Page 44 of Wishing Stone

My jaw clenched, instantly furious over their apparent lack of action, as I pushed past the barrier and made my way over to them.

“Excuse me,” I said tersely to one of the officers. He turned to face me. Dressed in a traditional navy patrol uniform, he looked young and polished. He was most likely fresh out of the academy because he didn’t look a day over twenty-five.

“Sir, please step back behind the barriers. We’ve got—”

“No,” I interrupted. “I own this establishment, and I have reason to believe my wife is inside the building.”

The rookie officer paused then, seeming to assess me.

“You’re Alexander Stone?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m Officer Bailey. I’ve heard of you, but it’s nice to meet you in the flesh.”

I gritted my teeth, my patience razor thin. There wasn’t time for pleasantries.

“Likewise. Now about my wife,” I reminded him, desperately trying to remain calm. “Her phone’s GPS signal shows she’s inside.”

“Well, Mr. Stone, if that’s the case, then she may be in a bit of trouble. There’s a hostile gunman inside,” he said nonchalantly.

It was all I could do not to ring the kid’s neck. There was nothing blasé about the situation whatsoever.

“A gunman?” I prompted when he didn’t elaborate further.

“Well, it’s actually a woman. The doors were all locked when we got here, so we tried to call inside. Nobody answered, so we swept the perimeter. That’s when we saw a woman through one of the windows. She was waving a gun around and pointing it at a crowd of people.”

I looked the officer squarely in the eyes.

“How many people?” I demanded, desperately trying to keep the panic out of my voice. “Did you see a woman with dark brown curly hair, about five feet six inches tall?”

“I can’t say for sure.”

“What about any demands?” I asked. If it was money the woman wanted, I’d pay anything if it meant my wife would no longer be held at gunpoint.

“We don’t know her demands or if there are any. She hasn’t reached out. Right now, I need you to calm down while we wait for the Hostage Negotiation Team to get here. They are the ones who will try to make contact. I can’t do much else until then. The roads are starting to get slick from the snow, so I’m guessing they’ll be here in about fifteen minutes.”

My eyes widened in disbelief as rage began to pump hot and fierce through my body. I stepped up the officer until we were toe-to-toe.

“Calm down? Did you just tell me to calm down, officer? My wife is inside, being threatened with a gun, while you just sit around here waiting for someone else to get here to handle the situation? A lot could happen in fifteen minutes!”

“Sir, step back. I understand what you’re saying, but I haven’t been trained in hostage situations. There are protocols, and none of the officers on scene are authorized to take the next step,” he said as if that justified his reasoning for doing nothing.

I turned when I felt Hale’s hand on my shoulder. I had no idea when he’d come up behind me, but I knew he sensed I was on the verge of snapping. I didn’t know anyone who wouldn’t if they were in my shoes. The cop’s aloofness to the seriousness of the situation was maddening. I wanted nothing more than to level him.

Shrugging off Hale’s hand, I turned back to the officer.

“That’s my wife in there, goddammit! What do you mean you’re not authorized? You know what? Fuck this and fuck your protocols. I’ll figure out how to get inside myself,” I growled. I refused to remain helpless in this surreal turn of events.

Suddenly, a horrific crack sounded through the air, causing me and everyone else in the vicinity around to jolt.

A gunshot.

Spinning to face the building, the blood in my veins instantly turned to ice. Without warning, all sense of time seemed to freeze as I was suddenly overcome with memories of my life with Krystina.

Her breathtaking smile on our wedding day.

Her laughter that could brighten the darkest of moments.

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