Page 52 of So Sinister
“We do care about them.We care about you too.I know you don’t think we do, but we do.We want everyone to walk out of this alive.”
“No!Noteveryone!The Great Incompetent has to die!”
The negotiator sighed.“Well, we can’t do that, Robert.You know we can’t.The car’s almost here, but it won’t take you anywhere as long as Hartford’s life is in danger.”
“You’d risk thousands of innocent people for the Great Incompetent?”
“No, we wouldn’t.That’s why we’re evacuating everyone.But we’re not going to let you kill him either.”
Stevenson squealed, “Yes, you would!Iwillkill him!Do you understand?He will fucking die!”
“Hold on,” the negotiator said.“The driver is calling me.”
She clicked the mute button on the phone and turned to Faith.“This guy’s gone.He’s not gonna budge.We’ve got maybe five, ten more minutes before he just gives up and blows the bomb.”
Faith nodded.“Okay, I’m going in.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.The hell you are.”
That voice belonged to a third officer, a short, barrel-chested bulldog of a man wearing thick armor around his entire body and carrying an equally thick helmet in one hand.“You’re the EOD tech?”Faith guessed.
“I’m the EOD squad sergeant,” he replied.“And I apologize for my tone, Special Agent, but no one who isn’t part of our team is entering that terminal until we say it’s okay.”
Faith looked at the terminal.They didn’t have time to wait.Stevenson was on edge and his panic would make him lose control.The police were following their instincts to achieve control of the situation before risking anyone else, but the problem was that they wouldn’t achieve controlwithouttaking a risk.
Faith wouldn’t ask them to take that risk, though.This was her case.
“Then say it’s okay,” she said, unbuttoning her vest.“Because I’m going in.”
“Is there a reason you’re taking your vest off?”Jessica asked.
“Because I’m the driver.”
Both the EOD sergeant and the negotiator said “What?”at the same time.
“I’m the driver,” Faith repeated.“I’m going to get him out of there.I’m going to tell him that we need to be at least three miles away before we’re far enough that law enforcement can’t snatch him.Then I’m going to get him out of the building and grab his hand.I’ll keep his thumb pressed on the detonator while my partner holds him still.Then you guys will evacuate Hartford and disarm the bomb.”
“Jesus, Faith,” Jessica breathed.“That’s ambitious.”
“Yeah, well,” Faith said, dropping her vest.“It’s the best plan I can think of off the top of my head.”
“But people know you,” Jessica said.“He’ll recognize you.”
“If he does, then we’ll play on that.We’ll say I have authority to tell people to let me take him wherever he wants to go.”
“How about this plan?”the EOD sergeant said.“You stay out here, and we go in, and when we say it’s safe, you come in?”
“Stevenson won’t surrender,” Faith said, removing her service weapon and FBI ID.“He’s going to blow that bomb in minutes if we don’t convince him he’s won.”
“Special Agent, with all due respect, you don’t have training in this,” the negotiator insisted.
“You do,” Faith said, meeting her eyes.“And in your own words, we have five, maybe ten minutes before gives up and blows the bomb, right?”
The negotiator sighed heavily, then nodded.
“Okay.Then we’re going in.”
The cry of another voice reached them.“Let me through!Damn it, I’m not going to be in the way!I’m just… Faith!Faith!”
