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“You want irrefutable proof,” Bower acknowledges. “Okay. I understand you.”
“That’s all I want.” He inches closer to the front wall of the bank, and still, he doesn’t look back toward his line of hostages. “That’s all I ever wanted. To ensure she would be okay. If you do that, I’ll put my gun down and walk out of here.”
“Peacefully?” Bower asks. “No one gets hurt?”
Slade nods, though of course, Bower can’t see that. “Peacefully,” he agrees.
“Then we have a deal. But now I need something from you, Mr. Slade. I need proof of life, too.”
“You’re not getting shit!”
“I can’t bankroll a six-figure surgery if I can’t be sure I’m fighting for the lives of those you have inside with you.” I see in my mind the way Captain Bower shakes his head. “It’s just not a sound investment. So let’s talk numbers.”
“No!”
“A hundred thousand dollars… that’s gotta be worth ten lives, don’t you think? I know you’ve got a kid in there. And a woman with a baby in her belly.”
“I said no!”
“As a sign of good faith, I’ll let you count the pregnant woman twice. Two lives. Send her out, and the boy. Your injured, too, and your doctors, so they can help them.”
“That’s a pretty big list,” Slade snaps. Then he chuckles and scrubs a hand along his chin. “Not happening.”
“Mr. Slade—”
“But I’ll tell you what youcanhave. One injured security guard. He will be escorted out, set down, and then his bearer has to come back inside. Like with the pizza, I want your men to remain fifty feet back, and you won’t come forward until the door is closed and my hostage is back inside. If you screw up, I put a bullet in the back of her head, and you gettwobodies. Understood?”
“Mr. Slade—”
“Do you understand?” he repeats angrily. “That’s the best you’ll get. And I suggest you hurry with your answer, because the dude isn’t doing well.”
“Okay!” Bower’s voice finally turns a little frantic. “Okay, we accept your terms.”
“Great. Push your men back, clear the fuckin’ area, then get me access to my daughter. How long until surgery is over?”
“Uh…”
He has no effing clue, because she’s not yet being operated on, and he’s not medically inclined enough to have an educated answer.
“Captain? I asked you a question.”
“Let me check,” he answers quickly. “I’ll put in a call to the hospital and get an ETA. Does that work for you?”
“You have two minutes! Keep your men back.” Then he looks to Aubree and nods to give his approval. “Pick him up. Drag him out. Do whatever the hell you need to do, but you have until Bower comes back with an answer, then those doors close, and your ass will be inside this building.”
“Okay!” She heaves for breath, the way an athlete might prepare themselves for their sport. Then she comes to Earl’s head and pulls his arms up.
Oh my god.
She’s literally going to drag his two hundred pounds from tile to concrete on her own.
“Okay, buddy.” Rubbing her hands together, she grabs onto his and links them until their wrists lock into place. Then she pulls until her breath comes out on a grunt and her face burns red from exertion.
At first, he doesn’t move even an inch.
He’s too heavy. More than twice her weight and size.
But she keeps tugging, growling when his body refuses to budge, then she makes the first inch of progress, and the tile becomes helpful with its low friction. “Okay!” she exhales. “We’re going.”
