Chapter 3
The more sirens that arrive, the more afraid Dana Scully becomes. She knows that, theoretically, the police need to be involved in this situation in order to help resolve it. But she doesn't trust the police to handle this. She only trusts Mulder. She has a bad feeling someone's going to get hurt.
"Why are you doing this?" one hysterical woman screams. "This is supposed to be a time to be spending with our families. Not holed up in a store with some lunatic!"
"Well maybe not all of us have families," the thief retorts, sending a sneer in the woman's direction. "Not all of us have a reason to celebrate."
The man is tall, Scully notes. Almost as tall as Mulder, but with a bit more mass to him. Mulder is lean. Muscular, but lean. She loves running her hands up and down his sculpted chest. With a sad sigh, she realizes that she might not ever get to do that again. Mr. Unhappy with the gun may make sure of that.
"You shouldn't punish those of us who do," the woman spits back, making Scully want shoot the woman herself. You don't really have to be in law enforcement to know that you shouldn't antagonize the nut with the gun.
"You got a lot to say, Girlie," he growls. He stalks across the room, sticking the gun under her chin. "I might just have to shut you up."
Up until then, the situation was relatively calm. Scully, along with about six other customers, were here in Pops Family Corner Grocery Store getting some last minute items before the holidays. Out of nowhere, this man bursts in, machine gun in hand, threatening to kill them all unless he got all the money from the cash register. Mr. Herman, the owner, quickly obeyed, instructing his employee to empty both registers and then open the safe in the back storage room. Smart thinking on Mr. Herman's part, because it gave Scully a chance to reach for her gun while out of the man's sight.
She was just about to take out the robber, when two of the other customers decided to jump him, ruining her shot. Their bravado didn't last long, however, once the gun was pointed back at them. Which is how they got in the situation they're in now - everyone tied off in pairs, unable to move. And with the arrival of the cops surrounding the store and preventing a hasty getaway of the burglar, they are locked in as well, forcing them to become hostages of a madman.
Unfortunately in this little scenario, Hysterical Woman has been tethered to Scully, and her incessant rambling is about to get them both killed. Scully has to do something to distract the perp until the hostage negotiator can get set up. She at least needs to shut the woman up before anything tragic happens.
"She's just scared," Scully says to the man, trying to somehow earn his trust. "We all are. Nobody wants anyone to get hurt. Isn't that right, Mr . . ."
"Boon. The name is Alan Boon."
"I'm Dana, Alan," she smiles, trying desperately to hide how scared she really is. "Why don't you tell us what this is all about, Alan. Why are you keeping us here?"
"You wouldn't understand. Nobody understands. People only understand money."
"So you're here for money? You already took that. You don't need to hurt anybody. Why don't you let us go," Scully suggests to the man.
"Let you go? Are you serious, Red? Do you see all them cops out there? I let you go, what's to stop them from rushing in here and killing me?" he yells, obviously agitated. Scully has to find a way to calm him down again.
"You're right. That's exactly what they would do," she admits, drawing the shocked gasps from her fellow hostages. "In fact, that's probably what they're thinking of doing right now. And when they kill some of us trying to get to you, who do you think they're going to blame? You, Alan. They're going to blame you. You don't want any murder charges, do you Alan?"
"I never meant for any of this to happen," he whimpers, pacing back and forth across the front of the store. "I just wanted the money. I just needed the money."
"I know you did, Alan," she sympathizes. She can see that he's actually listening to her. She just might be able to pull this off. She might get him to release at least some of the hostages. "It was just about the money. You never wanted anyone to get hurt. I understand that."
"You really do, don't you, Red?" He sounds amazed. "No one has really understood me. Not the banks. Not the doctors. No one."
"But I do," she nods. "You don't want anyone hurt, do you?"
"I swear. It was just about the money."
"Then prove that to those cops out there, Alan. Let everyone go. That'll show them you're not trying to hurt us."
"Okay, Red," he sighs quietly. He puts down his gun, looking up at her for what to do next.
She's about to tell him to untie her, when out of the corner of her eyes, something distracts her, making her stomach drop. The testosterone twins, the morons who tried to take him down earlier, have managed to get themselves free and are poised for another attack. Before Scully can utter a word, one of them leaps at the perp, knocking him to the ground. The other one dives for the gun, but is stopped short by a scream.
"Don't make another move," the perp growls, allowing the madness to overtake him again. Everyone looks up and sees him holding onto his attacker, a sharp blade pressed to the man's throat. "Take one more step and blondie here is dead before he hits the ground."
"Alan, you said you didn't want . . . "
"Shut up, Red!" he screams. "I've heard enough from you. This is my show now."
End Chapter 3
The more sirens that arrive, the more afraid Dana Scully becomes. She knows that, theoretically, the police need to be involved in this situation in order to help resolve it. But she doesn't trust the police to handle this. She only trusts Mulder. She has a bad feeling someone's going to get hurt.
"Why are you doing this?" one hysterical woman screams. "This is supposed to be a time to be spending with our families. Not holed up in a store with some lunatic!"
"Well maybe not all of us have families," the thief retorts, sending a sneer in the woman's direction. "Not all of us have a reason to celebrate."
The man is tall, Scully notes. Almost as tall as Mulder, but with a bit more mass to him. Mulder is lean. Muscular, but lean. She loves running her hands up and down his sculpted chest. With a sad sigh, she realizes that she might not ever get to do that again. Mr. Unhappy with the gun may make sure of that.
"You shouldn't punish those of us who do," the woman spits back, making Scully want shoot the woman herself. You don't really have to be in law enforcement to know that you shouldn't antagonize the nut with the gun.
"You got a lot to say, Girlie," he growls. He stalks across the room, sticking the gun under her chin. "I might just have to shut you up."
Up until then, the situation was relatively calm. Scully, along with about six other customers, were here in Pops Family Corner Grocery Store getting some last minute items before the holidays. Out of nowhere, this man bursts in, machine gun in hand, threatening to kill them all unless he got all the money from the cash register. Mr. Herman, the owner, quickly obeyed, instructing his employee to empty both registers and then open the safe in the back storage room. Smart thinking on Mr. Herman's part, because it gave Scully a chance to reach for her gun while out of the man's sight.
She was just about to take out the robber, when two of the other customers decided to jump him, ruining her shot. Their bravado didn't last long, however, once the gun was pointed back at them. Which is how they got in the situation they're in now - everyone tied off in pairs, unable to move. And with the arrival of the cops surrounding the store and preventing a hasty getaway of the burglar, they are locked in as well, forcing them to become hostages of a madman.
Unfortunately in this little scenario, Hysterical Woman has been tethered to Scully, and her incessant rambling is about to get them both killed. Scully has to do something to distract the perp until the hostage negotiator can get set up. She at least needs to shut the woman up before anything tragic happens.
"She's just scared," Scully says to the man, trying to somehow earn his trust. "We all are. Nobody wants anyone to get hurt. Isn't that right, Mr . . ."
"Boon. The name is Alan Boon."
"I'm Dana, Alan," she smiles, trying desperately to hide how scared she really is. "Why don't you tell us what this is all about, Alan. Why are you keeping us here?"
"You wouldn't understand. Nobody understands. People only understand money."
"So you're here for money? You already took that. You don't need to hurt anybody. Why don't you let us go," Scully suggests to the man.
"Let you go? Are you serious, Red? Do you see all them cops out there? I let you go, what's to stop them from rushing in here and killing me?" he yells, obviously agitated. Scully has to find a way to calm him down again.
"You're right. That's exactly what they would do," she admits, drawing the shocked gasps from her fellow hostages. "In fact, that's probably what they're thinking of doing right now. And when they kill some of us trying to get to you, who do you think they're going to blame? You, Alan. They're going to blame you. You don't want any murder charges, do you Alan?"
"I never meant for any of this to happen," he whimpers, pacing back and forth across the front of the store. "I just wanted the money. I just needed the money."
"I know you did, Alan," she sympathizes. She can see that he's actually listening to her. She just might be able to pull this off. She might get him to release at least some of the hostages. "It was just about the money. You never wanted anyone to get hurt. I understand that."
"You really do, don't you, Red?" He sounds amazed. "No one has really understood me. Not the banks. Not the doctors. No one."
"But I do," she nods. "You don't want anyone hurt, do you?"
"I swear. It was just about the money."
"Then prove that to those cops out there, Alan. Let everyone go. That'll show them you're not trying to hurt us."
"Okay, Red," he sighs quietly. He puts down his gun, looking up at her for what to do next.
She's about to tell him to untie her, when out of the corner of her eyes, something distracts her, making her stomach drop. The testosterone twins, the morons who tried to take him down earlier, have managed to get themselves free and are poised for another attack. Before Scully can utter a word, one of them leaps at the perp, knocking him to the ground. The other one dives for the gun, but is stopped short by a scream.
"Don't make another move," the perp growls, allowing the madness to overtake him again. Everyone looks up and sees him holding onto his attacker, a sharp blade pressed to the man's throat. "Take one more step and blondie here is dead before he hits the ground."
"Alan, you said you didn't want . . . "
"Shut up, Red!" he screams. "I've heard enough from you. This is my show now."
End Chapter 3
