Chapter 26
“Are you gonna go in there, or are we just going to
sit outside?” Denise McLean was saying to the FBI agents who stood with their
little ear pieces and their fancy guns looking impassive, “Hey listen. If you
guys are gonna just sit here, give me your damn gun, and I’ll go in and get my
kid!”
There was a rallying chant from the other parents and
some bystanders outside the roped off area.
The proximity of the motel and some of the yard had been taped off. Only
the FBI or police were allowed to cross the yellow tape to the hotel. Because of the high maintenance of the
captives and their parents, yet another barrier had to be set up to keep
reporters, fans, and other bystanders away from scene, and away from the
parents of the captives. The parents
stood just outside the first line of police tape with the paramedics. The roar
of hundreds of teenagers and the clicks of many cameras were almost
deafening. Almost 6 television cameras
were outside, each with over dressed reporters in front of them trying to
capitalize from the situation. Every now and again one of the snakes would get
through and start firing questions at one of the parents. That was when a security team had to be
called in just for the protection of the parents.
“I’ll teach them a thing or two,” Denise was going on
angrily, “Nobody messes with my kid without having to answer to me! Move, let
me in there!” Denise actually started moving towards the yellow tape to crawl
under it. She was restrained lightly by
one of the security guards, “Sorry ma’am, but you can’t cross the tape.”
“But those imbeciles aren’t doing anything!!” Denise
yelled, making sure the FBI heard her clearly.
She saw the ears of one agents turning red, he whirled around and
stormed toward Denise, “We are doing everything we can at this point in time!
Do you want your child back alive? If we barge in there, I can assure you that
is not what he will be when we bring him out!”
Denise paled, “You son of a....”
Ring! Ring!
Someone was ringing. “Answer it!”
There was a phone inside the FBI van, and an agent was answering it,
“Hello? Yes you are speaking with
one....”
“Is it them?” Paula Dorough questioned loudly.
“Yes, yes.... Yes. How are the captives?” the agent
spoke calmly. Others were jumping into the van lifting large headsets and
setting them over their ears. “Good...
ok. Can we speak with them. Ok, yes.
Yes, I will write it down.” Someone handed the agent on the phone and
note pad and a ballpoint pen. “Total of
6 million dollars... nothing larger than 100's... A helicopter? Ok. Ok. 24
hours? How about... 24 hours. Ok.” He hung up the phone looking nonplused,
“They want 6 million, a helicopter, and all within 24 hours.”
“Six-million?!” Jackie Littrell shouted, “We have 2
million together now. Ask if they’ll
take that! It took almost 48 hours just to get that!”
“Calm down Jackie, we’ll get it,” Harold said
stiffly, “Did they say we could talk to the boys?”
“No, no contact,” the agent shook his head
negatively.
“How did they say they are?? How’s Nick?” Jane Carter
was thrusting herself towards the FBI.
“All prisoners are fine,” the agent said, he turned
to his fellow agents and they began talking and confirming plans and operation
away from the parents.
“Damn them,” Denise cursed, “What are we gonna do
about the money? Everyone’s doing everything they can to get into the accounts
and get us the money, it’s just a slow process!”
“We only need 2 million more,” Bob Carter said, “I do
believe we could have that within 24 hours...”
“Two million more, just what are you....” Harold
narrowed his eyes, “Just how much of your son’s money is going into this?”
“Does it matter Harold?” Jane demanded, “How can you
care about something like that when we’re standing outside a building where our
children are being held at gunpoint?!! What kind of a parent are you?”
“One that doesn’t STEAL from my kids!” Harold shouted
at her. He gave both Bob and Jane
degrading looks.
“Harold stop it!” Jackie grabbed his arm, “They’re
right! Just leave it alone!”
“It’s wrong Jackie! I will not just drop my morals,
my honor...”
“Fine, fine, you don’t want our money then we won’t
give it to you!” Bob yelled back.
“Well it’s not your money I don’t want, because you
don’t have any of your own... It’s your son’s money!” Harold snapped back at
Bob.
Bob was ready to throw a fist in Harold’s mouth, but
stopped himself and mentally shook himself, “This isn’t the time nor place for
this Littrell.” He and his wife went to
stand on the other side of the ambulance, away from the other parents.
Leslie Carter kept checking the clock. Her parents had been gone since 11 that
night. It was now 7 am the next
morning. No one had been able to
sleep. She stared into the sleepless
eyes of her brother and sisters who stared back into hers. They had been flipping through the channels
and quickly discovered that every news station in town was covering the
story. They saw footage of the awful
looking motel where their brother was being kept. They caught glimpses of their
parents looking very angry. They stood
away from the other parents. Leslie still could not understand the problem the
other parents had with the fact that Nick shared his income.
“I should be there,” BJ was muttering to
herself.
Leslie shot her a look, “Beej, get off it already.
They’re scared, ok? They want us to be safe.”
“They’re treating me like a child! I’m 18, and if I
want to see my brother then I should be able to!” BJ lie back on the bed she
was sitting on.
Aaron glared at her, “God BJ, just give it up. You act
like some injustice was done to you or something. At least Mom and Dad found it
fit to even tell you themselves what was going on. Do Angel and I ever hear anything?”
BJ stared at Aaron incredulously, “How dare you speak
to me like that...”
“Well how dare you speak to Mom and Dad like that!”
Angel fired back in her brother’s defense, “We could hear you in here!”
BJ’s eyes enlarged, “I can’t believe you’re all gonna
be against me like this! I just want to see...”
“Just like we all do too!” Leslie pointed out, “and
we’re here, not there. You’re not the only disappointed one BJ, so stop trying
to get pity from us!”
“I am not.. Oh my God!” all eyes went to the TV as
the noise of a bullet penetrated the airwaves.
“Damn it!” Sean hissed dropping the gun that had
backfired and nearly took off half his head.
“Sean what happened?” Trinity asked running to her
boyfriend.
“I don’t know... the gun just went off, it’s like
someone tampered with the trigger or something,” Sean said wiping his forehead,
“I have to get another one from upstairs.”
Trinity nodded, “Let me see that one. I’ll figure out
what’s wrong with it later. Maybe I can fix it.”
Sean nodded looking tired, “Trin, we been up all
night.... and they don’t have the money yet.
I don’t want to...”
“I know, neither do I. But we have to let these
people know we mean business,” Trinity said in a hard voice, “Until we make it
clear that we will harm our captives unless they give us money, we won’t get
anything. They may think we’re
bluffing.”
Sean sighed, “I hope they don’t.”
Zalia entered the room looking nervous, “Maybe we
should have given them more time. They
said they have some of the money now...I’m really debating on just taking what
we can get and going...”
Trinity was nodding, “This is way over our heads.”
“I’m gonna call my father and ask...”
“And ask him what Zalia?” Brendon came into the room,
speaking in his cool manner.
“Tell him,” Zalia put a special emphasis on “tell”,
“That we are through. We will accept
whatever they have now, and we’re getting our asses out of here!”
“Oh really? You are? That’s the new plan?” Brendon
questioned raising an eyebrow, his face remained as cool as ever.
“Yeah, it is,” Zalia raised her chin, “Do you have a
problem with that plan Brendon?”
“Well, since you asked....”Brendon smiled slowly,
“Yes, I do.”
Zalia blinked back her anger, “Then that’s just your
problem...”
“Yeah, and yours too, think fast Zalia,” Brendon
spoke suddenly and before anyone could blink, move, or think, he pulled out his
gun and fired. Zalia’s body flew back
with amazing force colliding with the wall.
Blood poured from a hole in her side, her body slumped on its side. Sean and Trinity gasped. Trinity pulled our her gun and immediately
took a shot at Brendon, but ,”Shit!” her gun backfired. She heard Sean cry out behind her. He crashed down to his knees as blood leaked
from his chest, “SEAN!!” Trinity screamed and dropped beside her boyfriend.
“Sean, Sean stay with me baby, Sean, please baby. Sean no, no! Sean I’m so sorry!” Trinity held her now still
boyfriend’s body to her chest. She
lowered him to the floor and laid her hand over his chest to try to stop the
bleeding. Her hands were masked in
blood, she removed the top of her cat suit with no shame to plug in the hole,
“It’s gonna be ok Sean... just hold on.”
She heard the sick noise of three people
laughing. She looked back to see
Brendon, Kenyon, and Brody looming over her with twisted smiled on their
faces. That was when it dawned on her,
“You tampered with the guns...”
They nodded, but Brody was the one who really stepped
forward, “It was my idea.”
“You bastards... you traitors...” Trinity was saying,
“Where’s Ramon?”
“Ramon?” Brendon’s eyes were wide with innocence,
“Why who’s... Oh, you mean him?” Trinity almost screamed when she recognized
the blood soaked body of her friend being dragged in by Kenyon. Kenyon’s hands here red with Ramon’s blood.
“Ariella?” Trinity asked weakly.
“She’s upstairs doing what I asked her,” Brendon said
with a smile, “She’s such a good girl... and now Trinity I want to see how good
of a girl you can be when your life is put into question... Are you with us, or
against us?”
Trinity stared at the now cold bodies of her friends,
and at the cold body of her beloved boyfriend.
Her eyes blazed with anger and hatred, “You’d better kill me now too,
because I will never be a part of anything you assholes start! You’ll all go to hell!”
Brendon chuckled, “Only after you my dear, I’ll see
you there.” With those words he squeezed the trigger once again and Trinity,
tall, proud Trinity fell to the floor.... half of her face on the wall, the
other half lost amongst the mess of bodies below her.