Edward looked closely at his daughter as she spoke with Captain Jenkins. She seemed wired somehow- probably the adrenalin boost from her trip into the air vent of the Exhibition Center, he reasoned.
"You think he's bluffing about the bomb?" Jenkins was asking.
"Either there's a time delay on the thing- or it's a fake that he's just using to keep everyone in there in line."
"What does the bomb look like, Mrs. Steele?" another officer asked, this one wearing a jacket that identified him as part of the department's "Bomb Squad".
Laura told them about the thin black box. "He's got a control that he keeps in his left hand- it looks-" she glanced around. "Daddy, where are your car keys?" she asked.
Edward dug into his pocket and produced the requested item. "Here."
She took them and showed everyone the control for the car alarm system. "It looks a *lot* like one of these. Except that's it's a little bigger, and there are two buttons, and I think a couple of lights-He keeps his thumb on the larger button."
"What makes you think there's a delay on the bomb?" the dark suited man asked.
"Because he took his thumb OFF the button for several seconds. Evidently his thumb was cramping or something and he needed to relax it. Look, you don't really believe that they would go to all this trouble and then blow themselves up, do you?"
"She's right, Jenkins," Edward agreed. "Doesn't make any sense."
"Okay. So what's this plan that you've come up with, Mrs. Steele?" Jenkins asked.
***
"They're gonna take it to the wire," one of the thieves said angrily. "Zachary, this is just giving them time to plan something," he insisted.
"They can't plan anything as long as we have them in here," Zachary reminded his partners, jerking his head toward the hostages. "They won't risk our killing any of them." The telephone rang again and Zachary answered immediately. "Took you long enough, Jenkins. What's the answer?"
"We might be able to come to some agreement, Zachary," Jenkins replied. "But you have to give us something in return for transport out."
"No deals. I want a helicopter . . . "
"The winds are coming up," Jenkins told him. "They're all grounded. Now, I might be able to get you something else- IF, as I said, you're willing to give US something."
"Such as?" Zachary asked.
"Release some of the hostages. Women and children and anyone who's injured."
Zachary's eyes scanned the group huddled against the doors. Releasing the women and children would leave about half of them. But all he really needed were a select few. Steele was laying on the floor, his sister and Cameron still attending to him, even though he had lost consciousness again. "Very well. And just to prove that I can be generous, in addition to the women and children, I'll release all but- three of the men," he said, and the women in the group began to speak in relieved tones- until he lifted the remote control detonator to silence them.
"Including Mr. Steele and the guard?"
"The guard can go. Steele will stay."
***
Jenkins shook his head at Laura, giving her Zachary's answer. "Tell him that I'll take Remington's place," she told him.
"Laura," Edward said, frowning and grasping her arm. "You can't be serious."
"Mrs. Steele is here. She's offered to take her husband's place."
***
"How very devoted of her," Zachary commented dryly. "But I'm afraid I must refuse her offer. The others will be released immediately. I want an armored car sitting outside the front doors- and I want your people moved to the far edge of the parking lot . . . Yes, that's right. An armored car . . . I'll call you back once the women and children are out." He hung up. "Okay, everyone, I want Steele, Cameron, and you," he said, pointing to Tony, "to the far wall."
Tony and Philip prepared to carry Remington across the room. Tony noticed that Jessica was still with them, applying pressure as best she could to the shoulder. "Jess-"
"You go on, Jessica," Philip Cameron said before Tony could finish. "We'll take care of Remington."
Jessica shook her head. "I'm not leaving him," Jessica insisted. Halfway across the room, one of the men grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"Back over by the door, lady."
She shook off the hold. "I'm staying with my brother," she said.
"I'm afraid I agreed to release everyone except them," Zachary informed her with a dangerous smile. "And I'd hate for the police to think that I went back on my promise. You'll go with the others, Miss Beecham."
Jessica looked for a moment as if she might continue arguing. Tony and Philip laid Remington on the floor, and he moaned softly. "Jess, go on," Tony said. "Let Laura know how he's doing. Might make things easier on her."
"We'll take care of him, Jessica," Philip promised once again in a quiet voice.
She looked at each man in turn, then at Zachary. "Very well. But if he dies- there won't be anyplace for you to hide," she warned. "Not from his wife- nor from me."
Zachary grinned, and extended his right hand toward the door. "Okay," he said to one of his partners. "Open the door and let them out. One at a time. Starting with Miss Beecham."
***
Laura met Jessica as she left the Center, leading her toward the ambulance that was waiting to treat any injuries. "I'm fine," Jessica insisted. "It's not my blood," she explained when the paramedics began examining her hands and arms. "It's-" she looked down at her hands, then collapsed into Laura's arms. "Oh, God, Laura. He's so weak. He's lost too much blood. I don't know how much longer he can hold out."
They remained together until Laura heard the cell phone ringing. "Let them clean you up and then join us over there, okay?"
Jessica nodded. "He wanted to check out the show before bringing the children tomorrow. The children-" she looked around, as if fearful of seeing them.
"I sent them home with Mildred," Laura explained gently. She started to leve, but Jessica stopped her.
"Laura- he knew who I was."
"What?"
"The leader. Zachary. He knew who I was."
"His voice wasn't familiar," Laura insisted.
"No. But then, I'm not very good with voices. If Remington- if he hadn't been shot, he might have recognized it."
Laura looked thoughtful. "I'll be over there."
"The armored car is on its way, Zachary," Jenkins was saying when Laura joined them. "I'll let you know when it arrives."
***
"One more thing, Jenkins," Zachary said. "Once my friends and I leave this room, I wouldn't suggest your trying to rescue the remaining hostages immediately . . . We're going to need insurance that you'll let us go. This little bomb is rigged with a listening device. Once activated, I can hear a pin drop anywhere in this room from up to twenty miles away. So if we're stopped- or if a rescue attempt is made, well, let's just say that Los Angeles will be mourning the deaths of two of its most prominent citizens, shall we?" He smiled dangerously as Philip Cameron looked up at him.
"You won't get away with this, Zachary," Cameron said.
"I believe that I already have, Mr. Cameron."
***
Laura pulled Edward aside after Jenkins relayed Zachary's message. "I need your cell phone, Daddy," she said, holding out her hand.
"Why?" he asked, giving it to her. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to clear up a few things," she told him, moving away as she dialed a number.
Jessica moved toward Edward, looking just a bit the worse for wear. Blood stained her expensive clothes, her dark hair was coming loose from the French braid. Edward pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said. "I'm just- worried about . . . Remington."
"I know."
"Where's Laura?"
"On my phone. I think she's got a plan, but she's not willing to share it just yet."
"I hope it works, Edward. And soon. Remington's gone into shock- "
Laura returned, a determined expression on her face. Handing the phone back to Edward, she looked expectantly at Jenkins, who was on the radio. He signed off and looked around, his eyes finally coming to rest on her. "Mrs. Steele," he said, waiting until Laura, Edward, and Jessica joined him. "I just got a message from Graybridge," he told her. "They've offered one of their armored cars for us to use. I suppose this is all part of your plan?" he asked.
Laura smiled. "Something like that. They should be here soon. Don't you think we should move all of these people away from the entrance, Captain?" she suggested sweetly.
Jenkins' eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me how to do my job, Mrs. Steele. I've been doing this for a long time."
"So you have. I'll let you get on with it, then," Laura said, then abruptly turned toward Edward's car. "Let's move your car, shall we, Daddy?"
"Okay, Laura," Edward said, catching up with her. "What was that about?" he asked.
"Nothing," Laura said, reaching for the passenger door of the dark blue Lincoln Towne Car her father drove. "Nothing at all."
***
"The armored car is here," Zachary told his partners. He looked at one of them. "Open the door and make sure the coast is clear. You two get the diamonds." The other men picked up the two black bags that contained the gems from the broken display cases. "Only one other thing to do," Zachary said, kneeling beside the black box.
Tony watch as Zachary flipped a lid open to a control panel and pressed a button before closing the lid and standing up. "I wouldn't say anything that you don't want me hear, gentlemen," he said, taking an earphone from his pocket which he plugged into the small box before placing the other end into his ear. "Big brother will be listening." He laughed. Remington stirred restlessly at the sound. "Perhaps we'll meet again, one day. But I wouldn't count on it." Turning toward his friends, he said, "All clear?"
"Looks like it."
"Let's go, then."
The armored car was sitting outside the door as promised, and in the street lights, they could easily see the police cars gathered across the lot, and the array of gun barrels pointed in their direction. Zachary went out first, stepping into the spotlight that lit the area, his left hand raised, thumb clearly on the trigger button for the bomb inside the building. "You drive, Hank," he ordered, waving his gun toward the front of the truck. "Lou, open the back doors."
Hank went around the truck and opened the door, getting inside. Suddenly he felt cold steel against his temple. "Drop the gun. Don't make a sound- or it's the last one you'll make."
Lou opened the doors- and the three men entered the van- only to have the interior light come on to reveal that they were surrounded by armed security men. "Give it up, Zachary," Laura said from the open doors. "You've lost."
Zachary turned to face her, ignoring the guards. "No, Mrs. Steele. You're the one who's lost. Say goodbye to your husband." He removed his thumb from the button and tossed the control out of the van, into the darkness. "He's only got thirty seconds to live." He began to laugh again.
Laura, silently counting off the seconds, turned to search for the control, yelling. "I need a light! I need-" she found it with seconds to spare and pressed her thumb onto the larger button, the one that Zachary had been holding, then ran toward the building.
"Laura!" Edward yelled after her as the security people gave way to the police, led by Captain Jenkins.
"Take em away," Jenkins ordered, but Zachary refused to go, pulling at the handcuffs on his wrists to confront the Captain.
"We're not taking this fall alone, Jenkins," he said, his angry gaze on the older man.
"Be quiet, Zachary," Jenkins warned. "You can talk all you want down at the station. Somebody read this guy his rights!" he called out.
But Zachary refused to back down. "I know my rights, Jenkins. Do you?" he asked, getting right into Jenkins' suddenly fearful face.
Edward saw Jenkins reach for his weapon, and pushed the police Captain away, sending the gun skittering across the pavement. "Jenkins was in on the entire deal," Zachary informed them. "Didn't like the pension plan he was going to get, so he helped me plan this. Promised that he'd make it look good and then let us get away."
"Shut up!" Jenkins yelled as several of his own men grabbed him. "He's lying! I've never met this man before in my entire life!"
"I think someone needs to read Captain Jenkins HIS rights," Zachary sneered.
***
Laura burst into the Exhibit room, her thumb still on the button of the remote control. She went to kneel beside Remington. She never noticed when Tony took the remote from her and placed his other hand on her shoulder before meeting the bomb squad at the door.
"Get the paramedics in here," he told them, glancing back to where Laura was sitting. "Here's the remote."
"Thanks. You'd better get out of here," one of the men suggested.
Tony looked once more at Laura, then left the room, passing the paramedics on their way into the room. Jessica was outside, with Edward, watching as the police cars screamed away. "I can't believe that Captain Jenkins was behind this," Jessica was telling Edward. "It's amazing."
"I think it's what Laura suspected," Edward said. "That's why she didn't tell him about her little Trojan Horse idea. I knew from the expression his face as soon as he realized what was happening that something wasn't right."
"Hello, Edward," Tony said, then nodded at Jessica. "Jess."
"Tony. You okay?" Edward asked.
"Yeah. A little- tired," he admitted, looking at Jessica again.
Edward seemed to sense that they needed a moment, because he cleared his throat. "I'm going to see if I can help inside. Excuse me."
"Thank you," Jessica said.
"For what?"
"Trying to help in there."
"I didn't do much. Jess-"
She stepped back, away from his outstretched hand. "No. I have to tell you something, Antony. I'm not sure this is the best place or time, but I'm not sure there *is* a good place or time for this."
"Jess, what are you talking about? Didn't you get my present the other day?"
She reached into her pocket. "I got it, Antony," she admitted, bringing the ring box out. "And as much as I'd like to accept it, I can't. Not right now." She held it out to him. "I'm sorry."
Tony stared at the white velvet box, seeing it as the straw that broke the camel's back. He took the box. "If you change your mind-"
"I'll let you know. I just think that . . . we need some time . . . to . . . sort things out. How we both feel, where we're going. What we want out of life." She ran a hand across her forehead. "Right now, the only thing I can think about it Remington and whether or not he's going to recover."
"He will. Man's got more lives than a cat," Tony commented, then somehow managed a smile. "Take care, huh?"
"You to," she said in a sad voice.
Tony moved away, then turned to watch as the paramedics wheeled Remington from the building on a gurney. Laura was at his side, holding his hand. Philip Cameron moved to place an arm around Jessica's shoulders as if he had every right. And Jessica didn't protest, Tony noticed.
A reporter rushed up to Laura as they were loading Remington onto the ambulance, and shoved a microphone into her face. "Ms. Holt, I'm Shirley Havermeyer with Channel Six. Is it true that you came up with the plan that captured the thieves and saved your husband and Philip Cameron?" the young woman asked.
"I suppose," Laura said, her attention on what was going on inside the ambulance.
"You're a hero, Ms. Holt. How does that make you feel?"
"Right now, the only thing on my mind is my husband," Laura informed the reporter, getting into the ambulance. "And for the record, it's Mrs. Steele," she added as the ambulance doors closed.
To Be Continued . . .