Chapter 7 - The Hostage
Panic instantly re-ignited in Peter's chest as he clutched the trembling children tightly against his battered body.
The federal agents scattered across the underground garage with their weapons drawn, sweeping the dark corners for any sign of the fugitive stepmother.
A sudden, sharp scream echoed from the enclosed concrete stairwell leading back up into the main hospital building.
Peter recognized the terrifying sound of Reena's voice demanding a fully fueled helicopter and a completely clear path to the roof.
The lead FBI agent swore loudly, signaling her tactical team to stack up quietly against the heavy fire door of the stairwell.
She ordered Peter to stay entirely out of sight and to keep the children hidden behind the armored engine block of the federal van.
Peter nodded silently, pressing Drew and Lily against the cold metal and whispering soft, desperate promises of absolute safety.
The tactical team violently breached the stairwell door, their heavy boots pounding aggressively against the metal steps as they ascended.
Peter could hear the muffled, chaotic negotiations echoing down the concrete shaft as the agents tried to reason with the desperate murderer.
He knew deep in his soul that a woman who could lock starving children in a dark basement would never surrender peacefully.
A terrible, deafening gunshot rang out from the floors above, followed immediately by a horrific, prolonged silence.
Peter's heart stopped completely as he waited in agony for the federal agents to call down the all-clear signal.
Instead, the heavy fire door slowly creaked open, and a solitary figure stepped out of the dark shadows into the dim garage light.
It was the local police chief, a man Peter recognized from the news, wearing a perfectly tailored suit and a grim expression.
May you like
The chief casually wiped a single drop of blood from his cheek with a silk handkerchief, ignoring the chaos above.
He looked directly at Peter and calmly stated that Reena had served her purpose, but the children still needed to be permanently silenced.
