by Luis Samways
He gets up and takes another deep breath in, wiping the lose tears away from his face. He looks to his left once again and sees Boston glisten in the moon light. He turns to see the incident room shadow his view on the right. He bends down and grabs the nickel. He flicks it a few times as he turns back towards Boston. He briskly walks down the pathway flicking the coin as he does so. He looks straight ahead, his sights firmly locked on the Boston horizon.
Eighty Nine
Chief Shaw looks on as the crowd of officer’s form around the TV. The big screen TV flickers from pitch black to a live stream. Connor Chase stands in the frame wearing his usual white Tux. This time he is sporting a different look on his face as he stares deeply into the camera. Shaw looks on in anticipation as Connor fiddles around with a microphone attached to his chest.
‘Well hello America. Here I am again, broadcasting live to you and the watching world. My video streams have gotten more unique views then any video in the history of the internet. Count your self’s lucky to be part of such an accomplishment. YouTube fame aside I’m here on some important business. This business that I’m talking about is the 28 amendment. Now I know I must sound like a broken record by now but surely you can understand the importance of this amendment. Let’s take today’s events for instance. It was through the gathering of information, or as the CIA likes to put it, intelligence, that the president was assassinated. The people who killed him knew he was coming. They knew how to get to him and they knew how to get away with it. Obviously they succeeded because the president is dead and the authorities are sucking their thumbs trying to find a lead on who was responsible. Now I’m not stupid and I know that the mere fact that I’m mentioning something like this on my stream is warrant enough for them to pin this on me. They probably think that I had something to do with this. That I’m the mastermind behind the whole assassination, I’m not going to lie, I did think that maybe the president did deserve to die, I mean all that shit about him being with this girl, then that girl. Cheaters never win people, but I am humbled and have to admit that I had nothing to do with the poor guy being shot. I know people are going to find that hard to believe, but let me lay it down like this for you.’
Chase paces the screen for a few minutes as he thinks with his hands.
‘Why would I kill the guy I need alive to pass the 28 amendment?...I guess I could have had him killed for wasting my time and not complying with my demands, but unfortunately I did not and now the guy is dead and I’m left with no bargaining boss. So here’s what I propose. I think Washington should start to take me seriously, if they don’t I will do away with twenty five hostages live on this stream in a matter of minutes. I want a call from the people in charge so we can finally arrange a means of me getting away from this building alive, safe passage to some third world county, blah blah blah, you know the drill. Most of all though, I want Washington to know that if they do not pass my 28 amendment forgoing previous laws on privacy then I shall do away with those twenty five hostages in a firing line live on TV. Now to make sure that everyone understands my willingness to cause such acts of brutality I would like to take you to some live CCTV footage of the train station down town, where I helpfully placed some cameras in strategic positions to catch a moment in history. Roll the footage as they say.’
The TV stutters from the live stream to a CCTV like image of four separate shots overlooking the train station. The images on the TV remains docile as nothing happens for a while. Suddenly a train makes its way into shot. It slows down to a crawl and remains idle. The four different camera angles capture the front end of the train. The side of the train, the rear of the train and a wide angle shot of the whole train. The silence in the room is unbearable as all the officers watch the footage closely. The ticker on the bottom right of the TV reads the exact time and date. Shaw picks up his mobile and dials in some digits as he looks on at the idle train. Someone answers.
‘Hey, no time to talk, I need you to get some units down to the train station something is about to…’ before Shaw can finish, the TV shows a massive explosion as the front end of the train is engulfed in flames. A mushroom of smoke bellows as debris floats down to the ground. The impact of the explosion knocks out the front camera shot and rear camera shot. The long angle shot and middle angle shot remain as smoke and fire spray the platform.
‘Make that some rescue units, we have an explosion at the train station, possible casualties.’ Says Shaw in shock as he flips the phone back shut and puts it in his pocket, the TV image remains haunted with the destroyed train for a further two minutes as the incident room is amass with silence.
Ninety
Frank opens the door to his apartment. He walks in and closes it behind him. He rests his head against the firm wooden grain on the heavy set door as he listens in. He hears nothing but the humming of the light fixtures on the other side. He remains slouched against the door for a while. He squints as he reaches in for the all too familiar feel of his pill contain. He unscrews it and jolts his head back as he pours in a few dozen pills. He rattles the container. It’s nearly empty. He sighs as he takes one last earful on his door. The hallway on the other side is silent. He straightens up and brushes his hand on the firm wooden surface. He turns around and surveys his apartment, the scattered folders and clothes are still prominent in his home. He looks down at the empty bottle of Jack that he so willingly guzzled down a few days ago. He steadily walks through the cluttered open plan living area and makes his way to the fridge. He opens it and peers in. the light from the cold refrigerator warms his face as he rummages through it. His hands hit something ice cold. He grabs it by its long neck and pulls it out. He looks down and sees a chilled bottle of whisky. He smiles as he unscrews it.
‘I wondered where you got to.’ He says to himself as he lifts the heavy brown bottle up to his lips. The liquid gushes down his front as he necks the beverage in true McKenzie style. His face drips with the drink as he tops the bottle off. He chucks the empty bottle on the ground. The thud echoes in the dark room. He stumbles over to his couch and plonks himself down. The cushiony surface welcomes him as it hugs at his back. He grabs the remote next to him and flicks the TV on. The first channel he lands on is showing the carnage of the downtown Boston train station. Frank quickly sits up as he watches the disturbing images.
The TV then flicks back to a live picture of Connor Chase as he stands firm and proud in his white tuxedo, Frank shakes his head and gets up. He hurls the remote towards the Television. It cracks the wide screen in half as Frank grabs his keys and walks towards the door. He opens it and walks out, slamming the door behind firmly him.
Ninety One
‘I hope I have made myself clear when I state that I am serious about this.’ Says Chase as he scornfully looks down at the camera. Chief Shaw is in shock as he stares at the rage filled Chase who’s pacing up and down. Shaw turns around to see Eddie look on with an empty glass in his hands. They both look at each other in pure shock as Chase’s tirade is playing in the background. Shaw turns to the screen again; a look of horror washed across his face as he grips the desk in front of him. His finger nails digging into the wood.
‘So now I have your attention yet again, I’m up for a little game. I did in fact blow up half of the train as you all saw just then. But as usual I’m a cunning individual who does not show all of his cards at once. If this was a game of poker, then we are on the flop. Three cards down, two to go so to speak. I will reveal two things now that represent two cards. Obviously me blowing up the train is card one. Look at your hands gentleman and you will see that I play a good game. Card two is about to be laid down. Bang, it’s a good one! It turns out the game has changed. Half of the passengers were taken off the train to safety before I blew the other half to hell. That’s right, one hundred gone, one hundred saved. Its fifty fifty now people. Card two has been revealed. Now let’s move onto card three. I have a very special V.I.P guest on the train. That person is of the very most importance and plays a
nd integral part in card three. The person I am talking about is none other than Crystal Smith. Boya! Card three has just been smacked down. Now if the people at home don’t know who Crystal Smith is, then let me enlighten you. She is the Boston District Attorney’s daughter and my third wild card. Now before every one just automatically assumes I killed her to make a statement, please digress. This is where the hand gets interesting. I want the DA to give me a call, he knows my number, it’s that eight digit number he has on ignore, or I assume seeing the authorities have not once bothered to contact me in relation to this situation. Anyway, let’s continue. I want, no….I demand that the DA contact me in the next minute so we can further this most interesting game. I want him to ring me and tell me whether he thinks that I killed his daughter in the explosion or I saved her sweet ass and placed her with the others and bordered her off the train. To make things even more interesting, I’m about to bring on a female to the stage so to speak, her identity will be concealed, but I’m hoping that her being present will be enough to sway the DA’s answer in the right direction. If the DA gets the answer wrong then the girl gets a bullet in her head. If he gets the answer right she lives, and we get to see whether the girl under the sack is actually his beautiful daughter. Time starts now, you better get dialling Eddie.’
Eddie looks on in shock as he watches Chase drag a girl into the shot. Her head is concealed under a white knap sack much like the previous hostages that have appeared on screen during the past few days. She is visibly shaking as Chase whispers something into her ear. Eddie’s hands are trembling as he drops the empty glass onto the floor. Shaw turns to face him.
‘Look you need to ring him or the girl will die’ Says Shaw as he holds out a mobile phone.
‘I…Don’t know his number’ Stutters Eddie.
‘The number is already in this Phone. I put Franks SIM card into this department phone just in case Shaw rings back. Just hit redial and you’ll get through.’
Eddie looks on in terror as Chase’s eyes fill the room through the ominous TV screen.
‘I…I…I’ Stutters Eddie
‘Ring him!’ Shouts Shaw as he hands the phone over to Eddie.
Eddie’s fingers stumble as he attempts to press the green button. Shaw interrupts as he mashes the button down and holds the phone close to Eddie’s head. The dial tone hits as a ringing sound echoes from the TV. Chase smiles as he looks down at the ringing phone on the stool next to him. The girl starts to cry as Chase picks the phone up.
‘I’m glad you did not fold Eddie’ Says Chase in his trademark chilling tone.
Eddie remains silent as he watches the TV in shock and horror. His blood feels ice cold, coursing through his veins as his pulse rises in anticipation of the next hand.
‘Speak up Eddie, I could swear that you’re not talking. That wouldn’t bode well for this foxy lady to my right.’ Says Chase as he grabs the girls arm. She lets out a terrifying scream.
‘Crystal?’ Shouts Eddie
Chase laughs as he grabs her tighter. The red raw marks on her arm are shining in the dim light as Connor squeezes harder.
‘The bitch can’t here you Mr DA. I’d play your hand if I was you or all bets are off. Did I kill the girl on the train or is your daughter standing next to me?’
Eddie stutters into the Phone as he collects his thoughts.
‘I don’t believe you even had her’ He finally says.
Chase laughs as he lets the girls arm go. He takes out his Desert Eagle and scratches his face with the shiny metallic barrel.
‘I had a feeling you would play your cards like that. You have a terrible poker face. Well I’m feeling generous so I’ll see you to that bet. Roll the footage.’ Says Connor
The TV screen flickers from the live image to a handheld home recording style picture as Crystal stands in the middle of the train’s cabin holding a newspaper. The camera zooms into her face and then down to the newspaper. It reads the exact date of the morning’s issue. Eddie’s face drops as the sketchy footage cuts back to the live stream.
‘As you can see I prepared a little video of your daughter on board the train holding a newspaper with today’s date on it. Now what I want to know is, was she placed at the front of the train with all those unlucky souls or did she get a second chance at life while she stands next to me here? It’s your choice. Make it snappy DA Smith.’
Eddie freezes as he looks into the TV at the girl on the screen.
‘You killed her didn’t you, you son of a bitch?’ Screams Eddie as he clenches his fist in anger
Ninety Two
Sandra’s ears are ringing as she lays flat on her back looking up at the sky. She see’s white clouds disappear as black smoke bellows into the crisp air. She turns her head slightly to see Mike lying on the floor unconscious. She heaves herself up, the ringing in her ear still gnawing at her. She finally manages to balance on her feet as she looks around at the devastation around her. Debris is floating around the air like pollen in a field. The train in front of her is torn in half as fire chars the sides of the platform and engulfs the tracks. Smoke fogs the air as she struggles to breath. She starts to cough violently as she moves away from the searing inferno. She hears people screaming in pain as she spots someone trapped between the train and platform. She rushes over and sees a dark women in distress. She bends down to try and help the lady. The woman looks up at Sandra with pleading eyes.
‘Please help me’ she sobs.
‘Don’t worry everything is going to be alright’
‘Hurry I’m pregnant.’
Sandra stops dead as she looks down at the tracks and spots some decapitated legs. She looks down at the women in sorrow as she realises who they belong to. The woman continues to plead for help as Sandra grabs her hand.
‘Don’t worry I’m here.’ She says.
The woman chokes as blood escapes her mouth. Her eyes roll back into her head as she gasps for breath. Sandra grips her hand harder as she shakes the women.
‘Stay with me’ Screams Sandra
The woman’s grip loosens from Sandra’s hand as her palms drop to her side. The woman’s frantic breathing ceases as Sandra lets go.
‘Shit’ Screams Sandra as she mourns the lost soul.
Ninety Three
‘I guess we will never know’ Laughs Chase as places the gun to the terrified girls head and pulls the trigger. The sound of the shot echoes as Eddie and Shaw watch in shock. The girls head snaps to the right as the muzzle flash explodes on screen. The temporary blinding light clears and reveals Connor smiling in self-satisfaction. He holsters his weapon.
‘You play a shoddy game Mr DA. I’m sure we will meet again at some point. Maybe then you can play your cards right, till then, I bid you farewell.’
Connor hangs the phone up leaving Shaw and Smith in shock as Eddie shakes uncontrollably. Chief Shaw pulls a chair up for Eddie to sit down. Shaw gently pushes Eddie into the seat. He grabs a flask from his jacket pocket and hands it over to Eddie who remains wide eyed.
Connor continues to pace on screen as he addresses the camera.
‘Now we have that out of the way I look forward to some phone calls from the people in charge of this show. I will continue to do things my way until I get what I want. The authorities know where I am and how to contact me. I expect them to get in touch me in the next hour or I will kill every single person in this building. Then I’ll be out of here and the government will have to explain why over three hundred people had to die at the hands of Connor Chase, looks like the whole “Not negotiating with terrorists” thing hasn’t panned out so far. What makes you think it’s going to get any better? You’ll be hearing from me soon’
The TV goes black as the broadcast ends. The room remains in shock as officers look on as Eddie stares at the screen. Shaw pats Eddie on the shoulder snapping him out of his daze. He looks at Shaw with dead eyes as he gets up from his chair and swigs the flask dry. He tosses the empty tin flask on the desk. It clangs as it swivels on the
wooden surface. Eddie slowly walks out towards the door of the incident room as a sea of officer’s part way for him. He stops at the door and turns around. He gives Shaw an apologetic look. He turns back to face the door and disappears through it. The room goes sour with silence as the officers look on in dismay.
Ninety Four
Officer Mullins hears another knock on the passenger window as he taps his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. He turns his head slowly, expecting to see his partner on his right standing woefully at the window. To his shock he sees Frank McKenzie waiting patiently. Mullins quickly unlocks the door allowing Frank in.
‘What are you doing here?’ Asks Mullins as he eye balls Frank’s serious domineer.
‘I was going to ask you the same thing’
‘Well don’t bother; I’m just sitting here doing nothing while the world goes to shit’
Frank laughs as he lights up a cigarette.
‘I feel your pain Officer Mullins.’
Frank clicks the ashtray open on the dashboard. He taps the cigarette’s end, shedding ash into the receptacle.
‘Truth is I don’t like sitting on my ass doing nothing.’ Says Mullins
‘We don’t have to’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m sure you have noticed how I may sway from given orders in some situations.’
Mullins smiles while checking his rear view mirror.
‘I can’t say I have noticed Frank’
‘Well start taking notice. You can either be with me or against me on this. I came to you because I trust you. You’re a good kid with a bright future in front of you, a future that won’t exist if we don’t stop this madness at once. If I was you I’d start the ignition and get out of here’
Ninety Five
‘I don’t care how long you think it’s going to take, just do what I tell you’ Screams Connor as he looks on at his men while they move some hostages over to the make shift studio. One of the guards is placing the familiar white sacks on the hostage’s heads as Connor moves over to the camera and looks through the viewfinder.