“You want lead negotiator on this, Sargent?” my lieutenant asks, and I nod, letting him know I’m the right man for the job. He takes my nod, then steps back, allowing me to take control of the situation.
“Walker, I want better eyes in the car and keep trying him on his cell ‘til he picks up.”
“On it, boss.” Walker starts clicking away on his keyboard, getting settled in.
“Okay, boys, our main concern is those two kids. We need to figure out if he’s acting out in anger, or suffering a mental break. Fox, what are our tact options here?”
“He’s out there, open and exposed.” He steps forward and points at the monitor. “I think our only play here is to have a sniper’s perch set up over here on the adjacent side ramp.” I nod, agreeing with the play. I turn to face my lead marksman.
“Tate, you’re lead sniper.” Tate nods, adjusts his rifle firmly in his grip, and then exits the command vehicle ready to do his job.
“Perry, you’re second,” I order one of Kaighn’s men out to follow Tate. From what I know about the kid, he’s just as good as Tate, and if I can get two sets of eyes up there, the better off we will be.
“What’s your play on this?” I ask Kaighn, Team Two’s leader, opening up the lines of communication. This isn’t just any rescue. It’s a sensitive situation. A father clearly on the edge, three innocent children caught in the crossfire.
“Only way I see this happening, we box him in. Use the BearCat to get up close.” A BearCat is a Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck. Simply put, an armored personnel carrier.
I think over Kaighn’s play, working it out in my head.
It may work. It’s probably our only shot.
“Okay, boys, that’s our play. Team One, you’ll take the north end of the ramp. Team Two, you’re south. Let’s get to it. You know what needs to be done.” The two teams exit the command unit, setting up the play with no other questions.
“Is the ex-wife close?” I ask Kaighn, hoping she may be able to help talk her ex-husband down.
“She’s en route.”
I nod, making a note. “Let’s have some of the patrols move back, so the boys can—”
“Got a connection.” Walker cuts me off, switching my coms over to the call.
“Mr. James, this is Sergeant Hetcherson of the Trebook PD tactical unit—”
“You all need to stay back. You’re getting too close.” He cuts right to the chase, giving me the first glimpse into his frame of mind.
“We’re working on it right now, Mr. James. In the meantime, you want to tell me what’s going on here today?”
“I’m not talking to anyone till you back the fuck up. You’re scaring Lucy,” he repeats his order, and I take note of his daughter’s name.
“How is Lucy?” My eyes find Walker, and I circle Lucy’s name then write ‘brother’s name' with a question mark next to it.
“She’s fine.”
Walker has the kid’s name up in less than ten seconds.
“And Conrad? He doing okay too?”
“They’re fine. But we would be better if you all pissed off.”
“You know we can’t do that, Norman.” I test his name on my tongue. “It’s okay to call you Norman?” I ask, hoping to establish some kind of rapport with him.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, good. Now you want to tell me what’s happened today that’s brought us to this point?” I open the conversation up to him, hoping he will inadvertently expose himself.
“The bitch. It’s all her fault. She doesn't care about them. She only cares about hurting me.”
“Who are we talking about Norman?” I already know he’s talking about his ex-wife, but I need to keep him talking while the two teams get into position.
“My bitch of an ex-wife.”
“Okay, wanna tell me about it?”
“No, I have nothing to say. You’ll only use it against me.”
“I’m not going to use anything against you, Norman. I want to help. Help you get out of this situation. Help you get what you need.”
“Bullshit. You don’t want to help me. You’re like the others. You’ll only listen to her side.”
“It's not true, Norman. I’m here talking to you. How about you tell me your side?”
“In position, boss.” Tate’s voice comes through my earpiece, letting me know he’s set up and has eyes on Norman.
“I want my kids. She's trying to take them from me.”
“How is she doing that, Norman?”
“She lied. Told the court some bullshit stories. Now I only get to see them twice a month! Do you know what that does to a man? They’re my life, and that bitch takes them from me.” I can hear his anger through the phone, but that’s not what worries me; it’s his desperation.
“It’s got to be hard, Norman. I get it. But is this the right way to go about it? The kids don’t need to see this, Norman.”
“They have to see what their bitch mother has done to me. What she has done to us.”
“Team One in position,” Sterling checks in.