Inner Workings

Inner Workings - Part 52

"Hands up!"

Will lifted his arms, his shoulders screaming a stretched out pain. He still held on to the flashlight/camera, pointing it over Sandra's shoulder and messy hair. She looked more haggard then the last time he saw her face to face. And angrier. Whatever kind of footage the flashlight was transmitting, Will hoped it would help.

"I'm unarmed. Just a flashlight." Calm, reminded Will. Talk in a soothing manner to the woman that wanted him and Louis to gargle bleach.

Yeah, no problem.

"Really?" asked Sandra, the gun lowering a millimeter from the shadow of Will's face.

"Yes. Couldn't fight if I wanted to. Being held up by chains kind of does a number on your arms." Will half smiled, trying to introduce some humor.

Sandra stiffened, the gun in her hand shaking. Perhaps the humor was a bad idea.

"You," she said to Paro. "Put the light on him."

Paro turned the light to Will's face, making him squint, and giving Sandra Pearl a good look at the man she had threatened in the storage shed at Mark Bell's workshop.

"No, no no." Sandra took another step back, folding in on herself as she lowered the gun. Her voice was forced through teeth gritted in frustration. "Not you! Not you! Massaru Devi. I want Devi."

"Damn," whispered Justin. "I think she's afraid of you."

Will frowned, his arms lowering from the strain. Why the hell would she be afraid of him? She had a gun, he didn't.

"Tell her you're not here to hurt her," said Justin. "Comfort her. Keeping her calm keeps Paro calm."

"I'm not here to hurt you," said Will. "I'm--"

"Shut up!" Sandra yelled, making Paro flinch and the flashlight to waver. "You're the negotiator now, right? Supposed to keep me happy? Then get me Devi and leave."

"I can't allow you to hurt him," said Will.

Sandra swung the end of the gun to Paro. "Then I hurt her!"

Paro's hands shook, the flashlight wavering from Will's face to his chest. The rain gusted against the windows, thunder crawling through brick and making it hard for Will to hear Justin in his ear.

"Calm her down," said Justin.

"You don't need to hurt her," said Will.

"Then get me what I want and leave!"

"What does killing Massaru Devi get you? Why him, why not someone else?"

"Don't argue," warned Justin. "Give her something in exchange. Haggle, gain rapport."

Will's arms dangled at his sides, the flashlight pointed to the floor. He knew he was taking a risk when he said yes to Justin. He might as well go all in. "Take me instead."

"That's not what I meant!" said Justin. "Jesus, what are you doing?"

Justin might not have liked it, but Sandra paused, considering.

"Take you?"

"Yes."

"No." Sandra took another step back, rubbing a wrinkled wet wipe on the hand holding the gun. She was looking at the ground, not him; like a child guilty of taking a cookie before dinner. "I can't."

"Yes you can. You have that choice. Let Paro go and I'll stand in her place."

"No!" Sandra snapped. "You don't listen! It's why you need to leave. If I hurt you he'll kill me and worse."