Another window shattered as David shot another round of bullets. He couldn’t see Greg, who would peak through one of the windows and fire a few rounds himself.
“Any back door?” David said looking at the other officers who were huddled behind a nearby car.
“None that we can see.”
“Have we gotten that phone yet? We need to reach him.”
“Captain said they’re working on it.”
David couldn’t believe the detectives didn’t find the gun in Greg’s apartment when they were given the search warrant.
“David…hello…David?” Rose questioned placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Huh? What did you say?” David said glancing over to Rose.
“Captain said we have Greg on the line.”
“I’ll talk to him,” David said then walked a few feet to where the phone and the Captain were.
“Hello, Greg?”
“Is this Detective Buckman?” Greg said.
“Yes, it is.”
“I need a car ride out of here,” Greg said in a demanding tone.
“You know we can’t do that.”
“Can you at least drop those murder and assault charges?”
“We can’t do that either.”
“If you can’t I’m not letting the woman go.”
“What woman?”
“Look at the front window.” David turned his head and saw Greg holding a gun to a middle-aged woman’s head.
“Who is she?” David said in a panic.
“One of my neighbors. She brings over cookies every blue moon. It just so happened she was bringing over a batch when I heard your sirens down the street.”
“Let her go!”
“Why? You won’t give me what I want.”
“We can’t let you go,” David said then turned to Rose.
“Hand me the phone,” Rose said.
“What?” David said in a confused voice.
“I’ll try to talk to him.”
“I don’t think that’s a-”
“David we need to do something. There’s an innocent woman inside.” Rose said then yanked the phone from David’s hand.
“Greg. Honestly, what do you want?” Rose said looking at Greg through the window.
“Detective Atwell. Your voice is so lovely.” Greg said with a laugh then continued “How can I help you?”
“Let the woman go.”
“No. I didn’t mean to kill that woman at the concert. It was just that one thing led to another.”
“Then take me instead,” Rose said with a hint of fear in her eyes as she looked at David.
“Did you say I can take you, hostage, in replace of the woman?”
Rose held her breath for a moment before she said “Yes. I’ll take my bulletproof vest off and I won’t have my weapon.”
“My, my, my… I’m liking this. I’ll wait for five minutes for you to come to the front door. If you don’t then you won’t see this woman again.” Greg said then hung up the phone.
“Are you nuts!?” David yelled holding tightly to Rose’s hands. 361Please respect copyright.PENANAyjAXaAFNE1
“Someone has to do this.”
“We’ll find another way.”
“There’s no other way. I don’t think we should go shooting in the apartment now that we know there’s a civilian inside.”
Rose let her hands out of David’s grasp before taking off her bulletproof vest and handing her gun to David.
“I don’t want to lose you,” David said with a tremble in his voice.361Please respect copyright.PENANAW7oXh2aRxN
“You won’t I promise.”
“Rose you have two minutes,” one of the other officers said.
“Look…I have to go.”
“Please don’t…” David said in a desperate cry.”
“Everything is going to be okay,” Rose said before walking toward the apartment.
David watched Rose as she stood at the door. It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn’t said those three special words to her. The woman who Greg was holding hostage ran out of the house.
“I love you!” David shouted.
“I love y-” Rose shouted back before being cut off as Greg pulled her into the apartment.
****
The apartment was completely dark except for a lamp that was on in the living room. Greg slammed Rose against the front door as she tried to shake the waves of dizzinesses as the back of her head hit the door. “Why are you doing this?” Rose said harshly.
“Why…I just wanted what was owed to me.”
“Assaulting and killing a woman. How is that something that was owed to you? Also the pictures of Sarah and I, what was that all about?”
“To answer your first question.” Greg paused and pointed the gun at Rose “I wanted her so I needed to have her. It was an impulse thing. And to answer your second question. Well, that’s something I’m taking to my grave.”
Greg held the gun to himself and as he was about to pull the trigger Rose lunged at him. She didn’t know what came over her, but as they both landed on the floor she tried to knock the gun from his hand.
They fought and fought until two shots were fired and all at was heard was silence.
ns 172.70.100.188da2