Refusing to show an ounce of fear, I respond confidently. “I’m here, Silas. Or I guess I should call you Jabali.”
His voice slides into a richer tone, immediately skeeving me out. “There’s my precious girl. About time. I missed hearing your sweet voice.”
Bile rises in the back of my throat. “Is Kenzie alive? What about the other hostages?”
“When you come in, you’ll see for yourself. Bring her brother with you. I have something I need to ask him. Face to face. Man to man.”
Reed sharply inhales and squeezes my knee. I slip my hand under the table to steady him with my touch.
“I can’t do that, Jabali. You asked the FBI to bring me here. They did their part of the deal. Now you need to release the hostages.”
He laughs diabolically, sending a chill along my spine. “Isthatwhat they told you? That I would release hostages if you came to theproperty lineand talked to meon a phonefrom inside their armored bus? You know me better than that, Lila. I’d never agree to those terms.”
“What do you want, then? How can we end this without anyone else getting hurt?”
“Bring your fine ass up the driveway and grace my home with your presence,” he challenges, gritting out the last few words. It seems his artificial nicety is fading fast.
He raises his voice, tone cold as ice. “That’s what I want. You. Here. With this bitch’s brother. I’m getting fucking tired of repeating myself. Do I need to kill a hostage to prove my point?”
“No, don’t do that.”
Keep him talking.
“I’ll make it painful. If you want to prevent it, then prove it. You and Kenzie’s brother. Here. Now.”
“Why do you want Reed?” I ask, my protective instincts firing.
“He’ll find out when he gets here, same as you.”
To everyone’s surprise but mine, Reed intercedes. “Why would we do that? What guarantees do we have that you won’t shoot us on sight?”
Jabali’s tone shifts back to playful. “Oh, it’s the big man himself. Asking for guarantees, no less.”
And he laughs.Actuallylaughs. As if it’s the funniest thing in the world.
When he sobers, he resumes his theatrical mocking. “Well, well, well. I knew you were listening, but I didn’t think you had the gonads to talk to me. Especially after what your sister said about you.”
Reed fires back, “She’s a lying narcissist. I don’t give a damn what she told you.”
I pulse our hands, attempting to steady him.
He takes a protracted breath before continuing in a tone devoid of the earlier irritation. “What’s it gonna take for you to let those innocent people go, Jabali? Tell us what you want. A plane? Helicopter? Safe passage? Say the word.”
“Is that what you came on the line to say?” He laughs again. Louder and longer this time. “I’m disappointed in you. I had such high hopes.”
Carnival is toying with us.
This is all a game to him.
He won’t quit until he wins. With those hostages inside, he holds all the cards. And he knows it.
Bianca slides a piece of paper across the table to me. On it, she’s written a few of my goals as a reminder.
Ask about the hostages.
Any need for medical?
Ask him to release some in good faith.
