“Can Patrick get out?” Naomi whispered, trying to remember what Megan had said about the key.
Across the room she could hear Ted Harper trying to force the door.
***
Patrick was having a hard time thinking straight. He didn’t want to leave his dad and Naomi but the last vestiges of common sense left in his head told him he had no choice. He was crying. Tears washing down his cheeks like they hadn’t done since he was a little kid. His dad and Danny had bought him time to get away and he had to use it, no matter what was going on in that other room.
The manager’s desk was heavy. Patrick grabbed it and dragged it by one edge as far as he could. His wrist was hurting and black bruises beginning to show. He had an idea it might be broken, but that seemed such a little thing right now. He squeezed round the other side and pushed the desk the rest of the way against the door. The room stank. Heavy sweetish stench that caught in the back of his throat and choked him when he drew breath. They’d noticed it yesterday and then stronger today. He looked over to the corner of the room to where the smell seemed to emanate and yelped in shock. Ashwin’s face was black and bloated and flies moved across its surface in a blue green swarm. Around him the floor was darkly stained and his bare arm, outstretched towards Patrick, had whitened on its upper surface. The lower, red and livid with pooled blood.
He tore his gaze away, aware that someone, Ted Harper presumably, was hammering on the door. The desk moved, fractionally and fired Patrick into renewed action. If he didn’t shift soon, he’d be as dead as that man lying there.
What had Megan said? A spare key to the window lock beneath the desk. He dropped to the floor, turning on his back to peer beneath. The door rattled on its hinges and the desk moved again.
He saw it, held in place with a strip of red tape.
“Thank you. Thank you.” He peeled the tape free and wriggled out from beneath the desk.
The door again. It shifted this time, opening a fraction, despite the bulk of desk behind it. A minute more and Harper would be through.
Hands trembling. Patrick inserted the key into the security lock and turned, praying it would work. It did, the lock turned, he pulled the handle down, the window opened just enough for Patrick to slide through. He fell onto the tarmac in the yard, his feet not responding properly to the need to run. Somehow, he regained his footing and stumbled to where the bins stood side by side close to the wall. He was up and onto the wall by the time Ted Harper stormed into the room. Ted fired again, armed with the shotgun this time. The window shattered. Patrick screamed, but he was over. He dropped eight feet to the pavement beyond and rolled. Then breath burning in his lungs, he ran.
***
“We’re in position” the ARV commander told Alec. “Your command. No, wait. Belay that.”
The door had opened and Ted Harper came out onto the steps. In front of him, struggling and fighting, but held close enough to his body to act as a human shield, was Naomi.
Alec gasped and moved toward the window.
“Get back out of the line of fire,” the ARV commander grabbed his arm and dragged him into cover. “God’s sake, man don’t you know anything!”
“That’s his fiancée,” Hemmings said quietly.
“What?” Priestly was incredulous.
“Sir, I can get a clear shot.” The radio crackled
“What’s your position?”
“I’ve got a clear shot from just in front of the cordon. He’s wide open on his left side.”
“Alec? Inspector Friedman!”
“Sir, I’m going to lose the shot.”
“Take it,” Hemmings ordered. “Alec. You’re relieved as of now.”
“Sir, it’s too late sir. He’s turned.”
“Target of opportunity,” the ARV commander told him. “The chance comes again, you make it.”
He glowered at Alec. “Why wasn’t I told you had involvement here. My men put their lives on the line, I don’t expect to have to deal with increased risk because someone bloody freezes up.”
“He’s going back inside. He’s taken the female hostage with him. The doors are closed.”
“Sir,” another shout on the radio. “We’ve just picked up a boy. We think he came out of the bank but he’s not making much sense. He says his name’s Patrick and he’s looking for Inspector Friedman.”
CHAPTER 26
The hostages had been lined up with their backs to the wall in the main room. No one spoke but the fear was a tangible thing. Harry held Naomi’s hand, trying to reassure her by sense of touch alone that he was alright.
Had Patrick got out? They had to believe he had, the alternative could not even be thought about.
Danny lay bleeding on the floor.
Ted had his son cover them while he cut the phone cords and used them to tie Danny’s hands and feet. Naomi heard him moan in pain as Ted dragged him across to sit by the wall. She felt his weight as he slumped beside her unable to support himself.
“Get in there, “ Ted ordered Allan. “Cut the pull cords on the blinds and anything else you can find. I want them tied up.”
“In there?” Allan sounded twitchy. “But…I can’t go in there. He’s in there.”
“And you’ll be with him if you don’t do as you’re bloody told.”
Allan left and a little later, Naomi could hear him going down the row, binding hands and feet. By the time he reached her it was obvious that he’d almost run out of rope. He tied her wrists, but his hands were shaking so much, she almost felt she should ask if he wanted her to put her finger on the knot so he could pull it tight.
“What about the feet,” Ted Harper demanded.
“No more rope,” Allan told him. “I’m sorry, dad, I did look everywhere.”
Harper muttered something under his breath.
“What do we do now, dad?”
“Got yourself in a right mess, haven’t you?” Danny’s speech was slurred. “You’re down to just the two of you.”
“Shut up, or I’ll finish you off now.”
“Now or later. What’s the difference?”
The mobile phone began to ring. Naomi flinched. It sounded unbearably loud and painfully harsh.
“You going to get that or what,” Danny asked.
Ted picked it up and weighed it in his hand. Then he flung it against the wall. Naomi heard the crash and sound of breaking, the collective gasp as thought the last link with the outside world had been destroyed.
“He still has Patrick’s phone,” Harry whispered.
“Shame he doesn’t have the intelligence to use it,” Danny taunted. Naomi felt Harry flinch as Danny’s comments drew attention back to him. She tightened her hold on his hand,
***
Patrick was distressed and didn’t know where to begin. A paramedic examined his wrist but was of the opinion it needed an x ray to tell if anything was broken. He thought not. Patrick refused to be moved. The thought of being taken further away from the people he loved was just too much. Hemmings had given him some painkillers and a cup of hot tea and Alec sat beside him on the couch. Napoleon, unable to decide which of his people needed most comfort, wedged his head between them and whined.
“Take it slow,” Sam told him. “That last phone call sparked this off?”
Patrick nodded. He cradled his mug tightly between his hands, pressing them together against the glazed surface to stop them shaking. “He just lost it. Danny had brought us back and was about to lock the door. The phone rang and Ted Harper answered it. He just went off on one.”
He stared down into his mug.
“Drink your tea, Sarah told him gently. “It’s all right Patrick. Just take your time.”
Patrick swallowed convulsively and almost choked.
“He grabbed Naomi,” he continued with the story “he was hurting her. I don’t know, I just wanted him to stop, so I ran out past Danny and I…he hit her and she was on the floor. I just wanted to protect her.”
“So you
faced off against a man with a gun?” Hemmings sounded impressed.
“You could have been killed,” Alec was furious.
“I know that. But I didn’t then. I mean, I wasn’t thinking.” He closed his eyes as though to picture everything. “It gets a bit mixed up after that, but Ted Harper grabbed me. He’s really strong. Dad had tried to help me, Danny had him on the floor, then…” he opened his eyes again as the image behind the lids became far too intense. “He was holding me with one hand and I kicked him. He had the gun here.” He let go of the mug with one hand, nearly spilling the contents. Sam reached out and cupped his own hand over the boy’s. “He pointed the gun at my throat and I kicked him in the balls. Danny came up from somewhere…or maybe that was after. Yes, it was, he dropped me and my phone fell on the floor. Ted Harper saw it and then he really lost it big time.”
Patrick relived the moment when he’d been backing away with the gun pointed at his head. He stumbled over the words, the emotional impact of it really hitting home. Alec remembered how he had felt that first day when the barrel had swivelled in his direction. This was so much worse.
“Then Danny and my dad just threw themselves at him and someone shouted at me to run and I knew if I didn’t Ted Harper would still get me, no matter what they tried to do, so I ran into the manager’s office and I pushed the desk against the door.”
He paused for breath. His face was very pale, even the lips were blue and he had begun to shake with cold despite the heat of the room and the bright sunlight streaming in through the window.
He’s going into shock, Alec thought. “He should be in the hospital.”
“No!” Patrick’s response was unequivocal. “I can’t, I have to be here. Then I looked for the key”
“Key?”
“To the window lock. The windows are double-glazed, that makes them difficult to smash. Megan said Brian kept a spare taped under his desk in case there was a fire or something. I’d pushed the desk against the door. It was heavy, but Ted Harper was breaking through. The desk kept moving. Then I found the key and opened the window and as I climbed over the wall he shot it out. I heard the glass shatter and then I fell off the wall and I was on the floor and someone shouted ‘Armed Police’. Naomi said if you came to get us we should all get on the floor and spread our arms so you could see we weren’t armed. So that’s what I did.”
“You did right,” Alec told him. “You did well.”
Napoleon whined and put a paw on Patrick’s lap. He looked as though he wanted to climb onto the sofa, but knew that wasn’t allowed. Patrick slid down onto the floor and wrapped his arms around the dogs neck, curling his body as close as he could and burying his face in Napoleon’s smooth fur. Then he cried. Uncontrollably. Alec sank down to the floor beside him and hugged them both, dog and boy, trying to tell them it would all be fine and not believing a single word.
CHAPTER 27
The footage on the lunchtime news was dramatic and frightening. For the first time, Alec heard what Ted Harper had to say.
“You see this woman,” Harper yelled. “Anyone tries to come in here and she’s the first to die, I promise you that.”
Naomi, Alec realised, was furious. It wasn’t fear that kept her twisting in Ted Harper’s grasp. It was sheer rage. He had one arm curving about her waist and she clawed at it with her nails. Alec saw that she’d drawn blood. Her feet alternately dragged on the ground or flailed back, kicking out at the man. Her feet were bare and had little impact. Burt, he could see, she was determined, that he wasn’t getting the better of her. He just prayed that her cussedness would not be paid for once they got inside. The bruising on the left side of her face where he had struck her earlier, was clear to see.
“So far,” the reported said in her piece to camera,” police have been playing a waiting game. It’s unclear what triggered this violent response, but what is becoming clear is that time is running out and the police may soon be compelled to act.”
***
Mari gently lowered the phone onto its cradle. The news report played out on the television, but the eyes of all three Emmett’s, Lillian, Samuel and Simon were fixed upon her.
“Patrick’s escaped,” she whispered. “He’s with Alec. Alec’s been relieved of duty but neither of them want to come away but he says he’ll bring Patrick here very soon.”
The relief was tinged only by anxiety about the others. Mari could tell them nothing more.
“Patrick can tell us all he knows when he gets here,” Lillian reassured and you’ll both stay until this is finished.”
“Thank you,” Mari told her gratefully. “I don’t know what I’d have done.”
“Oh, what are friends for,” Lillian told her. She got up and kissed Mari affectionately on the cheek.
“They want him to go to the hospital to be checked over,” Mari went on. “He’ll need some clothes too and I don’t have Harry’s key.”
“Hey, don’t fret,” Simon told her. “I know the sort of stuff Patrick wears. I’ll go shopping. I promise, only the deepest black will do.”
Mari smiled gratefully.
“But,” he half teased, “I expect an exclusive when this is through. That a deal?”
“Simon, when this is over, you can tell as many tabloid lies as you like and we’ll put our name to it,” Mari told him. “Now, we just need some good news about the other two.”
***
Alec had been about to leave the incident room and escort Patrick home to Mari when his phone began to ring. Automatically, he took it from his pocket and glanced at the display. Patrick’s phone, it read. Alec stared.
“Hemmings! He gestured the new SIO to his side and then answered the call.
“Um, it’s Harry,” a voice said.
“Harry! Patrick’s all right. I’ve got him here.”
“Oh, thank God. Look Mr Harper wants to speak with you.”
“Put him on.”
Harper’s voice was loud. Hemmings leaned in to listen. “I want my bus and I want my plane and I want them now. A half hour you’ve got, copper, that’s all and this time, no concessions and no delays.”
“I want to speak to Harry Jones,” Alec said, trying to keep his voice as calm and level as he could.
“You’re in no position to want anything. Half an hour. No more time.” Then he was gone.
Alec made to call back, but Hemmings stopped him.
“What, then? Alec questioned.
“We do as he wants,” Hemmings said. “We take them to the airfield and we hope for a break. There are only two gunmen now. If we can take them down before they get on the bus so much the better. If not, we wait until we can.”
Alec nodded. “Blick authorised this,” he asked. Hemmings had spoken to him a little time before.
“He told me I called the play,” Hemmings said heavily.
Alec almost laughed. “So, it goes right, Blick covers himself with glory. It goes wrong, it was down to you.”
Hemmings shrugged. “It was ever thus,” he said. “You know that, Alec.”
“Then I want to stay,” Alec told him. “I want to be there.”
“You know I can’t say yes to that.”
“Why not. Look, you’re wasting time. Half an hour, he said and we know he won’t wait.
CHAPTER 28
“It’s here! It’s bloody here” Allan didn’t quite believe it.
“Good, so they’ve seen sense at last” Ted Harper climbed onto the table and peered out through the broken glass. A minibus sat close beside the steps. Its driver wearing full black jacket, visible inside.
Ted Harper stepped down and then took Patrick’s phone from his pocket. He’d watched Harry use it last time and knew who to call.
“Your bus is here,” Mr Harper,” Alec said.
“I want a different driver. Tell him to shove off.”
“Who do you want to drive, Mr Harper?”
“How about you.”
Harper listened to the silence his words prov
oked.
“I know about you. I know you’re a friend of that kid’s and you’re a copper. I know you’re a friend of our Naomi’s too because she told me. She wasn’t keen on telling me, of course, but there you go. So I want you to drive. Is my plane ready?”
“It’s ready, but it’s only a four seater, “Mr Harper. You, your son, the pilot and one other, if you insist. Our local airfield isn’t cleared for anything but light aircraft.”
Harper said nothing, but scowled angrily.
“We could arrange to take you to a larger airfield, of course, but that would take more time to arrange and we thought that time might be of the essence.”
“Don’t you get clever with me.” Harper considered. “It’ll do,” he agreed. “I’ll let the pilot know our destination once we’re in the air.”
“That might not be possible,” Alec told him. “Pilots need clearance from air traffic control. They have to register a route.”
“Well air traffic bloody control better make an exception, hadn’t they? Now. You, get your arse down into that driver’s seat and we’ll get ready to come out.”
***
Hemmings wasn’t happy.
“I don’t see as we’ve much choice,” Alec said.
“Given the situation, neither do I” the ARV commander agreed. “Look, we talked to someone at the airfield and they gave us some useful details. Try to pull up just before the main runway in front of the tower. There’s really only one building on site, so you can’t miss it. I’ll have men stationed in the tower and we’ve called in extra support from the army base just up the road. You might not see anyone, but there’ll be snipers in position.”
“Just make sure they know who to shoot at,” Alec told him.
“Oh, that’s easy. We only aim for the ones with the guns. If shooting starts, hit the deck and make sure the hostages do the same. Naomi knows the score, she’s already proved that with her instructions to Patrick.”
Alec nodded. Patrick was watching anxiously. Alec managed to smile at him. “It’ll be over before you know it,” he said. “I’ll have to get someone else to take you home.”
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