Chapter One:
Chapter One:
Strike one, Strike two, Strike Three: You're out!
Special Agent Emily Lehman rubbed her snore neck, she had been talking to the HT for what it seem like forever, in reality it had only been two hours. Her partner Special agent Matt Flannery handed her a bottle of water, he knew this was going to be a long one. She was trying to talk down Jason Ward, a well off business man who came home early today to find his wife in bed with his best friend and business partner. He was furious and had pulled a small hand gun on his wife of four years, Cindy Ward, and his friend Marcus Andrews, but to make matters worse their two year old twin daughters, Caitlyn and Brooklyn Ward were also in the house. Emily and Matt had been called down to Denver to deal with the crisis. The plan was for Emily to take primary, she figured that he would not be willing to speak with her, after all she was a woman, he was pretty unhappy with the female sex at the moment. That would force a stall until they could find someone to replace her, giving both agents a chance to find some more Intel on this guy. However, as with most plans they don't always work out the way they were planned. Jason continued to talk to Emily. They all had relocated from the bedroom to the living room but Jason was smart, Harvard business school would do that, he was staying away from windows and staying near one of the hostages at all times, making a tactical ambush nearly impossible. Emily covered the mouth piece with her hand, "he feels betrayed, I can play the kid card" She knew what she wanted to do; she just needed to say her idea out loud, one of her many strategies. Matt nodded; she knew what she was doing.
"Listen to me Jason, I cannot imagine what you’re feeling right now towards Cindy and Marcus, but I know what you’re feeling for your kids. You’re a good dad who loves his kids; I know you don't want them to get hurt. And I'm willing to bet you don't want them in that house right now. Think about it, they might be only two but they will remember parts of this day for their entire lives. Don't let their mother's mistake; impact your kids lives like that. Released them to my partner and me, they will be safe here, I swear" Emily held her breath hoping that her little speech about his kids would at least get them out.
Jason laugh not a ha-ha this is funny laugh, it was more of a high pinch creepy laugh, "You think I'm stupid the moment I let my kids out you will come in, half the reason your not breaking down my door with your guns is because I have two small children in here"
Emily rolled her eyes, he was half right but she had to try again.
"That is not true, even if you let Caitlyn and Brooklyn go, you'll still have two hostages in there, the FBI does not value one life over the other. Caitlyn and Brooklyn are innocent in this big mess. As adults we all have choices, we choose what we do, let me ask you what choice does your daughters have in this?" This seemed to take effect, they heard the sigh on the phone line, he really wasn't a bad dad.
"Ok ok I'll let my girls go but I want you to come to the front door to get them" he was willing to give up two hostages they were half way there. Of course, Emily agreed to go get the girls much to HRT's and Matt's protest. She put on her bullet proof vest, and made sure she was covered, the retrieval went smoothly and the two girls were place in social services care for the time being. Now the next move was to get the other two hostages out without injury, this was going to be more difficult. Matt looked at her, "continue with the kid card, play on the idea that, that is his kids' mother"
"That might work for Cindy but not so much for Marcus" Emily said
"Play on the idea that Marcus and him had been friends since middle school, that Marcus was there when his parents were killed in the car accident, that he's like a brother, family" Matt pointed out. She could do that.
She picked up the phone and dialed back into the house.
"Are my girls, Ok?" was his first question
"Yes they're perfect. Now let’s talk about Cindy and Marcus. I know they hurt you. But Cindy is your wife, you love her, she is the mother of your beautiful girls. Can you tell me you’re willing to explain to your daughters why they no longer have a mother? Let her go, divorce her. You have a prenup; you'll get custody as well as the house, and all of your assets. Marcus has been your friend since middle school. He was there when you lost your parents. He is like a brother to you. He is your business partner but you own 60% of the company you can legally kick him out of it. You say you want revenge, I think leaving both of them with nothing would accomplish that."
Strike one...again a very smart HT and that laugh came over the phone line. "I'm not stupid I'm holding a gun on two people, legally my ass is going to jail I might as well take them out first." Not good...that was a direct threat on the hostages lives.
"Right now there are a lot of circumstances, you haven't hurt anyone. The DA will take that into consideration when laying charges. But if you shoot them you will be looking at murder, that's a life sentence." Emily said as she bit her lip.
Strike Two...again a very smart HT and that laugh came over the phone line. "Don't matter my life is already ruined. I've lost everything." Great now he's move towards suicide of course that's just as bad of an outcome. He'll take the hostages' life as will as his own.
"Ok I understand but what about your kids, you haven't lost everything you still have your girls. They still love you. Do you really want to leave them here with no parents, to be bounce around the system, like you were? I know you want better for your girls. I know this because you love them and part of being a parent is wanting the very best for your children and putting everything else aside in order to give your kids all they need." Emily held her breath and bit her lip; Matt sat next to her waiting for the HT's next response.
Bang, Bang, Bang!!
Strike three...you're out