Chapter Four: Hostile Hostage Situation

 

*“Alright! Duo, find the Chief of Police in the district and bring him over here. Trowa, any information you can dig up within next fifteen minutes regarding the situation Wufei, see if they have a list of demands, Hiiro… well, do whatever you usually do.” Quatre took charge when they reached the school grounds.

            “What he usually does is save the day.” Duo joked.

            “What he usually does is dangerous, risky, and stupid.” Wufei snorted.

            “But it always seems to work.” Trowa added. They all turned to see Hiiro was gone, already talking to an officer about something or other.

            “What a drone!” Duo half whined and half laughed.

            “Maxwell! We have a job to do!” Wufei barked at him. Duo turned to find the rest of his ‘comrades’ gone.

            “Some friends they are…” he began mumbling below his breath. He too, took off to find the Chief of Police.

 

~~~)*(~~~

 

            Serena pushed the petal to the metal and practically speed down the streets to the school. The school it’s self was only fifteen minutes from her apartment, but over forty-five minutes away from her office building. During the entire drive, she speed like a banshee, not caring if she nearly hit a pedestrian or two. All she could think about was her son.

            How in the world could some psycho possible come up with the idea of holding a school hostage? It wasn’t even some rich school, just a normal, average, public school. What was this guy’s problem? She had problems, but she didn’t try to hold a school hostage to fix them. How could some one so twisted and sick even be alive? She just couldn’t comprehend.

            And her son was in there with this lunatic! Her poor, young, innocent and defenseless son! Boy oh boy was this creepy slime ball going to pay for what he did, especially if he laid even one finger on her son!

            “Come on! Can’t you go any faster!” She screamed at the car in front of her. It seemed like the driver was an eighty-year-old man who shouldn’t even have a license. He was going at the snail pace of thirty miles an hour. She blared her horn harder.

            “Move it! Oh please let Ben be alright! Please…” she just kept praying over and over.

            Finally, she arrived at the school. Or, well, as close to the school as she could come. There were so many cars blocking the streets that she couldn’t drive any farther. Putting her car in park, she quickly jumped out, grabbed her purse, locked the doors, and ran the rest of the distance towards the school. ‘ Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus…’ She ran the Hail Mary prayer through her head over and over, hoping that in some distant and Godly fashion either God himself or Mary heard her meager prayers and took pity upon her.

            As she ran up along side of the yellow taped off area, she finally stopped and took a look at the ‘scene of the crime’. It was a joke. Oh, sure, there were cops. They were standing around, laughing and either holding a cup of coffee or eating doughnuts. She could see a few, precious few, actually working, with maps and floor plans and papers strewn about all around them. Other than that, she couldn’t see much else.

Being naturally short, she had a slight problem seeing around or over the police cars parked inside the yellow tapped off area. Standing on her tiptoes, she still couldn’t see much. All she wanted to know was whether or not her son was safe. She didn’t care what it took, she would find out.

“Excuse me, sir! Excuse me!” She called to one of the groups of eating cops. She must have gotten their attention, because the men headed her way. One of the heavier men approached her.

“Yes, can I help you? What’s a beautiful, young girl like yourself doing out here?” He gave her a lopsided and idiotic smile. How low could these men get? Did they have no respect?

“Yes, actually, you can help me. I would like to know what the details of the situation are please.” She asked him, as sweetly as possible.

“Why would you want to know that?” She played into her hands.

“Because…” She stayed sweet.

“Because why little pretty?” He responded. Ah! Her chance!

“Because…” her voice grew cold. “My son is in there.” She did her best to glare as she tried to intimidate him. He obviously had been caught off guard, because he did look startled by her request.

“I’m sorry, Mame. I am not currently allowed to reveal any information about…”

She grabbed his shirt.

“You listen to me, tubby. I want to know what is going on, and NOW.” She stayed monotone, but narrowed her eyes and tried to be even more menacing.

“I’ll um, I’ll uhh, go and uhh, see what the deal is for you mame.” He tipped his hat and quickly strolled away.

Serena stood down off of the offense and the stared up at the six story school. Her poor son! Crossing her arms, she almost disappeared into the crowd, but one pair of eyes was able to follow her as she became near poltergeist.

 

~~~)*(~~~

            He had been standing here for the last hour listening to the stupid Police Chief drone on and on and on… he never seemed to end one sentence; they all seemed to run together. He could see Wufei was ready to snap of frustration. Duo was fidgeting more than ever. Quatre and Trowa were still listening attentively, but Hiiro was sure that wouldn’t last for much longer either.

            All the damned Chief of Police had done was tell them what they already knew: there was a group of five men holding the students and teachers hostage within the school. There was a list of demands, but all were insanely impossible to meet within the time the terrorists had given. The terrorists wanted ten million dollars, cash, a private helicopter, five ladies’ purses, twelve bottles of Hershey’s chocolate syrup, and four cartons of mint chip ice cream. Oh, and copy of three of the newest releases at the video store. As Duo had put it, “These men want the stuff so they can claim insanity later on.” Hiiro had to agree.

            “…and that about wraps up all we know so far.” Finished the Chief of Police. ‘Took long enough’ Hiiro thought, inwardly smirking.

            “Thank you very much sir. I do believe my team and I need to discuss the next move amongst ourselves before we…”  Quatre was cut off by a very loud, very angry voice of a woman.

            “…My son is in there.” All five of the Gundam Team followed the voice to a short  woman who was leaning over the rope, glaring darkly at a somewhat heavier deputy officer.

            “You know, she looks familiar.” Duo remarked.

            “Yeah, I see it too.” Trowa said.

            “Come on guys, focus. I’m sure that Deputy can handle that woman. She’s just upset because her child is in there. And she’s not the only one, so let’s get this over with, the faster the children are safe, the better.” Quatre put in, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. Almost everyone. While Hiiro was listening, he was watching the overly upset mother standing with her arms crossed right next to the yellow tape. Though the others hadn’t, he had recognized her immediately. She was the dancer from the club last night.

            What was she doing here? ‘Stupid question.’ He told himself. ‘She obviously has a child in the building. I wonder if she’s here alone, or if her husband is here too.’ He mussed. Husband… Hiiro wondered if her ‘husband’ knew of her night job. He smirked, deep in his own thought.

            “Hiiro? Hiiro? Earth to Hiiro?” Duo ran his hand up and down in front of Hiiro’s face. Nothing happened. Suddenly Duo’s hand was  stopped by Hiiro’s jaws of life grip.

            “Hn.” He answered.

            “Incase you didn’t hear, Hiiro, we were planning on getting the terrorists the  ice cream, chocolate, and purses right now. We figure that if we get them, it will buy us some more time. I’ve already sent officers to get the chocolate and ice cream, why doesn’t each of us pick a woman in the crowd, tell her we need her purse, explain why, and then we’ll have the five purses?” Quatre asked.

            “Hn.” Hiiro grunted, but nodded in acknowledgement. He and the other five dispersed into the crowd, Hiiro, keeping his eyes on one small figure in the crowd, made his way over in her direction.

~~~)*(~~~

            Serena was just standing. Standing and praying. And thinking about Ben. She clutched her arms around her self, trying to draw herself into oblivion, and, if it was possible, she seemed to shrink another two inches when she did it. She never noticed the man coming up to her, not until he was right in front of her.

            “Excuse me sir, but could you please step aside? I’m watching for my son, and…”

            “May I please have your purse?” Was the cold, gruff reply she received from the figure in front of her.

            “What? Are you mugging me? In this crowd, in the broad daylight, in this situation?” She replied, horribly shocked. How could such a person want to steal in the midst of such a crisis?

            “No, I am not mugging you, Mrs.…” Came his reply. Serena breathed a small sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t being mugged. Then she reconsidered. Just who in the stars did this person think he was?

            “Number one, it’s Ms, not Mrs. Number two, I don’t just randomly give my name out, and number three, who the heck do you think you are, asking for my purse?” She gave a smug grin, thinking she’d gotten somewhere.

            “I am Agent Hiiro Yui of the San Francisco SWAT team Gundam.” He flashed his badge just for good measure. Serena’s breath caught in her throat. She looked up, and drowned.

            The eyes…almost the same as the ones on the man at the club last night. Heck, who was she kidding? They were the same. They had to be. How many pairs of prussian blues eyes like these could there possibly be in the world, let alone one city? She finally pulled her gaze from his eyes and scanned the rest of his face. It was defiantly the same man as last night. What should she do?

            “Alright, Agent Yui. Let me ask you why you asked me for my purse?” She asked him. She figured the more information on his motives, the better.

            “The terrorists are demanding five women’s purses.” He said, and she thought she caught a quick smirk on his stone straight face.

            “But why ‘my’ purse? Why not any other woman?” She pressed.

            “I remember you form last night. And you recognize me as well. You have a son in the school.” She sort of gasped, but quickly caught herself.

            “How did you know I had a son on the school?” She asked him skeptically and lightly, as if she didn’t care he knew.

            “My team mates and I heard you yelling at that over weight deputy a few minutes ago.” Now she blushed, and he gave a clear side smirk.

            “Huh.” She though hard. “Well, I’ll tell you what. You let me inside the yellow tape so I can hear what’s going on for myself, and I’ll let you have my purse.”

            “I’m not at liberty…”

            “Don’t give me that jargon. You can, and I know it. Inside tape, or no purse.”

            “I can go to other women for theirs.”

            “And they will probably smack you upside the head with it afterwards.” She smirked.

            “It’s your son in there.” He countered.

            “You’re right. It is my son in there. Which is why I want to know what is going on. Is there something so wrong with that?”

            “Will I have to let your husband in as well?”

            “I’m not married.”

            “Your ex-husband?”

            “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve never been married. Look, do you want my purse or not? It’s simple, really.”

            “Stay back, near my car, when we go in.”

            “Deal. Here’s my purse.” She willingly and easily handed it over to him, then followed him as he walked back to where his other four friends had gathered near their car, each with their own purses.*