Silent Night Standoff

by Susan Sleeman

  “I’m not asking to take charge of the standoff,” Logan said. “But our agency has been tailing this pair for months now. My information could be invaluable in your efforts here.”

  “Fine,” Marsh said. “Speak only when asked and you can stay.”

  Right. Real team player.

  Schooling himself not to get mad, Logan followed Marsh to the mobile command center. The negotiator climbed the stairs after Marsh and Logan trailed them onboard the state-of-the-art truck.

  “Everybody,” March called out as he stepped to a communications suite holding three monitors, “the suit is Special Agent Hunter. He’s heading up the bureau’s investigation into Bonnie and Clyde.”

  Marsh snapped on a headset, then clamped a hand on the shoulder of a scrawny young man who sat behind a computer watching a live feed of the bank’s exterior from the truck’s rooftop camera.

  “Where’re we at, Darryl?” Marsh asked.

  Darryl didn’t look up from his keyboard. “Should be tapped into the bank security feed in a few seconds.”

  As Marsh stared over Darryl’s shoulder, Logan quickly assessed the team. The negotiator had stopped next to a control station for deploying robots, where a muscle-bound guy sat tapping his foot. The bombs guy, Logan suspected. A woman he assumed was the EMT checked supplies in the medical bay that formed the back of the truck. Everyone was somber and intense.

  “Okay, people.” Marsh turned to the group as he glanced at his watch. “We’re hitting the ten-minute mark since the call came in. Every second brings us closer to the outcome we’re hoping to avoid. Based on the robbers’ prior behavior, there’s a good chance of casualties here. Brady’s in place and ready to take the shot if necessary.”

  The sense of fear for their team member in the hands of two unpredictable and armed robbers hung in the air, and the mood darkened even more.

  “We’re in,” Darryl announced, drawing everyone’s attention. “Let me dial in on the action.” He clicked a few keys. Suddenly the screens lit with live footage from the bank’s interior.

  Logan focused on the monitor. Clyde flashed onto the screen, holding the negotiator at gunpoint. Logan’s mouth went dry, and his pulse skipped a beat.

  “Skyler? The negotiator inside is Skyler Brennan?” His strangled cry brought all eyes toward him.

  “You know Skyler?”

  Know her? He’d dated her for a year and had nearly let himself forget his goals and fall in love with her.

  “You’re her suit?” the EMT asked. “The one who dumped her?”

  Logan didn’t know how to answer, so he said nothing.

  “Darcie?” Marsh asked.

  “He dated Skyler before she joined the squad. Chose his career over her and moved away for the job. Guess he’s back now.” Darcie’s acerbic tone conveyed what she thought of him.

  She kept watching him, so he turned his attention back to the screen. As he focused on Skyler’s brave face, his pulse beat triple time. She looked the same. Short, curvy with red hair. She had a sweet girl-next-door face devoid of any makeup. Her hair was currently secured in two small pigtails that gave her a pixie look.

  Vulnerable. The word shot into his brain as a chill iced him over. She’d been training for a position like this when he’d met her, but as a woman in a largely male field, and with only three years as a detective under her belt, he never really thought she’d get the job. Or maybe the real issue was he’d avoided thinking about the danger a negotiator’s job involved to keep his fears at bay.

  She didn’t act afraid. She appeared calm and in control, her attention fixed on Clyde, who had his gun sighted on her.

  It seemed as if the room collectively drew in, then held a breath, waiting for their sniper to take Clyde out. No response. No crack of a rifle disturbing the peace.

  “Can’t you people do something?” Logan asked, surprised that his voice was as panicked as a scared little girl. “Clyde’s not averse to killing.”

  Marsh eyed him. “Skyler knows to give us a signal if she’s in danger.”

  Or not. “She’s not a negotiator now. She’s a hostage just like the others. She might have sound training, but the stress she’s under means she’s not 100 percent in there.”

  “I’ve got it covered,” Marsh said calmly. “If I think lives are in danger, I won’t wait for Skyler’s signal. I’ll give the go-ahead for Brady to fire.”

  Logan appreciated Marsh’s calm approach and his willingness to step in if Skyler faltered, but it did nothing to relieve Logan’s helpless feeling. He wanted to control the team. Make them act when seeing one of their own in danger didn’t seem to faze them.

  The atmosphere was tense, the space closing in on him, the air disappearing, and they just stood. Calmly. Watching it happen. A necessary trait for a squad called to respond to all sorts of emergencies, but Logan wouldn’t—couldn’t—do the same thing.

  Not now. Not when Skyler’s life was on the line.

  TWO

  Skyler ignored Clyde’s bruising grip on her arm as he dragged her across the space and out of view of the others. He released her arm, and she sagged to the floor.

  “Are you sure about this?” Bonnie yelled from the other side of the room where she continued to guard hostages.

  “Positive.” Clyde glared at Skyler. “We’re better off with her alive. For now, anyway. She’s friends with the cops. We can use her connections to get out of here.” He grabbed her purse and started pawing through it.

  Praising God for the reprieve, Skyler gulped in deep breaths, but the sun’s warm rays beating through the window ratcheted up the tension already sizzling through the room, making it hard to breathe. To think. To act. For her and the robbers. Especially Bonnie. She was losing it, barking orders at the other hostages, her voice high and shrill. With every second that passed, she behaved more erratically and was clearly heading for a meltdown.

  “Oh, yeah! Better than I thought.” Clyde pulled his hand out and held up her deputy’s shield and gun for Bonnie to see. “She’s one of them. Her name’s Skyler Brennan. Dep-u-tee Skyler Brennan.”

  Bonnie shot across the room, her gaze darting about, her expression that of a trapped animal. She stopped next to Clyde where they could keep an eye on Skyler and the other hostages at the same time.

  “I don’t like this, Marty,” Bonnie whispered loudly enough for Skyler to hear.

  Marty? His name’s Marty?

  “Relax, Nicole,” Marty whispered back, though he danced on the balls of the feet, proving he wasn’t the least bit relaxed himself.

  Good. They didn’t think Skyler could hear them. Now she knew both of their names. Not that she’d use them now. It would spook them more. But if they somehow managed to evade capture and Skyler got out of there alive, detectives would have a solid lead to go on.

  “Brennan’s our ticket out of here,” Marty continued, louder now. “They’ll never try to hurt us with her as our hostage.”

  Ha! Shows what they know. If Skyler gave FRS sniper Brady Owens the signal, he would fire. Didn’t matter if she was threatened. Didn’t matter if she might die in the process. He was trained to shoot the moment she tugged on her earlobe. Jake was the only person who could override the signal.

  “So let’s get on with it, then.” Nicole turned to go back to her post.

  Skyler couldn’t let Nicole walk away and miss this opportunity to encourage their surrender. “There’s another solution,” Skyler offered calmly.

  Nicole snorted. “Like we’d listen to you.”

  Skyler infused her tone with sincerity. “Despite what you think, I care about your safety and don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “We won’t,” Nicole fired back. “Not with you as our shield.”

  “See, there’s where you’re wrong. I can’t protect
both of you from all sides. You’ve always gotta worry about a bullet from some rogue cop trying to make a name for himself by bringing in Bonnie and Clyde. Or even a panicked rookie. Surrendering right now is the only way to guarantee you won’t get hurt.”

  Nicole clapped her hands over her ears. “Shut up. Just shut up already.” She scrunched her eyes closed for a long moment, then opened them and lowered her hands. “C’mon, Clyde. We gotta move before the cops get better organized.”

  “Start Brennan heading to the back door. I’ll get the bag.” He jogged to the counter.

  Nicole raised her weapon and stepped forward. “Over there, Brennan. Next to preggers.”

  Skyler didn’t think Nicole really planned to shoot her, but as time passed, she’d become shaky and sweaty. Likely her drugs were wearing off. With the bank surrounded by law enforcement, she was desperate. Unstable. Skyler had best do as asked.

  “It’s not too late to surrender,” Skyler suggested as she started to rise. “I’ll make sure you get a fair hearing.”

  “Ha!” Nicole’s eyes flashed in anger. “I’m not going to jail. Not when we have you. We’ll head out the back just like L.A.”

  Skyler remembered hearing about L.A., where the hostages were killed in a shoot-out with the police. “That didn’t end so well.”

  “We came out just fine. Didn’t we, Bonnie?” Marty winked at Nicole.

  She nodded. “And we will again. It’s better than waiting here for your buddies to storm the bank.”

  “Okay.” Marty hefted the bag onto his shoulder. “Let’s do it.”

  Skyler needed to try one more time to stop them. “Don’t do this. Listen to me. If you surrender now, I can guarantee you won’t be shot, but in the alley I—”

  “Shut up!” Nicole screamed, her eyes wide as she charged at Skyler. “We know what we’re doing. I’ve had about enough of your double-talk. We don’t need your help. Just.” She raised her gun and poked the barrel into Skyler’s forehead, and she could almost smell Nicole’s desperation. “Shut.” She moved closer. “Up.”

  She’d lost control. Skyler shot a quick look at Marty, hoping for his help in calming Nicole.

  A gunshot split the quiet. The window shattered. Glass exploded through the air.

  The gun jerked from Skyler’s head. She turned her gaze back to Nicole, but heard a loud thump even before she saw Nicole lying on the floor, a fatal gunshot wound to her head. Brady.

  “No!” Marty screamed. “Nicole!” He dropped the bag and raced to Nicole. He checked her pulse though there was no way she could’ve survived.

  Jake must’ve thought Nicole planned to kill her and given Brady the order to take the shot. It was an order he rarely gave, and one that haunted him every time.

  “This is your fault.” Marty glared at Skyler. “You did this. You killed her. If you hadn’t made that call...” His eyes were wild now. Crazy and panicked. Breathing hard, his gaze darted around the space. He jumped to his feet, grabbed Skyler’s hair and dragged them both out of sniper range.

  At the teller window, he released her and snatched her phone from the counter. “Let’s see what your buddy Jake thinks about this.”

  As he fumbled with her phone, Skyler checked on the hostages. Red and perspiring, Faith fanned her face. The others seemed too stunned to move. At least they were spared seeing Nicole’s body.

  “Big mistake. Big, big mistake,” Marty yelled into the phone. “You have three minutes to clear the alley of cops. You got it? Or I start killing the hostages one by one.”

  Sharp gasps and sobs came from the group.

  “C’mon, Marty—talk to me,” Jake said calmly over the phone’s speaker. “We can work this out.”

  “It’s too late for working anything out. In three—no, make that two minutes and forty-five seconds—I’m heading out the back door with your girl, Brennan. I want all barricades removed. If I see an officer or even smell one of you anywhere near the alley, she will die instantly. You got that? Instantly.” He hung up before Jake could pass the phone to Archer to begin negotiations as protocol dictated.

  Marty looked at Faith. “Get the bag.”

  “I c-can’t. Please. My baby.”

  “Now!” he screamed.

  “You can do it, Faith,” Skyler encouraged.

  Sobbing, Faith struggled to her feet and picked up the bag. Skyler wanted to offer to take it, but Marty had clearly reached the end of his rope. Any word from her might set him off. If they were in sniper range and she was in a position to signal Brady, she’d be tugging her ear, but Marty knew to stay back. He took the bag from Faith and harnessed it across his chest.

  “You first,” he said to Faith. “Get in front of me.”

  Faith complied, and Marty stepped behind Skyler. He shoved her toward Faith, but Skyler held her ground. If Marty got them outside, she feared they could be killed just like the hostages in the L.A. standoff.

  “Fine, stand there.” He jabbed the gun in the back of her head. “It’s no skin off my nose. I have plenty of other hostages to choose from. I’m more than happy to make you pay for Nicole’s death right here, right now. Or you can make yourself useful and buy a few hours before I pull the trigger. Your choice, but either way, Dep-u-tee, you’re going to die today.”

  * * *

  In the alley behind the bank, Logan could still hear the crack of the gunshot. Feel his stomach cramping as the blast reverberated through the air. He wanted to charge toward the threat to see if Skyler was okay. Instead, he’d moved into the shadows in case Bonnie or Clyde came out the back door as they’d done in L.A.

  Clearly, the officers stationed at the mouth of the alley didn’t possess this bit of intel. If they did, they’d insist on joining Logan. He wouldn’t volunteer it, either. Not when one of them might be the rookie who’d escalated the standoff. Logan couldn’t risk Skyler’s life. He was better off handling the takedown alone. If the robbers exited with Skyler or another hostage, Logan could save the hostage and arrest Bonnie and Clyde, thus securing his promotion. A win-win for everyone.

  The cops suddenly sprang into action, putting Logan on full alert. They shot a quick look down the alley then disappeared from view. It was odd that they’d taken off, but maybe the gunshot meant the standoff was over. Or they were moving to a more strategic location. Logan wasn’t going anywhere until he was certain Bonnie and Clyde weren’t walking out this door.

  He waited, gun at the ready, listening for any sound. With the usual traffic for this area cordoned off, it was eerily quiet. Time slowed to a trickle, the only sound the beat of Logan’s heart thrumming in his ears. As he was ready to step out and reevaluate, a wailing alarm sounded from the back door’s emergency exit bar.

  He expected legions of cops to race down the alley, but the only movement he saw was the door slowly swinging open. A pregnant woman stepped out, a hairy arm snug around her neck, a handgun to her head.

  Clyde? Had the sniper missed? What happened to Skyler?

  Holding his breath, Logan sighted his weapon.

  Hunched over, his head buried behind the pregnant woman for protection, Clyde exited next. A woman’s arms were wrapped around his waist from the back.

  Bonnie?

  The trio continued in an awkward dance until Logan could finally identify Skyler as the woman in the rear. Where is Bonnie? Would she be following them in a moment, flanked by other hostages, or had she been taken out by the sniper?

  Near the middle of the alley, the pregnant woman wobbled before dropping to her knees, keeling over in a faint. Clyde immediately pulled Skyler in front of him and put his back to the wall.

  Logan needed to unsettle him again before he could lift his gun against Skyler. “FBI! Freeze!”

  Clyde spun, dropped his arm from Skyler’s waist and aimed his weapon at Logan.

 
“Drop it or I’ll shoot!” Logan shouted.

  “Logan?” Skyler cried out in surprise.

  Clyde cocked his weapon. Logan fired. Skyler karate-chopped Marty’s arm. His gun flew from his hand and skittered across the asphalt. His gasp of pain hunched him over, but he recovered quickly and grabbed Skyler’s arm. He pulled her to his chest, using her as a shield and blocking Logan from getting off another shot. As Logan started closing in on his position, Clyde clearly knew his time was running out.

  “Don’t think this is over, Brennan,” he screamed at her. “You will pay for Bonnie’s death.” He shoved her hard and took off.

  Skyler’s arms flailed out, trying to regain her balance, as Clyde ran toward the other end of the alley. Logan set off in pursuit, but came to a halt when Skyler slammed into a Dumpster and ricocheted off, plummeting to the ground. Her head connected with a concrete barrier, and she landed by the pregnant woman.

  “Skyler,” he said, rushing to her side. She looked up at him for a long moment, her eyes going wide, then closing, and his heart refused to beat.

  THREE

  Blinding pain sliced through the back of Skyler’s skull, blocking out all clear thought. She felt strong arms lift her from the ground and place her on a gurney. The movement increased her pain, and it was all she could do to hold back a cry of distress.

  “Will she be okay?” Logan asked, his deep rumbling voice echoing down the alley.

  Why is he here?

  He’d left town two years ago after breaking up with her, and she hadn’t seen him since. Maybe this was all a bad dream and she’d wake up soon. She still dreamed of him sometimes. Pleasant dreams of working on the shelter’s Christmas party together. Something they’d done at this time of year. Would still be doing if he hadn’t left her. Holding hands. Smiling. Then she’d wake up, remember and feel betrayed all over again.