Page 35 of Captive Hearts
‘You said three,’ Ashley reminded him.
Gina turned to see how Rick was taking Ashley’s correction. For a second, Rick looked livid. But then he ran a finger over his moustache. ‘I said,maybethree.’
‘Of course, it’s totally up to you. But the more people you send out, the better it would look,’ Ashley told Rick conversationally.
‘You think?’ Rick asked, somewhat swayed.
‘Definitely. The optics of three people walking out is much stronger than just two,’ Ashley assured him.
Rick considered her point, scratching his chin. ‘Optics,’ he muttered to himself, trying out the term. ‘You know the third won’t beyou, don’t you?’ he sneered.
‘OfcourseI do,’ Ashley told him matter-of-factly. Gina could tell she was being honest. She hadn’t risked Rick’s ire for her own benefit. She was just trying to get people out. That surprised Gina. All morning she’d seemed so self-interested. But now? She was taking risks to save lives. Gina was starting to think her first assessment of Ashley was completely wrong.
‘Right, fine. You,’ he said, pointing at a middle-aged male patron. The man let out a sigh of relief and went to join the others at the happiest table in the restaurant.
‘Now that that’s sorted, you got that copper’s number?’ Rick asked Ashley.
‘Err, yeah, she gave it to me earlier.’
‘Then you can bell her up on that landline, talk to her about these three,’ he said, nodding to his soon to be free hostages. ‘And I want the whole thing filmed.’
‘Why do I have to talk to her?’ Ashley asked.
‘Because you’re one ofthem. If anyone’s gonna be able to get through to that bastard copper, it’s you.’
Gina knew what he was getting at. To someone like Rick, anyone who lived under the law was establishment. He lived above it and therefore couldn’t speak the language. And of all of them, Ashley would seem to him to be the best at talking to people. It was her job, after all. Only problem with that was that he didn’t really know that talking to people wasn’t exactly Ashley’s strength. Not the way he meant it. She could unearth a story with the nose of a bloodhound, that was clear. But careful, bipartisan negotiations? Gina was less sure that was in her wheelhouse.
But Ashley had surprised her a few times today. Gina could only hope that she would surprise her again. Because it was becoming clearer and clearer that the job of keeping them all alive had fallen directly into Ashley’s hands.
