Double Play (Nadia Stafford 3.5)

Jack struggled to drum up some sympathy. Maybe even a little guilt. But for once, he couldn't find it. Cillian didn't look like a man who'd been cheated; he looked like a scorned lover. The idiot who keeps waiting, telling himself she'll come back, even after she's cleaned out her closet, settled their bills and walked away with a handshake. It had been a clean parting. Jack had no doubt of that. Even that chit was a favor; more a thank-you than an obligation.

But if this wasn't about a job . . .

Scorned lover.

Jack wheeled toward the laptop. On the screen, Quinn was rising. He said something to someone off screen, relaxed as he talked.

"Your girlfriend has arrived," Cillian said. "Maybe she'll do more than rescue him. Maybe in the heat of the moment they'll be unable to resist doing more than exchanging a hug."

Jack looked at Cillian.

Cillian laughed. "Do you really think I brought you here in hopes you'll have to watch your girl screw another guy? I owe you more than that, Jack. So much more. You're going to watch her rescue him. All she needs to do is open the door . . . rigged with C4. That, Jack, is how I'll repay you."

Cillian pulled out his gun and backed up, ready for attack.

"Okay," Jack said.

Cillian stopped moving. "If you're calling my bluff--"

"No."

"There's no negotiating here, Jack. I can't stop that explosion. The minute she opens the door--"

"Got it. You're gonna kill her. You win." Jack sat on the edge of the bed and checked his watch. "Shouldn't be long. Then I can go, right?"

Cillian blinked.

Jack continued. "You got your revenge. I liked her. Gonna feel bad. There. You win."

Jack turned to the laptop and checked his watch again. Quinn was almost out of sight now, only his back visible as he presumably talked to Nadia through the wall. Jack resisted the urge to check his watch again--and resend the double-push that transmitted an urgent message to Evelyn, the one that said, "Stand down now!" He'd done it twice already. By now she'd have told Nadia, and that was undoubtedly what she was discussing with Quinn--Nadia saying she had to leave but she'd come back.

Unless she decided she could free him first.

Jack double-tapped the watch again, just in case. Still, he trusted Nadia. As tempting as it would be to find and open that door, if he'd sent the double-tap, she'd know it meant get out immediately.

Quinn started backing up. Nadia was leaving.

Good. Perfect. Now just--

"You want me to hurry this along, Jack?" Cillian said. "You got places to go?"

"Nah. Nothing like that." He looked over. "You said no negotiating. You sure? You could send a guy in. Stop her from opening the door."

Cillian smiled. "A little more concerned than you want to let on?"

Jack shrugged. "I like her. A lot. Yeah. If we can figure out something--"

"You want to negotiate, Jack?"

"Yeah, I do." Jack stood. "Tell me what you want."

Cillian took a cell phone from his pocket. "I want you to suffer, you arrogant son of a bitch. No negotiations. No more waiting, either."

Cillian raised the phone and Jack knew that was the detonator. He lunged. He didn't care about the gun pointed at him. He flew at Cillian and knocked the detonator from his hand. The gun fired. The bullet went offside. Jack wrested the gun away and pointed it at Cillian's forehead. Cillian smiled. Just smiled, and as Jack saw that smile, his gut went cold. He glanced over his shoulder at the laptop and on the screen, he saw only the fuzzy gray-white blur of a lost signal.

15 - Nadia

As soon as I saw the C4 rigged over the door, I took a slow step back.