44
Ninety minutes later Noelle listened as the Deschutes County SWAT commander, Lieutenant Mariota, reviewed the plan with his team. Two snipers had taken positions near the CCC structure half an hour ago and were passing on recon reports and photos of the area and building.
They hadn’t seen any people at the location.
Is Crystal wrong?
“Originally the building had no openings but the single door,” Mariota told his team. “These vertical slits have been added at some point. There are two on each wall.” Noelle stepped closer to a photo. Someone—most likely Drew—had added slits that were two feet tall and a couple of inches wide.
“It’s like what they used for a castle’s defense,” Noelle whispered to Max. “Just big enough to shoot an arrow through.”
“I believe these indicate our boy plans to stand his ground,” said Mariota. “He had a purpose in mind when he installed them.”
There were nods all around.
“There’s a wide, cleared area around the building, most likely as a defense against fire,” added Mariota. “But that means any use of tree trunks as cover is far from the structure.”
Drew will have a clear view and holes to fire from when the team decides to enter.
But they’ll be blind.
“One way in, one way out,” said one of the team.
More nods.
The team had trained extensively for every situation, but Noelle did not like this setup. All the cards seemed to favor Drew.
“They know how to do this,” Max said in a low voice.
Noelle met his gaze and gave a brief nod. With his SWAT experience, he would know.
The county mobile command unit lumbered up the rough road to join them.
A repurposed RV, it was an office on wheels for the commander and the negotiators.
The plan was to speak to Drew with a megaphone and later switch to satellite phones or a throw phone, a communication system that was essentially microphones and speakers in a hardened case left for the subject.
The negotiators would try to talk him into leaving the structure or surrendering Emma before the team took any offensive actions.
Five of the team members melted into the woods to form a perimeter, while the entry team stepped aside in a group, reviewing plans for every outcome they could encounter in the building.
Noelle and Max wore tactical vests, helmets, and their service pieces.
Max had added an additional handgun. Their role was to stay out of the team’s way, but both knew they needed to be prepared for anything.
They followed Lieutenant Mariota to the mobile command vehicle.
Inside, two women and a man were setting up their workspace. They were the negotiators.
Noelle knew both women, Sergeants Reaves and Tuttle, and introduced them to Max.
They’d been doing hostage negotiation for years.
The male negotiator was a new face, and his low Southern-accented voice surprised her as they were introduced.
“They say I’ve got a voice that’ll mellow the angriest assholes,” he told them.
Noelle agreed.
“I spoke with Crystal Chambers on the drive out,” said Reaves. “We needed as much background information on Mims as possible. I understand he has her daughter, but she didn’t seem to know much about the girl. Told me to ask you.” She looked expectantly at Noelle.
How can I explain Emma?
Noelle’s throat thickened. “She’s quiet and super smart. Calm. She’s been in a similar situation before.” She gave a quick summary of when Emma had been kidnapped and held hostage previously. “Got a good head on her shoulders. Not one to panic.”
“Good, good,” said Tuttle, taking notes. “Crystal stated that Drew Mims took the girl to get at her.”
“Our task force leader called me a bit ago about a tip that came in today that gives her story some weight,” said Noelle.
“A call from a man with a low voice who said Emma’s mother could explain where she was and why she’d been kidnapped.
Crystal was unaware of this call. She figured out herself that it could be Drew Mims when she read that Emma had been taken.
It’s possible Drew called in hoping we’d wonder if Crystal was in town.
Maybe he hoped we’d flush her out for him. ”
“Why does he want her?” Tuttle looked at Noelle with a questioning gaze.
“Crystal’s theory is because she’s the one that got away,” said Max. “She believes that the rest of the women he took as ‘wives’ ended up dead. By his hands.”
“He has unfinished business,” said Reaves. “We can work with that.”
“I’m not sure he’ll respect a woman negotiator,” said Noelle.
“We’ve discussed that,” said Tuttle. “We think a woman might make him feel like he’s in control.”
“True.”
“Blue-two,” said a voice over the speakers in the mobile command. “I just found an ATV at one o’clock approximately forty yards from the building. Covered with netting and camouflage.”
“Copy, Blue-two,” answered Mariota, speaking into his mic. “Search it for a key.”
“That’s why there’s no vehicle here,” murmured Max. “I wonder where he keeps the Expedition?”
“Blue-two, no key.”
“Flatten the tires?” suggested Noelle.
“Flat ATV tires won’t stop someone desperate,” said Max.
“Copy, Blue-two,” said Mariota. “Disable as you see fit.”
“Copy that.”
Mariota looked at the negotiators. “Let’s get started.”
Reaves picked up a bullhorn as the other negotiators grabbed their notepads, and they filed out to walk the quarter mile to the site. Once they convinced Drew to use a sat phone, they could work from the mobile command.
The forest was old and most of its pines had thick trunks. The commander and negotiators stopped nearly out of view of the structure with several large trees for cover. Reaves looked at Mariota and he nodded. She put the bullhorn to her mouth.
“This is Sergeant Reaves of the Deschutes County sheriff’s office. I’d like to speak to Drew Mims.”
They waited. Silence. Tuttle watched the time and then signaled Reaves to speak again.
Four more times, at one-minute intervals, Sergeant Reaves made her polite request.
After a quick huddle with the other two negotiators, Reaves said, “Mr. Mims. We’d like to establish that Emma Chambers is okay. Can she speak with us, please?”
Silence.
Frustration grew under Noelle’s skin.
Are we talking to an empty building?
Reaves repeated the request. When there had been no reply after a full minute, Mariota ordered the entry team to move in and the perimeter team to tighten.
The entry team got in a small triangle formation and moved forward as one, their heavy tactical shields forming two sides of the triangle. In the center, two team members carried a battering ram and an iron Halligan tool that could be used to pry open the door or force off locks.
When they were five yards away from the door, a loud voice shouted, “Okay! Back off! I’ll talk!”
“Entry team, back up,” Mariota said into his mic. The team halted and then moved backward as a solid unit.
Is Emma with him?
Noelle fought to stand still.
“Mr. Mims?” Reaves said through the megaphone.
“Yeah.” He appeared to project his voice through one of the slits and was plenty loud for all to hear.
“Can I speak to Emma Chambers to see how she’s doing?” asked Reaves.
“She’s fine. She can’t talk right now.” His tone was smug.
“If he hurt her . . .” muttered Noelle.
“Does she need medical attention? I understand she was in a car accident,” said Reaves.
“She’s fine,” he yelled impatiently. “I’ve got a gun at her head, and I’ll shoot her if I can’t talk to her mother, Crystal. Get her out here!”
Reaves lowered the megaphone. “Do we want to do that? We need to give him something.”
“Wait,” said Noelle. “He can’t be aware that we have Crystal, right? How could he? It was a stroke of luck that she was pulled over by the Eagle’s Nest PD. After ten years, he’s had a glimpse of her at a park last week. That’s it.”
“Are you sure he doesn’t know she’s at the police station?” asked Tuttle.
“I don’t see how he could,” said Noelle. “It’s got to be a stall.”
“But Crystal thought he may have followed her to the park, right?” said Max. “What if somehow he was following her when Ben pulled her over, and she didn’t know it? And then he came back here?”
“So there’s a possibility he knows she’s available,” said Reaves.
“A very small one,” said Noelle.
“I’m not going to risk lying to him from the get-go,” said Reaves. “This could be a test on his part, and I need to establish trust. Not blow it in the first five minutes.” The other negotiators agreed.
“Mr. Mims, Ms. Chambers is not present, but I can get her on a satellite phone to speak with you.”
“No!” he shouted. “I need to see her in person to be positive that it’s actually her!”
“Okay. Hang on.” She turned to Noelle. “How fast can she get here?”
“Thirty minutes,” said Noelle. “We’ll have one of the Eagle’s Nest officers bring her.” Commander Mariota handed Max a satellite phone to make the call.
“Do it.” Reaves lifted the megaphone. “Crystal is currently in Eagle’s Nest, Mr. Mims. We can have her here in thirty minutes. Is that acceptable?”
“Enough with the ‘Mr. Mims’ bullshit,” he yelled.
“Got it. Is thirty minutes acceptable?”
“Yeah,” he said in a quieter voice.
Sergeant Tuttle looked very pleased. “Excellent start, I think we’ve gotten somewhere. I don’t think he expected his demand to be met so quickly.”
“Agreed,” said Reaves, raising the megaphone again, sweat showing at her temples. “You said Emma didn’t need medical care, but do you have enough food and water for the both of you? Is there anything we can get her?”
“She’s fine,” yelled Drew. “Shut up!”
“We need to hear it from her,” said Reaves. “We’re getting Crystal for you in a show of good faith, so let the young woman say something to us.”
Is she alive?
If not, I’ll personally bomb the building with Drew in it.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you! Leave her alone!”
Reaves turned to Noelle. “Is there something he could ask her that only she would know?”
She thought quickly. “Ask for her goats’ names.”
Reaves nodded. “Drew, please ask for her goats’ names. That way we’ll know she’s conscious and able to speak.”
There was a long period of silence.
“The fuck? Bridge what?” they faintly heard Drew say inside the building. Then louder through the slit: “She says they’re Bridgertons. What the hell is that?”
Oh, thank God.
Exhaustion swamped her. Noelle didn’t realize how intensely she’d been focused on and worried about Emma’s health. She nodded at Reaves as the woman raised a brow in question.
“Thank you, Drew. That’s the name of a TV series family.” Reaves wiped her forehead and made another huddle with her team.
Max touched Noelle’s upper arm. “Royce is on his way with Crystal.”
“What will she do?” asked Noelle. “What will he do?” She gestured at the building.
“Good question,” said Max, his face grim. “We’ll find out.”