle out, none of them meeting each other’s eyes.
Ashley was repulsed by what she’d just watched. But her mind was turning quickly to the task at hand—the next phone call.
Sixteen
Gina was back in the booth, looking through her viewfinder, waiting for Rick to give Ashley the cue to pick up the landline. He waited a full three rings before he gave her the nod. She grabbed the receiver and hit speaker.