Nobody puts my baby’s dimples in the corner.
I rise from the chair at the same time he advances toward me. We meet in the middle.
“They’re willing to give us one last chance to negotiate by phone. I’m hoping Carnage will talk to you. Are you up for that?”
I answer eagerly. “Absolutely. Give me a phone.”
In response, he stoically places his hand on my lower back and guides me to the other side of the table.
Bianca offers me a reassuring half smile. “Have a seat here, Lila.”She slides a tripod-shaped electronic device across the table. “The call will connect through this speaker. I sent a textto the phone he’s been using to let him know you’d be calling. Hopefully, he’ll answer.”
I clasp my hands and rest them near the speaker phone.“Got it.”
SSA Chase leans over the table, propping herself up by her fingertips. “The goal of the call is to get as many hostages released as possible without offering yourself in exchange. He wanted you here, and we delivered you to the outskirts of his property. Inform him that’s our compromise, but we refuse to send you any closer without a show of good faith on his part. Let’s see how he reacts to that, and we’ll go from there. Jabali doesn’t need to know you’re willing to go inside.”
I see I’m not the only one refusing to call him Cannoli.
Reed’s hand curls into a fist. Other than the flinch, he’s been a tense shell of a man. As if he’s cast in stone.
Unable to resist, I take his hand to offer unspoken reassurance. He doesn’t entangle our fingers or hold my hand in return. He doesn’t brush me off either. But I don’t let go.
I’ll never let go again.
Chase continues her instructions. “Keep him calm and talking. The longer he’s on the line, the more we’ll learn about the conditions of the people inside or what he wants out of this standoff. We need to wear him down, but not so much that he takes out his frustrations on the hostages. It’s a balance, and we’ll be here to help you through it.”
“This button will mute the call so you can ask us anything,” Bianca informs me, pointing to a button clearly markedMUTE.
Perhaps she thinks I’m illiterate. Entirely possible given the side of myself she’s seen so far.
That was the old Lila, though.
I sweep my gaze around the room. “What types of things should I talk to him about?”
Reed lowers into the seat on my left, finally shedding his cold, rigid aura. He scoots close, putting one arm on the back of my chair and the other on the table. “Ask if the hostages are alive or if any of them need medical attention. Ask what it would take for him to turn himself in and end this without further violence. Ask what we can give him for releasing the hostages, such as a helicopter or vehicle, with the promise of us not pursuing him. That’s the type of thing we need to know.”
SSA Chase jumps back in. “Thus far, his only demand is to see you and Hayes. Nobody here wants it to come to that. However, by our count, he’s holding at least twenty-three innocent people. Some with children or...”
As her words trail off, she flares her nostrils,and her lips roll as if she’s combating emotions. Her eyes darken with anguish, giving me a glimpse of her inner tumult and concern for those in danger.
She isn’t a rock, even if her skin is made from stone.There’s a compassionate woman in there who values human life.
“I’ll do my best,” I tell her. “I want to get them out safely as much as you do.”
I cut myself off before I add,maybe moreto the end of my sentence. This isn’t a competition to see who cares the most.
She gives me a subtle nod, then wraps up her directions succinctly, all her emotion back in hiding. “Hopefully, he’ll tell you more than he told us about the conditions inside.Just try to relax and do your best to bring this to an end without anyone else getting hurt.Good luck.”
Reed rubs my shoulder soothingly, his silent support unwavering. I trade gazes with him, trying to telegraph my love for him. And my resilience.
I turn to Bianca. “I’m ready.”
And I am.
“Quiet, everyone. We’re making the call,” Chase announces.
A blanket of silence settles over the room, quickly replaced by the ringtone emitting from the speaker.
In crystal clear sound, a chillingly familiar voice answers. “Is she here?”
