© Copyright 2006 by More Than Novellas

Chapter 4

Rachel Waspe
October 22, 05
Funshine999@aol.com

Deanna started again but John wasn't listening to what she was saying, didn't know whether she was doing as he had asked or not. His mind had slipped away into the past.

Julie had been a good cop...and a good wife. But she was stubborn. Boy was she! She had never been one to easily submit to her husband's wishes and, in the end, that had cost her her life.

John hadn't wanted her to be part of the sting but she refused to be left out. She had thought that he had been implying that she wasn't up to it and then she had to prove that she was.

It didn't seem to matter to her that she had been four months pregnant at the time and was reacting a lot slower to things. Her reputation was at stake and she would risk anything to keep her reputation.

The sting had gone sour. John had had a premonition that it would. It was a risky plan but it was the only one that the Police had had so they had to go with it. That was one of the reasons that John had tried to keep his wife out of the dealings.

McCartney had gotten wind of what was happening and he had turned on Julie. Hindered by her condition, Julie had been unable to get away quick enough. She had lost her life...and his baby.

John ran his hand over his eyes, guilt once again gnawing at him. Grief had ruled him for the first two days after her death but then anger had set in.

But it wasn't anger against McCartney...it was against Julie. She had known that the operation was shaky at best, had known that she carried his child. John had blamed her for the death of his child. And he had grieved more for the baby that he had never met than for his wife.

He felt guilty for not loving her as he ought. That guilt had driven him to go after McCartney with an unceasing zeal.

John suddenly realised that his companion was sitting staring at him, not saying a word. "Get on with your story." He requested impatiently.

Her eyes instantly filled with compassion. "I've already finished it." She was silent for a moment. "Officer? I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I asked you all those questions. I didn't mean to upset you."

John forced a smile and would have told her that he was alright had the alarm not gone off that very second.

Mrs Brown
November 10, 05
mrsbrown1@optusnet.com.au
www.tulipfiction.com

The unexpected shrilling of alarm bells made Deanna nearly jump out of her chair - but the noise didn’t frighten her nearly as much as the reaction of the police officers around her.

Ever before she’d registered the alarm, John’s hand had gone to his holster, and remained there, covering his gun. The room had become suddenly still, as though the pause button had been pressed and a video picture frozen.

As a code Deanna couldn’t understand was called repeatedly over the PA, every officer was stood taut, listening. Whatever was going on, it was obviously something bad. Very bad.

“What’s happening?” she whispered to John, scared by the look of hard intensity in his eyes.

“We have a siege.”

His voice vibrated with some strong emotion, and Deanna stared at him in bewilderment, trying to work out why someone would take a whole police station captive. What could anyone want that would be worth a risk like that?

Or who?

“McCartney,” she breathed, almost soundlessly, but John heard her.

“You bet. And he’s going to walk . . .again.” His jaw was rigid with suppressed fury as he hissed his answer between clenched teeth, more to himself than her, “And how many other officers are going to die to set him free this time?”

Deanna saw an incredible depth of pain reflected in his brown eyes and suddenly all the pieces fell into place.

The way he'd withdrawn into himself when she'd asked about his wedding ring . . . the wife who was no longer . . . his comment about McCartney and the trail of bodies he’d left behind him . . . and Deanna knew without a shadow of a doubt that McCartney had killed this man's wife.

How many other officers are going to die. . . she shivered at the chilling words, wondering what was going to happen next.

No wonder he wanted McCartney at any cost. And no wonder he was somewhat less than objective in handling the case - and her . . .

Without realising what she was doing, Deanna reached out and put her hand on John’s arm.

“I’m so sorry --” she began, but never had a chance to finish.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps in the corridor outside and several uniformed officers filed through the doorway.

“What’s the situation?” John demanded tersely.

“We have four bikers with sawn-off shotguns holding eight officers hostage downstairs,” the most senior officer replied, “demanding an exchange.”

John sighed. “McCartney.”

“No,” the officer replied, his eyes stony, “this girl.”

Rachel Waspe
November 11, 05
Funshine999@aol.com

"Me?" Deanna was so surprised that she nearly shouted the word. "What on earth do they want me for?" She looked at Officer Peterson and flinched when she saw the look in his eyes. "You still believe that I'm in with McCartney, don't you?" The hurt radiated in her voice.

She straightened her back and lifted her chin. "Well, I'm not and I'll prove it to you. I'll go right down there and tell them that I'm not going until you've let me go and that they have to let those officers go."

"Who are these bikers?" His voice was low and threatening.

"How in the blue blazes would I know when I haven't even seen them yet?" Deanna asked, her hands on her hips. "No doubt you think that I set this whole business up so that I could get away if I were captured. Well, to be honest with you, I happen to not be clever enough to plan something like that. Just like I wasn't clever enough to keep out of the way when you starting beating on what appeared to me to be an innocent man."

Her words had stunned the officers and she took the opportunity to march out of the door.

Mrs Brown
November 12, 05
mrsbrown1@optusnet.com.au
www.tulipfiction.com

“Not so quick, young lady!”

An iron hand clamped down on her shoulder, and Deanna squirmed around to face Officer Petersen, her blood still hot with indignation.

“You’re the one who’s assuming I’m in all this - so you’re going to have to let me prove my innocence. I have no idea why the thugs downstairs have asked for me - you said before that McCartney’s already lawyered up - who knows, maybe he’s already passed on the message that I’m under suspicion.”

Petersen shook his head, unmoved.

“This is not about you, Deanna Smith or whoever you are. Right now I don’t know what to think about your story, but in any case you’re not about to jeopardise the lives of those officers downstairs because of your childish bravado. You are going to do and say exactly what you’re told.”

With that he turned away and addressed a uniformed woman to his right. “Have we got time to get her wired up?”

Sarah
January 21, 06
baughmanks@sbcglobal.net

What have I gotten myself into? Deanna wondered as a female officer hid the wire in her shirt. The officer finished just as Petersen returned, his face serious, all business.

"OK, Ms. Smith, here's the rundown. We want you to go down there . . ." Deanna listened as best she could. In spite of her bravado, however, she was scared stiff. What if they were planning to hurt her? That was a very real possibility. Though she did not know the four men downstairs, she would not be in the least surprised -- especially after the recent events of the past few months.

Sonal Mandpe Acharya
Apr 13, 06
sonal.acharya@gmail.com

She was aghast what is going to be next. She didn't know what the four men down there wants from her. But she know that she has to do this to prove John that she is innocent, as for now this is very important for her sake for John's sake.

Rachel Waspe
April 25, 2006
Funshine999@aol.com

John sat upright in his chair, waiting tensely to hear what would be said when Deanna entered the room where the bikers were holding his colleagues.

He just didn't know what to think. His gut had been telling him that the young lady was innocent...or was it his heart that had been telling him? But the bikers knew who she was and what did that tell him?

A whisper over the security net told him that Deanna was about to enter the room. He leaned forward, as if that would help him hear better.

"What do you want with me?" Deanna's voice crackled as it came over the hidden wire.

"What kind of a greeting is that for your best friends, Dee Babe?" A rusty chuckle followed his words.

Dee Babe? Apparently this group didn't stick to formalities. John's faith in Deanna's innocence slipped another notch.

"Cut out the unmeant terms of endearment," Deanna's voice was shaking. "I was never your babe and never will be. Just tell me what you want and then maybe I'll get my life back again."

John frowned. She sounded sincere. Disdain dripped from her tone. Maybe she really didn't have anything to do with them.

"We've come to spring you, Girly." It was a different voice this time. "We had intended springing McCartney but he told us to get you first as you need to get the goods out before the Pigs realise that you're the one what's got 'em and not him."

So she was in with them. The lying little creep! And to think that he had started to believe her little sob story. Ha! She wouldn't take him in again.

Sonal Mandpe Acharya
Apr 13, 06
sonal.acharya@gmail.com

Her mind was blank. She didn't understand a word these people are saying. What they can possibly want from her? Suddenly she realized what they are up to. That very thought made he sick. They knew that she has been wired and they want to make everyone else believe that she is one of them so that they can spring McCartney. They are going to ruin her life. God, what am I gonna do now?

All she knew that in the morning she was an independent woman living her life freely without any fear and now she was here with these four dangerous men , that she don't know,claiming her to be one of them.

Where she went wrong. She just tried to help a man . She was just performing her duty of a responsible citizen.And look here where she is.

"Com'on baby what are you thinking? Don't behave like a baby. Com'om lets go.

"I am not going anywhere with you."Her voice was shaking."Just tell me what do you want. You cannot make me go with you. I know you want to screw my life. But i won't let you."

God she sounds so sincere. Thought John.What he should believe. His mind was saying that she is one of them, but deep inside a voice is saying that she is just an innocent victim of the circumstances.

Lorrie Baker
July 17, 2006
baker_grad@yahoo.com

Deena looked at the bikers. They were big and scary. She did not want to go with them.

She thought about the night.

Maybe the reason the bikers thought she had something, was because she did have something. The only thing she had was her briefcase.

“I need to go back and talk to the police. I will have to see if they can give me back my briefcase.”

Elizabeth Delayne
July 24, 2006
lizdelayne@hotmail.com

She’d been out doing her job, just asking a few questions. Her boss had given her the chance to move from obituaries to features.

Go to Earl’s Diner, find out what has kept him open this long.

Easy right? So maybe the only time Earl could meet with her had been at night ... late at night ... when everything had slowed down for him. Maybe she’d been a little scared when she’d walked into the diner. It wasn’t in the best part of town ... but people, rich people, traveled all the way down here for the food.

She looked at the bikers. “Just let me go get my briefcase.

* * *

John frowned. Was he imagining te emphasis she was putting on briefcase? Deanna knew she was being recorded. Was it a message? To him?

Whether it was or not, he had to have a look before she came back for it. He looked around, found the briefcase he’d set under the table. Why hadn’t he thought of it before?

He walked over, picked it up, as he continued to listen to conversation coming through the wire tap. He set the briefcase on the table and opened it.

And he frowned ... just as the conversation took a turn for the worse.

* * * “Lady—you ain’t going no where.”

She stifled a scream as one of them grabbed her.

“You’ve got what we want ... and we’re gonna get it.”




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