Caught In The Middle

Frank Donovan sighed. He hated long lines at the bank, and today’s was even longer then usual.

He took out his cell phone, and dialed.

“Tony’s Pizza,” he heard. “Home to any topping your little heart desires.”

Frank smiled, despite himself. Cody came up with a new line every day.

“Cody, it’s Frank. I’m at the bank, the line is a mile long.”

Cody nodded, as he played with one of the HQ computers. “ ‘kay, boss. No prob.”

“I’ll be there soon,” Frank told him, and hung up. As he put the phone away, he saw that the line hadn’t advanced at all. He crossed his arms, with another sigh.

********************

“What was that all about?”

Cody looked up as Alex walked over. “It was Frank, he’s stuck in line at the bank.”

“Oh.” Alex peeked at the computer screen, and made a face. “Solitaire? You have the best computer in the world, and you play Solitaire?”

Cody shrugged.

Monica and Jake came in then, at the same time. Monica had a huge smile on her face, and Jake was laughing at something she must’ve said.

“What’s up guys?” Cody asked.

“I had a wonderful date last night,” Monica said, dreamily.

“No way!”

Alex punched Cody in the arm. “That’s great! Is he cute?” she asked.

Monica smiled. “Oh, yes.”

Alex smiled back.

“Where’s Frank?” Jake asked, noting his absence.

“Stuck in line at the bank,” said Cody. “He said he’ll be here soon.” He paused. “Aww, crap!”

“What’s the matter?” Monica asked.

“I have no more good cards.”

Monica walked closer and saw the game on the screen. “You can’t beat solitaire?!”

“Not this one! And you can? The one that I just told you has no good cards left?”

“Move over,” Monica said, pushing Cody’s chair out of the way, ignoring Cody’s look of shock at how far he flew.

Alex and Jake smiled, finding it amusing.

As he scooted his chair back over, Cody watched in disbelief as Monica not only found the next necessary card, but then proceeded to finish the game for him.

                                                                       ********************

Frank couldn’t believe how slow the line was going. Having nothing to do but look around, he unconsciously started studying people. The bank line went around a corner and in front of him, so he was able to see the customer’s profiles. That guy likes to rip people off, he thought, noting the seedy expression the man wore. He looked at the next one. That guy’s a mechanic, he thought, and not a very good one. Don’t bring any cars to him. The next one was a woman. Married, he thought. He couldn’t take credit for that one, as her wedding ring was obvious. With kids, he noticed, seeing the Pokemon character hanging from her keychain. One by one he figured out the character of each person, except for the man in front of him, for he naturally couldn’t see his face. Monica would be proud, he thought. Suddenly he saw that the man in front of him was next, and then it would be his turn. Finally! he thought. As he started to take his wallet out of his pocket, a voice suddenly resonated through the bank.

“THIS IS A HOLDUP! EVERYONE ON THE FLOOR!”

Frank had his gun out before anyone even had a chance to move. “Federal Agent!” he yelled, pointing it at the man.

Suddenly he was pushed from behind, and lost his grip on the gun. Someone grabbed him and spun him around before he had a chance to regain his balance, and he tried to punch the man, but only managed a glancing blow. Unfortunately, his opponent had a better weapon then mere fists.

Frank gasped as an intense, razor-sharp pain sliced into the left side of his midsection.

The man stood there, grinning—the very man who’d been in front of Frank in line—as he held the hilt of the knife. He laughed and savagely twisted it, then yanked it out.

Frank cried out in pain, and fell to the floor, dimly hearing the screams of terror from the bank’s employees and customers.

The man started laughing louder, and held the knife in the air, blood all over his hand and dripping onto the floor.

“Everyone on the ground now!” he yelled.

The people all but threw themselves down, in panic.

The man started walking to his partner, stepping over the gasping Frank, who was curled on his side clutching his stomach; a pool of blood quickly forming beneath him.

The partner stared at his friend, in shock, as he picked up Frank’s gun. “Artie, you—you stabbed him…”

Artie didn’t answer, tucking the gun into his waistband as he went over to the bank doors, and locked them. He turned around, smiling at the havoc he’d already wreaked.

His partner just stared at him, looking as terrified as the hostages.

“What are you looking at, Jay?” The apparent madman said. “Put all the people over there in the corner.”

“Wha—what about the other guy?” Jay asked.

“I’ll deal with him.”

Jay didn’t like the sound of that. “Artie! Don’t do anything st-stupid! We don’t wanna be cop killers!”

Artie walked over to Frank, noting with pleasure that the man was already pale. He knelt next to him, and pushed him onto his back.

Frank gasped, groaning in pain at the unexpected movement.

“Federal Agent, huh?” Artie sneered. “Where’s your badge?” He stuck his hand in Frank’s jacket, and found it. Opening it, his face registered astonishment. “Frank Donovan?”

Jay’s heart started beating faster at the tone in Artie’s voice. He’s gonna kill the guy, he’s gonna kill him…

“Frank Donovan?!” Artie repeated. Without warning, he suddenly punched Frank in the face. Then he smiled, and stood.

“We have Frank Donovan!” he yelled to Jay.

We? he thought. I never wanted to hurt anyone! He’s gone insane! “Who’s that?” he asked, his voice shaking.

“Frank Donovan,” Artie said again, as if Jay hadn’t heard him say his name three times already. “This is the man that put away Tommy!”

Jay frowned. “He did?”

“Yeah.” Artie stood again. “We can use this!”

Jay was almost afraid to ask, “How?”

“He’s gonna be our bargaining tool!”

                                                                             ********************

“Must be some line.”

“What?”

“The bank,” Jake said, to Cody.

“Oh,” Cody looked up from his twelfth Solitaire game. Noticing the time, he said, “Yeah, one heck of a line.”

Suddenly Jake’s cell phone rang, and he answered it. “Hello.”

Cody paid no attention, until Jake jumped to his feet. “WHAT?!”

Alex and Monica, talking about Monica’s new boyfriend, heard him and came over.

“We’ll be right there,” Jake said, hanging up. He grabbed his jacket, as he said, “Frank is a hostage in a robbery at the bank he went to!”

“What?!” they all said.

“We have to hurry, they said he’s hurt.”

Everyone grabbed their coats and ran out the door.

                                                                          ********************

This is it; I’m dead, Frank thought. He knew how hostage situations went in bank robberies, and from what his hazy mind was able to take in from what went on around him, he knew he would bleed to death before the situation was resolved.

He gasped as a wave of pain shot through him and closed his eyes as he clutched the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. He tried to get a look at the injury, to see how bad it was, but it was so agonizing that he couldn’t even move. The man had twisted the knife, and he knew there had to be some serious damage.

Suddenly he heard voices, realized they were coming from the outside. Police, with bullhorns. You’re wasting your time, he thought.

“Jay!” he suddenly heard. “Make sure the hostages stay where they are, and drag Donovan over there.”

Jay frowned. He knew that moving Frank could be very dangerous.

“Well? What are you waiting for?”

Jay sighed, as he went over to Frank. “I’m sorry, man,” he said, grabbing him under the arms as gently as he could. “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Frank had to bite his lip, dazedly watching the trail of blood he was making as Jay dragged him over to the group.

“Stop right there,” said Artie.

Jay stopped, about 8 feet from the group.

“We wouldn’t want any hostages risking their lives to save him, now would we?” Artie said, with a sneer.

Jay sighed, and lowered Frank down gently. He took out his handkerchief and knelt beside him, trying to press it to the wound without hurting Frank too much.

“What are you doing?” Artie demanded.

“Trying to stop the bleeding. We can’t use him if he’s dead!” Jay hated phrasing it that way, but he knew it was the only way Artie would allow him to try to help.

Artie seemed to think about that for a minute. “Yeah, okay.”

Suddenly the phone in the bank started to ring, and they ignored it. It continued, however, for so long that they realized it was the police who were calling, obviously intending to negotiate.

Artie picked it up, and barked, “What?”

“This is Chief Morgan of the Chicago Police Dept. The bank is surrounded, let the hostages go and give yourselves up.”

Artie started laughing.

Jay looked up from where he was still holding his handkerchief to Frank’s wound—realizing that it was completely soaked with blood already—and looked at Artie, wondering what was going on.

“I ain’t givin’ up nobody,” Artie said. “Least of all, Frank Donovan! I just might let him die on the floor!” He laughed again, and slammed the phone down.

                                                                        ********************

Jake flew into the bank parking lot, and screeched to a stop. They all jumped out and ran over to the herd of policemen. Two of them tried to block their path.

“Hey! Get back!”

“No! Let them through!”

Jake pushed past the two cops and followed the voice of his friend. “Jimmy!” he called.

Another policeman ran over to them. “Jake! Morgan’s over there,” he said, pointing.

“Thanks,” Jake said, starting to walk in that direction.

Alex, Monica, and Cody wondered who Jake’s cop friend was, as they watched him run back to his position.

They all followed Jake to the Chicago PD’s chief, who was standing there with a bullhorn.

“Chief Morgan,” Jake said, the UC team having worked with him before. “Frank is in there?”

The chief nodded. “Yeah, the thief volunteered that info.”

“How do you know he’s hurt?” Alex asked.

“Do you know how bad?” asked Monica.

The chief shook his head. “No. The man said he’d let Frank die on the floor, and that he’d be the last person he’d let go. So we’re assuming Frank’s hurt, and this psycho has some kind of grudge against him.”

“Do you know his name?” Cody asked, hoping he did so he could look the guy up and see what connection Frank had to him.

Morgan shook his head.

Jake sighed. “So what are his demands?”

Morgan shrugged. “He didn’t tell us yet.”

Jake picked up the phone the police had tied into the bank’s line, and dialed the number that was next to it on the cruiser’s hood, written on a piece of paper.

Alex, Monica, and Cody all watched apprehensively, knowing Jake was no negotiator.

Artie picked up after the fourth ring. “What?”

“What do you want in exchange for the hostages?” Jake asked, not bothering to identify himself.

Artie frowned. “Who’re you?”

“Jake,” he said, leaving out his last name. “Look, we know you have a wounded man in there, why don’t you let him and the hostages go, and we’ll give you what you want.”

Artie laughed. “I ain’t letting out the wounded—or should I say dying—Frank Donovan. You aren’t getting him back, even if I let the others out!” He hung up again, laughing gleefully, enjoying the game.

The others saw Jake suddenly turn pale, and nearly drop the phone. They all ran over to him.

“What is it?!” Alex said, afraid of the answer.

“He said that Frank…is dying.”

They all just stood there, stunned.

“No…” Alex whispered.

“Maybe…maybe he lied, to scare us?” Cody said, hopefully.

“Monica?” Alex asked.

Monica shook her head. “It’s possible…I wouldn’t put it past a sicko like him.”

Jake gave a huge sigh. He picked up the phone again, and dialed. When he heard it picked up, he spoke before Artie had the chance. “Who are you? What is it that you want?

“Revenge,” Artie said. “Sweet revenge.”

“What do you want for the hostages—and Frank?”

Artie paused, thinking. “Transportation out of here, alive, and with my newly acquired wealth.”

Jake sighed. He’d seen that coming.

                                                                           ********************

With Artie on the phone, Jay took the opportunity to try to stop Frank’s bleeding again. It hadn’t worked earlier, and Artie had forced him to give up, not caring if he died.

Jay knelt next to Frank, noting the complete absence of color in his face. “Hey cop,” he whispered, nervously. “You still alive?”

Frank heard the voice as if from far away, his half-conscious brain not understanding the words.

Jay felt for a pulse, and found it. He sighed in relief, and looked to the hostages huddled a short distance away. “Anyone got anything I can use to stop his bleeding with?”

They all just stared at him, scared to death. Realizing he truly meant them no harm, a couple of the men threw him their shirts.

Jay was glad to see that both men had other shirts underneath the ones they’d so unselfishly given up. Now Artie wouldn’t know which of the hostages had tried to help Frank, and hopefully none of them would suffer for it.

Jay looked behind himself to see Artie still on the phone, his back to them. He held the shirts to Frank’s wound, not knowing if Frank’s silence was a good or bad thing. He suddenly realized that he didn’t see Frank’s chest rising and falling with breath. Oh no…he felt for a pulse again, and almost didn’t find one. He felt it suddenly, beating slowly, faintly. He sighed. This guy ain’t gonna make it, there’s no way. He tried to stop himself from being upset by it, instead trying to remember that this man was responsible for putting his and Artie’s good friend in jail.

He suddenly jumped when Frank groaned softly, and opened his eyes slightly. He stared at Jay for a minute, trying to figure out who he was, realizing that he was the one who had attempted to rob the bank. Who was the man who’d stabbed him? Frank couldn’t remember, only knowing that it wasn’t this man.

Suddenly Artie started yelling, still on the phone. Frank listened to the threats Artie was making on his life, and he looked at Jay.

Jay could see the question on his face. “He has a grudge against you for putting someone he knows away.” He said it bitterly, angry himself.

Frank tried to speak. “Who…”

“Tommy Zelano.”

Frank tried to remember the name, but he could feel his consciousness slipping. It suddenly popped into his head, surprising him. “The drug dealer.”

Jay shrugged. “Yeah.”

“He was…selling to…kids…” Frank said, gasping when a wave of pain shot through him. “One kid died…..what I did…saved lives…kids lives…” His eyes closed and he went limp.

Jay thought for a moment that he’d died, and after what he’d just heard, he felt a wave of regret. The blood continued to flow from the wound, however, and Jay found a pulse still beating, but he had to practically dig his fingers into Frank’s skin to find it.

Suddenly Jay heard a slam, and turned to see that Artie had gotten off the phone. He started to walk over, and Jay stood up, trying to block Artie’s view of the hostages’ shirts over Frank’s wound.

Artie walked right over, and looked down at Frank. “He dead yet?”

His callous tone made Jay angry. “No.”

Artie shrugged. “Oh well.”

“Artie!” Jay called out, as he started to walk away.

“What?” Artie threw over his shoulder.

“What’s going on now?”

Artie turned around then, and smiled, looking deranged. “I asked for a chopper!”

                                                                              ********************

“He wants a chopper.”

They all looked at Jake as he put the phone down.

“And he actually thinks he gonna get one?” Cody said.

Jake shrugged. “I don’t care what he thinks, I told him we’d get him one just so he’d let Frank and the others go.”

“We’d better get one down here then,” Chief Morgan said. “To make him think we’re holding to our word.” He ran over to some of his men, to give them orders.

“Did he say anything about Frank?” Alex asked, anxiously.

Jake sighed, leaning on the police cruiser. “No, he ignored the questions. Still won’t tell me his name either.”

“Why don’t we try to use our wire camera?” Cody suggested. “Then we can get a pic of him and put it through the FBI database.”

Jake nodded. “Good idea, do it.”

Cody gave him a sheepish look. “It’s at HQ, it only came yesterday, and I didn’t put it in the van yet.”

Everyone groaned.

“Go get it then,” said Jake.

Cody nodded, and ran off.

“I hope Cody drives as fast as he types,” Alex remarked, without humor.

                                                                         ********************

Inside the bank, all was quiet, except for the occasional sniffing coming from the group of terrified hostages.

Artie was pacing, occasionally talking to himself.

Jay was still trying to stop Frank’s bleeding. He’d managed to get it to slow, but it still wouldn’t stop. The shirts that the two hostages had given him were completely soaked through, and he was now using one given to him by another man. Frank’s pulse seemed even weaker now, and his skin was very cold.

“Where is it?!” Artie suddenly exploded.

Jay jumped, startled at the abrupt outburst. “What? The chopper?”

Artie nodded.

Jay shrugged. “I guess it takes time, to fly it here.”

Artie sighed, muttering under his breath, as he continued to pace.

                                                                          ********************

Cody had parked the van next to the chief’s cruiser, and was anxiously watching the computer screen as he waited for the SWAT men to place the camera.

The rest of the team stood over his shoulder. All they saw so far was the wall of the bank, as the SWAT member looked for a crack or opening to stick the tiny camera through.

Suddenly the picture started shaking around, as the camera was being forced in. When it stopped, they could see a man pacing, and a few people sitting on the floor, part of a group that they could not see the rest of.

There was no sign of Frank.

Using the computer, Cody moved the camera around at every angle he could, but still couldn’t find their boss.

They all made noises of disappointment, at missing the chance to see their leader’s condition.

Cody pointed the camera back at the pacing man, zoomed in, and snapped a few pictures of him, at different angles as he paced.

“The guy’s giving us some great shots,” he said, with a laugh.

“Does he look familiar to anyone?” Jake asked.

They all shook their heads.

Suddenly the man stopped pacing, and started talking to someone they couldn’t see. He turned in their direction, and it seemed like he looked straight at the camera.

“Oh yeah, man, great pose,” said Cody, snapping away.

Suddenly the man started walking towards it, taking out his gun.

“Uh oh,” said Cody.

                                                                                ********************

“What the—? Jay, drag Donovan over here!”

Jay looked up, in surprise. “What?”

“Do it! NOW!”

Jay looked at Frank, in despair, and sighed. Artie’s mind had apparently snapped this day, and Jay was afraid he’d kill him if he didn’t obey. How did I ever get into this, he thought, as he grabbed the unconscious Federal Agent under his arms, and carefully complied.

                                                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

                                                          Caught In The Middle - continued