Ambush
- Автор: Паттерсон Джеймс, Борн Джеймс О.
- Серия: Michael Bennett #11
- Год: 2018
- Язык: английский
- Год: Little, Brown and Company
- ISBN: 978-0-316-27398-5
- Жанр: Триллеры
Электронная книга - «Ambush». Краткое содержание книги:
Alex’s face throbbed from the blow. Apparently the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. This girl was tough.
Alex moved fast and jerked the girl toward her. Somehow she had managed to retain the pistol in her right hand. That was the only thing that kept Bennett from charging them right then.
Alex had to think quickly. She used her left arm to pull the girl close to her, twisted her right hand, and put the gun to the girl’s head. She wished it was the stiletto, because a small cut and drop of blood would’ve stopped Juliana’s father in his tracks.
Alex started shuffling backward quickly and whispered into Juliana’s ear, “Open the door unless you want your brains all over your father.”
She turned her attention to the advancing detective and didn’t say a word as she shoved the pistol into Juliana’s temple. She wanted the girl to cry to out to make a point. The girl kept quiet, but the message was sent, and Bennett froze in place.
Bennett stared at them. He had already drawn his pistol and was shuffling slightly from side to side, clearly trying to get a better shot.
When he saw that Alex meant business, he backed away slightly and took the gun off target. But it was still in his hand.
Juliana opened the door, and they backed into the darkness of the corridor that led to the stage. Alex moved away from the door quickly. This was not what she had planned, but perhaps she could still salvage it.
Her excitement and nerves had been forgotten during the action. Now she had to think clearly.
She had researched the building, cased the area, and she knew she could flee through this corridor into the business offices and out the exit near the East River.
She was about to give up hope that she’d have a chance to fulfill her contract when the door opened and Michael Bennett stood outlined by the sunlight.
Chapter 86
I don’t know if I’d ever felt this kind of pure panic. Seeing my daughter with a gun to her head made me sick to my stomach. Literally. But vomiting wasn’t an option. That wouldn’t help anyone.
I had my gun up as I sprinted into the fatal funnel of the doorway. This is where cops are most likely to be shot. Outlined by bright light. I slipped into the corner near the door. It was dark, and I took a moment to let my eyes adjust.
I also had to let my breathing calm down. If I had to shoot, it might be a tight shot past Juliana. What a nightmare.
The woman continued to walk backward, dragging Juliana along with her. My daughter’s eyes showed the terror she felt, but she wasn’t crippled by fear. Seeing her like that almost crippled me.
I wasn’t sure where this dark hallway led, but I didn’t intend to let them get to the end of it.
Now I crept along the wall with my gun up in front of me and saw them again. The woman stopped, and I saw Juliana’s face clearly. She was terrified. So was I.
I made a decision, planted my feet, and took aim. As I let out my breath and focused over the front sight, I saw the woman’s dark eyes. We were fairly close, maybe twenty feet apart. I shut out every distraction: my pounding heart, the sweat in my eyes, my shaky hands, and the noise from the set.
Then the woman spoke. She said, “Get back. Lower your weapon or I’ll pull the trigger.”
It wasn’t just what she said; it was how she said it. She wasn’t panicked. Not ranting. She was calm. Professional. I had no choice.
I’d never surrender my gun, but I lowered it slightly. I couldn’t risk her harming my Juliana. I kept the gun in the low, ready position so I could pop it back on target quickly if I needed to.
I was trying to buy time. I knew that if Seamus and Father Alonzo were inside the building someone had called 911. The cavalry would be here soon.
I could feel a tremor in my arm, and it scared me. No parent could ever imagine being in a position like this.
The woman said, “Stay there,” in the same professional tone. Then she began backing away.
I let her go. All I wanted was Juliana safe. I watched as they reached the next door down the dark hallway. The woman eased the gun away from Juliana’s head slightly.
I felt a flicker of hope.
Then they were through the door and out of sight.
I had to get back to Juliana.
Chapter 87
Alex had a good grip on the girl as they slipped through the next door in the corridor and let it slam shut. At least she had something solid between her and Bennett. She could feel the girl trembling.
Alex’s face throbbed where the girl had elbowed her. But she was unharmed, had the right position, and was prepared to act. That gave her the confidence to think she’d be able to escape. She’d worry about Bennett another day.
She considered her options. Take the girl with her as a hostage, forget the girl and run, or kill the girl and leave her body to distract her father.
Almost immediately she ruled out the third option. She didn’t kill for enjoyment or to be vindictive. She killed for money.
Just as Alex was about to turn around so she could move faster, the door they had just come through burst open, and Michael Bennett stood there with the gun still in his hand. This guy never gave up.
Alex yelled, “Stop.”
She liked that the cop froze in place.
Then she said, “Put your gun on the floor.” He didn’t move. Even his eyes didn’t give away his intentions.
Alex sweetened the pot. “Put your gun on the floor and I swear to God I’ll release your daughter.”
Bennett said, “Then you shoot me and it’ll be over?”
“The only promise I make is that I’ll release Juliana.”
She waited, knowing a man like this might decide to give up his own life for his daughter. She saw a flicker of doubt, or maybe it was confusion, cross his face. Then he held up his left hand to show it was empty as he slowly bent with the gun in his right hand, as though he was going to place it on the dusty hardwood floor.
She tightened her grip on Juliana just in case the feisty girl tried to escape at the last moment. She had proved to be as bold as her father.
From the awkward, stooped position, Bennett said, “Please release her now.”
From way down the hallway Alex heard someone call out, “Michael, where are you?”
Bennett shouted back, “Don’t come down here, Seamus. Everything will be all right. Just stay away.”
Alex wondered if another police officer was in the building. She said, “Who was that?”
“My grandfather. I brought him down here to see the set and visit Juliana. He’s no threat to you or anyone else.”
It was a reasonable story, and the detective certainly didn’t sound like he was lying.
Now it was time to fire the pistol once and be on her way.
Chapter 88
I kept slowing my movement to place the gun on the floor, hoping I’d see an opening or that this assassin would drop her guard. But she was good. Really good. She kept the gun screwed in tight to Juliana’s temple and kept her eyes on me.
It was the idea of a gun to my baby’s head that affected all my thinking. I didn’t care what happened as long as she was safe.
Even when Seamus called out, it didn’t break the assassin’s concentration. She kept the gun right where it was and managed to stare me down. Now I just hoped Seamus didn’t blunder into this shitty predicament.
I could see the woman getting impatient, and I wasn’t sure what to do. In every NYPD training session I had ever attended, instructors shouted at us, “Never surrender your gun.” Some of the old-school instructors were more colorful about it. The lesson had hit home and been seared into my personality.