Silent Night Standoff

“Oh, yeah! Better than I thought.” Clyde pulled his hand out and held up her deputy’s shield and gun for Bonnie to see. “She’s one of them. Her name’s Skyler Brennan. Dep-u-tee Skyler Brennan.”

Bonnie shot across the room, her gaze darting about, her expression that of a trapped animal. She stopped next to Clyde where they could keep an eye on Skyler and the other hostages at the same time.

“I don’t like this, Marty,” Bonnie whispered loudly enough for Skyler to hear.

Marty? His name’s Marty?

“Relax, Nicole,” Marty whispered back, though he danced on the balls of the feet, proving he wasn’t the least bit relaxed himself.

Good. They didn’t think Skyler could hear them. Now she knew both of their names. Not that she’d use them now. It would spook them more. But if they somehow managed to evade capture and Skyler got out of there alive, detectives would have a solid lead to go on.

“Brennan’s our ticket out of here,” Marty continued, louder now. “They’ll never try to hurt us with her as our hostage.”

Ha! Shows what they know. If Skyler gave FRS sniper Brady Owens the signal, he would fire. Didn’t matter if she was threatened. Didn’t matter if she might die in the process. He was trained to shoot the moment she tugged on her earlobe. Jake was the only person who could override the signal.

“So let’s get on with it, then.” Nicole turned to go back to her post.

Skyler couldn’t let Nicole walk away and miss this opportunity to encourage their surrender. “There’s another solution,” Skyler offered calmly.

Nicole snorted. “Like we’d listen to you.”

Skyler infused her tone with sincerity. “Despite what you think, I care about your safety and don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“We won’t,” Nicole fired back. “Not with you as our shield.”

“See, there’s where you’re wrong. I can’t protect both of you from all sides. You’ve always gotta worry about a bullet from some rogue cop trying to make a name for himself by bringing in Bonnie and Clyde. Or even a panicked rookie. Surrendering right now is the only way to guarantee you won’t get hurt.”

Nicole clapped her hands over her ears. “Shut up. Just shut up already.” She scrunched her eyes closed for a long moment, then opened them and lowered her hands. “C’mon, Clyde. We gotta move before the cops get better organized.”

“Start Brennan heading to the back door. I’ll get the bag.” He jogged to the counter.

Nicole raised her weapon and stepped forward. “Over there, Brennan. Next to preggers.”

Skyler didn’t think Nicole really planned to shoot her, but as time passed, she’d become shaky and sweaty. Likely her drugs were wearing off. With the bank surrounded by law enforcement, she was desperate. Unstable. Skyler had best do as asked.

“It’s not too late to surrender,” Skyler suggested as she started to rise. “I’ll make sure you get a fair hearing.”

“Ha!” Nicole’s eyes flashed in anger. “I’m not going to jail. Not when we have you. We’ll head out the back just like L.A.”

Skyler remembered hearing about L.A., where the hostages were killed in a shoot-out with the police. “That didn’t end so well.”

“We came out just fine. Didn’t we, Bonnie?” Marty winked at Nicole.

She nodded. “And we will again. It’s better than waiting here for your buddies to storm the bank.”

“Okay.” Marty hefted the bag onto his shoulder. “Let’s do it.”

Skyler needed to try one more time to stop them. “Don’t do this. Listen to me. If you surrender now, I can guarantee you won’t be shot, but in the alley I—”

“Shut up!” Nicole screamed, her eyes wide as she charged at Skyler. “We know what we’re doing. I’ve had about enough of your double-talk. We don’t need your help. Just.” She raised her gun and poked the barrel into Skyler’s forehead, and she could almost smell Nicole’s desperation. “Shut.” She moved closer. “Up.”

She’d lost control. Skyler shot a quick look at Marty, hoping for his help in calming Nicole.

A gunshot split the quiet. The window shattered. Glass exploded through the air.

The gun jerked from Skyler’s head. She turned her gaze back to Nicole, but heard a loud thump even before she saw Nicole lying on the floor, a fatal gunshot wound to her head. Brady.

“No!” Marty screamed. “Nicole!” He dropped the bag and raced to Nicole. He checked her pulse though there was no way she could’ve survived.

Jake must’ve thought Nicole planned to kill her and given Brady the order to take the shot. It was an order he rarely gave, and one that haunted him every time.

“This is your fault.” Marty glared at Skyler. “You did this. You killed her. If you hadn’t made that call...” His eyes were wild now. Crazy and panicked. Breathing hard, his gaze darted around the space. He jumped to his feet, grabbed Skyler’s hair and dragged them both out of sniper range.

At the teller window, he released her and snatched her phone from the counter. “Let’s see what your buddy Jake thinks about this.”

As he fumbled with her phone, Skyler checked on the hostages. Red and perspiring, Faith fanned her face. The others seemed too stunned to move. At least they were spared seeing Nicole’s body.

“Big mistake. Big, big mistake,” Marty yelled into the phone. “You have three minutes to clear the alley of cops. You got it? Or I start killing the hostages one by one.”

Sharp gasps and sobs came from the group.

“C’mon, Marty—talk to me,” Jake said calmly over the phone’s speaker. “We can work this out.”

“It’s too late for working anything out. In three—no, make that two minutes and forty-five seconds—I’m heading out the back door with your girl, Brennan. I want all barricades removed. If I see an officer or even smell one of you anywhere near the alley, she will die instantly. You got that? Instantly.” He hung up before Jake could pass the phone to Archer to begin negotiations as protocol dictated.

Marty looked at Faith. “Get the bag.”

“I c-can’t. Please. My baby.”

“Now!” he screamed.

“You can do it, Faith,” Skyler encouraged.

Sobbing, Faith struggled to her feet and picked up the bag. Skyler wanted to offer to take it, but Marty had clearly reached the end of his rope. Any word from her might set him off. If they were in sniper range and she was in a position to signal Brady, she’d be tugging her ear, but Marty knew to stay back. He took the bag from Faith and harnessed it across his chest.

“You first,” he said to Faith. “Get in front of me.”

Faith complied, and Marty stepped behind Skyler. He shoved her toward Faith, but Skyler held her ground. If Marty got them outside, she feared they could be killed just like the hostages in the L.A. standoff.

“Fine, stand there.” He jabbed the gun in the back of her head. “It’s no skin off my nose. I have plenty of other hostages to choose from. I’m more than happy to make you pay for Nicole’s death right here, right now. Or you can make yourself useful and buy a few hours before I pull the trigger. Your choice, but either way, Dep-u-tee, you’re going to die today.”

* * *

In the alley behind the bank, Logan could still hear the crack of the gunshot. Feel his stomach cramping as the blast reverberated through the air. He wanted to charge toward the threat to see if Skyler was okay. Instead, he’d moved into the shadows in case Bonnie or Clyde came out the back door as they’d done in L.A.

Clearly, the officers stationed at the mouth of the alley didn’t possess this bit of intel. If they did, they’d insist on joining Logan. He wouldn’t volunteer it, either. Not when one of them might be the rookie who’d escalated the standoff. Logan couldn’t risk Skyler’s life. He was better off handling the takedown alone. If the robbers exited with Skyler or another hostage, Logan could save the hostage and arrest Bonnie and Clyde, thus securing his promotion. A win-win for everyone.

The cops suddenly sprang into action, putting Logan on full alert. They shot a quick look down the alley then disappeared from view. It was odd that they’d taken off, but maybe the gunshot meant the standoff was over. Or they were moving to a more strategic location. Logan wasn’t going anywhere until he was certain Bonnie and Clyde weren’t walking out this door.

He waited, gun at the ready, listening for any sound. With the usual traffic for this area cordoned off, it was eerily quiet. Time slowed to a trickle, the only sound the beat of Logan’s heart thrumming in his ears. As he was ready to step out and reevaluate, a wailing alarm sounded from the back door’s emergency exit bar.

He expected legions of cops to race down the alley, but the only movement he saw was the door slowly swinging open. A pregnant woman stepped out, a hairy arm snug around her neck, a handgun to her head.

Clyde? Had the sniper missed? What happened to Skyler?

Holding his breath, Logan sighted his weapon.

Hunched over, his head buried behind the pregnant woman for protection, Clyde exited next. A woman’s arms were wrapped around his waist from the back.

Bonnie?

The trio continued in an awkward dance until Logan could finally identify Skyler as the woman in the rear. Where is Bonnie? Would she be following them in a moment, flanked by other hostages, or had she been taken out by the sniper?

Near the middle of the alley, the pregnant woman wobbled before dropping to her knees, keeling over in a faint. Clyde immediately pulled Skyler in front of him and put his back to the wall.

Logan needed to unsettle him again before he could lift his gun against Skyler. “FBI! Freeze!”

Clyde spun, dropped his arm from Skyler’s waist and aimed his weapon at Logan.

“Drop it or I’ll shoot!” Logan shouted.

“Logan?” Skyler cried out in surprise.

Clyde cocked his weapon. Logan fired. Skyler karate-chopped Marty’s arm. His gun flew from his hand and skittered across the asphalt. His gasp of pain hunched him over, but he recovered quickly and grabbed Skyler’s arm. He pulled her to his chest, using her as a shield and blocking Logan from getting off another shot. As Logan started closing in on his position, Clyde clearly knew his time was running out.

“Don’t think this is over, Brennan,” he screamed at her. “You will pay for Bonnie’s death.” He shoved her hard and took off.

Skyler’s arms flailed out, trying to regain her balance, as Clyde ran toward the other end of the alley. Logan set off in pursuit, but came to a halt when Skyler slammed into a Dumpster and ricocheted off, plummeting to the ground. Her head connected with a concrete barrier, and she landed by the pregnant woman.

“Skyler,” he said, rushing to her side. She looked up at him for a long moment, her eyes going wide, then closing, and his heart refused to beat.

THREE

Blinding pain sliced through the back of Skyler’s skull, blocking out all clear thought. She felt strong arms lift her from the ground and place her on a gurney. The movement increased her pain, and it was all she could do to hold back a cry of distress.

“Will she be okay?” Logan asked, his deep rumbling voice echoing down the alley.

Why is he here?

He’d left town two years ago after breaking up with her, and she hadn’t seen him since. Maybe this was all a bad dream and she’d wake up soon. She still dreamed of him sometimes. Pleasant dreams of working on the shelter’s Christmas party together. Something they’d done at this time of year. Would still be doing if he hadn’t left her. Holding hands. Smiling. Then she’d wake up, remember and feel betrayed all over again.

She didn’t want to talk to him, but she couldn’t ignore him, either. She pried her eyes open and squinted into the sun. He came into view, standing tall above her. Dressed in a power suit, white shirt with gray tie, blue eyes ringed with black searching hers.

“Welcome back, sweetheart.” His lips lifted in a sweet smile.

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at him. At this man from her past. From her dreams.

“Look at me, Skyler,” Darcie commanded from her other side.

Skyler turned her head, seeing her best friend’s expression tight with concern. “Glad to see you’re conscious again.”

Skyler’s head cleared and the afternoon’s terrifying events came flooding back.

Clyde. The gun in her mouth. Its bitter taste. The stench of fear in the bank. Brady’s shot. Leaving the building. Faith.

“Faith.” Skyler tried to sit up. “How’s Faith?”

“She’s fine.” Darcie gently pressed Skyler back down on the gurney. “On her way to the hospital just to be sure.”

Skyler sighed. “Good. What about Clyde? Did he... Oh, Logan.” She turned to look at him, surprised to find him still carefully watching her. “You were here. In the alley. Did Clyde...?”

“Get away?” He nodded. “Yeah. I got off one shot, but he’s in the wind.”

“There you are.” Jake’s angry voice came from the end of the gurney and suddenly Logan was jerked away. “What part of ‘stay out of our way’ didn’t you understand, Suit? You could’ve gotten Skyler killed with that foolish stunt.”

“Jake, wait,” Skyler shouted, the effort making her head throb harder. “He saved my life.”

“He could also have gotten you killed,” Jake said. “And putting you in that situation wasn’t his decision to make.”

“But it worked out for the best, and he did save my life. Clyde blames me for Bonnie’s death. If he’d kept me with him when he left, he would’ve killed me the minute he felt safe enough to do so.”

“What?” Jake glanced at her over his shoulder but didn’t release Logan.

“Clyde said if I hadn’t texted you, they could’ve safely gotten out of the bank. So he blames me for Bonnie.”

“That’s what he meant,” Logan muttered.

Jake glared at Logan. “Meant by what?”

“Before Clyde took off he said this wasn’t over and Skyler would pay.” Logan freed his jacket from Jake’s grip and pressed out the wrinkle. “Besides the obvious threat here, it’s also important to mention he called his partner Nicole. This is the first time we’ve heard her name, and he was under such duress we have to believe he wasn’t making it up.”

“His name is Marty,” Skyler added.

“Marty?” Logan moved closer to her.

“Most of the time, they called each other Bonnie and Clyde, but in a private conversation when they didn’t think I could hear, she called him Marty and he called her Nicole. He also screamed out her name when Brady took her out.”

“And you’re sure she called him Marty?”

“Positive.”

Jake stepped to the gurney. “We’re losing sight of the real issue here. Marty or Clyde or whatever you want to call him could be coming after Skyler.”

Logan nodded. “That’s a very real possibility.”

Jake locked gazes with Skyler. “I don’t want you going out on your own until this creep is brought in. Be on alert. In fact, you might want to stay home.”

“Please.” She rolled her eyes and even that slight movement brought pain. “If everyone on the squad took precautions like that each time someone threatened one of us, we’d all be hermits.”

“Talk some sense into her, Darcie.”

“She has a point. Tempers flare at these standoffs, but the suspect usually calms down.” Darcie squeezed Skyler’s hand. “Besides, I’m less worried about Clyde and more worried that she may need stitches and has a concussion.” Darcie peered at her. “Loss of consciousness is a warning sign, honey. We should get you to the hospital.”

“No.” Skyler wished she could shake her head for emphasis without worsening her headache. “I’m fine.”

Jake got in her face. “You lost consciousness. County procedure dictates a trip to the hospital to be checked out.”

“Procedure, schmedure. I’m good to go.” She tried to push him out of her way and sit up, but the arm Marty had grabbed buckled and a wave of dizziness assaulted her.

“You’re fine?” Logan asked. “Explain why you can’t sit up then.”

She shot him a frustrated glare. “Okay. You all win. I’ll get checked out, but I won’t ride in the ambulance. My car’s in the lot. I’ll drive myself. It’s less than a mile away. I’ll be fine.”

“Ha!” Jake said. “Like I’d let that happen with a head injury.”

Darcie crossed her arms. “And if he did let you go, I’d stop you.”

“I can give you a ride to the E.R.,” Logan offered.

Skyler shot a look at him. He’d never voluntarily offer to leave his crime scene before inspecting it. Never put anything before work. Not even her. Next thing she knew pigs would fly overhead.

“I need to take your statement anyway,” he went on. “We can do it on the way and save time.”

Right, my statement. The job.

Skyler glared up at him, and tried to hide her disappointment, but she felt certain she hadn’t managed it.

Nothing had changed. She still took second place with him. Third, if you counted his father, who truly came first since his career focus was aimed at making his father proud. That wouldn’t change even if Logan was dating again. Making his father proud was Logan’s top priority. Had always been his top priority, but Skyler had let the blush of love distract her and hadn’t seen it. Until the day he’d walked out on her. That horrible, horrible day the week of Christmas, he’d proved he wouldn’t be distracted from his mission to excel at the FBI.

Ever. Not even for a chance at love and a life with her.

* * *

Logan’s phone chimed. Good. A distraction before Skyler’s frustrated glare brought back memories he didn’t want to think about. He’d suspected if he ever ran into her again, she’d be testy. But after two years, he didn’t expect to see her eyes as cold as the day he’d told her he was taking the job at the FBI’s Chicago office. Not one day since then had he found the weather in the Windy City to be colder than her expression that afternoon.

His fault. He shouldn’t have gotten involved with her in the first place. Not when he was committed to reaching every milestone his FBI father had achieved, but doing so at a younger age. A relationship simply distracted him, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted.

Especially not now. If he was successful in bringing in Bonnie and Clyde by Christmas, he’d become one of the youngest agents in the bureau’s history ever promoted to assistant special agent in charge of a field office.

What father wouldn’t be proud of that accomplishment?

Logan couldn’t relax before then. Or even after. He’d still have to succeed at the job or risk losing the old man’s approval. That meant undivided focus on the work.

He glanced at his phone. His team had arrived and it was time to move this along. He turned his attention back to Skyler.

“If you won’t listen to my medical advice, Skyler,” Darcie said, “there are plenty of shell-shocked witnesses inside who will.” Though she sounded mad, Logan could see she really cared about Skyler before she marched off.

Logan waited for Marsh to follow, but he stood his ground, as if he felt a need to protect Skyler. Logan got that. Seeing both Marsh’s and Darcie’s protectiveness, he could tell the team had formed a close bond. Something Logan had no time for, and yet, when he saw this kind of camaraderie, his solitary lifestyle seemed kind of lame.

Focus, man.

He turned to Skyler. “I hate to do this, but you were in physical contact with Marty and could have contact DNA on your clothes. We’ll need to bag them before we leave.”

“You can change into Darcie’s extra scrubs in the rig,” Jake offered.

“Fine.” She looked at Logan as if she’d rather eat bugs than be this close to him. “It’ll only take me a minute to change.”

Logan ignored the way her coldness kept unsettling him and forced a cordial tone to his voice. “Take your time. My team has arrived, and I need to talk them for a minute, anyway. I’ll send a tech out with an evidence bag for your clothes.”

He headed for the lobby before he did something stupid like try to apologize to Skyler in front of Marsh. Not that Logan didn’t owe her an apology. He did. He was still certain his decision to leave had been the right one, but he was genuinely sorry he’d hurt her in the process. For that, he’d apologize when the time was right.

Now he’d do his job and do it well.

He’d only seen the lobby on the truck’s monitors, so he made a quick sweep of the place before stepping inside. Fellow agent Vince Wagner and the FBI’s Evidence Recovery Team were already processing the scene, and a privacy screen had been erected to hide Nicole’s body. The witnesses were no longer cowering on the floor by the counter but were sitting in chairs, chugging water.

Wagner glanced up, his eyes instantly narrowing as he stared at Logan. He’d gotten the same look from most of the Portland agents. Logan understood their frustration. Totally understood it. They weren’t pleased that the FBI had brought him in from another office to head up their investigation.

As far as they knew, he was there to use expertise gained on a similar robbery spree in Chicago, but it was more than that. Much more. His promotion was on the line. If he didn’t succeed, he was on his way back to Chicago. So it was time to make nice with all the players and get this done.

He crossed the room to a forensic tech named Gary who looked like a thirtysomething version of Santa Claus.

Logan gave the guy instructions to gather Skyler’s clothes, then asked for another bag to collect Faith’s clothing at the hospital. “You’ll also find a small amount of the suspect’s blood in the alley to process. I’d like all the results rushed.”

Gary snorted. “You and every other agent in the bureau. You’ll need Inman’s approval for a rush, and, even then, it’ll likely take a week or so. Maybe more with the holidays.”

He was right. The FBI lab had a backlog just like other law enforcement labs. Even with the special agent in charge of the Portland office requesting a rush, it was unlikely that the lab would move a bank robbery above homicides. It would take days for the results.

Logan held out a business card. “Mind giving me a heads-up if you find anything? I hate to wait for a report to circulate through channels when the other suspect is still on the loose.”

“You got it.” Gary pocketed the card in pants that hung below his belly. “I’ll get those bags for you.”

Logan turned to Wagner, who was watching him with tired eyes. He’d tipped his head, catching the overhead light on his bald scalp, and his lips were pursed below a graying mustache.

“Something bothering you?” Logan asked, hoping they could get any resentment out in the open and deal with it.

Wagner shook his head, but he still seemed uncomfortable with Logan’s presence. For now, Logan would respect the guy’s wishes not to talk about it. “I’ve completed a preliminary interview with Deputy Brennan and learned Bonnie and Clyde used the names Marty and Nicole when they thought no one else could hear them. I suspect those are their real names. Let’s get this information to the rest of the team ASAP so they can get started on developing any additional leads.”

“Finally, real names.” Wagner sounded relieved. “Maybe people will stop calling them Bonnie and Clyde like they’re some sort of heroes.”

“I doubt the press will ever let it go. They thrive on the sensationalism the names garner,” Logan said, then changed gears. “I’d like you to handle the scene while I transport Deputy Brennan to the hospital to check for a concussion. I’ll finish my interview on the way.” Logan didn’t wait for Wagner’s agreement but glanced at the privacy screen. “Is anyone from the medical examiner’s office here yet?”

“No.”

“When they arrive, make sure the body’s printed and swabbed for DNA.”

“And hope she has a record so we finally have a last name?”

“Exactly,” Logan said, heading for the screen. “I’ll take a quick look—then I’m out of here.”