Page 16 of Nowhere to Hide
12:20 PM
He had Edward’s security guy bring him a laptop to access the cameras on the property. Nothing was happening. Not even out front. The lack of news networks was disheartening, but they would come. He’d make sure of it. He turned his attention to his hostages. They watched him back. All except for the boy, who was breathing heavily and staring at the floor.
The teenage girl was sobbing silently while her mother had an arm wrapped around her. The woman was glaring at him, hatred firing from her eyes like laser beams. The security guard was standing near his master, and Edward was sitting on the couch with his face scrunched up, a cross between a migraine and constipation. Arrogant, even impatient.
“Get away from him.” He nudged the gun at the hired gorilla, directing him to leave Edward’s side and sit in a nearby chair. The last thing he wanted was for them to conspire to revolt. They needed to remember while they might have the numbers on their side, he held the gun. Two, counting the one he’d taken from the guard. He had tucked it into the back waistband of his pants.
The security guard moved, holding up his hands in the air as he did. He dropped onto a chair.
“What do you want from us?” Edward asked, sounding bored.
“Have you even heard a word I’ve said?” He stepped behind Edward, putting the tip of his gun to the base of his neck.
“Sure. Not that any of it makes any sense. It’s all lies and nonsense.”
“How dare you call me the liar!”
The woman flinched at his outburst.
“I can give you however much money you want. Just name it, and I’ll cut a check.”
“This isn’t about money! If you were listening, you’d know that. And if anyone is a liar, it’s you, the son of a liar. He raised you in his image. What I want is justice! Your family destroyed mine!”
Edward averted his gaze for a fraction of a second. It was enough.
“Ah, you know what I’m talking about, don’t you, Edward?”
Edward slowly shook his head.
“Don’t lie to me,” he seethed, pressing the muzzle of the gun harder into his neck.
“I’m not.”
He pulled the letter from his pocket, not relenting his hold on the gun for one second. He fanned it open with a flick of his wrist. Reading off a portion of it, he said, “I dare you to deny any of that.”
“Do you want me to lie to you? Admit to knowing what you’re talking about when I don’t?”
What if the rich man was telling the truth? What if it had been his aunt, even to no fault of her own, who had lied? She had been a drunk. Who knew how much she messed up her brain chemistry with her addiction? She may have seen things that weren’t true and assumed she was doing him a favor by sharingher illusions with him. Had he been premature to accept her words?
And now you’ll be going to prison, loser!“Shut up!” Directed at the voice in his head.
“Did you hear what I said?” Edward prompted. “None of what you’re saying makes any sense to me. Do you think I’d deny it if it were true? You have a gun on me.”
He studied Edward, scanning his eyes, his face, trying to read his mind. A foolish endeavor. All he saw was an arrogant man who would say anything to get out of this situation. “I don’t have the patience for lying. I suggest you stop right now and own up to your legacy.” It had to be this stranger who was lying. Aunt Teresa would never…Yet she lied to you by omission for most of your life!The voice in his head was driving him to madness.
“I’m not owning up to anything,” Edward hissed.
“You’ve got a gun to your neck. That’s really how you want to continue to play this? Ignorance and denial?”
“I’m not?—”
“He can’t breathe!” the girl cried out.
He turned to see the boy clutching his chest as he leaned forward, mouth open and wheezing.
“What’s going on with him?”
“He has asthma and needs his puffer. You’re scaring him,” the mother bit back.
