Fatal Exchange

by Harris, Lisa

  But somehow all of that had changed in the last six months. He still had a long way to go, but he was learning that following Christ wasn’t about religion; it was an intimacy with his Creator that had him constantly hungering for more. Moments like this made him thankful he didn’t have to forge ahead on his own strength.

  Mason shifted his thoughts back to the issue at hand. He knew enough about hostage situations to realize that the initial forty-five minutes were the most dangerous. There was a good chance that more than one of the students was panicking. Emily’s role as an authority figure was going to be key. While he’d never spent a lot of time with her despite his friendship with her brother, he had seen her confidence, sincerity, and heart to make the world a better place—particularly through her job.

  She would need to get past the fear in order to realize the importance of her position, draw on any emergency training she’d taken, and do what she could to ensure Rafael—and the hostages—stayed calm. The fact that she knew Rafael should play to her advantage.

  He took another deep breath and redialed the number.

  He might never have handled formal negotiations, but his instincts had brought him through dozens of “unofficial” negotiations, and there was no reason why he couldn’t do the same here.

  The phone rang five times before Rafael finally answered.

  Mason nodded at the captain. “Rafael, it’s Mason Taylor. I know about the gun and the hostages. I want to help put an end to this, so no one is hurt. Tell me how you’re doing.”

  “Me? I … I’m fine.”

  “Good. Is there anyone who needs medical attention?”

  There was a long pause on the line. “No.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I know it’s been an emotional morning and you’re worried about your brother, but I’ve asked to work as the negotiator so I can help you get through this without anyone getting hurt.”

  Mason was greeted again by silence. He glanced up at the captain. He needed to make some progress to prove both to him—and Charlie—that he was capable of doing this.

  “Talk to me, Rafael. This morning you seemed resolved to let me help you. There are other ways to get your brother back without resorting to a hostage situation. You know I’ll help in any way I can if you give me the chance, but this way … this isn’t the answer.”

  “Things changed. I can’t get the money they want, which means they’ll kill Eduardo, and time is running out.”

  “I know you’re worried about your brother, but I promised my help earlier, and I have no intention of backing out. We’ve already got a team trying to find out where he’s being held. If you put an end to this before someone gets hurt, it will be easier for me to help you.”

  “It’s too late. I brought a weapon to school, and I’m holding a bunch of students hostage. What do you think I’m already looking at? Twenty-five … fifty … life?”

  “I don’t know, but I do know that if we can put a stop to this now, things will work out better for you, which is what we both want.” Mason’s jaw tensed. Any idea he’d had that it would be easy to talk Rafael down had been completely wrong. The boy was clearly determined to go through with this despite the consequences. “If you won’t walk away, what’s your plan? Tell me what you need to put an end to this.”

  Rafael hesitated. “First of all, nothing heroic. Don’t send anyone in, or I’ll shoot one of the hostages.”

  Hostages, not students. Not friends or fellow classmates.

  “What else do you need for this to be over?” Mason continued.

  “Two million dollars.”

  “Two million? That’s a lot of money, Rafael. The ransom’s gone up quite substantially since we spoke this morning. You told me they’re demanding two hundred and fifty thousand for your brother.”

  There was a long pause on the line. “The only way to get out of this is with enough money to not just pay off the ransom, but to give my brother, my mom, and me a second chance somewhere else.”

  Mason frowned. For an intelligent boy, he wasn’t thinking clearly. It was going to be virtually impossible for him to escape this without facing serious repercussions. To think he was going to somehow disappear and sidestep the law was foolish.

  “Stop for one moment,” Mason said. “Do you really think that’s going to happen? You don’t want to spend the rest of your life running. And even if you could initially escape, where are you going to go to avoid the authorities breathing down your necks?”

  “That isn’t your problem.” Rafael’s pause added to the tension. “I need you to help me get the money … If I don’t get what I want … I will shoot someone. I’ve got eleven students …Their parents won’t miss a couple hundred grand out of their fat bank accounts … especially when it’ll save the lives of their children.”

  Mason tried to swallow his irritation. He’d never heard Rafael sound so cold and aloof. “I’m going to need a list of the names of everyone in the room with you so we can contact the parents.”

  “Fine … Miss Hunt will do that.”

  The captain shoved a note in front of Mason. Sign of good faith from his side.

  Mason nodded. “You also need to realize, Rafael, that it’s going to take some time to get the money together. Give me a sign of good faith, and I’ll see what I can do about your demands.”

  “Like what?”

  “First of all, let me talk to Miss Hunt.”

  There was another long pause on the line, before she answered. “Mason?”

  “Emily. Are you okay?’

  “Yeah. For now.”

  “What about your students?”

  “I’ve just got one girl … her heart is pounding, she’s shaking … can’t breathe.”

  “Asthma?”

  “No. Panic attack. I’m worried about her. She’s been through a lot this year and isn’t coping well with this.”

  Her voice was even, in control, with just a slight hint of fear. She hadn’t fallen apart like a lot of people would have, which was a good sign. Because she was going to need a lot of courage to get through the next few hours.

  “I’m going to do everything I can to get her released. What’s his mood at the moment?”

  “That’s enough.” Rafael was back on the line. “I told you she was okay. That they’re all okay. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I will if I don’t get what I want.”

  “Emily said there’s a girl who’s having trouble breathing.” If he could convince Rafael to let one person go, it would be a first step.

  “She’s fine. She’s just … scared.”

  “Miss Hunt doesn’t think she’s fine. If you would send the girl out, it would go a long way with my boss.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Rafael, I’ve known you for a long time. You’re a good kid—”

  “Maybe I haven’t made myself clear. I’m not making any deals. Things have changed since we spoke this morning. I’m not going to let anything happen to my brother, and this is the only way to save him. You saw the photos of my brother. If I don’t get the money they’re demanding, they’ll kill him. Which means you’ve got just over five hours or I start shooting hostages.”

  7

  Emily paced the back corner of the room. Rafael might have let her speak to Mason, but nothing either of them had said had been enough to persuade Rafael to stand down. She’d prayed fervently that one of them would be able to talk some sense into the boy, but clearly he had his mind made up.

  She tried to sort through her limited list of options. She could try to find a new approach that might convince him to change his mind, or she could simply stay quiet. She took a deep breath and willed her tensed jaw to unclench. Trying to reason with him could quickly backfire. But staying quiet wasn’t going to get them anywhere either.

  She looked up and tried to read Rafael’s expression. The stress was clear in his eyes. They were red rimmed and marked with fatigue. But the intensity and resolve was there as well. She rubbed the back
of her neck, wishing she could get rid of the knots the morning had produced. She’d known Rafael for a long time. Had always thought he valued her insight. Trusted her. Surely all of that hadn’t changed overnight.

  “Rafael?”

  His head jerked up, and she caught the flicker of fear in his eyes. No matter what had happened the past few hours, he was still just a boy in way over his head.

  “What?”

  “I was just … thinking. We’ve known each other for three … four years now. I’ve always admired your determination. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are in school. And I thought you trusted me. The bottom line is that I’m worried about you.”

  Rafael stood at the edge of her desk at the front of the classroom. “I’ve thought about the consequences. If I don’t do this, my brother will die. Those are my consequences. My mother’s already lost one child, and I’m not going to let it happen again.”

  “You never told me about that.” Emily’s brow furrowed as she took in the new information. She knew a lot about Rafael and his family, but not this. If she could get him to talk more, maybe he’d be able to see that what was happening to his brother was no different than what he was doing to the students. “What happened?”

  Rafael looked away for a moment. His chin quivered as he fought to control the emotion. “It happened a long time ago. Jose was shot and killed.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too. I was twelve when he died. I remember …” He paused as if debating whether or not to open up the old wounds.

  “What do you remember, Rafael?”

  “I remember him lying on the driveway outside our apartment. He was dead … there was blood … everywhere. After that, my mother cried all the time.” He shook his head. “I won’t let her go through that again.”

  Emily took a few steps toward him, then stopped to sit on the edge of one of the student desks. “He was in a gang?”

  “Yeah.” He stared at the floor. “I’d actually planned on joining one too.”

  “What stopped you?”

  He looked up at her. “Mason Taylor.”

  Mason?

  Mason had mentioned he’d met Rafael through a big brother program. Clearly, whatever Mason had done, it had been enough to help turn Rafael’s life around. She’d seen the compassion in Mason’s eyes while they’d talked. He was worried about Rafael. Concerned. Determined to help. And his concern went far beyond the normal parameters of professionalism. This really had become personal.

  She dropped her head to study the floor tile with its patterns of tiny black and gray specks and drew in a deep breath. “If you trust Mason, then maybe you need to trust him with how to deal with this problem.”

  Rafael tightened his grip on the gun. “I can’t, even if I wanted to. Mason can’t fix this. My brother doesn’t deserve to die.”

  “No he doesn’t. But neither do these kids deserve to be held at gunpoint.” Emily felt her lungs tighten within her chest. It was up to her to find a way to protect them.

  “I need you to trust us, Rafael,” she continued, this time moving a step closer to him. They were going in circles. “Give me the gun. I’ll talk to them and make them understand. No jury is going to condemn you for trying to save your brother’s life.”

  “No.” He shook his head and caught her gaze. “It’s too late.”

  Emily stopped midstride, wishing her sister were here. Avery would know what to do. She’d know how to look him in the eye and tell him to turn over the gun and end this now. “If you won’t put an end to this, then at least let the students go. You can keep me.”

  “Miss Hunt?”

  Emily turned around at the panicked voice. Izzie knelt in front of Amie, who sat bent over, head between her legs, her back heaving.

  “Amie can’t breathe.” Tears collected in Izzie’s eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Emily started for the back of the room. “Amie—”

  “Wait.” Rafael held up the gun. “Nobody moves without my permission.”

  “I’m just going to go talk to her.” This time Emily shook her head. “I need to find out what’s wrong.”

  Ignoring his command, Emily continued walking toward the back of the room. She could feel his stare. Knew his gun was pointed at her. She was betting he wouldn’t shoot her, but either way, she’d had enough of taking orders from an eighteen-year-old who was out of control. Her heart pounded in her throat as she rubbed her sweaty hands against her skirt. Scared or not, she had a responsibility to the kids in this room.

  Izzie scooted over so Emily could squat down in front of Amie. She placed her hands against Amie’s shoulders, still ignoring Rafael. “What’s wrong, Amie?”

  “I … I can’t … breathe.” Her legs were trembling. Sweat glistened on her forehead. Her chest heaved at every labored breath.

  “Are you scared, Amie?”

  She nodded.

  Three months ago, Amie had survived a hit-and-run accident that had killed her best friend. The faint, jagged scar across her forehead was the only remaining outward sign of the tragedy. But inside, Emily knew Amie struggled with the emotional impact of survivor’s guilt. Not all the kids here had parents with hefty bank accounts. Amie’s parents worked long hours to pay the school’s tuition fees.

  “It’s okay to be scared, Amie. We’re all scared. But I’m here with you, and I’m going to help you. I want you to try to take one slow, deep breath.”

  “I … can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. Just one slow breath, then another.”

  “I can’t—”

  “Make her stop!” Rafael slammed his fist against her desk in the front of the room. “Please. Make her stop.”

  Emily stood up and faced Rafael. “Screaming at her isn’t going to help, Rafael. She has to relax. She’s scared. Just let me handle this.”

  His jaw clenched, he nodded. “Fine.”

  Emily turned back to Amie and knelt down in front of her. “I know you’re scared, Amie, but you’re going to be okay. I want you to look at me.”

  Amie’s face rose slowly until she caught Emily’s gaze.

  “I want you to do exactly what I tell you.”

  Amie heaved another ragged breath, but nodded.

  “I need you to close your eyes and slow down your breathing. That means taking deep, unhurried breaths.” Emily closed her own eyes, trying to forget they were sitting in the middle of a hostage situation. That Rafael had a gun pointed at them. And that there was a very strong possibility that at least one of them would get shot before this was all over. She let out a deep breath. Even if they all got out of there alive, Rafael would probably spend the rest of his life in prison. There was no scenario that had this ending well.

  God, I need you to help me stay calm and focused. To find a way to end this before someone gets hurt.

  “Amie. I want you to focus on me and my voice. Nothing else. I want you to pretend you’re blowing out a candle while you’re breathing … good.” Emily shook off the panic creeping up her spine. “You’re doing fine, Amie. Izzie, I want you to help keep her breathing like this. We’re going to get out of this and all of you are going to be okay.”

  Emily stood up slowly and let Izzie take her place. The calm expression she was used to seeing on Rafael’s face had been replaced with one she didn’t recognize. How long was it going to take for things to completely spiral out of control?

  “So what happens now?” Philip, one of the school’s basketball players, leaned against the back wall. Arms folded across his chest.

  Emily addressed the lanky senior. “Philip, not now.”

  “Then when?” Philip kicked his foot against the wall. “He’s demanding money from our parents, expecting them to hand it over, and then what? We all walk away from this and forget it ever happened? He’s crazy—”

  “Stop it.” Rafael’s jaw tensed.

  “Enough, Philip.” Emily held up her hand. “I need you to sit back down and wait. The police will hand
le things.”

  “You don’t have the guts to shoot one of us.” Philip took another step forward. “So I’m not going to sit down. Not going to play your stupid games anymore.”

  “Philip.” Emily tried again. “All you have to do is sit and wait. The police are handling this, and it will all be over soon.”

  She knew how Philip felt. Restless. Caged. He was a senior, captain of the basketball team, and used to being in charge. Not taking orders from others.

  But today everything had changed.

  Emily felt the tension in the room close in around her. She’d had Philip in a few of her classes, but had never really connected with him. He was popular, athletic, and came from a wealthy family, but from what she knew, he had a rough home life and bad temper.

  “Philip, please sit down,” Emily said.

  “Why?” Philip faced Rafael. “Have you stopped to think about how this is going to end? Do you think they’ll just let you walk out of here with your suitcase full of cash?”

  “Philip, I said that’s enough—”

  “As soon as they get tired of playing games with you, they’ll come rushing in here with a cache of weapons and let their sniper take you out.”

  “You’re not helping.” She was losing ground quickly and didn’t know how to retake it.

  “Oh, and Miss Hunt, you’ve really helped by sitting here and trying to sweet-talk your way out of this. Like that’s really worked.” Philip pushed past Emily, shoving her onto one of the desks.

  Emily fought to catch her balance. This situation is going to explode, God. I need a way out …

  She weighed her options. There was no way she could physically stop Philip if he decided to go after Rafael. He had at least six inches and sixty pounds on her. Emily’s heart hammered. The only thing that could stop him was the loaded gun Rafael held.

  “Don’t you get it?” Philip hesitated a couple of feet from Rafael. “There won’t be any money. No escape.”

  Emily grasped Philip’s shoulder, but he pushed her hand off.