Chapter 43
“The money is being rerouted as we speak, but that
still might not be good enough,” Denise McLean was relaying to Jane Carter,
“Can you believe this?”
Jane was shaking her head, “Denise, I know you’re
sensible. Bob and I are offering to pay
off the ransom, your ransom. But, everyone here is too stubborn to take it.”
Denise stared hard at Jane and shook her head, “Jane,
I would gladly take that money and get my boy out, it’s just that the other
parents and I struck a deal, and I’m sticking to it,
she held out her hand when Jane started to
speak, “Now Nicky was a special case Janie. He wasn’t doing too well and if he
stayed in there he’d be in real danger...”
“He’d be dead,” Jane said flatly and Denise stared at
her, “That’s what the doctors and nurses told us. A few hours later and they
wouldn’t have been able to help him.”
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry,” Denise said softly, “How is
he doing now?”
Jane smiled, “Oh he’s ok. He’s really moody, but for
the most part he’s recovering. I’m more afraid of what’s going on up here.” She
tapped her finger to her temple, “He will not sleep alone, or in the dark.”
The phone rang in the FBI van making them both jump.
“Hello?”
“Well you have a few more hours, is the money ready?”
Brendon was twisting the phone cord around his fingers. He was gonna be rich.
He could feel his palms beginning to sweat in his greedy anticipation. What he heard made his blood boil with
anger, “WHAT?”
“It’ll be a few hour delay... if we can just see one
of the hostages again...”
“What kind of bullshit game are you playing out
there? I will blow all their freakin’ heads off you hear me! You get me that
money, and get it in the given amount of time or I will line them all up
against a wall and shoot them single file!”
“Now calm down...”
“You don’t tell me to calm down! I tell you what to
do! You got that? If you ever want these fags back alive then you had better
learn that! Get the money! You have 2 hours!” with that he slammed down the
receiver. He threw a glance over his
shoulder at the two faces of his accomplices.
“They’re still getting the money,” he stormed out of the kitchen.
“When do we move?” asked Brody staring at Kenyon as
he munched on his sandwich.
“Within the next two hours. Something tells me that
money is never gonna get here,” Kenyon was shaking his head, “and if it does
it’s going to be impossible for us to get out of here. Brendon requested a helicopter, does he know
how many people can trace a helicopter... he wants a car too? Well guess what
Brendon, you’re dying alone,” Kenyon rubbed his palms together he stared at
Brody, “Go get your guns ready and pack the money.”
“I know a song that gets on everybody’s nerves...” AJ
was singing softly as he watched Kevin pace.
“Something’s wrong,” he was muttering, it had been
too quiet upstairs.
“Shut up,” Howie snapped, “Of course something’s
wrong. We’re gonna die. Did you actually think those guys were gonna let us
out? They’re all playing a cruel joke on us. They’re gonna come down here
laughing, and shoot all of us.”
“Shut the hell up Howie!” Brian yelled from his
corner. He had retreated over there again and had been very quiet all
morning. AJ had been afraid he was
going to go into shock again. That had been scary.
“YOU SHUT UP BRIAN!” Howie snapped back he threw down
a bottle of water, “I say we just kill ourselves and get it over with.” Howie
kicked the wall violently then began to punch at it, “DAMMIT!”
“Howie cool it!” Kevin yelled grabbing Howie’s arms
and holding him back from the wall. Howie continued to yell and grunt like he
was still taking his anguish out on the wall. He struggled against Kevin. “OW!” Kevin forced Howie down to the floor
and held him there. AJ had come over
and had picked up the water bottle Howie had thrown down on the floor. He
poured its contents over Howie’s head and Howie screamed and gurgled. “Now you calm down. Calm down...”
Howie was sputtering and choking, he raised his
tear-streaked face to stare at Kevin and AJ hatefully, “Howie you’re not
helping anyone by acting like this.”
“Do I look like I care who I help?” Howie snarled. He
stopped struggling against Kevin, and Kevin released him, “Damn them, damn you,
damn everyone! Hell, Nick was the smartest one out of all of us by being the
dumbest one out of all of us! Whoever would have thought that being idiotic
enough to not have your own bank account when you came of age could have been
so smart?! Who would have thought having parents that rip you off right in
front of your eyes could be so wonderful?! Stupid kid! He’d better be so sick
he can’t see straight, he’s better be on a ventilator! His freakin’ lungs
better be...” Howie’s head jerked back as AJ’s fist connected with it, “You
stupid asshole!” AJ knocked Howie onto his back and began pummeling him. Kevin yanked him off and threw him aside,
“This cannot go on. It cannot! Guys what’s happening. We’re getting out today
and today we’re also falling apart!
Brian? Brian don’t you have anything to say, to add? Everyone else has
done something, why don’t you?” Kevin’s face was haggard and weary, he had
given up.
Brian sat still in his corner, his eyes blank. He
looked over to Kevin, AJ, and Howie and shrugged, “What is there left for me to
say?”
“Stay behind me,” David was hissing to Nick. Nick was
nodding hugging his coat closer to his body. It was colder than he had
expected, but as he watched his sisters who were not shivering he realized it
was just him. Was he shivering because he was cold, or because he was afraid...
Afraid of what? Afraid of what you’ll find... his mind whispered.
Nick cringed and felt a hand on his shoulder, “Are
you cold?” BJ asked him trying to button his jacket but he flinched away from
her, “I can button my own jacket!”
Flashbulbs exploded and flashed in Nick’s eyes, he hid
his face as well as he could but it was apparent that the press knew who they
had. Within seconds Nick was being
flogged by reporters and all the commotion finally caught the FBI’s attention. Seconds after the reporters crowded Nick,
they were surrounding him, his bodyguard, and his sisters, and pulled them away
from the press.
Nick has never seen his parents so furious.... oh no
wait. He took that back. He vaguely remembered the time he had tried to fly,
jumped off the roof... He stared at his mother and father’s rapidly moving
mouths not really comprehending any of the sounds coming from them. He wanted
laugh, he felt like he was trapped in a Charlie Brown cartoon in the classroom
scene. “Wawawaah...” He knew better than to laugh though.
“....and I can’t believe you would do something so
irresponsible,” Nick flinched when he realized they were now yelling at BJ and
David.
“Hey stop!” Nick interjected himself, “STOP!”
Both his parents stared at him, “I wanted to come.
I’m 20 years old and you cannot tell me where and when to go somewhere. You no
longer have the right! I came here because this is where I need to be. This is
where I am supposed to be!”
“But Nick... look at you, you’re trembling,” Jane
scolded, “Is that jacket even warm enough for this weather? My God...if he gets
pneumonia I will never forgive you.” Jane glared at David, “You’re fired.”
“You can’t fire David,” Nick said.
“Yes I can...”
“No you can’t, he doesn’t work for you. He works for
me, therefore only I may fire him,” Nick said simply, “David, you’re not fired.
In fact, you get a raise.”
“Nickolas Gene, you are to get back in that car with
your sisters, and your bodyguard and go back to the hotel where it is warm and
safe. You’re getting gooseflesh.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed.
“Um excuse me?” Jane and Bob Carter both whirled to
find the other parents and several FBI agents looking on, “Maybe Nick can
answer a few questions now since he’s here,” Hoke said gently.
“Yeah,” Tim was saying, “You can ask him questions.”
“NO!” Both Jane and Bob yelled.
“YES!” Nick shouted back, “You want to ask me
questions?”
“Ever since you were released,” Tim rolled his eyes,
“but certain people made you untouchable.”
“Mom, Dad, how could you? You knew I wanted to help,”
Nick was staring at his parents, “I’m not a baby anymore.”
“I know, it’s just that...” Jane looked down, “We
almost lost you... I don’t... I don’t want to risk it again Nicky. I’m afraid
for you.”
Nick took her hand, “I’ll be ok Mom, I can handle
myself. But thank you for looking out for me, even when I don’t need it.” He
smiled gently at her, at his father, then looked towards the FBI team, “I’ll
tell you whatever I can... but it’s not much, and it may not turn out to be
very helpful at all... but I can try.”