by Dwayne Gill
“You’re just in time for the show,” said Vinson as he clicked his earpiece. “Travis, Mick, Rick, prepare the victims.”
Marcene didn’t bat an eye, though Vinson was sure she was already privy to the dire situations of the captives at every location. She stopped when she was ten feet away and rested her weight on one leg.
“You ready for the show?” asked Vinson. “Let’s see. In Florida I have Swelling, Barkley, Tina, and Shauna. They’re all very important people to Cane. But that’s not all. I have—”
“I know,” said Marcene, cutting him off. “You think I’m not aware?”
Vinson grinned. “So you’re here to bargain for their lives?”
“No,” said Marcene. She had a mischievous look. “I’m here to offer you a bargain for your life.”
Vinson stared at her blankly, wondering what sort of trick she was playing. “Is that right? Tell me more.”
Marcene was dressed in a coat, and she clutched, threatening to open it. “Do it slowly,” said Vinson. She pulled back the seams to reveal a belt around her waist. It was innocent-looking until Vinson saw the nodules spaced every few inches, and in the center, in place of a buckle, was a digital display, which was blank.
“Explosives,” said Marcene. “They’re designed to take out a small building. If I release this trigger, we all disappear in a cloud of dust.” She grasped a metal cylinder, which he assumed was the pressurized trigger.
Vinson knew the woman could obtain such equipment and likely had the will to use it. After all, it had been her life’s desire to stop him and his men. “Why not do it then?” he asked. “You have me here, alone. It’s your chance. Send us both to hell.”
Marcene looked pained, like part of her wanted to do just as Vinson suggested. However, there was something else, maybe conflict inside her, and this amused Vinson. “You’re really trying to save their lives,” he said. “Before, you would have done anything to take my life, even sacrificed your own. You’ve become weak, Marcene.”
Her smile impressed him. It reminded him of his own charm, the kind able to win someone’s confidence and strike fear at the same time. “If I kill you, your lieutenants will just proceed as planned, without you,” said Marcene. “Your life isn’t as valuable as you think.”
Vinson doubted she believed that, but maybe she was in denial. Perhaps she didn’t want to admit that if Vinson killed Cane and Daniel’s friends, it would handicap the men for good. Vinson was prepared to give his life for the cause if it meant taking Cane and Daniel out of the picture, but he was conflicted. Killing Marcene would make a bigger impact overall on the men in the long run, and he wanted her dead more than anything. There was, however, a lot to consider.
“You want me to spare their friends’ lives in return for yours?” asked Vinson.
Marcene curtsied. “It’s the deal of a lifetime for you.”
Vinson grinned. “It’s tempting. However, I have no way of knowing you won’t release that trigger once I move my men away.”
Marcene laughed. “You think I haven’t thought this through? Remember who you’re dealing with.” She reached slowly to her belt with her off-hand. “I have these explosives synchronized with ones hidden in the walls of the mansion in Naperville. If we go, they go too.”
For a moment, Vinson wished this woman were someone different, a person he didn’t hate, for she was magnificent. She never ceased to amaze him with her strange methods. “You’d blow up the people who Cane and Daniel cherish most? Why am I not surprised?”
“Either you’ll let them live or you won’t,” said Marcene. “We both know there’s no in between. If you refuse, they’ll die anyway; it’ll just be by my hand instead of yours, and you’ll die along with them.”
“I don’t know if these explosives exist in that house,” said Vinson.
“Call Rick, get him to look. I’ll even start a five-minute timer so he can verify they’re synced up,” said Marcene. She touched her buckle, initiating a five-minute countdown on the display.
Vinson called Rick as Marcene relayed the locations of specific places to find the charges. After a few minutes, Vinson ended the call. “Stop the timer,” he said to Marcene. “Rick verified the explosives are there.”
Marcene pressed her buckle, and the display went blank. “Let’s talk.”
Rick had even verified the charges were embedded in the steel frame of the panic room, confirming that even the occupants within would perish if the explosives were detonated. Rick knew quite a bit about them, so there was no bluffing going on here. Marcene was prepared to take the lives at the Naperville house, and his too, if needed.
There wasn’t a real choice to be made, for the lieutenants needed his leadership, no matter what Marcene thought. Even if his fate weren’t in the balance, he’d still take the trade. Marlene’s life was far more precious than the ones he was prepared to take.
Vinson had to act quickly, for his men were about to begin their executions. “It’s a deal. Your life for theirs.” He held out his hand. “I’ll need that belt.”
Marcene laughed. “Get comfortable, Vinson. I have my men watching. Once your guys leave their locations and distance themselves, I’m all yours.” Vinson sneered as she continued. “I can’t double-cross you,” she said. “If your men leave, I still can’t detonate the explosives without killing Cane and Daniel’s people.”
Vinson took a deep breath. This was the only way. “I want visual proof the people in that panic room don’t leave the house.” For all he knew, she’d evacuate them once Rick left and set off the charges, blowing them both up, along with the empty house.
“There are cameras in the house,” said Marcene. “I’ll let you log in to them to watch.”
Vinson nodded. “Then we have a deal.” He conference-called Rick, Travis, and Mick, reporting the change of plans. Just as he’d expected, all three were elated to hear about the capture of Marcene. Vinson didn’t mention the explosives to Mick or Travis, for he didn’t want to spook them.
“Travis, give Agent Barkley a way to remove her bonds,” said Vinson. “Rick, take your men and leave. Mick, proceed as planned. Kill Hart, Bowman, and the others.”
Marcene extended her hand so quickly that Vinson feared he wouldn’t be able to stop her from dropping the trigger. He reached out his hand, motioning her to stop. “I cannot spare the others. If they live, it exposes my whole plan.”
Marcene hesitated, obviously torn, and for a moment, Vinson thought she would detonate the charges. She was furious, but he saw a look of understanding, for she knew Vinson wouldn’t compromise. “Blow me up, darling, if you wish, but I will not sabotage my life’s plans.”
Marcene gripped hard, but after a few moments she relaxed. “Your men better make good distance from those captives,” she said. “I’ll give them an hour to check in.” She playfully wiggled the trigger in her hand. “You don’t know how badly I’d like to have a reason to blow these charges.”
Yes, I do, thought Vinson.
*
NOW
October 2, 2028
11:20 p.m. CST
CIA Building, Herald Harbor, Maryland
Hart didn’t know what was happening; moments ago, Mick had held a gun to Roman’s head, one of the agents, but stopped to take a call. After a spirited conversation and what seemed like a victory celebration, Hart thought the situation had changed. However, following another moment of discussion, Mick ended the call, walked back to Roman, and shot him in the back of the head.
Hart cringed when he saw the agent fall forward, and he knew they were doomed. He considered making a last offensive stand, but he’d counted eight marked men in the room, not including the ones upstairs. There was no use, other than dying with dignity.
Mick walked to the next agent in line, Stanley, and pointed his gun, but before he could fire, Hart heard the magical sound of E-SCARS firing. Shots rang out from the direction of the underground entrance, and it was a lot of firepower. The hall opened into
the large area where they were being held, and as the firing continued, Hart could tell men were flanking around into better positions.
Hart hugged the floor, as did the rest of the captives, trying to avoid any crossfire. The marked men in the room began jerking and falling, and some of them returned fire, while others scrambled for cover. They hit Mick three times in the surprise ambush; he fell beside Bowman. The veteran bit the fallen lieutenant’s face and head-butted him violently. Hart wished their hands weren’t bound, for he’d love to see Bowman choke him out, but at least the old soldier had prevented Mick from returning to the battle. Someone kicked Mick’s gun away, leaving the lieutenant unarmed and trying desperately to wield off Bowman’s barbaric attacks.
The assault only lasted a minute, for the ambush had been orchestrated perfectly, not allowing the marked men to form a resistance. The most surprising guests Hart saw were the two Metal Storms, although the men wielding them had used them cautiously because of the hostages caught in the middle.
After the battle ended, Hart looked up to see an officer approaching, surrounded by army rangers who were dressed to kill. Hart almost wept with joy at the miraculous moment.
The officer walked past him, straight to Mick, where four rangers held him at gunpoint and detained him. Next, the officer bent down and spoke to Bowman. “You look like shit,” he said. Bowman laughed and tried to give him the finger but couldn’t. “Get the captain up and out of these restraints,” he said to some other rangers.
Plumber was smiling as more men helped him and Hart up. “Colonel Mathis called me earlier,” Plumber said to Hart.
“You knew he was coming?” asked Hart.
“Hell, no,” said Plumber. “I had no idea we could trust him, so I blew him off.”
Hart wondered what had happened, but for the moment, he couldn’t care less. They were alive, which was enough for him. However, off to the side he saw Vernon Blake, which explained how Mathis and crew had found them and accessed the lower level.
“We can’t linger, gentlemen,” said Mathis. “There’s a bunch of dead marked men upstairs, but who knows how many are in the area.” He introduced himself to everyone who didn’t know him. “I rounded up my best rangers to save your asses. Now we need a place to hide. We’re all in the same deep shit now.”
Hart knew what he meant. The colonel had risked his career pulling this stunt, as well as the soldiers who’d taken part.
“We gotta get you all medical attention, but first we get out of here and figure out who’s on our team,” said Mathis.
Bowman and Webb embraced, and the CIA agent suddenly didn’t look so bad. In fact, he was laughing and acting like a normal guy.
“Director Plumber,” said Mathis. “Welcome to anarchy. I think after tonight, we don’t have our jobs.”
“Welcome to my world,” said Hart. “At least we have each other.”
Countdown
October 3, 2028
12:25 a.m. EST
Miami, Florida
Barkley held Tina while Swelling comforted Shauna; both kids were shaking and crying. Barkley had freed herself and the others then checked the house to make sure they were alone, for she was skeptical about their sudden turn of fortune. Swelling had been just as emotional as the two girls, and Barkley found it hard to imagine what the former cop had been through.
Though shaken, Barkley’s survival instincts had kicked in, and she was calm. Her time to grieve and release emotion would catch up to her, but for now all that mattered was keeping these victims safe.
Barkley wished she could erase the girls’ memories of the past hours, but unfortunately, Tina and Shauna would have to live with their latest trauma for the rest of their lives. At least they’re alive to battle it, thought Barkley.
Barkley knew they couldn’t linger, for although everything seemed normal around them, they couldn’t risk staying at the scene. She watched Swelling’s stiff movements, hoping the woman could walk on her own, and even better, carry one of the children.
As Barkley hunted for her phone, it rang, revealing its location in the living room. After retrieving it from the side table, she saw it was Hart and answered excitedly, glad to know he was okay.
“Barkley? Are you all right?” asked Hart. “Thank God you’re alive.”
Barkley could barely speak through her clouded emotions and wished she could throw her arms around him. “Swelling and the girls are okay. We’re leaving the house in Miami right now.”
“What happened?” asked Hart.
“One lieutenant had us all tied up,” said Barkley. “He had his gun pointed, ready to shoot, but he let us go. I don’t know what happened, but…” Barkley sobbed, unable to finish the sentence. Her nerves had finally reached their breaking point, and it felt good to release her stress.
“Shh…” said Hart. “It’s okay. You’re all okay.”
Though his words were simple, Barkley found comfort in them. She gathered herself and patted Tina’s back. The girl had looked up at her with sad eyes.
“We have Bowman and Webb,” said Hart. “There was a huge battle here. William’s colonel showed up with a bunch of rangers and cleared them out.”
Barkley’s despair turned instantly to excitement. “That’s great. Was Vinson there?”
“No,” said Hart dejectedly. “We caught one of the lieutenants, though.”
It thrilled Barkley to hear about their successful venture, but she realized she was again delaying. “We’ve gotta go, Lance. We can’t stay here. Where are we meeting?”
“Call Daniel,” said Hart. “They’re still in Eglin, as far as I know. When you’re all together, we’ll figure it out from there.”
Barkley flinched. “Wait. Is everything okay at Calvin’s?”
“I don’t know,” said Hart. “We’re still sorting everything out. Just get those kids to safety.”
Barkley agreed. She ended the call and hugged Tina tightly to her. “Let’s get out of here.” The girl looked at her with tear-filled eyes and smiled. Swelling was up and moving slowly, but had a firm, motherly hold of Shauna. “Let’s go,” said Barkley. As she exited the house, she saw her rental car sitting down the street where she had left it and breathed a sigh of relief.
*
October 2, 2028
11:30 p.m. CST
Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Daniel still couldn’t reach anyone at Calvin’s, but he hoped they were okay. He and the others had witnessed the miracles at the other locations as they livestreamed, which had everyone pumped up. William was talking to Webb and Mathis on the phone at this moment while Daniel tried to call Cane again. He didn’t answer, but Daniel realized Cane was likely talking to Bowman, understandably so.
What had almost been the ultimate nightmare had taken a sudden turn, and no one yet knew what had happened. The quick shift in fortune for Barkley, Swelling, and the two girls had been the most puzzling, but Daniel also couldn’t get the image of Calvin’s house out of his head. The footage had been brief but encouraging. Daniel hoped at any second they’d receive word that Calvin and the gang were fine, but until then, he was tense and worried.
When his phone rang, he was glad to see Barkley’s number. Daniel was surprised to hear her so calm after such a tense situation, but he’d come to expect no less of her. She’d proven herself a true warrior.
“Is everyone okay?” asked Daniel.
“Yes, we’re all fine,” said Barkley. “Are you still in Eglin?”
“Yep,” said Daniel. “The livestream delayed us.”
Barkley sounded surprised. “You were watching it all unfold?”
“Yes,” said Daniel, now wishing he hadn’t mentioned it. “Vinson was broadcasting all locations. You talked to Hart, right?”
Barkley sounded even more flustered. “What locations? There was the house we were at and Hart’s, but what other? You said all locations.”
Daniel gulped. Stop talking, you idiot. “They broadcasted Calvin’s house, to
o, but only for a second. We think something didn’t go as planned for Vinson. We haven’t been able to reach anyone, though.”
Barkley sighed. “Okay. Well, can you please meet us in Miami? That’s not too far from Eglin. We don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course,” said Daniel. “We’re on our way. Meet us at the airport.”
“Be careful,” said Barkley. “You’re still a very wanted man.”
“I’ll wear my sunglasses,” said Daniel. “No one will ever recognize me.” He heard Barkley chuckle under her breath as she ended the call.
“Let’s go, boys!” said Daniel. “Get this bird in the air. We’re headed to Miami.”
*
October 2, 2028
11:30 p.m. CST
Naperville, Illinois
“We can’t just stay in here,” said Natalie. “What if they come back?”
She was right. Calvin had seen nothing on the cameras since Rick’s abrupt exit, but the thought of this being a trap was still weighing on him. “I’ve got an idea,” he said. “We open the door. Zeke watches the cameras. I’ll exit and call everyone to see if they know what’s happening. If Zeke sees anything, I’ll just run back inside.”
“Perfect,” said Natalie. “Let’s do it.”
As Calvin stepped outside the door, he had the strangest feeling; the house almost seemed haunted. The once cozy fortress had been desecrated and littered with debris. Even the walls were damaged from Rick’s tantrum.
Calvin wasted no time making a conference call to Daniel, Cane, Hart, and Barkley, though it took a few extra seconds for each person to connect. Once they were on the line, Calvin realized it might not have been the best idea, for the parties were all talking at once, making it impossible to understand.
“Wait,” said Calvin. “Please, just listen for a moment.” When it got quiet, he related the events from earlier leading up to where they were. Calvin could sense the tension on the line, everyone aware of how fortunate Calvin and the rest were to be alive. “Now we’re in the panic room, afraid to leave. Does anyone know what happened?”