Valley of the Shadow of Death
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Ch4: Guilt
On the inside an hour later… besides for the feelings of fear and panic. The feeling of deadly boredom also came in waves. Nick still sat away from the group staring at the phone. He would look around every now and again, but there wasn't anything to see, except scared helpless eyes waiting for him to do something, the police barricade, or the hostile men that were hosting this show. No, the phone was going to be the ticket out.
As if on cue the phone rang. It had been so quiet for so long that the noise briefly startled everyone. Nick froze not wanting to make the gunmen think that he was telepathically calling the police. Nick didn't know what they were thinking and didn't want to further agitate anyone either. Nick knew he had to clear his head and think straight to survive this.
"Pick it up," the leader said lifting his gun aiming it at Nick. "Aye, no funny stuff." He said steadying his aim.
"This is Charlie Oh Five Stokes, all clear." Nick said his voice calm and not as collective as it could've been but it wasn't too far off either.
"Hey Nicky, how are you holding up?" Brass asked.
"I'm alright, we are all alright." Nick said ironically rubbing the newly formed bruise on his forehead. Nick scratched his head as he caught a glimpse of a certain brunette on the outside. He felt his heart somersault in his chest as all the breath in his lungs felt like it got sucked out.
"We are working to get you guys some food. We have pizza, we would like to give it to you?" Brass asked.
"They have pizza for us." Nick said looking at the gunmen. He can't read there expressions because their faces are covered but he studied there body language. Nick couldn't read the leader too well, but one of the men who were holding a glock looked like a nervous wreck, while the man with a snub nose revolver obviously didn't think that it was a good idea while the leader debated it.
"Sure, I'm hungry." the leader asked.
"Are you serious?" snub nose said angry. "This could be a trap."
"You'll use him as a shield. They won't shoot one of their own." The leader said, looking at his friend before looking at Nick. "Tell them we need at least five pizzas." The leader said.
"We need at least five pies, Jim." Nick said.
"Be ready in five minutes," Jim said releasing a deep breath. "And, Nick?"
"Yeah?" Nick asked.
"We are cutting the lights after the exchange." Brass said hanging up.
"They are going to have the food ready in five minutes." Nick said looking up at the gunmen.
"Okay… put your hands on your head." The leader said and Nick reluctantly followed the order. Nick felt the leader pull him by the back of his shirt collar, forcing Nick on his feet.
Brass walks slowly towards the hostile bank. He feels the heat from the sun pounding away at him as well as the smoldering heat from the pizzas. Brass felt a bead of sweat making its daring trip from his forehead down his tense face. His bulletproof vest was very tight only adding to his already hot body temperature. Once he got closer to the bank the doors opened but he saw nothing until snub nose came out using Nick as a human shield with an arm around Nick's neck for reassurance as well as his weapon placed firmly against Nick's already bruise head.
Nick struggled to grab the pizzas compensating for with the shorter man's arm around his neck. Nick nodded but before they could say anything or Brass was able to size anything up. The gunman pulled Nick back inside. Nick stumbled but remained on his feet as he was pulled backwards. The leader took all the pies and snub nose pushed Nick on the ground. Nick fell right in front of Sara as she still covered Morgan. Nick looked up at Sara as he lay on his stomach.
"Pass them out." The leader said dropping three of the pizza boxes in front of Nick. The other gunmen went to a table and started to hammer away at the two pies they had taken. Nick dusted himself off as he started handing out the pizza to the other frightened people. Sara joined Nick and started passing out the pizza.
"Here, Morgan. Take this," Sara said practically forcing a piece of pizza in her hand. Morgan just looked down at her hand as she looked down at her piece of pizza. Her emotional state was numbingly damaged as her guard was around her. Morgan wanted to help Nick and Sara as she watched them trying to formulate a plan but Morgan didn't know what to say and was afraid if she opened her mouth that the only thing that would come out would be tears.
"As long as they think your civilians you can get out…" Nick whispered as he passed out the remaining slices.
"Nick, we're not leaving without you." Sara whispered shocked looking at Nick making sure that he was sure of his words and that the gunmen didn't hear her.
"We gotta get Morgan outta here." Nick said looking up at Morgan as she looked at her piece of pizza emotionless.
"We are really supposed to eat the pizza?" an elderly man asked Nick touching his arm.
"Only if you're hungry, sir." Nick said confused as he looked at the elderly man.
"it's not laced with sleeping pills, or a hypnotic serum to make us sleepy so that the gunmen get disoriented and SWAT can come busting in?" the man asked getting the attention of the other hostages. Nick and Sara looked at the man with the look are-you-serious?
"No, you all watch too many movies. We…" Nick said but was interrupted by the lights turning off and the AC going to a grumbling halt.
"What the heck?!" the leader yelled seeing that the lights were caught off. He threw his crust off to the side and frantically walked over to Nick grabbing him by the back of his collar throwing him on the ground violently
On the outside… Mandy watches the bank from inside the pizza shop she can't bring herself to watch the live feed on the TV. She follows a rain drop down the window as she listens to the pitter-patter against the glass of the large window with a cheesy Italian man holding a pizza. Mandy scratched the back of her head as she ran her hands through her hair. She wiped her eyes, she tried not to cry but the tears overflowed her already red eyes. She had a bad feeling about this and she couldn't shake it.
"How are you holding up?" DB asked her resting against the booth.
"I'm worried…" Mandy said wiping her eyes again before turning around to sit down in the booth. She looked at her phone almost hoping to see a message from Nick but all she saw was a picture of the two of them together at a happier time.
"With what you said earlier… what happened with you guys? Why are you guys fighting?" DB asked.
"We won't be once he comes out, I'll apologize. DB, all I want is for him to come out so I can hug him and apologize for being so stubborn with him. I was so stubborn…" Mandy said getting visibly upset again. "I was so pissed at him! I feel so bad… I just need him here." Mandy said wiping her eyes. DB sat across from her and placed a hand over hers.
"Mandy…" DB said trying to calm to the worried tech.
"DB, what if he doesn't come out? I can't lose him…" Mandy said burying her head in her hands.
"Hey, hey now, you can't think about that. You have to stay strong." DB said like a caring father figure.
"These last few days have been really tough, DB." Mandy cries.
"What happened?" DB asked again.
A few days earlier… Mandy rolled over in the bed her and Nick shared. She was alone, and she missed him. Nick had texted her earlier and said that he would be late. Mandy had gone home early because she hadn't felt well. Mandy rolled over again and grabbed Nick's pillow and pulled it under her head. Nick would often come home and tease Mandy about being a bed hog or always being on his side of the bed. Mandy would only do this when she missed him because his pillow especially smelt like him.
However just as she is about to slip into deep sleep she heard something from the kitchen. She peeked her head up and didn't hear anything and saw no lights come on so she preceded to get comfortable again thinking that the house was just trying to settle in. she pulled the blanket up and got comfortable. She heard the noise again and this time it was louder, it sounded like someone was rifling through her fridge. This time she shoots her head up and immediately feels fear stricken, someone was in the house. She heard it again and knew it couldn't be Nick because no lights were on he didn't come in to give her a kiss to let her know he was home. Her Nick wasn't in the house. She sat up in the bed looking for anything to protect herself with she grabbed an old baseball from under the bed and begun to text Nick as she slowly and carefully made the long frightful walk to the kitchen but just as she got close she heard Nick's phone beep.
"Nick?" Mandy said upset and relieved. Nick sprang his head from the fridge and Mandy could tell he was drunk, she could see it in his face. That and the fact that he smelt like a brewery. Nick brought his beer to his lips and took a long swig.
"What?" Nick slurred.
"What are you doing?" Mandy said looking at him confused and angry.
"Its… it's not like you're going drink 'em…" Nick slurred looking at her as if she was dumb. But before Mandy could say anything Nick pulled her into a rough kiss, Mandy pulls away.
"You smell like a brewery…" Mandy said, Nick moved to kiss her again but Mandy put her hands on his chest and tries to push him away, she is unable to push him away but is able to keep him at bay. "I thought you were at work?" Mandy asked as his alcohol scent burned away at her nostrils. She had to fight the urge to vomit as her stomach had been quiet easy to upset these last few weeks.
"I quit…" Nick said stepping away to drink his beer.
"No, you didn't…" Mandy said thinking that Nick was joking that he was maybe just really upset or thinking it was just a sick joke. Nick chuckled at her remark as he braced himself against the counter as he looked down at his beer. Mandy realized that he was serious and was immediately taken back and shell shocked. "Why?" Mandy asked and Nick immediately gets very angry, angrier then she had ever seen him. "Why?" Mandy asked again more forceful.
"Don't worry about it…" Nick mumbled not able to make eye contact with her.
"Why, Nick?" Mandy said forcing him to face her. He couldn't make such an impulsive decision that would affect both of them without talking to her or at least giving her a real reason.
"You don't know what it's like?! You stay in your stupid lab all day! You don't know the dangers and the corruption that I have to face day in and day out!" Nick yelled angry. Mandy felt like she had to defend herself.
"Oh, so you're going to have a pity party for yourself?! Don't throw it all in my face, you know I worry about your everyday." She said upset.
"Well, you don't have to anymore." Nick said clenching his jaw shut fearing his anger would boil over. He thought once he quit he'd feel better but he was having the exact opposite feelings.
"Don't do that!" Mandy said upset.
"Don't do what?!" Nick yelled, Mandy flinched and took a couple steps back away from. Nick shook his head angry he didn't mean to scare her because he loved her but he was so angry. Nick yelled as he through his beer hitting a picture frame.
"Get out!" Mandy said pushing him. Nick growled angry unsure what to do as she pushed him again. "Get out! I never want to see you again!" Mandy said through tears as she pushed him again. Nick turned and left slamming the door hard. Mandy slid down against the wall as she cried. She hears Nick drive off and runs after him knowing that he was too drunk to drive.
Mandy goes back inside feeling scared for Nick and nervous and that's when she sees the picture frame that the beer bottle had broke. She picks it up as the broken glass falls on the floor at her feet. It was a picture of her and Nick where Nick has his eyes cross and his tongue out as Mandy smiled nice. Mandy felt her heart flutter before it felt like it broke.
"I tried to call him but he didn't want to talk to me… I was almost glad he didn't answer because I knew we would just fight again." Mandy said wiping her eyes. "I was so mad at him but I've missed him so much. I'm not mad at him, I just wish he'd let me help him and not put up a guard. I love him with everything I got but to see him like that scared me for him… we really haven't seen each other since all the drama with McKeen died down…" Mandy said upset wiping her eyes.
"Where have you been staying?" DB asked again like a worried father, he was assuming that they live together based on all the pronouns she used.
"With my mom… I told Nick once all his bruises healed that we could talk." Mandy said feeling an overwhelming feeling of guilt.
Poor Nick and Mandy! Does time and love heal all wounds? What do you think so far? What do you think about their fight? Can you blame Mandy? Please Review!