Page 53 of Captive Hearts
‘Look, if my dad did something like this…’
Lily’s dad was staggered. ‘I don’t think this is reallymystyle.’
Pete shot him a glare. ‘Oh no? Better than me, are you?’
‘Dad, Christ, button it, would you?’ Lily told him. And for once, he listened to his daughter.
Once Lily was sure she had her father’s silence, she turned back to Pete. ‘So if I was your kid, I’d probably… I guess I’d want you to let everyone go.’
Pete’s mouth pursed. ‘Is that right?’
Gina peeked at Ashley, and she could tell they were of one mind. Should they intervene in this poor attempt at manipulation before Lily made a big mistake?
But Lily didn’t need help. She sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Look. Dude. I’m not trying to Derren Brown you into letting everyone go. I’m being honest. If my dad was in this kind of situation, I’d want him to do the right thing. That’s all I’m saying. Because if he didn’t, he’d just get himself into a bigger and bigger mess. And who knows where it would end? I mean, fuck, they might send the SAS in or something. And then that’s my dad gone, in like a hail of bullets. I mean, he’s a dickhead, but I wouldn’t wantthat.’ She sat back and folded her arms, done.
Everyone looked at Pete. He was stroking his chin thoughtfully. But before he could speak, a sob broke the silence. Everyone turned to the source, Lily’s dad. His face was wet with tears, and Lily pressed a hand to her temple, mortified. ‘Just be cool. Just once, Dad.’
‘I can’t,’ Lily’s dad said. ‘I didn’t know… What with the divorce and everything, I know you hate me. But you don’t want me dead, so that’s… that’s nice.’
Lily looked at her dad, aghast. ‘I don’thateyou, dummy. I know you had to leave. You and mum have been miserable for ages. I’m just... I was just angry because I’ve got to live with mum.’
‘You wanted to live withme?’ he asked, crying all the harder. Lily’s eyes rolled so hard they were pure white for a second.
‘Well, this is fucking touching, but can we get back tome?!’ Pete said.
Gina had forgotten Pete in the middle of the small drama that had broken out. He was running his hands through his sweaty hair, making it stand up, large stains growing out from his armpits, gun held tightly. He needed to chill out. But she was all out of fake uncle stories.
Ashley was on it though. ‘Look, I’ll get on the phone now, alright?’ she told him. ‘We can get your son on. We’ll find out what he wanted to say.’
‘What, like, as a demand?’ Pete said. ‘How many hostages will that cost?’
Gina didn’t think Ashley had been thinking of that, but she immediately shrugged and said, ‘Four?’
‘Fine. Daddy and daughter can go for a kickoff. I’ve had quite enough of thisKramer versus Kramerbollocks.’
‘Sweet,’ said Lily, trying not to seem as happy as she clearly felt about getting a release. Her dad patted her hand. ‘Don’t crow yet.’
‘Who else?’ Ashley asked.
The remaining hostages, Greg and Sam, the chefs, Tina and Leanne; they were all hopeful.
‘The cooks,’ Pete decided. ‘That was good pizza.’
Both chefs looked at each other in relief. ‘We cooked our way out,’ one of them whispered deliriously.
Ashley got straight on the phone, putting it on speaker. Gina went for her camera, instinctively, but Pete shook his head. ‘No. Not for this.’
Gina nodded, putting it down. ‘As you wish.’
‘Detective? I’ve got four hostages available for you right now if you can get Liam Ennis on the phone immediately,’ Ashley told her urgently.
The policewoman’s voice crackled out of the speaker, eager. ‘Fine. I’ll get him now.’
Gina and Ashley stared at each other, and they both knew exactly what the other was thinking.This better not backfire.
