by Jamie Hill
He turned to Addie. “I’d planned on taking my time with you, so by the end you’d be begging me not for life, but for death. I’m not sure we’ll be able to do that now. But make no mistake about it. I’m going to kill you, Addison Jessup. And before your blood stops flowing, I’m going to kill myself. We’ll see how the police and the marshals like that when they arrive. My only regret is that I won’t be able to see their reactions.” He shrugged. “Or maybe I will. Maybe that’s what Hell is, having to watch what we did here on earth, over and over again for eternity.”
At least he realizes he’s going to Hell. Addie shook away the thought and gazed at him one more time. “It doesn’t have to go down like that, Cole. It’s not too late to cancel these wretched plans and turn yourself in. If you stop now, maybe God will have mercy on your soul.”
He laughed out loud. “Oh, that’s rich. You’re a fucking comedian, that’s what you are. But you know what? I’m getting tired, Addie. I think I just want this all to be over with.”
“Perfect! End it now, Cole. Please—” She was cut off when he affixed another piece of duct tape over her mouth.
Cole pulled out his knife and began shining the blade.
Chapter Twelve
Omaha, Nebraska
Sergeant Tyrone Swift of the Omaha Police Department arrived at the scene shortly after eight p.m. The sun was setting and they wouldn’t have a good view of the house for much longer. He climbed out of his sedan and hurried into the van they’d parked on the street to use as the base for hostage negotiations. “What do we have?” he asked two of his crisis support team members.
“Single white male, age thirty-five, recently released from prison in Texas. Killed his parole officer and his lawyer before heading to Kansas and kidnapping his ex-wife, an ADA who testified against him at his domestic abuse trial.”
“Verdict?”
“He served eighteen months. Now he’s got his ex-wife, her parents, and one patrol officer inside, that we know of. There’s another sister but she’s away at college, and safe when we checked half an hour ago.”
“Perp’s name?”
“Cole Jessup. Oh, and Sarge? He was a defense attorney before he went away.”
“Fuck.” Swift shook his head. Lawyers could be assholes. They knew the system inside and out, and sometimes used that knowledge for evil rather than good.
“One other thing, Sarge. There are two US Marshals on their way.”
He rubbed his already throbbing temples. “Why in hell would they be coming here?”
“The ADA works with them in Topeka. They have familiarity with the case, and thought they might be of some help.”
Swift shrugged. “I’ll talk to them when they get here. Maybe they can offer some insight. But we don’t need feds barging in, trying to take over our case. If they start acting like they’re in control, then they’re out. Fuck ‘em.”
* * *
Omaha, Nebraska
Ben glanced at the GPS on his phone. “Take a left about a block up, on Elm.”
“Got it.” Nick did as directed.
As soon as they pulled onto the street, Ben could see the police cars. Six of them, with lights flashing around and around. A large black van with the doors open in back. “Oh, God.” His stomach felt sick. “I think I’m gonna puke.”
“We don’t know anything yet,” Nick reminded. “Or maybe it’s the chili dogs we scarfed as we passed through that last town.”
“Sitting there like rocks in my stomach,” Ben agreed.
“Mine, too. Should have opted for something lighter.” He pulled in behind the last police car and they got out of the truck, badges in the air.
“Sergeant Swift?” Ben asked a patrol cop.
“In the back of the van. Large, bald black man. You can’t miss him.”
“Thanks.” He approached the van, Nick on his heels.
Six uniformed men turned their heads and stared at them.
“Sergeant Swift?” Ben looked at the large bald man in the middle. “I’m US Marshal Ben Markham. This is my partner Marshal Nick Pierce.”
Swift nodded. “They said you work with the ADA—?” He fumbled for her name.
“Addie,” Ben supplied. “Yes, we do. Her condo was ransacked about a week ago, but it happened in correlation with a case we were on and the police didn’t take it seriously. But I saw what he did, ripping photos of her to pieces and shredding her bed sheets. That was personal. The other case wouldn’t have been.”
Swift nodded. “Sounds like Jessup. He was obviously watching her.” He raised a finger. “We’re just about to establish phone communications with him. Hang on.”
The van was filled with security equipment. One man sat behind a workstation pressing buttons. Ringing started as he connected the call and put it on speaker so they could all hear.
“Come on,” Swift muttered, then said to his team, “Everyone remember, let me do the talking.” He shot a look at Ben and Nick.
Ben nodded. He wasn’t about to interfere.
More ringing.
“This is the landline in the house,” Swift commented. “If Jessup has a cell, it’s not in his name.”
“He broke Addie’s cell,” Ben added softly.
Swift nodded acknowledgement, then froze as the call was answered.
“What?”
“Cole? This is Sergeant Tyrone Swift of the Omaha Police Department.”
“Tyrone? Do people call you Ty? Do you want to tie me up with some of your ties, Ty?”
“Ah, a movie buff. Yeah, people call me Ty. So Cole, we’re trying to figure out what you need to end this. Is there something you want?”
A bitter chuckle. “There’s a lot of things I want, Ty, but nothing you can give me. It’ll be over soon enough.”
“What do you mean by that, Cole? How’s it going to be over? Do you want us to give you a car so you can get away, that kind of thing?”
“I’m not stupid, Ty. I won’t be getting away from here today. But neither will my friends in here.”
Ben looked frantically at Nick.
Nick clutched his forearm and squeezed. “Hang on,” he whispered.
Swift went on, “Can I talk to Officer Martin? Make sure he’s okay?”
“That’s not gonna be possible right now. So who do you have out there, Ty? A dozen or so cops?”
“Roughly.”
“Got any US Marshals?”
Swift glanced at Ben as he replied. “Perhaps.”
“Well, we don’t want just any marshal, we’re interested in one particular man.” His voice grew quieter as he turned away from the phone. “What’s his name again?”
A muffled female voice said, “Leave him out of this.”
There was a loud, slapping sound and a woman cried out.
“What’s his name again?” Jessup repeated.
“Ben Markham,” she answered through obvious tears.
Ben clutched the back of the van. “I’m gonna kill that mother fucker.”
Nick grabbed his shoulder. “Calm down. We have to think this through.”
Swift glanced at them while speaking to Jessup. “He’s here. Would you like to speak with him?”
“No. I want him to come inside. No guns, no tricks. Any further negotiations will be done between me and him. Front door. Five minutes.” He ended the call.
Swift stomped his foot. “Damn it!” He glared at Ben. “What does he want with you?”
Fury welled in Ben’s chest. “He’s a crazy son of a bitch, so who knows. I’ve been escorting Addie around for protection, so I’m sure he’s seen us together.”
Nick nudged him. “Tell him.”
“No,” Ben snapped.
Swift gazed at them. “Tell me what?”
Nick replied, “They’ve gone out on a couple of dates, too. Jessup apparently knows that.”
Ben looked at the sergeant. “I want to get in there. I can help this situation.”
“If you’re emotionally involved,
you ain’t gonna be much help.”
Ben gritted his teeth. “I’ve had hostage negotiation training. Nothing compared to you, of course, but I’m confident I know what I’m doing.”
Swift conferred quietly with a couple of his own men before turning back to Ben. “You understand that it sounds like he’s on a suicide mission. He’s talking like he intends to kill everyone in the house before offing himself.”
Squaring his shoulders, Ben nodded. “I’d like a chance to talk him out of it.”
“By going in, you’re aware that you’re giving him another potential victim.”
He looked the sergeant in the eye. “Yep.”
“We can put a wire on you, but I’m not sure we can get inside quickly enough if he opens fire.”
“I fully understand the situation, sir. Slap a wire on me and let’s get this show on the road while we’ve got a little daylight left.”
Nick tugged at his arm. “You sure about this, partner?”
Ben turned to him. “I’m not leaving those people in his hands. However this goes down, I can say I that I tried. I have to try.”
Nick nodded and they both looked at Swift. The taller man nodded back. Nick said, “I’ll get your vest and give you my ankle holster.”
A man behind Swift remarked, “He said no guns.”
Ben shook his head. “I’m not going in without a gun. If he takes it, I guess he takes it.”
Swift added, “The officer inside had a gun, too. Be aware of that because Jessup probably has it now.”
After being fitted with a surveillance wire, Ben slipped on his bullet-proof vest. He adjusted Nick’s ankle holster beneath his jeans and inserted his gun into it. He stood and prepared himself mentally for what was about to go down.
Nick ended a call to their boss and placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “The chief said to be careful.”
“Seriously? Ok, thanks. I hadn’t thought of that.”
His partner squeezed his shoulders. “I know why you have to do this, Benji. I wish I could do more to back you up. All I can say is, don’t get dead.”
Ben smiled. “I’ll do my best. Your job now is to figure out a new place for us to eat on the way home. No more chili dogs.”
Nick grinned. “I’ll start working on that now. You think Addie likes cheeseburgers?”
“I know she does.”
“We’ll do that, then. Good luck, Benj.” He gave Ben a quick hug.
Ben hugged him back then pulled away quickly. “Time to go.”
Swift walked him to the curb. “Keep him talking if you can. Look for a way to distract him. Remember, the code word is ‘gumdrop’. We hear ‘gumdrop’ and we’re busting down the door and coming in.”
“Gumdrop,” Ben repeated as they walked.
“Yeah. Not a chance you’ll use that word in normal conversation, so no screw-ups.”
“Unless it’s Christmas time.”
Swift smiled. “In December we use ‘margarita’.” He stopped walking.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Ben went the rest of the way alone. He approached the front door, glanced back one time at Nick, Swift, and the others, and placed a hand on the doorknob. He turned it and the door opened. Ben stepped inside and closed it.
Jessup stood in front of him with a knife in his hand. Ben glanced over his shoulder and spotted Addie and her parents, bound with duct tape at their wrists and ankles. The Deckers’ mouths were taped but Addie’s wasn’t. She gazed at him with wide eyes, but didn’t say anything.
Ben’s heart ached, but he turned his attention back to Jessup. “I’m Markham.”
“Hey, Ben. Good to meet you. I’m Cole. Lift your vest and shirt so I can see if you’re packing heat.”
Packing heat? Ben wanted to make a crack about the cheesy line but figured he probably shouldn’t. Jessup was being flip but he might not like it if anyone else did it. He raised the hem of his shirt and exposed the top of his jeans.
“Turn around.”
Ben obliged, hoping the man wouldn’t frisk him and find the ankle holster. Any smart criminal would know to look for it, but Jessup wasn’t the normal crook. Ben couldn’t say how smart he was, although the guy had been a lawyer so he must have been intelligent at some point before he fell off the deep end.
“Good.” Jessup faced him. “So, you’re the guy who’s been dating my wife?”
Ben shrugged. “We had one date. The rest has been a protection detail.”
“What, she’s not good enough for you?”
“I don’t know her that well. I couldn’t say. Maybe she’s too good for me, I dunno.”
“Interesting.” Jessup seemed caught off guard, which was exactly what they wanted.
Now to keep it going. “The cops in this town are clueless about how these things work. They want me to come in and try to trick you. I tried to tell them you’re too smart for that. You’re never gonna fall for some stupid ploy.
“But I’m a federal agent, and I’ve got more pull than they do. I’ve got a truck out there on the street. You say the word and we’ll bring it into the garage, load you in it, and I’ll drive you the hell out of here. We can go to the airport, or we can drive to Chicago or Minneapolis, wherever you want.”
Jessup laughed. “You think I’m going to kill these people and they’ll let me drive away safe and sound?”
Ben gazed at him seriously. “No. I think we’re going to leave these people just like they are. Then they’ll let us drive away safe and sound.”
“I’ve already killed two others. You suggesting the cops are going to forgive that?”
“You need anybody’s forgiveness? I’m suggesting that in exchange for the lives of the family in this house, the police are going to let you get away. I didn’t say they’ll quit looking for you, I’m just saying for today, if this ends now, you can walk out of here.”
Jessup rubbed his chin. “Intriguing. I never thought that would be an option for me.”
“It is, Cole. It’s a very real option. I’ll drive you wherever you want to go.”
“They’ll never stop looking for me.”
“No, they won’t. But you’ll be alive. You could maybe go to Mexico or somewhere down south. You’d have a shot at least.”
Jessup glanced at the family. “Maybe I could take Addie with me.”
“Nope,” Ben said, a little too quickly. “Just you and me. No hostages.”
He considered it for a moment longer. “I think that might be a way out. But you know what I really think?”
Ben shook his head.
“I think you’re so full of shit that your ears are turning brown.” He jumped on Ben and they toppled to the floor.
Addie shrieked as Ben wrestled with the crazy man.
Jessup elbowed him in the face and Ben smacked him in the jaw, hard.
When Jessup waved his knife Ben reached for his gun and tugged it loose.
Jumping to his feet, Jessup kicked Ben’s hand and the gun slid across the floor.
Ben clambered to his feet, hands in the air, bouncing to avoid knife jabs.
“Lying-sack-of-shit!” Jessup punctuated each jab with a word. “We’re just going to drive right out of here, eh?”
“We could have,” Ben ducked as the knife swung over his head.
Jessup kicked him in the stomach and Ben grabbed his foot, shoving him backwards. The man fell flat and lost his weapon.
Scrambling for his gun, Ben saw it on the floor by Addie. She kicked it in his direction. When he retrieved it and stood, he saw that Jessup had grabbed Addie’s mother and was holding her in one arm, his knife in the other hand.
He leveled his gun at Jessup’s head.
Addie’s mother’s eyes were wide, but she nodded her head enthusiastically.
“Shoot him!” Addie screamed.
Jessup raised his arm and pointed the knife at the woman’s neck. “He’s not going to shoot me, Addie.” He jerked his body back and forth, which brought Mrs. Decker in the path of the
bullet. “He might be a good shot, but he’s not going to take that chance.” Jessup looked Ben in the eye. “What do you say, Marshal?”
Ben weighed his options, his gun still level. “I say, never bring a knife to a gun fight.” He pulled the trigger and shot Jessup in the elbow.
The man swore and dropped the knife.
Ben darted forward, shoving Addie’s mom out of harm’s way. He knocked Jessup down and kicked the knife across the floor. With one foot on the man’s chest, he said, “Suspect is down. I repeat, suspect is down!”
The front door flew open and the dozen officers who’d been waiting outside flooded into the house. Two uniformed cops flanked Jessup and dragged him up, handcuffing him.
The man appeared genuinely distraught as he faced Ben. “Why didn’t you just kill me?”
“That would have been too easy. You deserve to go back to prison and spend the rest of your life figuring out where you went wrong.” Ben bent down and reached for Mrs. Decker, assisting her up.
As the officers led Jessup out he struggled to look at Ben again. “What do you mean? Where do you think I went wrong?”
Ben shook his head. “You really don’t know? You were married to Addie, man. A guy doesn’t get any luckier than that.”
The police led Jessup out.
Ben peeled the tape off Mrs. Decker’s mouth carefully. “Sorry. I know this hurts.”
“Oh, my God!” her words came out in a rush.
“Here.” He pried the tape off her wrists and the first thing she did was to throw her arms around his neck.
“Oh, my God! Thank you!”
He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Another officer arrived to cut the tape at her ankles.
Ben looked around and saw Nick leading Addie in his direction. “Excuse me,” he said to her mother, then scooped Addie into his arms.
