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Jake stalled. He was still holding his gun tight, but Daniel had the advantage. He just needed a little time… “Daniel, why aren’t you doing your goddamn job properly? You need to alert the Feds and tell them there’s been a kidnapping.”
“Kidnapping? Come on, Jake, we all know Emma’s just gone off in a sulk.”
“So why the hell are you holding me up in a fucking parking lot?”
“Because there’s more going on here than you’re telling me. I don’t know what you’ve done, but I do know you’ve done something. You killed my little brother, so who knows what you’re capable of?”
“It was a fucking accident I’ve regretted my entire adult life,” Jake growled.
“Well… if you want me to let you off the hook, just hand over the treasure map.”
Jake’s jaw dropped open. “That’s what this is all about? I told you, it was just a joke. I made it up.”
“Bullshit.”
Astrid tensed her muscles. “Daniel, we need to get my sister back!”
Daniel ignored Astrid and started to pat down Jake’s jacket with one hand – while still pointing his gun at Jake with his other hand. “I bet you’ve got it tucked away in there, huh? If you don’t hand it over, I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping Emma.”
“This is crazy,” Astrid said. “You’re supposed to be finding my sister, not your fortune!”
“Give me that map and I’ll let you both walk.”
Jake hoped Daniel was as stupid as he remembered. He reached toward his jacket. “All right.”
“Wait,” Daniel said. “Put your gun down on the ground and kick it to me…”
Jake decided to play along – there was no way Daniel was winning this. He slowly bent at the knees and dropped his gun to the ground, then he kicked it over to Daniel, who stood on it.
But now Daniel couldn’t move, or he’d expose Jake’s gun. “Astrid,” Daniel said. “Reach into Jake’s jacket and get the map, then pass it to me. No funny business from either of you, right.”
Astrid stepped over and stood in front of Jake. “Which pocket is it in?”
“Left,” he said.
Maintaining eye contact with him, she reached inside his jacket, and delved her hand into his inner left-hand pocket. Her eyes widened with surprise as her fingers came into contact with the contents.
He raised a cheeky eyebrow. “The map’s on my left, not yours,” he said coolly.
She shot him a ‘we’ll discuss this later’ look, then she pulled out the gun he’d stashed in his pocket, turned swiftly, and pointed it at Daniel.
Her hands trembled and her heart pounded, but Jake willed her to remain calm. Pulling a gun on a cop was illegal – even a corrupt one like Daniel. But this was the new Astrid. She held it exactly as Jake had shown her, and directed it right at him.
Daniel laughed. “Astrid, what are you doing?”
“Put your gun down. I need to find my little sister. Do it now, or I’ll shoot you.”
While Astrid was keeping him occupied, Jake came to life and kicked Daniel’s gun from his hands, sending it flying across the parking lot.
Astrid shouted angrily at Daniel. “We were just about to get my sister back, you stupid jerk – Simon’s got her. And now we’ve lost him, thanks to you!”
Daniel ignored this. “Astrid, lower your firearm. You’re protecting a suspected criminal – the punishment for which is prison.”
“Bullshit,” Jake said. “Suspected of what crime?”
“I’ll think of something… how about manslaughter? I know some pretty corrupt judges who’ll gladly put you both away if I pay them enough. Astrid, if you side with Jake now, I won’t protect you when I’ve hunted him down and arrested him.”
“He hasn’t done anything wrong, you asshole. In fact, he was about to save the fucking day!”
