“Justice. We want you to promise to do your job.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We need you to bear witness. To hear what we have to say, because there’s a good chance we’re not going to live through this night.”
A chill sliced through Dean. They’re suicidal. Are they going to take everyone else down with them?
“We want you to tell the world the truth,” said Joe. “They’ll listen to you. Come inside with that reporter, Agent Dean. Talk to us. When it’s over, tell everyone what you’ve heard.”
“You’re not going to die. You don’t have to.”
“You think we want to? We’ve tried to outrun them and we can’t. This is the only choice left to us.”
“Why do it this way? Why threaten innocent people?”
“No one will listen to us any other way.”
“Just walk out! Release the hostages and surrender.”
“And you’ll never see us alive again. They’ll come up with a logical explanation. They always do. Watch, you’ll see it in the news. They’ll claim we committed suicide. We’ll die in prison, before we ever get to trial. And everyone will think: ‘well, that’s how it goes in jail.’ This is our last chance, Agent Dean, to get the world’s attention. To tell them.”
“Tell them what?”
“What really happened in Ashburn.”
“Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I’ll do whatever you want if you just let my wife go.”
“She’s right here. She’s fine. In fact, I’ll let you-”
The connection suddenly went dead.
“Joe? Joe?”
“What happened?” Korsak demanded. “What’d he say?”
Gabriel ignored him; all his attention was focused on reestablishing the link. He retrieved the phone number and hit DIAL.
“… we’re sorry. This number is currently unavailable.”
“What the hell is going on?” Korsak yelled.
“I can’t get through.”
“He hung up on you?”
“No, we were cut off. Right after…” Gabriel stopped. Turned and looked up the street, his gaze focusing on the command trailer. They’ve been listening in, he thought. Someone heard everything Joe said.
“Hey!” called Korsak. “Where you going?”
Gabriel was already running toward the trailer. He didn’t bother to knock, but shoved open the door and stepped inside. Hayder and Stillman turned from the video monitors and looked at him.
Hayder said, “We don’t have time for you right now, Agent Dean.”
“I’m going into the building. I’m going to get my wife.”
“Oh, yeah.” Hayder laughed. “I’m sure you’ll be greeted with open arms.”
“Joe called me on my cell phone. They’re inviting me in. They want to talk to me.”
Stillman abruptly straightened, his face registering what looked like genuine surprise. “When did he call you? No one told us.”
“It was just a few minutes ago. Joe knows who I am. He knows Jane is my wife. I can reason with these people.”
“It’s out of the question,” said Hayder.
“You were willing to send in that reporter.”
“They know you’re FBI. In their minds, you’re probably part of this crazy government conspiracy they’re so scared of. You’d be lucky to last five minutes in there.”
“I’ll risk it.”
“You’ll be a prize for them,” said Stillman. “A high-profile hostage.”
“You’re the negotiator. You’re the one who always talks about slowing things down. Well, these people want to negotiate.”
“Why with you?”
“Because they know I won’t do anything to endanger Jane. I’ll pull no tricks, bring in no booby traps. It’ll just be me, playing by their rules.”
“It’s too late, Dean,” said Stillman. “We’re not running this show anymore. They’ve already got their entry team in place.”
“What team?”
“The feds flew them in from Washington. It’s some crack antiterrorist unit.”
This was exactly what Senator Conway had told Gabriel was about to happen. The time for negotiations had clearly passed.
“Boston PD’s been ordered to stay on the sidelines,” said Hayder. “Our job’s just to keep the perimeters secure, while they go in.”
“When is this supposed to go down?”
“We have no idea. They’re calling the shots.”
“What about that deal you made with Joe? The cameraman, the reporter? He still thinks it’s going to happen.”
“It’s not.”
“Who called it off?”
“The feds did. We just haven’t told Joe yet.”
“He’s already agreed to release two hostages.”
“And we’re still hoping he does. That’s at least two lives we can save.”
“If you don’t hold up your end of the bargain-if you don’t send in Peter Lukas-there are four hostages in there you’re not going to save.”
“By then, I hope the entry team will be in.”
Gabriel stared at him. “Do you want a massacre? Because you’re going to get one! You’re giving two paranoid people every reason to think their delusion is real. That you are out to kill them. Hell, maybe they’re right!”
“Now you’re the one who’s sounding paranoid.”
“I think I’m the only one who’s making sense.” Gabriel turned and walked out of the trailer.
He heard the negotiator call out after him: “Agent Dean?”
Gabriel kept walking, toward the police line.
“Dean!” At last Stillman caught up with him. “I just want you to know, I didn’t agree to any assault plan. You’re right, it’s just asking for bloodshed.”
“Then why the hell are you allowing it?”
“As if I can stop it? Or Hayder? This is now Washington ’s call. We’re supposed to stand back and let them take it from here.”
They heard it then-the sudden buzz through the crowd. The throng of reporters tightened, surged forward.
What is happening?
They heard a shout, saw the lobby doors swing open, and a tall African-American man in an orderly’s uniform stepped out, escorted by two Tactical Ops officers. He paused, eyes blinking in the glare of dozens of klieg lights, then he was hurried off toward a waiting vehicle. Seconds later, a man in a wheelchair emerged, pushed by a Boston PD cop.
“They did it,” Stillman murmured. “They released two people.”
But not Jane. Jane’s still in there. And the assault could start any minute.
He pushed toward the police line.
“Dean,” said Stillman, grabbing his arm.
Gabriel turned to look at him. “This could all end without a single bullet being fired. Let me go in. Let me talk to them.”
“The feds will never clear it.”
“Boston PD controls the perimeter. Order your men to let me through.”
“It could be a death trap.”
“My wife is in there.” His gaze locked with Stillman’s. “You know I have to do this. You know this is the best chance she’ll have. The best chance any of them will have.”
Stillman released a breath. Wearily he nodded. “Good luck.”
Gabriel ducked under the police tape. A Boston Tac-Ops officer moved to intercept him.
“Let him pass,” said Stillman. “He’s going into the building.”
“Sir?”
“Agent Dean is our new negotiator.”
Gabriel gave Stillman a nod of thanks. Then he turned and started walking toward the lobby doors.
NINETEEN
Mila
Neither Olena nor I know where we are going.
We have never walked through these woods, and we don’t know where we will emerge. I wear no stockings, and the cold quickly penetrates my thin shoes. Despite the Mother’s sweater and turtleneck, I am chilled and shivering. The lights of the house have receded behind us, and glancing back, I see only the darkness of woods. On numb feet, I trudge across frozen leaves, keeping my focus on the silhouette of Olena, who walks ahead of me, carrying the tote bag. My breath is like smoke. Ice crackles beneath our shoes. I think of a war movie I once saw in school, of cold and starving German soldiers staggering through the snow to their doom on the Russian front. Don’t stop. Don’t question. Just keep marching was what those desperate soldiers must have been thinking. It’s what I’m thinking now as I stumble through the woods.