Chapter 21
Mike sat by his daughter bedside, taking her hand in his. He reached out and smoothed the hair off her forehead. His heart broke as he hated seeing her like this. He hated that he couldn't be their super hero and race out to save them.
He should but he knew he'd do more damage to whatever plan Daniela had cooked up. He wanted his daughters back alive. Courtney murmured in her sleep, Mike sat up as it looked like she was waking up.
"Courtney?" he said in a light voice, his daughter's eyes fluttered open. She looked disorientated, her eyes rolled around and she paled. He rose from his chair and leaned over her. "Courtney." he said a little more firmly, he squeezed her hand.
"Daddy?" she asked, in a rough voice.
"Yeah, it me." he told her with a smile.
"They have Hannah." Courtney told him, tears rolled down her face as guilt ate at her.
"I know, can you remember anything about where you were?" He asked.
"No. Mom- she's dead. I'm so sorry." Courtney whispered, Mike pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. His heart breaking at his daughter's despair and the acknowledgement that Christine wasn't alive. Courtney wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, as if afraid he would disappear.
"Hey, it's not your fault. You got nothing to be sorry about." he told her. "Nothing." he reiterated.
"They are asking me to be something I'm not." Tom told Debbie, he sat in her kitchen toying with the cup of coffee before him. Debbie sat at the table, bouncing a fussy 10 month old Frankie in her lap. The boy refused to be in his high chair as he grumpily accepted cheerios from Debbie.
"I don't think that is true." Debbie told him.
"I can't be that man." Tom said, he tried talking to Sasha but she made him feel like he was just complaining for the sake of attention instead of being a team player.
While he didn't think about drugs, he was afraid of emotional slipping backwards, he also lacked the confidence of what Daniela was suggesting they do. He wasn't confident as he was afraid that the enemy would know how he spent his last few months and not be intimidated. That they'd see through his mask. It was probably why he had ended up at Debbie's house. She might not be Navy but she clearly understood the world and men like the one he used to be. He trusted her to not talk to anyone about the plan Daniela had devised with Meylan and Sasha's help.
"They are asking you to pretend, so you can help save a little girl. You're not the hero of the story, you're a small part of a larger organism at work much like when you were in the Navy." Debbie said re-framing it for him.
"I was the Captain. They want me to do it again here by taking control." He reminded her, Debbie tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment.
"I would say that this Daniela is the Captain of this mission." Debbie argued, before he could argue that sentiment she continued. "Have you thought about what you wanted to do work wise?" she asked changing the topic.
"No, not really." Tom said wondering how it linked back to the problem he was wrestling with.
"Maybe this rescue will test to see if you really want to go back to the Navy or find another path." Debbie said.
"Another path?" He asked, he couldn't imagine doing anything other than be in the Navy. Yet right now, he was struggling with idea of going back into field. He would do it, no question but he needed to air out his concerns.
"Well, is there anything else you're good at besides captaining a ship?" Debbie asked.
"I don't know." Tom said.
"Well, think about it. When I was clean and sober thanks to the Pandemic, it helped to have a purpose. To help others and work. To keep moving forward." Debbie told him.
"I can understand that." Tom said mulling over it.
"But I think whatever your role is in getting Mike his daughter back will help you just as much as it will those involved." She added in a sage manner.
"Where are you going to get that much money at such short notice?" Daniela asked Sasha as they sat around Meylan's dining table. She just wanted to go to bed and pretend everything hadn't gone to hell. But she didn't have that luxury, at least not yet.
"Bearer bonds. But I need four hours at least to go collect them and bring them back here." Sasha told her.
"Ok," Daniela said, she pulled out the phone Yasmin had sent with Courtney and flipped it open. She dialled the only number in the phone. She put it on speaker so everyone could hear.
"Daniela, I wasn't expecting a call so soon." Yasmin drawled like the smug bitch she was.
"$1.2 million in bearer bonds and diamonds. Final offer." Daniela said not bothering with pleasantries.
"Oh you have wriggle room for more." Yasmin drawled enthusiastically.
"I'll pay for breakfast as we're going to this the civilised way. Stove, 9am tomorrow. You bring girl, we all eat a lovely meal together where I can verify that she is indeed Hannah Slattery. Then you walk away richer." Daniela told her.
"I'll need to bring someone to inspect the payment. Certify that it is what it is." Yasmin said, not a agreement but a first step in the right way.
"Of course, I'm booking a table for 6. I'll be bringing a couple friends with me as I'm not exactly in the best of health. Wouldn't want you taking advantage of me." Daniela told her.
"Stove is right in the middle of Prowler country. Why don't we meet somewhere more preferable-"
"I haven't spoken to the Prowlers and I'd prefer to remain outside of your territory. I'm sure the Prowlers won't mind two old friends having breakfast with their friends. So stop stalling and take the deal as you don't want me telling Giorgio and your father how you betrayed me to the feds for get out jail free card. We both know they don't like snitches." Daniela told her.
"I did no such thing." Yasmin said angrily.
"Tell that to the feds that found me not long after you delivered Courtney to me. Also, between you and me, who do you think the men will believe more? You who is failing abysmally with barely an acre of territory or me, the one who ran a empire for years without any slip up this bad?" Daniela asked, there was a silence on the other end. "So let's just complete our deal tomorrow at 9am. No more jerking around, no more teasing, and don't think about trying to play games with me as I'd hate to have to tell your father that you turned my money away. So be smart, my offer is the best you'll get." she hung up the phone and looked to Sasha and Meylan.
"She didn't say she would be there." Sasha said to Daniela.
"She will, right now she's freaking out about the Feds. She knows that I won't talk but if people in our circles hear the mere suggestion of one of us talking to 'good' guys- well it wouldn't look good for her. My four years of silence gives me a certain credibility she lacks. She'll want the trade so she can take the money and run. Trust me." Daniela said with a tired sigh.
"I'll call Wolf and let him tell the others that we're on for tomorrow." Meylan said.
The following morning,
"You look constipated, maybe you should order prune juice." Daniela told Tom, Meylan who sat to her left coughed to cover a chuckle as they sat in the restaurant waiting for Yasmin and her party to arrive.
"I can't believe you want us to share a meal with her." Tom grumbled, he had been gearing himself up for a dingy alley with too many vantage points for a sniper; not breakfast.
But here they were in the most posh restaurant of Norfolk; decked up for a business meeting. He and Meylan were in suits and dress shirts, guns tucked into shoulder holsters while Daniela sat back in a shirt that was obviously Meylan's which was tucked into a pair of high waisted slacks. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and her makeup was immaculate as it expertly covered her bruises and subtly hid the swollen welts of her attack.
Tom had to admit it scared him at how frighteningly normal she was taking all of this. How she put on her make up and walked like she wasn't riddled with injuries. But he knew she was in pain as there was a tense edge to her jaw and she rubbed a hand over her arm cast like it would miraculously make the pain go away.
"It's called being civil and her expert will need time to make sure we're not giving her forgeries or dud jewels." Daniela told him, she pulled out a lipstick and managed to uncap it one handed; then reapplied her lipstick before recapping it.
"I doubt this will work." Tom drawled in a sceptical manner, he wasn't used to hostage negotiations or trades but he never imagined this would be done.
"Well, keep your remarks to yourself as we're supposed to a united front." Daniela told him, she saw Yasmin come into the restaurant with a tall man in a suit and little girl who couldn't be any older than 8 yrs old. "Here we go." she said, she placed her lipstick back into her purse before she rose up from her chair and walked around the table to greet them.
"Daniela, darling. This is Vogel, and Hannah." Yasmin said after the two exchanged a kiss on the cheek like they were best friends. It was all theatre, as they wouldn't want anyone around them to remember them. Daniela gave a nod to Vogel and then turned to Hannah. She was clean, dressed in high end wear as if she were Yasmin's ward and not a prisoner.
"Hi Hannah, I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Daniela." Daniela told her, Hannah ducked her head too afraid to look at her.
"Speak." Yasmin ordered, the little girl looked up at Daniela with the bluest eyes that were filled with fear.
"Hi." Hannah said softly. Daniela gave her a warm smile and straightened.
"Come sit." Daniela told them, they followed her to the table. "This is-" She started the introductions but Yasmin spoke over her.
"Captain Thomas Chandler." She drawled as she sat down on the opposite in the middle. Hannah sat to her left while Vogel sat her right. "And your lover, Captain Joseph Meylan. Yes, I know of them. I'm surprised the Navy would associate with a woman of your questionable background." Yasmin said, her voice oozing with innuendo.
"I guess I should've known you stick your nose into my life. Chandler is my boss, the Navy are very protective of their people." Daniela said as she took her seat again.
"She'll never change her stripes." Yasmin told Meylan.
"I like her stripes just as they are." Meylan replied coolly as a waiter came over and passed out menus.
"Looks like it's going well." Wolf said as he and Sasha sat a couple tables away eating breakfast. He wished he could enjoy the food but his gut was churning with the anticipation of shit hitting the fan. But so far 20 minutes in and everything was fine.
"Yeah, probably go a little smoother if you stopped looking at them." Sasha said with amusement before she ate a bite of her breakfast. She was cool as a cucumber under the circumstances as she trusted in the plan.
"Of course, I can't help it." Wolf said as he did know better but it was easier when it was strangers.
"I know, we could practically grabbed the kid and run but there's a plan and we stick to it. Mmm, this by far the best omelette I've had in years." Sasha said, she was completely aware of their surroundings but pretended to be utterly enthralled with her breakfast. It was had not to be, just a little as it was perfect.
"You're way to calm for someone who's going to lose a lot of money." he told her, he had no clue how or where she got the money.
"No point in having it, if you don't use it." Sasha said.
"Mr Vogel, how is it looking?" Yasmin asked the man as he was inspecting the bearer bonds at the table as the others ate. Well, Daniela and Yasmin ate. The men opted with only coffee.
"All is above board thus far." Mr Vogel said as he inspected the pages closely for imperfections and any inaccuracies that might say they were forgeries.
"So uncouth to be looking over the payment at the table." Daniela said as she ate a bite of her french toast with maple syrup berries and mascarpone cream.
"It's business," Yasmin told her, she looked to Hannah who had a kid's breakfast of pancakes and fruit. "Eat child." she ordered sternly, Hannah jumped at the order.
"If she's not hungry then she doesn't have to eat." Daniela told Yasmin, Hannah pushed her food around her plate, keeping her eyes down.
"So Captain, I noticed you brought people with you." Yasmin asked Tom.
"They are and the Prowlers are here too, just to make sure you don't back out of the deal." He told her, Yasmin looked around the room and even though there were no Prowler MC members in the room. Paranoia won out as she looked to Daniela with an impressed expression.
"I knew someone was funding you." She said smugly.
"Prowlers take care of those in their neighbourhood and they did not take kindly to you kidnapping kids from the area and shipping them off to unsavoury people." Daniela told her.
"It's my business and in my territory." Yasmin said pragmatically.
"Not your territory for long." Tom drawled from his chair.
"Excuse me?" Yasmin asked him in a droll manner.
"You're losing war against the Prowlers, thanks to their due diligence in getting Norfolk's CCTV up and running. The police are looking for you as you can be placed leaving Daniela's apartment when she was assaulted by two of your associates." Tom told her.
"Slim evidence that can easily be misinterpreted as Daniela would have to identify her attackers. She would not hold up as a sound witness or empathetic victim on the stand." Yasmin argued as she didn't look concerned but it was just the veneer. He could see the cogs in her head turning.
"Nor would I snitch on her. We do have a code." Daniela said between bites of her breakfast.
"Yes, I agree but that evidence that I'm talking of was passed onto the feds and CIA. They have been monitoring Daniela since she's stepped foot in Norfolk. Waiting for her to slip up. Instead they caught you, they wanted to turn this exchange into an operation to catch you. We told them we don't want them involved but they are here and they are most likely listening to us right now." Tom explained in a bland manner.
"You're bluffing." Yasmin told him with a displeased expression.
"I wish I was, it's why Daniela suggested this place. She's giving you a way to escape capture with enough money for a fresh start. We'll finish our breakfast, and you'll go your way and we'll go ours with Hannah. Our paths will never cross again." Tom told her darkly.
"Are you trying to scare me?" Yasmin asked, a sly smile playing across her lips.
"No, I'm telling you how it's going to be." Tom told her in a firm tone.
"Or what?" Yasmin asked mockingly.
"We call it now, my people will grab the girl and seek cover as your back up will start shooting. We will take them out in a quick and efficient manner because my people are retired Navy not untrained, undisciplined 20 yr olds hopped on ice. It'll be over in less than 2 minutes. The police will come, you'll be arrested for a gamut of crimes for which you'll be handed over to the feds." Tom said laying it all out as Daniela had told him to in a very bored and confident manner.
"Your daddy won't save you, he'll have his friends take care of you before you can spill your guts for a plea bargain. Because he knows that you can't hold your tongue." Daniela said with a cruel smile.
"How can I trust you'll let me walk away with the money?" Yasmin asked.
"Because I honour my deals." Daniela told her, she looked to Hannah. "Hey, come over here." she told her.
"She stays where she is." Yasmin told her.
"Ok." Daniela rose out of her chair and crouched beside Hannah's chair. "Hey, Hannah. I want to ask you a few questions. Is that ok?" she asked. Hannah nodded, she turned in her seat and faced Daniela.
"Can you tell me what you dressed up as for Halloween before the pandemic?" Daniela asked softly.
"Warrior Princess." Hannah replied.
"Which one?" Daniela asked with a kind smile.
"My own kind. I made her up and Mommy sewed the costume." she replied with a shrug.
"That must be one awesome costume." Daniela told her.
"It is." Hannah replied.
"To be a warrior princess, you have to be very brave and strong. I'd say you've shown a lot that for putting up Medusa over there." Daniela told Hannah.
"Sticks and stones." Yasmin drawled with a roll of her eyes. Daniela ignored her and kept her focus on Hannah.
"Do you remember what your Daddy's favourite candy is?" Daniela asked her.
"He eats all of 'em. But he likes Mommy's witch cookies the best." Hannah said, Daniela smiled as the girl looked confused as to the questions. Meylan handed her the phone he kept on the table for the entire meeting. Daniela found a picture in the phone's gallery.
"I don't want you to point to the phone. But can you see your Daddy in this photo?" Daniela asked her, she showed the picture on the phone. Hannah leaned forward to get a closer look. Her eyes went wide in surprise and tears filled her eyes as she nodded. "Ok, good." Daniela handed the phone back to Meylan and leaned in close to Hannah. "You just hang in there, this is nearly over." she promised Hannah in a low voice. Hannah's eyes teared up as she dutifully nodded.