“Don’t know what you’re talking about. Short straw?”
The other hostages looked on nervously as Stone leaned back against the wall with Robie tethered to him.
“Short straw. Surely you understand the concept. They left you here. They left you behind.”
“Important job,” countered the man. “Guarding all of you.”
“Not really. Better to have killed us, drugged us, or tied us up so well we couldn’t escape. Why waste someone? You’re a small team. Why divide your manpower that way?”
“Why don’t you shut up, old man?”
“You should have at least asked for backup,” said Robie.
The man snorted. “Backup? I’ve got an auto pistol. All of you are tied together. You take a step toward me, you’re dead. Why do I need backup?”
“For unforeseen things,” said Stone. “But apparently your mission leader didn’t care about that. About you, I mean. Expendable.”
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Actually, I do,” countered Stone. “The rear-flank guy almost always goes down. That’s the nature of the beast. And your friends aren’t coming back through here to make their escape. But I bet they told you they were.”
The other man’s shoulders tensed. He snorted and said, “So now you know all about our plan?”
Stone kept staring directly at him. “The motorized outer wall to the bank is key-operated. Charlie had one key. You don’t have it because I saw your leader take it. He also took the other key behind the tellers’ stand. So you can’t open the door to get out.”
“Yeah, but he can.”
“Do you know what those things were he was having positioned on the overhead door to the bank?” asked Robie.
The man glanced at him but said nothing.
Stone said, “They’re either Semtex or C-4 hardwired to a detonator. They’re armed and I bet they’re configured so they can’t be disarmed except remotely. A handful of Semtex can take down a jumbo jet. What do you think those packs will do to this bank and everyone in it? Including you.”
Robie added, “And why put those up if they were planning to exit that way?”
Before the man could say anything Stone said, “Because they’re not coming back this way. Why would they? Cops will be waiting. It’s been long enough that people will know something is up.” He glanced at the bank employees and customers. “All these folks have people who will be missing them. Won’t take long to realize something is off.”
“Shut up,” said the man, but his gun hand was trembling slightly.
Stone said, “A vertical shaft up a building allows for lots of possibilities for escape. Lots of floors. That’s what I’d do. And I’m sure that’s what your friends are planning to do. While you stay behind here. For the cops to arrest. Or kill.”
The man’s gaze darted in the direction of the shaft, confirming for Stone that his speculation had been correct.
He continued, “They have the plans for the building. That will tell them the best place to branch off the shaft after they’ve completed their mission. Different floor, masks and jumpsuits come off. They walk away and out of the mall. Gone. Just like that.” He snapped his fingers.
“But not you,” said Robie. “You’re stuck here with us. And when someone tries to open the door to the bank, we’ll be vaporized. All of us. You included.”
One of the female tellers started to moan. A customer choked back a sob and began whimpering.
The gunman started nervously licking his lips.
Stone said, “So that’s what I meant when I said the short straw. You’re the sacrificial lamb. Maybe the cops will think you were acting alone. I mean, there won’t be anyone alive to say otherwise. That way your buddies get away free and clear. While your ass gets sacrificed. For the cause. Whatever that might be.”
The gunman pointed his weapon at Stone’s head. “I said, shut up. Or the next person to be dead will be you.”
The next moment the man was falling forward, the door having struck him from behind.
Robie and Stone surged forward together. Robie ripped the gun free from the man’s fingers. Stone slammed an elbow into the man’s neck, sending him down to the floor, where he stayed.
The door opened all the way and there stood Harry and Reuben.
Reuben eyed the fallen man. “Now I’d say that was pretty damn good timing.”
“Perfect timing,” corrected Stone.
Harry quickly cut all the hostages loose.
Reuben said, “There are C-4 packs strung across the entrance to the bank. No one’s leaving that way until the bomb squad comes in and clears them out.”
“I take it no one was in the front part of the bank,” said Stone.
Reuben nodded. “That’s right.”
Harry nodded. “But there’s a hole in the wall.”
“We knew they were trying to get from here to somewhere else. Do you know where they’re going?” asked Robie.
“A fund-raiser on the top floor,” replied Reuben. “Lots of elite types attending. Annabelle managed to get in.”
“And the target?” asked Stone.
“The vice president of the United States,” answered Harry.
Stone and Robie glanced worriedly at each other.
Robie said quickly, “Does the Secret Service know?”
Harry said, “Alex is on the protection detail, but Annabelle hasn’t been able to make contact with him yet.”
Reuben hiked his eyebrows and smiled. “VP. Just your run-of-the-mill stuff. Keeps us from getting rusty in our old age.”
CHAPTER 11
The climb up the vertical did not take long. The ascent had been practiced many times on a mockup at a facility in rural Maryland. And now, for real, the trip was measured and swift.
They made only one stop.
At the fourth floor.
It took a few minutes to cut the opening in the wall there, and then they were on their way again. Better to have cut the hole now. When they were fleeing from here they would not want to waste time doing it.
As the four of them climbed, Chase gave final instructions. They would not have long after it was done to make their escape.
The shaft was well insulated from the outside as the building had been constructed around it. Still, Chase did not want to make any unnecessary sounds. The timing would be tight. They had lost precious minutes when the power had gone out in the bank. But he had built in a contingency because things never went exactly according to plan.
He checked his watch as they climbed. It would be okay, he thought. They would make it. They had better make it.
They reached the top floor and Chase motioned to the person directly below him. Everyone stopped. Chase eyed the drywall in front of him and checked the construction plans for this part of the building that he’d downloaded onto his phone, confirming the location. He pointed to the wall and the person directly below him rose up beside him while holding on to one of the girders. Both men withdrew cutting blades from their belt holders and began to carefully slice away.
It would not take long now.
Robie, Stone, and Harry peered inside the hole revealing the shaft.
“Pretty dark in there,” said Harry. “And stale air.”
Robie said, “And the higher we go the darker and staler.”
Harry opened his duffel bag. “I only have two pairs of night optics.”
Robie held out his hand. “I’ll take one.”
Harry glanced at Stone and said, “I’ll take the other.”
Stone considered this. It was obvious from his face that he too wanted to go up the shaft. Finally, he deferred to their youth. “Keep me posted.” Then he whispered to Harry, “And watch my lobbyist friend.”