Page 44 of Captive Hearts
Eighteen
They were watching telly together in the dining area, Rick caressing his gun while everyone else sat quietly. What they were waiting for was KTN’s nine o’clock broadcast. Bernie had been pleased to agree to show the more intimate (and completely staged) footage.
Meanwhile, Rick was watching Kara Malone on Channel Seven talking about the releases as she showed a montage of all three hostages legging it to freedom on repeat. Rick had enjoyed it at first, watching Kara describing the big moment. But they kept replaying the releases, and Rick’s pleasure faded. ‘They didn’t need to run like that,’ he said grimly.
But then Kara Malone started talking to the camera - behind her fancy bulletproof shield - about Rick, speculating wildly about who he was. ‘A desperate man with a gun and nothing to lose,’ she called him. Ashley thought that was far too dramatic and totally uninformed, which was on-brand for Kara Malone. Rick wasn’t happy about it either. ‘Desperate?’ he muttered to himself. ‘I’m not desperate. And what does she mean, nothing to lose?’
Ashley leaned into him. ‘She’s making stuff up because she doesn’t know you yet.’
‘But she must have seen my interview at six?’
‘It’s just better telly to talk like that. She doesn’t necessarily believe a word she’s saying,’ Ashley assured him. He went quiet, apparently calmed. But Ashley felt a rumble of nerves in her belly at his soured mood.
But then she felt a nudge in her side. She glanced over to see Gina. She was pretending to watch TV, not acknowledging the nudge. But the reassuring touch had definitely happened.
It was funny, every time Ashley felt like she was going down the plughole, Gina seemed to know it. She seemed to know how to buoy her.
‘It’s nine,’ Greg told the room.
‘Christ, turn over!’ Rick said.
Ashley grabbed the remote and switched to KTN. Graham Naismith was excitably talking about the new footage they had. He mentioned that Ashley and Gina were ‘Behind enemy lines.’ Ashley wished to god he’d cool it. She didn’t need Rick hearing words like ‘enemy’.
Then it cut to the releases. The words of encouragement, the handshakes, that bloody awful hug, it was all there. Ashley chanced a look at Rick to see if he was happy. By god, he was. He was smiling with true pride. Ashley felt like he might be happier now.
That’s when it happened. The shot that fucked everything. Gina whipped her camera to Ashley as Polly was being released. Ashley turned right to the camera and gave it a disgusted look before Gina whipped back to Rick saying his little end speech.
In real life, Ashley peered over at Rick. He wasn’t saying anything, still watching avidly. But his smile had slipped.
They watched the whole show until the end, and then Rick turned the telly off. ‘OK, everyone. Sit at the tables in the corner for a bit. I gotta plan my next move.’ Everyone began to walk over. Ashley and Gina went to join them, but Rick stopped them. ‘Not you two,’ he said tartly.
‘Did you want to do another interview?’ Ashley asked with a small measure of hope. But she knew. Oh, sheknew.
Rick shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think so. I want you two back in the cupboard. Now.’
Ashley pushed down her terror. ‘Alright, then. Whatever you say, Rick.’
‘Yeah. Itiswhatever I say,’ Rick said sourly. He gave Ashley an unfriendly little shove in the small of her back, and she began to walk to the kitchen, Gina scuttling to keep up.
At the cupboard door, Rick held his hand out, and Gina passed him the camera. ‘Might have a play with this, see if I can just use it myself.’
Gina was disgusted at the thought of Rick putting his filthy hands all over her cam. But she nodded. ‘By all means.’
They walked into the cupboard, and Rick paused at the door, giving Ashley a disappointed look. ‘Might come back for you later, if I remember.’ He shut the door.
Ashley and Gina were plunged into darkness.
‘I’ll stay still this time, you find the light,’ Gina said.
‘Good plan,’ she said and reached out.
‘What the…’ Gina muttered.
Ashley took her hand back. ‘For god’ssake, what did I just touch?’
‘Left boob,’ Gina said.
‘Can you go and stand in the corner or something?’ Ashley asked, mortified. ‘This is getting ridiculous.’
