A gunshot and the red headed man fell to his knees, then flat on his chest, not feeling his face hit the cement.
"I mean it, another dies in fourteen minutes," Billy shouted, pulling Peter back inside. Once within the safety of the walls, Billy put his mouth to Peter's ear. "Want to know why I don't kill you, cop? Cause, I know they won't come in after me as long as you're here."
The wicked laugh followed Peter back to the injured as he mentally checked on Annie. She was still in the far corner, controlling the fear that threatened to break loose.
***
Quickly moving, the small unit of SWAT team members removed the newest victim. The news cameras recorded every movement, zooming in on the man who had died in front of them. Ratings soared when blood and mayhem were shown, regardless of the feelings of family members who watched from a distance.
"What did he say?" Kermit asked as Dakota turned around to face his friends and colleagues.
Dakota relayed the information. "Kermit, he said to ask you about John and the bank. What bank?"
"About three years ago, Karen and Peter's father were held hostage in a bank robbery. A guard was injured. The only way we could infiltrate the bank was by Peter…That's it! We need to send in some paramedics…or at least a few cops dressed as medics."
Newman shook his head. "I can't allow civilians to go in there. He's already killed at least two, who knows how many more inside. And with six gunmen in there…no, it's too dangerous."
"Damn it, Captain!" Simms seethed. "We have less than thirteen minutes before someone else is killed. He's already proved he doesn't care if he kills a hundred. What are the chances of getting up a million dollars?"
Mary Margaret pushed her way forward. "We've been studying the layout. The sections between floors are wide enough for some people to get in there and spray gas into the room through the ducts. There are rafters that are strong enough to support the weight of about six people."
"But what if they notice the gas and start shooting people? What good would it do then?" Jody asked, following the plan, playing the devil's advocate.
"Then that's where our fake medics come in. They can create a diversion. Dakota, can you get Peter to get into a fight? That'll keep them occupied while we get the gas ready," Kermit explained, for the first time smiling with satisfaction of doing something.
Finally seeing the plan might work, Newman agreed. "Hollis, Yank!" he yelled at two nearby officers. Putting his arms around each man's shoulders, he began to tell what he needed them to do.
***
Kermit, Jody, and three other officers, one with a bomb dog, made their way to the Mayor's office while Dakota, Mary Margaret and Karen Simms backed up to the waiting ambulances down the block, out of view from reporters and the abductors.
Entering the empty building, the five watched where they walked, aware of the bombs in the building. The dog and his handler searched for the bombs while Kermit switched on the intercom to the council chambers.
"Mr. Liggin, this is Dr. Sanders. I would like to bring in some medical personnel and myself to help with the injured. I promise, no tricks," Jody said into the small black box.
"Why should I?" Billy answered back, screaming into the air as more whimpering from a frightened woman was let out.
Jody looked at Kermit for an answer, only to have him shrug. "B-Because, when your demands are met, you promised to let the people go. I could probably help some of them. Please, It'll be just me and two assistants, all right?"
They could hear someone pleading with the leader, "you promised, Billy."
"Yeah, yeah. All right, but if I even think it's a trap, I'll kill every last one of ya, you hear me?"
Smiling at the deceit, Jody nodded. "Good, thank you. We'll come through the front door in about," she looked at her watch, only ten minutes before the next killing, "about three minutes. I've already got my bags ready."
***
Mary Margaret pulled the stretcher ladened with medical gear as Dakota guided the backend of the bed on wheels. The foursome walked quickly to the set of double doors, their cargo of gauze bandages, tape, and blankets lightly vibrating with the movement.
One door slowly opened, a muzzle of a gun protruding from the crack and aimed in their direction.
"We only agreed to three of y'all coming in," a faceless voice said, menacingly.
Beside the stretched, walking between Mary Margaret and Dakota were two women. Captain Simms, dressed in the same blue shirt and dark slacks as Dakota and behind her was a doctor who had come to the crisis in an ambulance, ready to set up a triage area.
Her dark eyes and black hair accentuated her Asian features, though her height gave an indication of Western ancestry also. "I'm Dr. Sanders. I need my assistant and these two paramedics can help also," she said as she stepped from behind Simms.
"You only need one medic," the voice continued after a pause as words, undiscernable from the rescuer's distance, came from deep inside the building. "You," he motioned to Mary Margaret, "you can go back to your ambulance and play with yourself." The unseen gunman laughed at his joke then began to open the door wider as the rescuers came closer and Mary Margaret backed away.
Fear was so great in the room, that the threesome could feel it as soon as they entered. A face now belonged to the voice from the door as they stepped in. The man continued to hold his gun on them as another searched the packages and small black bag on the stretcher. After that, he patted down each member, assuring his fellow abductors of no threat.
They were led to the council floor, to the corner where the hostages were. Peter watched them, looking for Dakota to signal what was happening. Simms walked to the back of the stretcher, preparing to remove some bandages, relieving Dakota to have his hands free.
Dakota moved to Jessie, his hands trembled as he touched her clammy skin. Forcing himself to focus on his assigned task, he looked over at Peter and made a few quick signs after first assuring himself that he was not being watched.
"You killed her!" Peter shouted as he lunged for Dakota. Strong hands squeezed Dakota's neck, though it only appeared he was hampering his airway.
Paul was stunned at his son's attack for a moment. As the shock quickly faded, he realized the ruse and moved toward the two fighters as Dakota brought his hands up from his chest, between his assailants arms and pushed outwards against Peter's forearms.
His grip loosened, Peter scrambled for another hold.
"Stop it!" Tommy yelled as he glanced over at the pale woman Peter had been holding onto. Looking hard at her chest to see if she was breathing, he didn't suspect an attack.
Mark edged closer as Paul tried to hold Peter back, only to be shoved aside by both fighters. "I put money on the injun."
As Peter and Dakota fought, blocking and jabbing when needed, Karen used the stretched as a shield, placing it between her and the injured and the fight. Looking around, she saw that none of the abductors watched her hand unzip the vinyl covering on the stretcher and remove a small gun.
***
Kermit held his hand down, helping Jody into the ceiling. They followed the SWAT team members as they crawled on hands and knees through the space between ceiling and floor. Cobwebs and dust motes danced and stuck to the team members, their minds intent on their duty, ignoring the environment.
Their equipment consisted of a tiny light held to the side of their head by a band, along with a small microphone that allowed them to talk to each other and those on the outside without shouting or using a bulking handy talkie.
Small packs on their backs missed brushing the low ceiling by merely inces. One man had a tear gas thrower while everyone else had guns. The packs contained ammo and first aid supplies as well as tear gas granades.
Following their planned path, each person split off, going to a vent shaft and sitting, watching, waiting.
Kermit and Jody were the last to their vents. Pulling their gas masks from their pack, the members of the team heard the signal…a fight in the room below them.
Looking at his watch, Kermit noted only three minutes before the next killing, then spoke only one word into his mouthpiece, "Now."
***
Paul pulled his son away from Dakota as the abductors gathered around. The hostages in the gallery looked around, with a few brave ones making a plan to use the distraction for escape.
Still sitting quietly in the corner, Annie stiffened as she smelled the tiny wiff of odor. Her unseeing eyes looked up, allowing her to trace the smell to the vent above her. She recognized the odor and smiled. Paul had come home one time with the same smell after going through a house that had been gassed in an attempt to rescue a child who had been held prisoner by his distraught father.
Two businessmen rushed the lone guard at the door as the gunman's eyes started to close. His position had left him under a vent which had been placed at the door to warm or cool the air as people entered and exited the building.
Billy was the first to realize something was wrong when he watched Mark move slowly and laugh uncharacteristically. Billy's mind slowed, acknowledging the ceiling tiles being removed too late and gian spiders descending from the black holes.,p>
Seeing and hearing the abductors change had Peter, Dakota, and Paul rush the nearest gunmen as the rescuers dropped to the ground with weapons drawn on the last two abductors.
A round kick and knife hand took Billy out within moments of Peter's assault. Dakota punched and lunged with skill as he avoided Mark's fists. Noting his friends continued fight, Peter joined, finding the gas had an opposite affect on Mark. Paul and Tommy both sat down as the gas slowed their movements and numbed their brain like it had the others in the room. The older man's last sight was to the injured hostages, then to the dark corner where his wife sat.
Outside, Captain Newman listened to his radio, waiting for the code that would set the masked faced officers into action. The braking of glass as three men fell out of the door was their unexpected signal.
Rushing in with guns ready, the officers found everyone subdued, except for those who had masks on, turning people over and removing weapons, checking on the injured.
Epilogue
Jazz music flowed lightly through the room as friends and co-workers greeted each other. Men, women, husbands, wives, and lovers gathered around tables sharing jokes, beer and winding down from a days work.
Mary Margaret and Caine, Karen and Kermit each sat holding hands openly. Paul held Annie's hand tightly, daring anyone to come between them. At the end of the table, across from Caine, Jody sat with Joe St. John, an officer from the SWAT team.
"Mr. Commissioner, Sir," Peter slapped Paul on the back. "May I be the first to congratulate you?"
Paul turned around and looked up at Peter. "Detective Caine, how nice to meet you. I do hope you aren't in the media any more in the near future, though I would like to say thank you and Detective Dakota for the job well done last week."
Everyone laughed at the formal exchange of words, knowing that Peter would find a way to be on TV and Paul would find a way to be with the police department.
"Peter, what of the men that held you hostage?" Caine asked, knowing his son had stayed for each of the accused hearings. Paul and Annie had left after their testimony, leaving Peter and Jessie to listen to each plea.
"Tommy gave the DA all the information he needed to put Billy behind bars, though Tommy will have to serve some time. He was just following his brother's plan, and when he found out his brother planned on killing him and leaving with their cousin Mark…well, that hurt him. I guess finding out that your brother is just as corrupt as your father is the worst punishment anyone could have," Peter explained as he pulled a chair up from a nearby empty table.
Noticing Kermit's head turn to the doorway behind him, Peter swiveled around and saw Dakota and Jessie approaching.
"Hey, Pete," Dakota said as he and his sister took up chairs at the table Peter had borrowed the chair from. "Look, the lady I was going to hook you up with couldn't make it. Hope you don't mind."
Peter laughed as he walked over to Jessie. "No, she made it," he said as he held her hand. "And yours my friend, is at the bar."
Dakota looked around to the bar. Several people stood around the bar, or sat on the tall stools. One caught his attention, her face alight with a smile as she picked up her drink and walked toward them.
"Uh, Dakota, this is Doctor Sanders. I figured with our luck, we needed someone with medical knowledge," Peter joked as Dakota stood and pulled a chair out for his date.
Laughed wafted around them, drowning out the music as everyone enjoyed themselves and friends, thankful for the ability to get together once again.
