"
Kate didn't want to know, but she looked at her watch anyway.
"Nine-twenty," she answered.
"They got eleven minutes left, then."
"You think that'll work?"
"How do I know, shit-for-brains? If they want her alive, it'll work."
"You sure she's a prosecutor?"
"Hell, yeah, I'm sure."
The phone was still ringing as they reached it. Kate was first, with Orange Jumpsuit right behind her and the new guy behind him.
Orange Jumpsuit shoved her against the wall beside the phone. It rang again just then, setting her teeth on edge. Doing her best to tune it out, she rested against the cool plaster and tried to concentrate on getting her heart rate and breathing under control. Hyperventilating would do her no good at all. She had to keep her mind clear so she could come up with another plan.
Then, despairingly, she realized that a clear mind wasn't going to help her one bit because the sorry truth was that she was fresh out of ideas.
"Don't you even think about trying nothing," he said to her, letting go of her arm. The gun moved. Cold and hard and terrifying, its mouth nestled against the vulnerable side of her neck just below her jawline. She closed her eyes as he picked up the receiver, silencing the phone at last.
"Yeah?" he said into it. Then, a moment later, "Don't give me that crap. You ain't getting more time."
"Tell 'em you need money," the new guy said behind them. He was antsy now, jiggling on the balls of his feet. She could sense the movement, hear the rustle of his clothing. "A hundred thousand dollars, along with the helicopter."
"I want money, too," Orange Jumpsuit said into the phone. "A hundred thousand dollars. In cash, unmarked bills no bigger than twenties, waiting in the helicopter. And you're under ten minutes now." He listened, then said, "Sure. Talk to her. Long as you remember the clock's ticking."
Talk to her. Kate's eyes flew open.
Orange Jumpsuit pressed the receiver to his chest and glared at Kate.
"Says he wants to make sure you're alive," he said, trailing the mouth of the gun across her skin until it nestled below her ear, where her pulse beat against the bruising metal like a small, trapped bird. Her eyes were wide as they met his. She was breathing too fast, through parted lips. The feel of the gun against her skin was making her dizzy. One slip of his finger, or a single quick, deliberate squeeze, and she was history.
Will it hurt?
"Watch yourself, bitch, 'cause I'm watching you," he said.
Then he held the receiver to her ear.
Please, God. Please.
"Hello." Welling her parched lips, she spoke into the phone.
"Kate White? " a man asked in her ear. It was the cop from the courtroom, the one with the calm, reassuring eyes. His voice was calm and reassuring, too. She latched on to the steady strength he projected at her like a lifeline.
Must stay calm, must stay cool... Her knees went weak. Oh, God, don't let me die.
"Yes." She didn't know how long she would be allowed to talk, and she wanted to make sure she got the essentials across first. "I have a little boy" Despite her determination to remain cool and calm, her voice was no longer even. It was hoarse and cracked with fear, and her breathing was ragged. "I'm a single mother. Please give this man what he wants."
Orange Jumpsuit nodded at her approvingly. "We're going to do our best to get you out of there in one piece," the cop said. Orange Jumpsuit watched her intently. She thought that he could hear only her side of the conversation, but she couldn't be sure. "Are you the only hostage? "
"Yes." She thought of the bodies lying in the holding cell, and the other holding cell that she hadn't seen the inside of. "I think so."
Orange Jumpsuit frowned.
"That's enough."
He pulled the phone away from her. The gun dug in deeper. She could still feel her pulse beating frantically against the hard little metal circle. Taking a deep, shaken breath, she rested her cheek against the plaster and closed her eyes once more.
Please. Please.
Kate didn't want to know, but she looked at her watch anyway.
"Nine-twenty," she answered.
"They got eleven minutes left, then."
"You think that'll work?"
"How do I know, shit-for-brains? If they want her alive, it'll work."
"You sure she's a prosecutor?"
"Hell, yeah, I'm sure."
The phone was still ringing as they reached it. Kate was first, with Orange Jumpsuit right behind her and the new guy behind him.
Orange Jumpsuit shoved her against the wall beside the phone. It rang again just then, setting her teeth on edge. Doing her best to tune it out, she rested against the cool plaster and tried to concentrate on getting her heart rate and breathing under control. Hyperventilating would do her no good at all. She had to keep her mind clear so she could come up with another plan.
Then, despairingly, she realized that a clear mind wasn't going to help her one bit because the sorry truth was that she was fresh out of ideas.
"Don't you even think about trying nothing," he said to her, letting go of her arm. The gun moved. Cold and hard and terrifying, its mouth nestled against the vulnerable side of her neck just below her jawline. She closed her eyes as he picked up the receiver, silencing the phone at last.
"Yeah?" he said into it. Then, a moment later, "Don't give me that crap. You ain't getting more time."
"Tell 'em you need money," the new guy said behind them. He was antsy now, jiggling on the balls of his feet. She could sense the movement, hear the rustle of his clothing. "A hundred thousand dollars, along with the helicopter."
"I want money, too," Orange Jumpsuit said into the phone. "A hundred thousand dollars. In cash, unmarked bills no bigger than twenties, waiting in the helicopter. And you're under ten minutes now." He listened, then said, "Sure. Talk to her. Long as you remember the clock's ticking."
Talk to her. Kate's eyes flew open.
Orange Jumpsuit pressed the receiver to his chest and glared at Kate.
"Says he wants to make sure you're alive," he said, trailing the mouth of the gun across her skin until it nestled below her ear, where her pulse beat against the bruising metal like a small, trapped bird. Her eyes were wide as they met his. She was breathing too fast, through parted lips. The feel of the gun against her skin was making her dizzy. One slip of his finger, or a single quick, deliberate squeeze, and she was history.
Will it hurt?
"Watch yourself, bitch, 'cause I'm watching you," he said.
Then he held the receiver to her ear.
Please, God. Please.
"Hello." Welling her parched lips, she spoke into the phone.
"Kate White? " a man asked in her ear. It was the cop from the courtroom, the one with the calm, reassuring eyes. His voice was calm and reassuring, too. She latched on to the steady strength he projected at her like a lifeline.
Must stay calm, must stay cool... Her knees went weak. Oh, God, don't let me die.
"Yes." She didn't know how long she would be allowed to talk, and she wanted to make sure she got the essentials across first. "I have a little boy" Despite her determination to remain cool and calm, her voice was no longer even. It was hoarse and cracked with fear, and her breathing was ragged. "I'm a single mother. Please give this man what he wants."
Orange Jumpsuit nodded at her approvingly. "We're going to do our best to get you out of there in one piece," the cop said. Orange Jumpsuit watched her intently. She thought that he could hear only her side of the conversation, but she couldn't be sure. "Are you the only hostage? "
"Yes." She thought of the bodies lying in the holding cell, and the other holding cell that she hadn't seen the inside of. "I think so."
Orange Jumpsuit frowned.
"That's enough."
He pulled the phone away from her. The gun dug in deeper. She could still feel her pulse beating frantically against the hard little metal circle. Taking a deep, shaken breath, she rested her cheek against the plaster and closed her eyes once more.
Please. Please.
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