“Don’t remind me.”
They rounded the corner and came up to where the door was that Devin knocked in.
Zack eyed the door knocked in. “What happened here?”
Devin smiled. “You want to hear something hot? I kicked that in.”
“That is hot.”
“So I hear…”
Devin slid into the room, her gun extended. She waved Zack through.
“Okay, come on in.”
Zack came into the garage and loading dock where the truck was smashed into the garage door.
“You do that too?”
“What?” Devin glanced over at the truck and the door absently. “Oh, yeah.”
“You’re quite a force of nature, aren’t you?”
Devin’s phone rang. She motioned for Zack to keep still.
She answered it. “You got my note?”
She heard Richard’s voice. “What do you want?”
“I want the hostages released.”
“Oh, do you?”
Devin heard some commotion and then a gunshot.
“Well, there’s one down. Shall we go for two?”
Devin’s heard started pounding. She slowed down her breathing to keep her cool.
“You’re bluffing.”
“What if I’m not?”
“Then your money disappears.”
“We’ll find you, you know.”
“Not before this building goes up.”
There was silence. Devin was hoping this meant she had him.
Richard looked at Sis. He shook his head. What the fuck was he going to do? If he gave up the hostages, he had nothing.
“Tell you what, I’ll make an exchange with you. I’ll give you all the hostages, but I want you.”
“You flatterer…”
Richard gave a little snort of an angry laugh. “I want you and I want Zack.”
Devin looked at her watch. “Fine. Here’s what we’re going to do”
“Oh, you think you’re calling the shots?”
“I’ve got your money and your money man and I’m standing in an exit to the outside that you don’t even know about. In two seconds he would be gone and so would your money. Right in the hands of the police. You don’t stand a chance without me.” She took a deep breath. She knew she didn’t have a choice. “You let the hostages go you can have me.”
“And him.”
“And your money.”
There was silence again.
Finally he spoke. “Fine. What happens?”
“Bring all of the hostages to the loading dock on the lower level. Get there down the stairs.”
“It’s rigged. It’ll blow.”
“Taken care of. Also I want all your men.”
“I bet you do.”
Devin looked at her watch. Enough. “Look. That’s it. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes.”
“Let them all go and you can have your money and your escape.”
“Fine.”
There was silence again.
Devin looked at her watch again. “Oh and you have two minutes or we’re out of here.”
Devin hung up her phone. “Okay, we need to hide you.”
She looked around. Walked up to the catering truck. Opened up the back and saw some blankets. “Get in.”
Zack took the laptop and scrambled into the back of the truck. As Devin was about to close the door he stopped her.
“Hey…” he said.
“What?”
“Sorry I tried to grab you.”
“Yeah. Sorry I kicked you in the face.”
She slammed the truck door in his face and turned to face the entrance Richard would be coming through. She waited for what could be the end of this. Or the end of her.
101
Brad sat down in front of the television. Sitting down for a minute wasn’t easy. He needed to move. But he’d been pacing and standing for two and a half hours now. He perched on the edge of the couch and watched the coverage for news of his best friend.
His boyfriend Armand had brought in the TV from the bedroom and hooked it up so they could follow more than one channel at a time. Brad had one tuned to the live feed from the theater, which was now a blank stage, and the other was tuned to the news so he could see what was happening. He wanted there to be a TV in the middle where he could see Devin. Where he could know she was okay. He felt anxious and helpless. And knew that wouldn’t help anything but it was all he could feel.
He turned the volume on for the news. It was that Anita Gonzales. “Last we’ve heard the hostages are still inside and the situation is very grave.”
She pressed on her earpiece. “I’m just being told something by my producer…” She spoke into her mic to the producer. “She is?” She turned around and saw someone standing there. She brought the person into the shot.
Brad almost passed out when he saw it was Everett Cale. She was still wearing her gown but now had an LAPD windbreaker on top.
Brad watched incredulously as Anita Gonzales interviewed her. “Everett, how did you get out?”
“I can’t say exactly how… But I just hope everyone else in there can get out.”
“Did Detective Devin Jones get you out?”
“She did… And I’m not the only one.”
The camera widened out and Brad saw Kaden Conroy and Tannis Overholt standing next to Everett.
“Devin, you’re amazing…” Brad whispered.
102
On the tarmac at John Wayne Airport in Burbank, pilot Buzzy Lonegran, 22 years in the Air Force, 12 years as a commercial pilot, and now the owner of a private plane he let be used for a lot of flights he paid very little attention to the legality of, was doing a final check of his in flight instruments.
Between those intense alimony payments and his child support to three wives (the price he paid for being a handsome devil he told anyone who asked) and his expensive gambling addiction, Buzzy had to make good money. And everyone knew the only way to make good money was not from doing good. So he flew people to places others wouldn’t fly them. He looked the other way, he stashed things in his cargo, he broke FAA regulations, he doctored flight logs, he literally flew under the radar when required, he did what it took. He did what he had to.
Buzzy heard some clanging footsteps on the gangway of stairs leading from the tarmac up to the entrance of the Gulfstream g150 he bought for a tenth of its value from a shady arms dealer who had to move very quickly to a new unknown location. Buzzy never asked why. Buzzy generally didn’t.
He finished checking the instruments and turned to greet his passengers. All he knew was it was a man and a woman, they were flying to the Cayman Islands and they wouldn’t require food and beverage attendants on board.
When Buzzy stepped out of the cockpit, his blood ran cold. There were no fewer than ten police officers, guns drawn. One grabbed Buzzy and slammed him up against the lavatory door. Twisted his hands behind his back and jammed some handcuffs on him. Then spun him back around. Where he was face to face with a police detective in a nice suit holding his badge right in Buzzy’s face.
“Mr. Lonegran?”
“Yes.”
“Mike Reyes, Beverly Hills Police Department. You waiting for some passengers?”
“Yes.”
“Not anymore. Come with us.”
103
Devin saw movie star Brady Branson walk through the door into the garage first. Just that filled her with relief. This was really going to happen.
Following him was Richard, then about twenty five very tired looking, worn out and terrified men and women. Who in a previous incarnation, that before this evening, were some of the biggest movie stars in the world.
Finally behind them three large men in security guard uniforms – there were seven left.
Richard walked up to where Devin was standing, pointing her gun at them. Not much she could do with that many people and that many guns but she had to do it.
> She and Richard stood facing each other, about ten feet apart.
“Guns first,” Devin said. She kicked an empty carton over towards them. “In there.”
One by one Richard’s men put their guns in the carton.
Devin motioned to a giant dumpster in the corner of the garage. “Now someone take it over there. Toss it in.”
Richard nodded to one of the security guys who lifted up the box, carried it over and tossed it in the dumpster.
“Okay,” Devin said, she looked right at Richard. “I want these people out. Now.”
Richard narrowed his eyes at her. “How do I know you’ll follow through?”
Devin eyed him coolly. “What choice do you have? They know who’s behind this. Your plan has turned to shit. The only chance you have is me.”
Richard held Devin’s gaze for a minute.
Finally he reluctantly nodded at the celebrities. “Go.”
At first everyone was unsure and afraid to move. There had been so many unpleasant surprises who knew what to do?
“Fucking GO!” Richard barked.
Quickly in what started like single file and then became a mad dash free for all, the group of men in tuxedos and women in gowns, the shellshocked traumatized, beaten and worn down group made for the exit – the gap in the garage door bent out of shape by the truck that sat smashed into the door.
One by one they quickly ducked through and out into freedom.
Devin watched them. Relief mixing with fear. It was almost over. They were mostly out. Finally the last person to leave was Brady Branson, he looked back to Devin, a thank you or a ‘take care of yourself’ she wasn’t sure what. But whatever it was, she was grateful for it.
Suddenly Devin realized someone was missing. Sis.
“Where’s Sis?”
Richard looked around, actually surprised not to see her there. “She was right here.”
“Now them,” Devin said pointing to the security guys.
Richard nodded to his guys. But at that moment, Devin was startled to see Zack open the back of the catering van door and come bursting out.
“Hey, Man! Richard! Man! Fuck her, right? Take me with you guys to the Cayman Islands! I’m right here. I got the money. I haven’t changed anything yet!”
Devin aimed her gun at Zack.
“Zack, get back in the truck.”
Richard looked at Zack. “So, you haven’t rerouted any of the money?”
“No, man. It’s all still there! So let’s just--”
Richard tilted his head menacingly. “Except for the money you stole from me.”
The sound of the gun blast was deafening and the echo even moreso as it filled the garage.
Devin watched in shock as Zack fell backwards against the catering truck, blood trickling from his mouth, and the bullet wound in his chest making his white security guard shit crimson underneath his navy tie.
Slowly he slumped to the floor and fell on his face.
One of the security guards turned to Richard. “Dude, we supposed to leave?”
Richard glared at him. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Shit. Devin looked at these seven guys. She didn’t have much time to get out herself. God knows how they could fuck it up. Then she remembered- they didn’t know about the detonator. The one set to blow the whole building up in a few minutes. They didn’t know they’d been marked for death. Only she knew.
Devin kept her gun trained on Richard who had his gun trained on Devin. She turned her head to the security guard who had talked.
“If you stay here you’re going to die. The explosives you’ve carefully set on all the doors are rigged to a detonator timed for 9:15. Devin looked at her watch. “Which is in seven minutes.”
The main security guard looked at Richard. “This true?”
Richard scowled. “You gonna trust her?”
Devin caught the security guy’s eye. “You gonna trust him? You guys were supposed to go out through the roof? How were you going to do that when he’d rigged it? And how do we know he rigged it? IT BLEW UP!”
Richard was looking nervous. “Don’t listen to her. She’s full of shit.”
Devin shook her head. “Look, do what you want. I would just suggest you take the chance to get the fuck out. Very least that’s gonna happen is with no hostages you guys are going to incur the wrath of the LAPD, Homeland Security Probably and maybe even the US Army in about three minutes.”
The guys all stood around looking at each other and Richard.
Devin sighed. “Really you gotta think about it? I’m giving you a chance not to die.”
Finally one of them spoke. He looked at Richard.
“Yeah, fuck you man. I’m not dyin’ for you.”
He turned and started towards the exit. Richard looked like he was going to blow something up. His eyes filled with rage.
“Don’t fucking leave me. You’ll be sorry.”
The guy kept walking. The rest followed. Walking quickly towards the exit and ducking through. Not looking back.
Finally leaving Devin and Richard standing there together with their guns pointed at each other.
“So…” she said.
“So.”
“You got a way to defuse that detonator?”
Richard smiled.
Devin’s blood ran cold. Shit. Of course he didn’t. The crazy fuck.
“Okay, what’s next then?” she said.
At that moment, Devin heard a noise behind her. Before she could turn around she felt a tiny circle of cold steel against the back of her had.
“Time to go, Devin Jones,” Sis Warren said. “That’s what’s next. And you’re coming with us.”
Devin closed her eyes. There was no way out. She slowly lowered her gun onto the floor. Stood up holding her hands over her head.
Sis came around to face her and motioned with her gun, Devin started to follow. At that moment something caught Devin’s eye. A flash of light in the corner. She looked up just in time to see five SWAT guys rushing though the door.
Richard grabbed Devin, shoved a gun in her ribs. “Let’s go!” Pulled her along with them.
Richard dragging Devin followed Sis out the door, where they ran down the corridor to the stairs, then up the stairs to the first floor.
Sis banged the door open and walked quickly down the corridor to the utility closet with the hole in the floor.
“Come on! Hurry!” Sis said.
At that moment, almost in slow motion Devin looked over and saw the stupid frickin’ fog machine. Could have used that earlier. But mental note.
Just as they were about 15 feet from the door to the supply room where the tunnel to the subway was. That door opened and SWAT guys poured out into the hallway, full helmets, body armor, and AK47’s poised and ready, heading towards them. One yelled “Drop it!” another yelled “Let her go!”
Devin was happy to see them but with a gun in her ribs and a crazy and determined woman at the lead she didn’t know how much it was going to help.
Richard yanked Devin backwards; they started heading the other way.
As they were about to get to the director’s booth, Devin saw her chance. Sis was a few paces behind them. Devin knew Sis couldn’t handle both SWAT guys and her.
Richard’s arm was around her neck and his gun was in her ribs as he rushed her along. But Devin had instinctively tucked her chin down when his first arm went around her neck. That was reflex with her martial arts training. She would never be in a situation like she was with her roommate Christy. She would never. And part of that was the reflex fast lightning like intuition she now had to protect herself.
Devin slowed down her breathing. She was calm.
Now or never.
Devin ducked under Richard’s arm, our of his grasp, as she went under she grabbed his arm and twisted it backwards breaking it. He cried out. At the same time she grabbed his gun with her other hand, shoved his thumb backwards, dislocating it, spun the gun around so it was now in he
r hand and without thinking or looking shot him three times in the chest. He looked at her in shock and slumped to the floor as his eyes rolled back.
She looked up at Sis whose face was white as a ghost. “Sis, it’s over.”
Sis had her gun trained on Devin from about five feet away. “No...”
“Sis…” Devin said. “It’s over.”
She saw a tear fall from Sis’s eyes.
At that moment the SWAT guys caught up to them. Devin held her hand up keeping them about ten feet away. She looked back at Sis.
“Sis…”
“No…”
Devin turned to the SWAT guys “We’ve got a bomb about to go off, front of house. Front doors. Back there about 30 feet, there’s a fog machine. Grab it and use it. Liquid nitrogen. Should freeze the whole thing.
“What about the bomb squad?”
“Can the bomb squad make it here in,” Devin checked her watch. “Four minutes.”
With that the main SWAT guy ran back with two of his men. He came back a second later with the Fog machine. “Which way to the front”
“Around the corner there, there’s an entrance to the lobby.”
“Got it.”
With Devin distracted, Sis had ducked into the director’s booth.
Devin tried the door. It was locked. She tried kicking it in. It was solid. “Shit.”
One of the swat guys came up. “Ma’am?”
She nodded okay. And he used his boot to hoof the door in.
Devin stepped inside the room and found Sis sitting in her chair at the console looking at the monitors. Her gun was sitting in front of her.
Devin held her hand up again to the SWAT guys. They stepped back.
“Sis?”
Sis didn’t answer.
“Sis, we have to get out of here.”
Sis shook her head.
“Really… we’ve only got a few minutes.”
Sis was in her own world. She didn’t seem totally present and she definitely didn’t seem to be hurried by what was happening.
“…Why did it have to be you?”
Devin walked over and sat on the console. Nearby but not too near.
This is Devin Jones Page 22