by Lisa Harris
“Who?”
“I wasn’t given any specifics,” he said, quickening his pace.
He led her down a narrow hallway. She could hear their footsteps echoing as they walked past the gray walls. Doors were shut tightly on either side. The narrow hallway started to close in on her. Her pulse pounded in her temples. It was like being in a dark tunnel where she couldn’t find her way out. Like being in a plane that was hurling toward earth at a couple hundred miles an hour and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
God, I feel so out of control today. Like everything is spinning in the wrong direction and I can’t stop it.
Her job. Her personal life. Her health.
She tried to shove away the feeling of panic. She was the one who conducted the investigations. Who stayed in control of every detail of her cases. But today everything had changed.
Her heart pounded, even though she knew they were safe. She glanced behind her. The upped security they had to go through just to speak with Justin should have been enough to assure her of that.
Aiden rushed her around another corner. She looked up and caught the worry lines around his eyes.
This was definitely not routine.
“If my wife finds out about this, she’s going to make me quit.” His jaw tensed. “We’ve got a baby on the way. Number two.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks, but kids somehow manage to change everything. Beth’s getting tired of worrying if I’m going to come home in one piece. Recent budget cuts mean less security. The last six months have been rough.”
“I’m sorry. That’s got to be tough on both of you.”
And she understood. Because what Beth had was what she wanted. That someone to come home to every night. She knew Tyler worried about her. A couple close calls in the past few months might have made them both realize they had feelings for each other, but today had made her reevaluate again how quickly everything can change. And the price she sometimes had to pay to ensure justice was served.
A noise behind her pulled her from her thoughts. She turned around as two inmates in orange ran toward them. Her mind scrambled to process what they were doing out of their cellblocks.
A guard was down … one of the prisoners hit …
Nikki’s heart jumped in her chest. Aiden moved in front of her, but before either of them could fully react, the shorter man—balding and with tats down both arms—slammed Aiden into the wall.
The taller one—black with a rough scar across his cheek—tried to stop her. Her shoulder throbbed as he wrenched her arms behind her. She fought to pull away, but she couldn’t get the momentum she needed to throw him off of her.
The other convict pulled a knife on Aiden as he tried to fight back, then slammed him against the wall again. Aiden slid to the ground, leaving behind a trail of blood against the wall where he’d been stabbed.
12
9:07 p.m.
Nikki stumbled backward as Aiden slid down the wall onto the floor. His phone tumbled out of his hands. How in the world had this happened?
She plunged toward the inmate blocking her way to Aiden and slammed her elbow into the man’s throat. He stumbled backward, caught off guard for a fraction of a second before turning back toward her and smashing her against the wall. Her lungs gasped for air as he grabbed her. She’d underestimated his strength. He was solid muscle, with at least thirty pounds on her.
I need you to help me get out of this, Jesus. Please.
She couldn’t stop fighting yet. She had to find a way to get her and Aiden to safety. Thick arms reached around her from behind. With a rush of adrenaline, she squatted, then pressed against him with her back, using momentum to throw him off of her.
The taller inmate pulled out a gun and aimed it at Aiden, stopping her in her tracks. “You run, I kill your friend.”
She glanced back at Aiden. He was staring up at her, panic in his eyes. Face pale, hands shaking next to him, while blood pooled at his side on the floor. He’d never make it if he didn’t get immediate medical attention.
“We need to get out of here now, Finn.” The gunman’s jaw tensed. His expression hardened and focused. “Tie her up with the belt. She’s coming with us.”
Finn shoved Nikki’s arms behind her, then tied them securely with the belt.
“Wait.” She tried to move back toward Aiden, but the inmate only tightened his grip on her arm. “He’s going to die if he doesn’t get help.”
“Do I look like I care? You’re our ticket out of here, and we’re going. Now.”
Their ticket out of here?
A wave of panic swept over her. How had a simple interview for a missing persons case landed her in the middle of a hostage situation? A guard and a prisoner were already down. They’d somehow managed to smuggle weapons into the prison in preparation of a hit. Which meant this wasn’t necessarily a crime of opportunity. Neither were they worried about anyone getting in their way. They hadn’t hesitated at stabbing Aiden. And they wouldn’t hesitate getting rid of her either if they felt for an instant she was a liability instead of leverage.
She glanced at her captors. Sirens were blaring. They were starting to lock down the building. Whatever happened over the next few minutes, this wasn’t going to end well without a miracle.
Aiden looked up at her as they started dragging her away from him. “I don’t know what you want, but leave her out of this. Please.”
“If you leave him to die—” she started.
“Shut up.”
Footsteps pounded ahead of them.
“Cipher …” Finn looked at the other inmate. “We’re out of time. They’re coming down the east corridor.”
“If you hadn’t stabbed them … ,” Cipher said.
Finn pressed his fingers against Nikki’s bruised shoulder in a tight grip, shoving the knife he’d stabbed Aiden with against her back. “If I hadn’t stabbed them, we’d be dead.”
She fought to concentrate as they ran down the opposite corridor with her, searching for a way to stop what was happening. But if she tried to run, they’d kill her. And if she didn’t run …
Tyler had been right. She never should have continued with this case. She should have told the FBI to handle this case on their own and gone home and slept for the rest of the week. Because she hadn’t been ready to get back on the field. Not emotionally. Not physically. And there was no way she was ready to handle something like this.
Except she had to be.
She couldn’t let them win.
She could hear her father’s voice.
Dig deeper, Nikki. You’re braver than you think.
She fought to focus as she started praying, digging up strength she was going to need in the following seconds.
You’re stronger than you feel, Nikki.
Someone shouted behind them. Had the guards found Aiden? She glanced behind her. Even if she did manage to escape the two men, she was now turned around with no idea how to get back to the entrance.
Cipher yanked open a heavy metal door and shoved her into a room, then quickly barricaded the door behind them. She glanced around, weighing her limited options. He’d secured them in the library. Blue laminate floor. Eight or so round tables with chairs. Shelves of books along the wall. The overhead lights were dimmed, casting eerie shadows across the room.
“What are we doing here?” Finn asked.
“Thanks to you, the plan has changed.”
“Changed?” Finn’s frown deepened.
“You’ve got two choices.” Cipher leveled the gun at Finn. “You can do exactly what I say from now on and get out of this place with me, or you’re on your own.”
“Wait a minute. Escape?”
Nikki glanced at Finn. If escaping wasn’t their goal, then what in the world had been their plan in the first place?
“There’s no way they’ll let you leave,” she said. “They’re locking down the building.”
“She’s right.” Finn glanced at the door. �
��How long do you think it’s going to take for them to find us?”
“You really think things can get worse for me here? And even with three men down, there’s not much more they can do to me. Besides, this is that chance I’ve been looking for. We’ve got the leverage we need. A hostage.”
“And if they catch us … then what?” There was fear in Finn’s eyes. “They’ll add the death penalty. Is that what you want?”
“Maybe you should have thought about that before smuggling in weapons and stabbing those men.” Cipher turned to Nikki, ignoring his question. “What’s your name?”
Nikki hesitated, glancing from one man to the next. Cipher was clearly in charge, and she hadn’t missed the panic in Finn’s voice. But an escape? They might have a hostage and a weapon, but did he really think the officers were going to let him walk out of here? She knew that whoever was put in charge of negotiating was going to do everything they could to neutralize the situation short of an escape.
“Your name!” he repeated.
She looked at him, fighting to erase the fear she knew hovered in her own eyes. “Nikki Boyd.”
He grabbed her arm, pushed her into one of the chairs, then squatted down in front of her. “You were with the deputy, so I know you’re not here visiting an inmate. Which means you got to be law enforcement.”
She caught the darkness in his eyes and felt a chill slither down her spine. There was no doubt in her mind that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if she got in his way. “I’m with TBI. Their missing persons task force.”
Finn started pacing in front of them. “She was here to interview Peters.”
Cipher’s frown deepened at Finn’s comment. “Aren’t you the smart one.”
“Is that who you attacked?” Nikki asked, trying to put things together.
Cipher stared at her like he was about to strike, but she wasn’t finished. The more information she could get out of them the better.
If she made it out alive.
“If that’s true, then who ordered it? Brian Russell?” Nikki studied Cipher’s face, knowing she was pushing her luck. But Justin had told them that Russell had connections in prison. And that Russell wanted to ensure that the evidence Erika had would disappear.
“Shut up and quit asking questions,” Cipher said.
But she didn’t miss the flicker of recognition in his eyes. Justin had been right. Russell’s connections were far-reaching.
Nikki’s phone started ringing. She tugged on the belt still securing her wrists. Jack would be worried, wondering what had happened to her.
“I should answer it,” she said, glancing at her captors. “They know I’m in here and are going to assume something’s wrong when I don’t walk out.”
“Where’s your phone?” Cipher asked.
“In my back pocket.”
She winced at his touch as he pulled it out.
“It’s my partner,” she said, glancing at the screen as it stopped ringing. “He’s here and he’s going to keep calling until I answer.”
“Then we’re going to call him back,” Cipher said.
“Call him back?” Finn stopped pacing in front of them. “And what … tell him where we are? You’re an idiot. Every guard in the prison would be in here in a matter of seconds.”
Cipher held up his gun and pointed it at Finn’s head. “If you think I’m an idiot, then you should have stayed back in your cell.”
“We’ve got a string of bodies and a hostage, and you think they’re going to let us walk out of here?”
Cipher flipped off the safety. “Shut. Up!”
“Why? Because you know I’m right?”
“Maybe Cipher is right,” Nikki said, feeling the need to play into the man’s ego without making him feel backed into a corner. “We can call my partner, and if you let me go now, I’ll put in a word for you. Tell them you didn’t hurt me and that you’re willing to put an end to this. That will go far with the DA, I promise.”
“We’re not giving ourselves up,” Cipher said. “And you’re still going to call.”
“Then what do you want me to say?” Nikki asked.
“When your partner answers, you will ask to speak to whoever’s in charge. They should have a hostage negotiator in place at this point. Tell them I want a car with a full tank of gas, a fresh set of clothes for both of us, twenty thousand dollars in unmarked bills, and a clear way out of here. You’ll come with us, then we’ll dump you off somewhere once I know we’re in the clear.”
She caught the antagonism in his steely eyes and knew he wouldn’t keep his word. He’d dump her off somewhere, all right—after he killed her. Which meant she needed to find a way to stop this before it went any further.
But how?
“And if they don’t agree to your demands?” she asked.
“Then I kill you. Because like I told you, I have nothing to lose at this point.” He shoved her chin up with the barrel of his gun, forcing her to look at him. His veins pulsed beneath the dragon tattoo running down his neck. “And if you try to send them some coded message or say anything I don’t tell you to say …”
Nikki nodded, her own heart pounding, and swallowed hard.
Give me the right words, Jesus …
Cipher pressed the button for the last number received, then put the call on speaker, his weapon pointed at her chest.
Jack answered on the first ring. “Nikki?”
“Jack …” She could hear the sirens blaring in the background, making her head pound.
“Nikki, are you okay?”
“I’m okay, but I need to speak with whoever’s in charge of the lockdown.”
“Wait a minute. Where are you?”
“Please, Jack. Just do what I ask.”
She could hear voices in the background as Jack talked with whoever was with him.
A moment later, she heard another man’s voice. “This is Lieutenant Long. Is this Special Agent Nikki Boyd?”
Cipher nodded at her to answer, still hovering over her.
“Yes. I’m here with two of your prisoners as their hostage. You’re on speakerphone, so anything you say they’ll be able to hear.”
“Are you injured?” he asked.
“No, but Aiden Lambert is. He was stabbed in one of the hallways, and he’s going to need immediate medical attention.”
Cipher squeezed her arm. She closed her eyes, wishing she couldn’t see Aiden’s face staring up at her. Wishing she could stop thinking about his family, their unborn baby. How were they going to deal with his death?
God, you’ve got to save him …
“We’ve found him, and he’s receiving medical care. Where are you?”
Cipher leaned down and whispered into her ear. “Stick to the demands. Nothing more.”
“They have a list of demands,” she said, pulling away from his hot breath.
“I’ll be working with you to make sure this ends as soon as possible and to ensure your safety.”
Nikki bit her lip. They couldn’t ensure her safety. No one could. There were things that happened in life that no one could control or stop.
“Nikki, are you still there?” The agent’s voice pulled her back to the present.
“I’m here.”
“What are the demands?”
She glanced back up at Cipher. “A car with a full tank of gas. Two sets of clothes. Twenty thousand dollars in unmarked bills.”
There was a pause on the line. “It’s going to take time to get that together. Especially the money.”
Cipher stepped away from her with the phone. “You’ve got exactly thirty minutes to get us what we asked for, or I will kill her.”
He hung up the call and tossed the phone into a chair beside her.
Nikki glanced at the other man, her mind automatically going to her training. She wasn’t going to be able to completely rely on the men outside this room negotiating her release. Not in this situation. She was the one here, dealing with them face-to-face. She was the
one who needed to try to prove to them she understood where they were coming from and get them to trust her.
Finn paced in front of them. “You do realize, don’t you, that even if you get out of here, she’ll never let you see Chloe.”
Nikki glanced at Cipher. “Who’s Chloe?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“His one regret of being in here,” Finn said.
“Your daughter?” Nikki asked, needing to find a way to connect.
The hard lines on Cipher’s expression softened slightly. “She turned five last week.”
“You must miss her.”
Cipher shrugged. “I just hate that her life’s no different from my childhood. No father, mother working seventy, eighty hours a week.”
“You could still end this now,” Nikki said, “before things get worse. At least you might be able to see her from here.”
“Before things get worse?” Cipher shook his head. “You think we’re stupid? There’s only one way to end this.”
He was wrong, but there was still one thing she needed to know.
“Why did Russell hire you?” she asked.
“We were just supposed to rough Peters up,” Cipher said. “See what he knew.”
“And if he did know something?” she asked.
Cipher’s gaze dropped.
Nikki felt a shiver rip through her. They were supposed to make sure he didn’t talk.
“That guard got in the way,” Finn said.
“So you stabbed him as well?” she asked.
“We did what we had to do.”
Cipher turned the gun back on Finn. “Shut up! You’ve said enough.”
“Why?” Finn stepped forward in challenge. “You think I trust you to get us out of here alive? Because I think she’s right. They’re not going to let us walk out of here. Even with a hostage.”
“Then you walk out of here and let me do this on my own, you coward.”
The veins in Finn’s arms bulged as he lunged at Cipher, grabbing for the gun.
“Stop, both of you.” Nikki jumped up from her chair, still trying to free her arms. The safety on the weapon was off. If the gun fired, whether accidently or on purpose, Finn wasn’t the only one liable to get hit.
