“I try not ta’ cooperate with people I don’t trust.”
“Well, you’re just going to have to trust me.”
“That’s gonna be kinda hard.”
“Yeah, well I’ve got faith in you. Now before you get your shorts any more in a bunch, you need to shut up and listen to me for a minute. I’m the best friend you’ve got here right now, so just calm down, back off, and let me handle this.”
Ben shook his head and gave him an incredulous stare. “Oh yeah? Well, if you’re my best friend then I’m seriously fucked.”
“You won’t get any argument from me there, Storm, but not for the reasons you’re thinking.”
“Okay, so you wanna explain it to me?”
“What, the fact that I can’t stand you?”
“Feeling’s mutual, but no, Agent Drew.” Ben stressed his name in a mocking fashion. “I wanna know just how the hell you figure you’re my best friend?”
“Because I’m getting this wound-up local off your back, for one.”
“Yeah, well thanks for that,” Ben gave a shallow nod as he replied, a note of chagrin in his voice. “But, you still need to let me handle the rest of this.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, and you know it.”
“This isn’t what you think it is,” I blurted, unable to contain myself.
Drew turned his attention toward me. “Look, Mister Gant, I understand your frustration here, but the fact remains that your wife assaulted a federal officer and fled with her sidearm.”
“It’s not what you think,” I appealed.
“Mister Gant, listen to me,” he said with a sigh. “Believe it or not, I’m on your side here. I’m trying to help.”
“Coulda fooled me,” Ben interjected.
“That doesn’t sound like it’s all that tough,” Drew chided.
“Uh-huh,” my friend grunted. “So, how is it you’re bein’ so helpful then?”
“By defusing the situation, hopefully.”
“Okay, so why?” Ben pressed.
“Mandalay called Simpson, and then me personally,” he replied. “She wants Miz O’Brien out of this situation safely, just as much as either of you. And, don’t ask me why, but she wants to see if this can be made to go away.”
“You mean…”
Drew nodded. “Yeah, she’s got a little pull, so if no one gets hurt then maybe there can be a deal.”
Any elation I might have felt because of the news was immediately doused by the memory of my wife’s pained voice saying, “I think I killed him.”
I tried my best to force the thought from my head and moved forward with a question. “Did she tell you about her…”
“Being possessed?” he finished for me, raising his eyebrows questioningly. “Yeah, she did, and honestly, I think that it’s a crock of shit.”
“But…”
He held up a hand to stop me. “Hold on. I said I think it’s a crock, but that isn’t going to affect the situation. Not only does Agent Mandalay want to see this resolved peacefully, so does the Bureau.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“I know I haven’t made a friend of you, Mister Gant, and honestly, I don’t really care if I ever do,” he said with a shrug. “But, yes, I would rather not see your wife get hurt, or anyone else for that matter.”
Ackman had remained quiet for the duration but now broke his self-imposed silence. “Okay, so, what is your plan?”
Drew shot him a glance. “Once I get this local asshole to back off, the three of us are going to see if we can get Miz O’Brien to come out and surrender.”
“Four,” I insisted.
“No sir,” Drew replied. “Three. You’re staying out here behind the line.”
“He’s right, Row,” Ben agreed.
“Felicity is…”
“Felicity is gonna be fine,” he snapped. “And, you’re gonna do what you’re told for a change.”
“Dammit, Ben,” I objected.
“Damn me all ya’ want,” he said with a shake of his head. “You’re stayin’ out here, Row.”
I cast a glance past him toward the motel room door. My eyes searched the expanse of parking lot as I tried to estimate the distance between us and number seven. All the while my brain was calculating exactly what it was going to take for me to get there without being stopped instantly. The one thing I forgot, however, was my poker face. Apparently, I was broadcasting my intentions like a high wattage transmitter because a large hand suddenly clamped onto my shoulder and held fast.
“Don’t even think about it, white man,” Ben told me as he leveled a deadly serious gaze on my face.
“What?” I asked, trying unsuccessfully to feign ignorance.
“Yeah, right,” he grunted but didn’t let go.
During the thread of conversations, I had dropped my hand to my side and with it the cell phone. The fact that Felicity was still holding on now skittered back through my thoughts. I lifted the cell and placed it against my ear.
“Felicity?”
“Y-y-yes?” her halting voice issued from the small speaker. “Where are you?”
Her sobbing had lessened greatly, but I could still detect her whimpering as she waited for my response. It was killing me to hear her like this. She had always been so steadfast in the face of almost anything. For her to now sound like a terrified child was just too much for me to bear.
“It’s almost over, honey,” I told her, hoping that I could mask my own lack of conviction.
“I’m scared, Caorthann…” she whined. “I don’t know what’s happening to me…”
“I know,” I soothed. “It’s going to be okay. Trust me.”
“Is that your wife?” Drew asked, pointing toward the phone in my hand.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Let me talk to her,” he replied, motioning for me to hand the device over.
“She’s in no condition to carry on a conversation with you right now, Agent Drew,” I declared, twisting the mouthpiece away.
“Just what is her situation then?” he asked.
“She’s frightened,” I replied.
“She should be,” he asserted. “What about the man she left the club with?”
“How’d you know about him?” Ben asked.
“News travels fast,” he replied.
“So, is that how you knew where this was goin’ down so quick?”
“We’ve been paying attention,” Drew replied with a nod to the affirmative. “Besides, one of our agents was assaulted, and like I said, we have jurisdiction. You didn’t really think the Bureau was going to leave this up to the locals, did you?”
“Looks like you let us do most of the legwork.”
“Of course. It was the most efficient way to handle the situation.”
“Fuckin’ Feebs,” Ben muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.
Without missing a beat, Drew replied, “Fuckin’ cops,” then turned his attention back to me. “What about Mister Lewis? It would be a really good thing if you could tell me that she is not holding him hostage.”
I didn’t reply. I wasn’t entirely sure what to say.
“Mister Gant?” Drew pressed.
Ben reached up and started working the muscles on the back of his neck as he announced, “Look, the thing is we don’t know his condition for sure.”
“Condition?”
“Dammit,” my friend muttered then looked up to the FBI agent and blurted, “Look, we haven’t told anyone this yet, so don’t go off half-cocked… Felicity told Rowan she thinks he’s dead.”
Drew looked at the ground and shook his head then cast a glance at the other officers on the scene. Looking back up at us, he gave Ben a nod. “Probably good you kept that to yourself, considering… So… Did she use Agent Mandalay’s weapon?”
“We don’t know,” Ben replied. “Truth is we don’t even know if he’s really dead. Remember, she said she thinks he’s dead.”
“But if she shot him,” Drew offered, leaving the conclusion unspoken.
“Like I said, we don’t know.”
“Then what makes her think he’s dead?”
“Don’t know.”
“Have you asked her?”
“No. She’s been a bit hysterical,” I offered before Ben could answer.
He thrust his chin toward the phone. “Then ask her.”
“I don’t think…” I started.
“Mister Gant, please ask her. Trust me. I’m just trying to help.”
I sighed heavily then twisted the phone back to my mouth. “Felicity?”