Negotiator Colby

  It was difficult to remain calm with a gun pressed against your head. This was the unfortunate truth that Amy was learning. The past three months as a bank manager in the big city had seemed like a dream come true. Not only was it allowing her to afford the lavish lifestyle she’d spent years longing for, but it also lifted her to a new social level. Suddenly, the wealthy men she’d been unable to meet as a waitress or a retail store manager were asking her out, inviting her to gallery openings and theater premieres. She’d already dated several of these men, getting what she could out of them until a new, more exciting option came along. Up until this moment, it had been the run of a lifetime. 

  The bank robber scowled at her, fearsome even though most of his features were hidden beneath a mask. In his hand was a phone that the police department had sent inside so they could communicate with him. It started to ring. 

  “You do not speak unless I tell you to, understand?” 

  Amy nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep from crying.

  “I understand.” 

  The robber positioned the phone so that he and Amy were in view, then answered. Filling the screen was a well-dressed officer sitting in a command vehicle. 

  “My name is Colby Wills. I am the department's lead negotiator. What’s your name?” 

  “You can call me Axe, because if you don’t do as I say, I won’t hesitate to chop this lady up!” 

  To emphasize his threat, Axe shoved the phone closer to Amy. 

  “Ma’am, are you…” Colby’s voice trailed off, and he leaned closer to the screen and squinted. “Wait. Amy?!” 

  She opened her eyes, then opened them wider as she saw Colby. Axe pulled the phone back toward himself. 

  “Now you can see she’s alive, let’s talk about my demands.” 

  “Axe, before we can negotiate, I have to know, is she your only hostage?” Colby asked. 

  “Why do you think I hit the bank so early? Yes, she’s my only hostage. She's the bank manager, the only hostage I need.” 

  Colby visibly relaxed. 

  “Just so you know, Axe, I’m not legally allowed to tell you to kill her.” 

  After waiting for a long moment, Axe shook his head. 

  “Is that it? There’s not more to that statement?” 

  “I’m just saying, legally, I can’t encourage or advise you to kill your hostage.”

  Amy leaned into the frame, her face twisted into an angry glare. 

  “This is serious, Colby. Grow up and do your job or I’ll report you to-” 

  “Shut up!” Axe yelled, pushing Amy away before returning his attention to the call. “Stop playing games with me, man. I’ve got a lot of demands here and you’re going to deliver every single one of them, starting with my escape vehicle. I want a fully fueled SUV out front in an hour!” 

  “Nah,” Colby said. 

  “What do you mean, nah?” 

  “I mean nah, I’m not giving that to you. I’m not giving you anything.” 

  “You think I’m kiddin’ around here?” Axe screamed, making a show of putting the gun against Amy’s head. “I’ll blow her brains out!”

  “Listen, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, you know what I’m saying?” Colby said. 

  “This is why I left you, Colby,” Amy said. “You don’t know how to treat a woman.” 

  The nonchalant expression on Colby’s face slipped. His nostrils flared as he leaned closer to the camera. 

  “You didn’t LEAVE ME, Amy, I kicked you out when I caught you cheating on me for the third time!” 

  “The guy offered to take me to Cabo for the weekend. Did you really expect me to tell him no? I came back, didn’t I?” Amy argued. 

  “After you cheated on me for a whole weekend just to get a free vacation!” Colby screamed. 

  “Would both of you shut up?” Axe yelled. “We’re getting a little off topic here.” 

  “Amy being a terrible person is always on topic,” Colby said. “She poisoned my dog because she was jealous I gave him so much attention.” 

  “God, Colby, you’re so petty,” Amy said. “If the mutt really meant that much to you, I’ll buy you another one. What’s it cost to get another sack of fleas that just sleeps all day? Five bucks? I’ll wire it to you!” 

  Axe fired his gun into the air. The deafening boom finally silenced Amy and Colby’s bickering. He looked from her, then back to the phone. 

  “Looks like I have your attention now. Good. Let’s talk about how-” 

  “Hold on,” Colby interrupted. 

  He turned in his seat as a SWAT commander stepped into frame. The man was in full gear, ready to storm the bank at a moment’s notice. 

  “Sir, the team is getting antsy out here,” the SWAT commander said. 

  “Just send them in, then,” Colby said. 

  “But what about the hostage?” 

  “We’ve got reason to believe that the hostage is in on the robbery,” Colby said. 

  “I’m what?!” Amy yelled. 

  “If she gets in the way, treat her as armed and dangerous,” Colby said. 

  The SWAT commander nodded. 

  “Will do, sir. Want us to make a concealed approach, try to catch this guy unaware?” 

  Colby shook his head. 

  “Nope. Head in through the front.” 

  “You know I can hear you, right?” Axe said. “Is this some kinda mind game?” 

  Once the SWAT commander was gone, Colby looked back at the phone. 

  “I think I’m gonna hang up now. Best of luck to you both.” 

  The phone went dark, and Amy and Axe shared a bewildered look. For a moment, Amy thought about how badly she must’ve hurt Colby to make him take such extreme measures. She wondered if it was time to make some changes in her life, time to start caring about someone other than herself. She nodded, feeling a surge of excitement at this new direction in her life. 

  Then the gun battle began.