Boston Blues - BLACKBIRD book 2

13. s.o.s.

"You, old man!" shouted Phil, keeping Gillian tight to him. "This is your daughter, right?"

"Take your hands off her, you filthy sack of shit!" yelled King Gillian.

He tried to step up and Brock stopped him.

"Shut up and listen!" Phil replied. "Send your men away or I'm gonna splash your baby girl's brains all over the street. You've got two minutes!"

King Gillian tried to push Brock aside and he blocked the man's arms. While Phil dragged Gillian back inside the shop, Russell sprinted to help Brock restrain King Gillian and they forced him back to the tent.

Hank noticed Fred's tight smile and scowled at him. "Did you just tip her off and you didn't tell us?" he asked.

Fred raised his eyebrows. "Pay attention to the radio, man."

Aldana punched his arm, annoyed and relieved at the same time. "Fred! I thought he was really gonna shoot her!"

Russell insisted in escorting King Gillian to the barrier, knowing he wouldn't try to punch him, but would jump to Brock's throat if he had the slightest chance. Brock followed to take care of Thompson, and his cold rage left the poor man pale in under a minute. Then he went back to the tent, snorting.

It had taken him five whole seconds to understand Gillian's look when Palmer cocked his gun to her head. And for that dreadful moment, he thought Palmer was actually going to shoot her dead right before his eyes. So he was still swallowing his heart. Well, Brockner, looks like it's you who forgot how far she dares to go.

Aldana faced him with a serious frown. "Agent Brockner, we should use that backyard window right now."

He breathed deep to keep his voice calm. "We will, Miles, but not with so many hostages still inside."

Russell came back from dispatching King Gillian when Tanya informed: "Strafford is in custody."

"Russ, you there?"

All of them turned to Orlando's when they heard Gillian on the radio.

She was locked up in the restroom, back against the wall, breathing heavily. Fred had tipped her off just in time and Phil's threat had worked, giving Brock the chance to neutralize her father at least for a while. But her knees were still shaking. Asking a suicidal killer to point a gun to her head, in order to force her megalomaniac father to hold SWAT back was way easier said than done.

"I'm right here, Reg."

She blessed the warm, comforting sound of her friend's voice. "Russ, please, help me out here."

The team traded a concerned glance at hearing her oddly shaky voice, but Russell kept looking straight ahead, as if he could see her in there. Brock swallowed a curse hearing her so upset, wishing he could somehow put an end to the whole situation.

"You're doing great, Reg. You've built an excellent rapport with him, don't lose it. You're not using negative statements and you're humanizing the hostages for him, and that's exactly what you have to do, so keep it up."

"Okay..."

Not even injured and trapped at the blasted building had Brock heard her so shaken.

Russell kept talking to her in a warm, soothing way. "Now that you know his background, use Brock's profile, Reg. Neutralize any reason he may have to pull the trigger. Stall so we can do our part."

"You make it sound so easy!"

"I know it's not, but it's just what you've been doing so far."

Brock went to stand by Russell and picked up on the last thing he'd said.

"Gillian, right now he can't tell right from wrong anymore. He's not a natural killer and his conscious is trying to kick in. You're making it possible, 'cause you're somehow standing on his side. That's why he turns to you for answers. But he's confused, and that makes him unstable and dangerous."

Upcoming good news any time soon? "So?"

"He can tell you wanna help him, but you're in there with him. Show him we wanna help him too. We're outside and we can and want to help him."

Brock traded a glance with Russell, who nodded and finished: "Reg, if you cannot make'im trust us, no one else can."

Gillian let out a shaky sigh that made Brock automatically breathe in.

"My dad?"

"Licking his wounds."

"He's coming back for more."

"We know."

Gillian wiped her eyes and muttered, "Thanks, guys."

"Love you, Reg."

All of them shook their heads, chewing their impotence. Aldana shot another serious look at Brock, demanding him action. He turned to Russell, picking up the earphone plugged to the phone.

"Call him, Coleman."

"Let's give'er a minute to go back with him."